How can we teach students how to learn?

Teaching students how to learn is a critical, but often overlooked, responsibility of academia. Should we just expect students to figure it out along the way? Yes, sometimes. But other times we must step in and share the skills we have learned to enable students to do the sorts of things we have done (and still do). Skilled educators provide students with training in how to learn in addition to the course information. How does a teacher resolve the several conflicts that arise when attempting to teach students how to learn?

Teaching students how to learn will be influenced by a number of factors including:

• Level of the unit (eg. first-year or Masters)
• Requirements of the course
• Type of assessment used

Learning how to learn involves more than just how to do research and find information. It also includes such things as how to glean relevant information, how to study, how to cope with the stresses of tertiary education, and comprehending one's personal learning style.

In this session the discussion will focus on issues such as:

• With so much content to cover, how much time should be dedicated to teaching students how to learn?
• Should one whole session (or part thereof) be given at the beginning of a semester to provide a foundation and then that's all?
• Is there any value in dedicating a few minutes (or even just one minute) to pass on a 'tip' for students at each session? Is there any risk of distracting from the content of the session?
• How can we account for different learning styles when we try to teach how to learn?