Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Helping Students learn to learn - Simple things that university teachers can do

Angela Ho, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Though helping students learn to learn is generally recognized as an important agenda in universities, it is not commonly seen as an integral part of university teachers' responsibilities; instead, study skills training are more frequently given as stand alone courses by learning experts. The recent literature has recorded an encouraging shift in emphasis towards a contextualised approach to helping students learn to learn in which development of learning skills are integrated with academic teaching (Chalmers & Fuller, 1996; Zeegers & Martin, 2001; Zuber-Skerritt, 1992). Yet the teaching of the 'how' of learning is still seldom seriously contemplated by university teachers. Moreover, most of them are lacking the skills in helping students with learning skills. Hence the engagement of university teachers in learning to learn endeavour remains a challenging task for educational developers. This presentation reports on an experience which attempted to develop university teachers in helping students learn in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In this case, resource materials for helping students learn to learn were developed which can be used by students during their study and also by teachers in various stages of teaching and assessment. A short-course which bears the same title as this presentation: 'Helping students learn to learn - simple things that teachers can do' was organised to disseminate the concept of contextualising the teaching of learning skills and to promote ideas for implementing in-context learning to learn. Both the learning to learn resources and the short course have received great support from the teachers involved. This presentation will introduce the learning to learn resource materials developed in this project and portray the staff development short course; and will diagnose the features which have contributed to their impact on teachers.

Key words:
Learning to learn in-context; Learning to learn materials

Objectives, outcomes and activities:

• promote the idea of engaging teachers in contextualising learning to learn; and
• share an experience of supporting academic staff in helping students learn to learn incontext

Angela S.P. Ho is Senior Educational Development Officer at the Educational Development Centre, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The main areas of her work include conceptual change approach to staff development, student learning and helping students learn to learn. She is Programme Leader of the Med/PgD/PgC in Teaching in Professional, Vocational and Higher Education offered by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is currently Project Leader of an University Grants Committee funded project entitled: 'Learning to learn: Developing students' cognitive, motivational and interpersonal strategies for learning'.

Contact: Angela Ho, email: etangela@polyu.edu.hk