IRIS: Using Learning Strategies: Instruction to Enhance Student Learning
1. Suggest at least three ways that strategies can help students in the classroom.
Strategies allow students to use the knowledge they already possess—to complete an
assignment or to accomplish a goal. Students can learn to memorize information easier
and self regulate their learning and behavior.
2. Compare the characteristics of strategic learners with those of non-strategic learners.
Strategic learners:
o Will be able to analyze a problem and develop a plan
o Will be able to organize multiple goals and switch flexibly from simple to more
complicated goals
o Can access their background knowledge and apply it to novel tasks
o Will develop new organizational or procedural strategies as the task becomes
more complex
o Can use effective self-regulated strategies while completing a task
o Will attribute high grades to their hard work and good study habits
o Can review the task-oriented-goals and determine whether they have been met
Non-Strategic learners:
o Unorganized, impulsive, unaware of where to begin an assignment
o Unaware of possible steps to break the problem into a manageable task, possibly
due to the magnitude of the task
o Exhibit problems with memory
o Unable to focus on a task
o Lack persistence
o Experience feelings of frustration, failure, or anxiety
o Attribute failure to uncontrollable factors (e.g., luck, teacher's instructional style)
3. List the six research-validated stages of SRSD. What aspects of each would you
emphasize as the most important?
o Develop Background Knowledge
o Discuss It
o Model It
o Memorize It
o Support It
o Establish Independent Practice
I think Developing Background Knowledge on any topic is very important. The students
need to be interested in learning something new by connecting it to something that
relates. Modeling would be my second most important. If they don’t see and understand
what the teacher did to complete the task, they won’t know where to begin. Finally,
having them Establish Independent Practice means that they have understood the content
modeled and can work on their own to complete the rest of the homework.
4. Imagine you are a fifth-grade teacher. Mary Ann, a student in your class, understands
way she should use an instructional strategy that you are teaching, but she is not yet ready
to use the strategy independently. Explain how you would help prepare her to do so.
I would model the steps again for her and quiz her on the steps. I would make sure she
has had one-on-one instruction, small group discussion and participated in peer pairing. I
would spend extra time in one-on-one instruction with her and model exactly what she
needs help with. I could provide more than one example of how to use the strategy, like
the example of using two different images to come up with stories.
5. You've followed along as Mr. Carter introduced the four self-regulation strategies in a
way that was appropriate to the needs of his students. Can you describe an alternate way
to introduce the self-regulation strategies?
One group of students could model the 4 steps (Goal-setting, Self-monitoring, Self-talk,
and Self-reinforcement) for the class on how to self regulate. The students will feel more
involved and can give realistic comments on how they are going through the strategy
steps. The teacher can correct any mistakes as they go, but evaluate how well the students
are picking it up by observing.