1. THEME 3: HOW PEOPLE LEARN & LEARNING THEORIES
SESSION 3:
APPROACHES TO LEARNING
& THEORETICAL MODELS

2. Think about your own learning
Would you categorise your learning usually as

3. surface

4. deep

5. …or …strategic

7. Or something else?

9. APPROACHES TO STUDY http://www.learning-styles.co.uk/enh_eyls_msl_.php
Marton (1975): Approaches to study
Students’ approaches to a task (their intention), (perhaps) determines the level of engagement & thus the quality of the outcomes
These approaches may be classified as either DEEP or SURFACE
More recently extended to include ‘STRATEGIC LEARNING’ (Entwistle, 1997)

10. ‘SURFACE’ APPROACH TO LEARNING
Generically refer to ‘inappropriate’ learning activities as comprising a surface approach to learning….
Intention to (merely?) complete the given task
Memorize the information - Rote learning
No distinction between new ideas & existing knowledge
Superficial cognitive processing gives the impression that max. learning has occurred.
Facts are learned outside a context of meaning
‘To cope with course requirements’

11. SURFACE APPROACH “Learner sees task as external imposition
Instrumentally or pragmatically motivated and seek to meet demands of task with minimum effort
Overall involved in study without reflection on purpose or strategy with the focus of that study on the words, the text, or the formulae.”

12. (PROSSER & TRIGWELL, 1999) Ch.1
Adopt strategies which include:
*focus on unrelated parts of the task
*separate treatment of related parts (such as principles and examples)
*focus on what are seen as essentials (factual data)
*reproduction of the essentials as accurately as possible
*rote memorising information for assessment purposes rather than for understanding
(PROSSER & TRIGWELL, 1999) Ch.1

13. ‘DEEP’ APPROACH TO LEARNING
Generically refer to ‘appropriate’ learning activities as comprising a deep approach to learning….
Intention to seek and understand meaning
Relate concepts to existing experience
Distinguish between new ideas & existing knowledge
Critically evaluate & determine key themes & concepts
Facts are learnt within a meaningful framework
‘To understand for yourself’

14. DEEP APPROACH “Learner aims to understand ideas and seek meanings
Learner has intrinsic interest in task and expectation of enjoyment in carrying it out
Overall focus on meaning in argument, the message or the relationships, aware of meanings carried by words, text or formulae”

15. to help satisfy curiosity e.g.
*making task coherent with own experience;
*relating and distinguishing evidence/argument;
*looking for patterns/underlying principles
*integrating task with existing awareness
*Seeing parts of task making up the whole
*forming hypotheses
*relating what s/he understand from other parts of the same subject and from different subjects
(PROSSER & TRIGWELL, 1999) Ch.1

16. ‘STRATEGIC’ APPROACH TO LEARNING
Often seen as engaging elements of both
surface & deep approaches
Put consistent effort into studying
Find the right conditions & materials for learning
Managing time and effort effectively
Being alert to assessment requirements & criteria
Gearing work to perceived preference of lecturers
‘To achieve the best possible grades’

17. PRACTICAL TASK
What factors might contribute to a particular approach to study being adopted?
Please provide a practical example!
How might this awareness impact upon your own professional practice?

18. BIGGS’ MODEL of CONSTRUCTIVE ALIGNMENT
To encourage deep learning focus on:
PRESAGE: student factors and teaching context
PROCESS: activities focused to encourage deep and discourage surface learning
PRODUCT: learning outcomes – facts; skills; structure; transfer; involvement

19. “Factors encourage surface learning from student’s side”
Intention only to achieve minimal pass – meal ticket? Relevance?
Non-academic priorities exceeding academic
Insufficient time, workload too high
Misunderstanding requirements – recall adequate
A cynical view of education
High anxiety
Genuine inability to understand particular content at a deep level”
BIGGS (1999)

20. “Factors that encourage surface learning from teacher’s side”
Teaching in piecemeal fashion: providing lists, not bringing out intrinsic structure of subject
Assessing for independent facts – short answers and multiple-choice tests
Teaching and especially assessing in a way that encourages cynicism
Providing insufficient time to engage in tasks, emphasising coverage at the expense of depth
Creating undue anxiety or low expectations of success: “Anyone who can’t understand this isn’t fit to be at university”.
BIGGS(1999)

21. “Factors that encourage deep learning from student’s side”
Intention to engage the task meaningfully and appropriately (intrinsic curiosity or determination to do well)
Appropriate background knowledge; ability to focus at high conceptual level, working from first principles, requires well-structured knowledge base
A genuine preference, and ability, for working conceptually rather than with unrelated detail”
( BIGGS,1999)

22. “Factors that encourage deep learning in the teaching environment”
Teaching and assessing in a way that encourages a positive working atmosphere, so students can make mistakes and learn from them
Emphasising depth of learning, rather than breadth or coverage
In general, and most importantly, using teaching and assessment methods that support the explicit aims and objectives of the course”
(BIGGS,1999)

23. “Factors that encourage deep learning in the teaching environment”
Teaching in such a way as to bring out the structure of the subject explicitly
Teaching to elicit a positive response from students, e.g. by questioning or presenting problems, rather than teaching to expound information
Teaching by building on what students already know
Confronting and eradicating students’ misconceptions
Assessing for structure rather than for independent facts”
(BIGGS,1999)

24. PROMOTING DEEP LEARNING
PROVIDE CLEAR STATEMENT OF GOALS
INCLUDE LEARNER INPUT TO COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT
TUTOR/LEARNER INTERACTION
LEARNER/LEARNER INTERACTION
ACTIVE/INTERACTIVE EXERCISES
TEACH LEARNING SKILLS EXPLICITLY
CHOICE AND/OR RANGE OF ASSESSMENT TASKS
ENGAGE LEARNERS IN INVESTIGATION AND REFLECTION
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
FULL FEEDBACK

25. Should we be promoting deep, surface or strategic learning?
Do we promote any of these unintentionally?
How does the use of virtual learning environments affect the student or teacher approach to learning?
How does deep learning relate to teaching smarter?

26. Not everything that is deep is beautiful…..

28. Or serious…

30. REFERENCES BIGGS, J., 1999, Teaching for Quality at University
Open UP and SRHE, Buckingham
Especially Chapter 2
for theory of “Constructive alignment”
PROSSER,M. & TRIGWELL,K, 1999,
Understanding Learning & Teaching: The Experience in Higher Education
Especially Chapter 7

31. Deep and surface approaches to learning –an introduction
Read the original authors for detail