Module 2.2 Using Learning Strategies Instruction to Enhance Student Learning

Module 2.2 Using Learning Strategies Instruction to Enhance Student Learning

1. Strategies

Strategies help students perform tasks more quickly and efficiently.  Strategies have been proven to help student performance. When students are efficient they complete assignments in a timely manner and demonstrate fluency in tasks and thought. When student perform well they have higher self-esteem and confidence. Not all children can develop their own learning strategies and must be taught them.

2. Strategic Learners Characteristics

Strategic learners are able to analyze a problem and develop a plan to solve it.  They can organize multiple goals and switch between simple and complex tasks.  When tasks get difficult strategic learners can develop new strategies on their own to complete the task.  Strategic learners have effective self-regulation strategies, can review their goals and determine if their goals have been met.  Strategic learners understand that hard work produces good results and higher grades.

Non-Strategic Learners Characteristics

Non-strategic learners are impulsive, unorganized and have difficulty knowing where to begin.  They show problems with focusing and memory.  Non-strategic learners cannot break larger task into smaller steps.  Everything is a mountain for them.  They become easily frustrated, feel like a failure and have more anxiety than strategic learners. When things become difficult non-strategic learners lack the persistence to work through it.  They see their failures as a result of factors outside themselves that are due to uncontrollable factors such as luck or under someone else’s control (i.e. the test was too hard and not I needed to study more).

3.  Important Aspects of the Six Stages of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD).   

            Each stage has other aspects but these are the most important aspects of each stage.  Stage three and stage five are the most important stages of the six.

            Stage One. The teacher needs to develop background knowledge on the students by assessing and understanding the student’s ability level to complete the task. A task can not be too easy or too difficult for a student.

            Stage Two.  The teacher discusses the strategy(s) with the students so they understand how and when to use the strategy(s). If a strategy is not used at the right time or the right situation the strategy will not be successful and the student will not use it.

            Stage Three. The teacher models the strategy for the student. Students need to understand how the strategy works in this given situation.

            Stage Four.  The teacher helps the student memorize the strategy. Students need to memorize the strategy so it becomes automatic and fluent.

            Stage Five. The teacher supports the student by offering positive feedback and then fading support until independent.  The goal is for a student to learn a strategy and be independent.

            Stage Six. The teacher provides practice to establish independence to maintain the strategy and to generalize to other activities.

4. Introducing the Self-Regulation Strategies, an Alternative Way

 While the teacher in the story started with setting a goal, you could start by introducing the class to positive statements and make it the theme of the class to always be positive. The students should also be taught to use resources around them by discussing in class what a student does if they run into difficulty, such as, repeating the steps, and raising your hand to ask a question. Once the goal and the steps to completing the goal are modeled by the teacher a written copy of the goal with each step listed can be given to the students.  Every time they reach or complete a step the students can check off the step (self-monitoring) and the teacher can give positive reinforcement by placing a star on a step completed well.  If a step is skipped or completed incorrectly the student should be encouraged to go back and repeat/complete the step. Positive re-enforcement should be given to each student when they reach the goal.  The goal can even be a class goal so students who naturally do well can encourage those who may need more assistance.  Steps along the goal can be adjusted if possible depending on the task for each child’s ability and level. After a student completes a goal they need to go back and check their steps and verbalize what they did well (steps with stars) and what steps they may need to work on. The goal and steps can be repeated each time and the student can monitor their process by counting the stars. 

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements.(n.d.). Using learning strategies: Instruction to enhance student learning. Retrieved on Feb 16, 2011 from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/srs/chalcycle.htm