Learning Strategies and Coaching:
Pathways to Self-Determination
David R. Parker, Ph.D. (CRG)
Postsecondary Disability Specialist/ADD&Life Coach
www.childrensresourcegroup.com
(317) 575-9111 ext. 146
Overview of Strand
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Day 1: Strategy Instruction
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Day 2: ADD Coaching
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Important outcomes
How/why we teach strategies
Strategies mindset
Share/learn/practice some strategies
An emerging postsecondary service
Coaching mindset
Practice coaching techniques
Comparing strategies and coaching
Day 3: Self-Determination
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What is self-determination?
Why SD matters in college students
Whitney’s case study
Is it the type of service, or how we deliver it, that influences SD?
Important Outcomes
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“Self-determination is the ability to
identify and achieve goals, based on a
foundation of knowing and valuing
yourself.”
- Field & Hoffman (1994, p. 164)
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Let’s identify some important outcomes
of our work with students:
◦ Institutional mission
◦ Mission of our office
Strategy Instruction
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“Learning strategies are used by students to help
them understand information and solve problems.
A learning strategy is a person's approach to
learning and using information. Students who do
not know or use good learning strategies often
learn passively and ultimately fail in school.
Learning strategy instruction focuses on making
the students more active learners by teaching
them how to learn and how to use what they
have learned to solve problems and be
successful.”
- KU Center for Research on Learning
http://www.kucrl.org/sim/strategies.shtml
Why Did Strategy Instruction
Emerge as a Widespread Model?
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Many students, particularly those with LD/ADHD,
demonstrate a need for:
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more efficient information processing
direct instruction in the “hidden curriculum”
better organizational skills
more effect memory techniques
saliency detection
better self-regulation of attention
metacognitive self-monitoring
flexibility of approach
- Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark (1991);
Mastropieri & Scruggs (1991); Wong (1994)
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Most strategy instruction research limited to K-12
settings
Effective Strategy Instruction
Effective Strategy Instruction
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Step 1: Explain rationale for the learning
strategy
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Step 2: Introduce strategy; model and
demonstrate
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Step 3: Provide guided practice; repeat and
provide feedback
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Step 4: Provide time for independent use; help
build fluency
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Step 5: Describe self-evaluation and selfmonitoring
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Step 6: Encourage generalization of strategy
to other learning situations
- adapted from Schumaker & Deshler (1992)
Tech-Based Strategies
Tech-Based Strategies
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A recent survey of college students with LD and ADHD and
students without disabilities found that both groups reported high
threshold levels of comfort and fluency with learning technologies.
However, notable differences in specific skills were found. Students
with disabilities indicated a lower level of comfort with e-mail and
multitasking on a computer (i.e., online literature searches including
reading online) than did their peers without disabilities.
- Parker & Banerjee (2007)
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Academic self-regulation is “the process by which students activate
and sustain cognitions, behaviors, and affects that are systematically
orientated toward the attainment of academic goals”
- Ruban, McCoach, McGuire, & Reid (2003, p. 271)
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Types of strategies
◦ Procedural
◦ Metacognitive
◦ Self-regulation
Strategies Mindset
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Didactic model (we know/tell as we teach the
skills)
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Tutoring = expertise in content;
Strategy Instruction = expertise in how
to learn
Same prescribed steps each time:
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◦ SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)
◦ Did King Phillip Cry Out “For Goodness
Sakes!”?
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“Give a person a fish…”
What’s In Your Toolbox?
Please name/briefly describe 2-3
strategies you teach students or help
them learn from other resources.
 Add your name and college/university to
the sheet of paper.
 Post on wall so we can “compare notes”
and learn from each others’ expertise.
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Show and Tell
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Demonstrate and practice various
strategies for college students
Name of Strategy
Skill Area
3-2-1 Prep Planner
Time management
Professor Flashcard
Testprep/memorization
Road to Recognition
Essay test-taking
2-column Khan
Academy
Math; reflection for LT
retention
3-2-1 Prep Planner Strategy
Skill area: time management
 Helps students work backwards from a
deadline
 Use calendars to plan use of time leading
up to a deadline
 Can be particularly helpful during midterms or finals
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Professor Flashcard Strategy
Skill area(s): MC test-prep, memorization
 Helps students anticipate how they will
be tested on factual recall items
 Teaches students how to strategically use
key wording in MC test items
 Provides multi-sensory learning
experience
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Road to Recognition Strategy
Skill area: fully answering short
answer/essay tests questions
 Helps students with various skills:
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◦ deconstruct complex language
◦ organize thoughts in quick pre-writing step
◦ check for complete response to prompt
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Also uses a multi-sensory (verbal, visual)
approach
2 Column/Reflection Strategy
Skill area: math problem-solving
 Helps students activate verbal language to
process symbolic, sequential information
 Teaches students to associate problem
type with problem process/steps
 Promotes reflection through interactive
media
 Khan Academy
video
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