Help Students to become Better Learners

Help Students to become Better Learners

            Within most of the present learning curriculums, the biggest challenge that has persisted over time is the ability to ensure that learning takes place amongst the student population. It is quite evident that a fraction of students possess the impetus needed to see them through the schooling, yet the majority of these lack the fervor for studies. This school of though has resulted to the premise that the solution to this problem lies within the lecturer’s ability to impart the motivation within the learners. Note that, various learning techniques have been proposed and applied to enhance the learning process among students. With reference to this learning institution, to realize the objective of transforming students into better learners, the institution should apply student-centric learning approaches that will inspire the scholars towards being better learners.

Lecturers should ensure that their attitudes and behavior is motivational to the students. Factually, students’ abilities and knowledge within the classroom is very diverse in nature. For better learning, the instructors would aid the students in realizing their best potential by setting high yet pragmatic targets in the respective courses. Note that the focus should be on the macro measurement of overall growth and development in the learning institution as opposed to the current method of evaluation that centers on the grades. From experience, I have noted that when the focus is hinged on grades, the studies tend to shift from a learning experience into a passing one; cramming tends to be the easiest solution to ensuring that I have the needed information to acquire a good grade and this overshadows the aspect of learning. With regard to grades, lectures have argued that it cannot be entirely scrapped off the system due to the fact that parents focus on the grade attained, and whether the student has passed or failed. This however can easily be cleared though the organization of parent-teacher seminars where the parents can be advised on the best approach to student learning.

Another factor that tends to undermine learning is rivalry among students. The fundamental aspect of learning is not to make students compete against one another but to ensure that each individual attains the required amount of knowledge from the various courses. Weak students tend to acquire a cowardly perspective that hinders proper learning. It is a good teaching practice to identify the weak and strong students in the classroom as the lecturer is able to allocate more time and concentration to the former group. This however is not enough impetus to ensure that the students have attained their best learning levels; they will only hit the ‘better’ but not ‘best’ level in their studies. The strong student may even feel threatened by the much time that the teacher allocates to the poor ones. This aspect can be balanced by the inclusion of students in a peer to peer learning environment. This simply means that, instead of the lecturer always offering help to the weak students, he can group the students in a systematic manner that incorporates both weak and strong students in the various groups. The learning activities given should offer a good opportunity for the strong students to be of help to the weak ones. Communication within such a setting is enhanced since the students have a stronger bond amongst each other than with a person they term as an authority. This complementary relationship reduces rivalry within the students.

The courses offered in this school should be designed in a way that inspires the students to acquire an interest in the given subject. Habitual methods of teaching are the largest constraints within the classroom as students tend to be easily bored. Techniques used in teaching should be diverse as this infuses the element of fun in studying. In addition to this, the lecturers should work on their delivery methods by being passionate about what they teach. An instructor who seems bored with the work he/she is covering in class is likely to transfer the same effect on the students’ perspective towards the course content. Another way to overcome this is that while selecting the various topics to be covered in a given course, the lecturer can offer a single slot and various topics that students can discuss amongst themselves and choose that which they deem best for their learning. Lecturers that may have a problem with transforming ht classroom into an enjoyable practice should imitate the peer to peer learning experience and consult their counterparts for help. Otherwise, what would be the need for having fellow lecturers that cannot offer aid to one another? Initiating this practice from the working culture makes it easier to adapt into the learning curriculum. A hierarchical mode of course content should be applied; it is better to start off with simple content that gradually tends towards the hard information. This is because, the tests that relate to this structure will begin with easy ones and the hard ones at the end. When the students highly pass the initial tests, it motivates them as they acquire the belief and perspective that they are well able to achieve their targets.