5th iNet International Conference, 26 28 November 2008

Many schools are introducing learning to learn programmes, either as standalone packages or through an integrated cross-curricular approach. These courses focus on a number of areas, including preferred learning styles, multiple intelligences, thinking skills, emotional intelligence and how the brain works. These schools have taken the view that to prepare students effectively for the 21st century they must teach students how to learn, in addition to teaching subject content.

The ultimate aim is to improve students’ metacognition skills so that they are better able to reflect on their own performance as learners. In addition, teachers will be better able to provide students with guidance on how to develop weaker learning styles and adapt their teaching to cover a range of teaching and learning styles in each lesson. Students will ultimately become less reliant on the teacher − enabling the teacher to concentrate on their more natural role of lesson facilitator.

Resources

• A more detailed exposition of the ideas, together with case studies of exisiting practice can be found in the Personalising learning 3 pamphlet.
• Further case studies looking at how learning to learn complements some of the other gateways are available in the Deep learning 1 publication.

Assessment for learning | Learning to learn | Student voice | Curriculum | New technologies | School design and organisation | Advice and guidance | Mentoring and coaching | Workforce development