Insider’s View of Academic
Skills Counselling
Peter Walsh, M.Ed.
Centre for Student Development, McMaster University
Learning about Learning Forum
McMaster Libraries
Agenda
Why Tips Don’t Work
What really goes on
– Stages of Change
– Self Regulation
– Learning Processes
– Learning Strategies
Question & Answer
Why ‘Tips’ Don’t Work
‘Tip’ Examples
When in Doubt, Pick C
Yellow helps you ‘concentrate’
Check marks are more ‘motivating’ than
crossing items off your To Do List
There are ‘substances’ that help
performance
The myth of the ideal study environment
‘Tips’ in Research
Research design
Fails to address individual variability
– A student is not an “average” but a self aware,
multidimensional, self directed “data point”
Fails to teach the situational utility of a
technique
Doesn’t motivate
For a good comprehensive beginner level review of research on learning and thinking see the public
document of Jennifer Cromley’s report on Learning to Think: Learning to Learn (2000). National Institute
for Literacy. http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/fellowship/cromley_report.pdf.
Why Teaching ‘Tips’ is Worse
No theory to assist choosing the right
technique (cf. “tools” approach)
Fail to develop the student’s ability to be
adaptive, flexible, and self directed.
Ignores what happens when the “tip”
doesn’t work!
IN SHORT … They …
Trivialize the complexity of human learning
and human change processes
What really goes on in
academic skills counselling
Overview
1. Readiness for Change
2. Self Regulation Issues
3. Understanding Learning Process
4. Specific Learning Strategies
1. Readiness for Change
2. Self Regulation Issues
3. Understanding Learning Process
4. Specific Learning Strategies
Change Is NOT Easy
Telling doesn’t mean doing
30 attempts to establish a habit
Persons under stress revert to more
‘primitive’ coping strategies
Capacity for self directed change may not
be complete until the early 20’s1
1. For an easy to read summary of changes in young adulthood and adolescence, see Stress Out and Struggling: A work in
progress – the adolescent and young adult brain . Young Minds, www.youngminds.org.uk/sos.
Stages of Change Model
1 Pre-Contemplation
Raise Awareness & Doubts
Remind Again Later
Encourage to Try Again
2 Contemplation
Tip the Balance & Get Concrete
3 Planning
“Motivate”
4 Action
Stay the Course
5 Maintenance
Modified from Changing for good, by Prochaska, Norcross., and Diclementi (1994)
6. Relapse
What keeps people trying?
Attribution: an explanation of success or failure
Malleable Attribution
– E.g. time, effort,
strategy
– ‘If at first you don’t
succeed …’
Persist and succeed
Fixed Attribution
– E.g. IQ, Ability,
Character
– ‘Either you got “it” or
you don’t.’
Drop out and fail
Biggest challenge for a Counsellor is to move a student from a
Fixed Attribution Bias to a Malleable Attribution Bias.
Bias
* Adapted from Perry (2003), Perceived academic control and causal thinking in achievement settings,
Canadian Psychology, 44 (3) 312-331. Also see Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman.
Tiered Assessment & Intervention
1. Readiness for Change
2. Self Regulation Issues
3. Understanding Learning Process
4. Specific Learning Strategies
Meta-Cognition & Self Regulation
Observer You
Executive
Intention
Will Power
“Motivation”
Feedback
Reflection
Control
Monitor
“Just do it”
Action You
Adapted from Nelson, T. O. & Narens, L. (1996). Why investigate metacognition. In Metacognition: Knowing about
knowing (Ed. Metcalfe, J. & Shimamura, A. P.). London, England:Bradford/MIT.
Why is meta-cognition important
Research links incompetence to
weaknesses in meta-cognitive skills*.
Specifically, it was found that failure to
monitor competence lead to in accurate
appraisals about abilities.
Training in meta-cognitive monitoring skills
increased competence.
* Kruger, J. & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 77, 1121-1134.
Tiered Assessment & Intervention
1. Readiness for Change
2. Self Regulation Issues
3. Understanding Learning Process
4. Specific Learning Strategies
So how does ‘technique’ fit?
Specific techniques must be served on a platter of
theory of when, why, and how to use the technique
given personal attributes and context.
* This is called “Explicit Instruction” and “Strategic Learning Instruction” in the literature.
Educational Constructivism
Learning is active (cf. Theory of Osmosis)
Scaffolding (start where the student IS)
– Layers and levels exist to Knowing
Different ways of “knowing” (cf. “digital)
Knowledge is “webbed” both deep and
wide (Density and Extent)
For Example, the Method of Inquiry, or Q Method.
Tiered Assessment & Intervention
1. Readiness for Change
2. Self Regulation Issues
3. Understanding Learning Process
4. Specific Learning Strategies
Simile: Skills and Tools
A skill is developed
over time, requires
effort, allows for
confusion and
inconsistent initial
results
A tool is an interface
between a TASK and
a PERSON
The more Tools you
have, the easier the
job
THE END
(Q&A)