Expert learners

Knowing how to learn, and knowing which strategies work best, are valuable skills that differentiate expert learners from novice learners.

Wild and Heck, on their website ID 4 the web (2011), state that there are three key characteristics of expert learners: they take responsibility for their learning, they actively engage with material to be learned, and they practice self regulated learning. 

Taking responsibility for learning includes initiating opportunities to learn; seeking out information. Self-regulating learning  requires planning, setting goals, monitoring, evaluating and reflecting on the learning. Actively engaging with the material to be learned may include activating prior knowledge and utilising critical thinking and metacognitive skills.

Characteristics of expert learners that I already have include:

Planning, working independently and autonomously, taking control and setting goals

Having flexibility, being proactive, take responsibility for my learning

Collaborating and learning from others

Characteristics that I would like to strengthen, to develop on my journey as an expert learner:

Learning from mistakes

Articulate thoughts and ideas

Monitor and evaluate progress

Organise and analyse information - locate and process relevant information

Metacognitive skills - identifying strategies which work best

The cycle of SLR as identified by Wild and Heck

Developing these skills comes with practice and having an enquiring mind about the way that I learn. I find that I struggle with certain aspects of learning and studying, especially this course! It requires a great deal of self-discipline, the ability to  articulate my ideas clearly and succinctly, and I need to develop efficient and effective ways to study. Setting goals is critical; breaking the learning down into manageable and achieveable chunks.Support from tutors and other students is of great value and as I proceed the learning becomes smoother and easier.

The learners on my course are novice learners. They are all on the journey to developing skills such as self-management, goal setting, planning and reflection. They are often stopped in their tracks when they have difficulty with something; many of them have learned behaviours and strategies they have developed that are not very helpful. Many of them are unable to ask for help or support. Being able to recognise the characteristics of novice and expert learners means that I can identify areas that my students can be guided to develop.

References

Wild, M. & Heck, J.(2011). Expert learners. ID 4 the Web.

Literacy and numeracy

One of the key understandings of The Tertiary Education Commission's Theoretical Framework for Strengthening Literacy and Numeracy is that adult learners develop their literacy and numeracy most effectively in contexts that have meaning to them. As learners develop their expertise, their increasing awareness of their knowledge and skills allows them to apply them in a wide range of contexts. Learning is more easily transferred where learners are aware of the “underlying principles, patterns and relationships” within content (Gillespie, 2002). Learners are also more likely to gain transferable knowledge when the instruction is meaningful. Instruction is meaningful for learners when it is engaging and the tasks enable learners to see that their learning will be of use to them in their everyday lives.


Another of the key understandings is that successful approaches to embedding literacy and numeracy clearly link literacy, numeracy and vocational components of the course. Research into effective embedded literacy and numeracy approaches demonstrates that to be effective, literacy and numeracy support needs to be delivered as it is required for the instructional or vocational task at hand (Bates, 2005). This ensures that the learning is relevant and learners can link it to what they are doing.

The challenges with meeting the literacy and numeracy needs of the learners come from the disparate levels that the students begin their study with. Many students are reluctant to receive extra learning support because of negative experiences  in school and not wanting to be targeted as been different from the others in the group. Anxiety affects their learning, particularly if they have experienced previous failure at school or have low levels of confidence.

Another challenge is preparing the students for employment or further study at the end of the programme. Due to the nature of the programme, the students are interested in different fields of employment and avenues of further study. Some students need to have appropriate skill level to enter Level 4 trades programmes, some require more focus on academic writing preparation for courses such as Social Sciences.
Careers NZ states that according to Business NZ, among the top 10 skills employers look for are literacy and numeracy skills. If we can adequately prepare our graduates they will possibly stand a better chance of gaining employment and will have better success coping with the literacy and numeracy demands of the workplace.



References


Careers NZ   The 10 skills most valued by employers. Retrieved from:

http://www.careers.govt.nz/plan-your-career/not-sure-what-to-do/skills-employers-are-looking-for/

Bates, S. (2005). Integrating Literacies: The CAVSS approach. Reflect, 26–27.

Gillespie, M. K. (2002a). EFF Research Principle: A Contextualized Approach to Curriculum and Instruction. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.

Tertiary Education Commission (2009)  Strengthening Literacy and Numeracy: Theoretical Framework