Required attributes for learning

Writing intended learning outcomes for modules and courses is a requirement. However it may be argued that unless students possess the ability to learn, the ILOs will never be realised. Therefore it may be necessary for us to articulate the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that students need to be able to demonstrate in order for them to learn effectively in university engineering programmes.

Literature on Personal Development Planning (PDP) and on Key Skills commonly refers to learning skills, but exactly what these learning skills are is not generally set out in enough detail to be useful. Furthermore just talking about “skills” is an over simplification. Attitudes or beliefs are probably at least, if not more, important. For example, students need to believe that learning is their responsibility and that success depends on their own efforts, and they need to believe that even when things look difficult they can work things out for themselves and that effort will be rewarded by success.

The following is an attempt to list the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding of the learning process that an engineering student needs by the end of the first year of an engineering degree programme in order to proceed as an effective learner. Engineering lecturers will recognise many of the attributes described as being necessary but often lacking in a student repertoire.

The point being made here is that if these attributes are necessary for a student to learn engineering effectively and yet are lacking when the students begin their programmes we must do something concrete about it. We have to consciously and systematically set about ensuring that students acquire these attributes as an explicit part of the curriculum, just as we set about teaching mathematics, mechanics, circuit theory or properties of materials.

The following pages present an extensive (but not necessarily all-inclusive) list of attributes that a student should have. There is some repetition as individual attributes may appear in different guises under a number of headings.

As a prerequisite for learning engineering students should possess the following beliefs, understanding and appreciation:

  • Believe the study of engineering to be enjoyable, interesting and rewarding (i.e. possess intrinsic motivation).
  • Believe the study of engineering to be a positive step to a future career (i.e. possess extrinsic motivation).
  • Understand learning as a changing the way we think and act, rather than simply as the acquisition of knowledge, and understand that the by-products of education (such as confidence, self-motivation and enthusiasm for new challenges) can be valuable personal qualities that can be applied to life and employment.
  • Understand that learning is their own responsibility, and recognise that results will and should depend on effort.
  • Appreciate that the lecturers' job is to teach students how to think and act like engineers and not just provided information.
  • Appreciate the need for hierarchies of assessment criteria and the different approaches required for different marks. e.g. threshold level performance might be achieved through simple recall and demonstration of single step problem solving, while higher marks can only be gained by solving more complicated problems without being told how to do them first, and without necessarily being provided with all the information required in advance.

In order to learn students should also have the knowledge and skills to perform the following functions.

  1. Planning
  2. set realistic objectives and standards
  3. prioritise tasks appropriately
  4. break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable, ones
  5. prepare personal timetables to ensure that all timetabled sessions are attended, enough time is set aside for private study, set work can be completed in time and that a healthy balance is maintained between work and other activities
  6. demonstrate the self discipline necessary to adhere to timetables
  7. choose appropriate times and places for study
  8. Monitoring of own progress and planning accordingly
  9. set realistic personal targets
  10. review own learning activities and their outcomes critically, identifying what does and does not work, and modifying targets and learning strategies accordingly
  11. evaluate own work critically against criteria provided by teaching staff. (In later years students should develop the ability to set their own criteria - setting out clear assessment criteria at level 1 will give students something to build on in later years.)
  12. identify own strengths and weaknesses and either plan and execute measures to overcome weaknesses or seek help from a tutor or counsellor.
  13. make use of feedback - accept feedback as something constructive, read feedback on returned work and use this to work out how to produce better work “next time”.
  14. Interacting constructively with others
  15. provide constructive feedback to teaching staff
  16. work effectively with others as a member of a group and meet obligations to others (for example, tutors, peers, and colleagues)
  17. General learning attributes
  18. be prepared to abandon previous conceptions (misconceptions)
  19. be prepared to try different ways of doing things
  20. persevere with difficult topics
  21. look for links between new material and prior learning
  22. look for links between course material and the “real world”
  23. look for links between different modules
  24. Personal administration
  25. obtain course information from student handbooks, university web-sites etc.
  26. use programme information to manage a sensible balance of effort on different elements of a programme
  27. organise notes etc. systematically.
  28. know how the marking/grading schemes work at all levels from individual items of coursework to final degree classification.
  29. keep a systematic track of work that needs to be done, monitoring own progress in completing it.
  30. keep a systematic record of marks achieved and other feedback, to support monitoring of own progress.

To ensure successful learning students will benefit from basic rules of attendance, preparation and interaction associated with each format of study.

