TOPIC: How students learn, and the assumptions educators make about how their students learn and what they bring to the learning process. The various roles of the 'teacher'.

LEARNING TASK: Reflect on your understanding of how students learn in relation to your particular students. Argue whether knowing about learning styles and approaches to learning is helpful or not. This will be based on readings and your experience and substantiate with evidence where possible.

There are 3 core readings for the first week:

1. Biggs, J. (1999) What the student does: Teaching for enhanced learning. Higher Education Research and Development, 18 (1), 57 -75
2. Harden, R.M., Crosby, J. (2000). AMEE guide No. 20: The good teacher is more than a lecturer: The twelve roles of the teacher. Medical Teacher, 22 (4), 334-348
3. Ten Cate, O., Snell, L., Mann, K., & Vermunt, J. (2004). Orienting teaching toward the learning process. Academic Medicine, 79 (3), 219 - 228

Biggs (1999) will introduce you to deep, surface and strategic learning. Can you recognise these characteristics in yourself and/or your students?

Harden and Crosby (2000) will get you to look at many various roles of a teacher. Which roles are your dominant roles? Which roles do you prefer?

Ten Cate et al. (2004) focus on guiding students to become independent learners using a model of learner-oriented teaching (LOT). How do you relate to this approach? (see further questions on the course outline.

Please also revisit the following:

1. Brookfield, S. (1995) The getting of wisdom: What critically reflective teaching is and why it's important. Retrieved from http://www.StephenBrookfield.com.
2. Trigwell, K., Prosser, M., & Ginns P (2005) Phenomenographic pedagogy and a revised Approaches to teaching inventory. Higher Education Research and Development, 24 (4), 349 -360
3. Brown BL (2003) Teaching Style vs. Learning Style. Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education, Ohio State University. Myths and Realities No. 26. Retrieved from http://www.calpro-online.org/eric/docs/mr41.pdf
4. HAESDU (CHED) Learning Histories