Introduction
This sessions asks students to consider their positive and negative learning experiences to date and
reflect on their learning characteristics and motivation, to create a unique and individual ‘learner
profile’. This profile promotes metacognition (awareness of how they learn) and is subsequently used
to formulate specific actions that can be executed at the start of- and during- their studies to maximise
learning opportunities.
Learning Objective
Students will reflect upon and assess learning experiences to date to promote metacognitive
awareness of preferred learning characteristics. A new-found understanding of learning preferences
will be used to create specific and tangible action points and approaches for the commencement of
academic study.
Learning Outcomes
1. To formulate a set of learning characteristics that lead to positive learning experiences, based
on prior learning to date.
2. To create a personalised learner profile demonstrating metacognitive awareness of learning
preferences, personal motivations and the continuation of positive attributes from prior
learning experiences.
3. To use the personalised learner profile to formulate specific (SMART) targets to ensure that
personal learning preferences are addressed at the onset and during academic study. These
targets will synthesise personal characteristics of learning with the physical possibilities (for
example, their available resources) and capability of the student (for example, their realistic
time requirements outside of work or family).
Timings: 20 minutes
Resources
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Student resource booklet, pages 3-10
Scissors and blue-tack if you want to stick the group summaries to the wall as a basis for
discussion.
Self-study for next session (time management) using Skills4study Campus
1. Time management —> Planning and prioritising —> Screen 5—’How should I use my study time’:
Students to estimate their expected, current and preferred use of time, print out and bring in for basis
of discussion in next session.
2. Time management —> Planning and prioritising —> Screen 6—’Where does the time go’:
Student complete the pie charts showing how they use their time each day, print out and bring in next
session for discussion.
Skills4study campus can be accessed from: http://www.skills4studycampus.com/orglogin.aspx
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Activity Outline
Pg
Activity
Outcome
3-5
1. Individually students consider their prior learning experiences and note them on
the diagram.
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2. Discuss in small groups (3-5) and summarise onto the diagrams on pages 4-5.
3. These points should be discussed as a class and main themes examined in context
– for example, if a student mentions using magazines or websites to aid learning, you could
mention some popular magazines and websites used in your discipline/sector.
6-9
4. Individually students read page 6 and note their learning characteristics and
motivations on pages 8 and 9.
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5. Ask each student to come up with a name for their learning profile and share it with
the class or another person in the class, and discuss.
6. Students discuss in pairs and/or tutor picks a couple of good examples to highlight
to others – here the definition of good is students who have really given specific details
(practicalities) of how they think they learn.
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7. Individually students create the specific action points for their learning
characteristics.
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8. Pick some examples to share with the class that show good depth of thought and
application – ambiguity and being vague shows that the student doesn’t really understand
and needs clarification how to maximise their learning characteristics in academic study at
Greenwich – this could be the basis of discussion, such as:
 Location – what locations are available to them? Department space? The library?
Computers?
 Time – what time is the library open? The department? The building? When can you be
contacted via email or phone?
 Interpersonal – have you formed study groups within the department? Are there ‘learning
buddies’ or mentors available? What independent learning support is there in the
department?
 Resources – What library, department and online resources are available?
 Duration – how long should students aim to spend on their studies each week? On
reading? On application?
 Visual – are there any departmental podcasts or videos available? Any good websites
you can recommend?
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