  1. Lectures
  2. attend all timetabled sessions, arriving on time
  3. maintain concentration throughout lecture
  4. ask questions
  5. take useful notes in lectures, for a range of different lecture styles
  6. identify the key concepts explained in a lecture
  7. review lectures shortly after attending (to reinforce material before it is forgotten) and reformat lecture notes, if necessary, to be accessible for revision purposes
  8. carry out any recommended reading
  9. Tutorials
  10. arrive at tutorials properly prepared - e.g. having attempted exercises, done recommended reading etc.
  11. participate actively in tutorials, and ask questions if anything is not understood
  12. prepare questions to be asked in formal or informal tutorials - when seeking help, assemble all available information first
  13. Laboratory work
  14. identify the purpose of laboratory work i.e.: is it (i) to see a practical demonstration confirming the validity of taught theory, (ii) develop/practice investigative research skills, or (iii) develop/practice design or construction skills
  15. in laboratories, focus on what is to be learnt (rather than merely follow instructions)
  16. record the results of laboratory experiments systematically (and honestly) and interpret them, relating empirical observations to theory
  17. write clear accounts of laboratory experiments
  18. Private Study
  19. review lectures (or other new material) shortly after attending/first contact
  20. choose appropriate times and places for study
  21. identify and do work that should be done in preparation for tutorials, labs etc.
  22. identify the intended learning outcomes of modules and focus efforts on achieving them, using assessment criteria to help prioritise effort
  23. understand (and be able to explain) the difference between knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes, recognise which of these needs to acquired or developed in any given learning context and choose learning methods accordingly
  24. identify material (e.g formulae) that need to be memorised and adopt a systematic approach to learning this material (repetition, self-test etc.)
  25. understand the need to practice skills, plan appropriate practice and demonstrate the self discipline to carry out such plans
  26. identify key concepts and concentrate on understanding them
  27. use concept maps to visualise the relationships between concepts
  28. use textbooks actively to develop understanding of concepts.
  29. constantly monitor effectiveness of study and self-test
  30. practice writing systematic descriptions of processes in systems studied
  31. prepare questions to be asked in formal or informal tutorials - when seeking help, assemble all available information first
  32. judge when to ask for help and when to work things out independently, and when asking for help judge who to ask (e.g. know when a fellow student's explanation cannot be relied on)
  33. be aware of their own learning style preferences, and of the need to work on any weaknesses, such as the need to get used to using diagrams (visual), or to practice reading for understanding and writing with precision.

In preparing for examinations students should

  1. prepare useful revision notes
  2. prepare and follow realistic revision timetables
  3. practise exam type questions, applying realistic time and help constraints so as to gain a realistic picture of progress
  4. identify material (formulae etc.) that needs to be memorised and use an appropriate means to memorise this material.
  5. in doing coursework and examinations, answer the question asked
  6. manage time sensibly in examinations.

Students should also have the following life skills:

  • interpersonal skills
  • give constructive feedback
  • listen to other peoples ideas
  • appreciate that study support networks aid motivation and understanding of course material
  • ask others for help: fellow students, personal tutors, lecturers, library staff, administration staff etc.
  • explain ideas and concepts to each other and appreciate that this is an important way of developing understanding
  • participate actively in tutorials, and ask questions if anything is not understood
  • demonstrate a logical and systematic approach to problem solving
  • first focus on understanding the principles and concepts that relate to the situation, rather than focusing on formulae
  • gather all information and resources together before attempting to find the solution
  • use diagrams to facilitate problem solving and to communicate designs and solutions
  • present solutions to problems clearly, explaining working and using mathematical and engineering notation and units correctly
  • distinguish between the need to find more information and the need to use creative or analytical thinking to solve a problem
  • check back to confirm that any solution produced in the required objective
  • read and follow instructions:
  • for carrying out laboratory work
  • completing and handing in coursework
  • for preparing reports (including referencing sources correctly)
  • finding and using resources
  • consider carefully which resource will deliver the desired outcome
  • use library search facilities to find appropriate textbooks
  • use textbooks to find information and, actively, to develop understanding of concepts.
  • find information on the internet, view it critically, and select appropriately
  • keep systematic records of sources
  • understand the difference between plagiarism and legitimate collaboration

Source

The chapter above was taken from Houghton, Warren (2004) Engineering Subject Centre Guide: Learning and Teaching Theory for Engineering Academics. Loughborough: HEA Engineering Subject Centre.