Self-directed Learners Mary Pryor Academic Learning & Study Unit (ALSU)

Academic Learning & Study Unit (ALSU) – what does it do? Supports student learning by providing: Study Skills workshops (generic) Advice sessions Online resources In-course skills development

Engaging students in their first year Setting students assignments as soon as they arrive at university could help cut dropout rates…integrate students into university life as quickly possible. This involves making them aware of the quality and quantity of work expected from them… The freedom…is too much for some and they probably need more structure in the first year Times Higher, 24/1/03 Reporting on the Student Transition and Retention (STAR) project

What are self-directed learners? Diagnose their learning needs Formulate learning goals Identify resources for learning Select and implement learning strategies Evaluate learning outcomes Students who are able to:

How can we support the development of such skills? Self-assessment Peer-assessment Self-evaluation By involving them in the learning process, using:

Self-assessment Strengths/weaknesses of the work How it could be improved… The grade I think it deserves is… I would like the tutor to comment on… Peer-assessment Marking peers work using model answers Feedback on peers work after appropriate guidance (students identify the criteria) Self-evaluation Reflective questionnaires

Essay Self Assessment Fail 0-8 Pass 9-11 Good Very Good Excellent Relevance to Question Structure Information Content Analytical Content Presentation (Footnotes / Bibliography) On which aspects of the essay would you most like the tutor to comment? Please place a cross in the boxes corresponding to your own evaluation of the various aspects of your essay. The categories and marks allocated to them conform to the Common Assessment Scale (CAS). Your evaluation will not affect your final grade but will give your tutor a valuable starting point for discussion of your work.