Guest Author - Cheryl Lynne Likins, M.A.
Becoming an independent learner is one of the primary purposes of college. High school teachers know about this from their own educational experiences in college and now as professionals.
I am sure that you have already had this kind of learning experience. When working on projects and reports earlier in your education, you began to get a taste of independence. When doing so, you probably had the freedom to make some of your own choices, such as selecting an interesting topic to investigate.
College Learning
In college, you will also have the opportunity to make more decisions about how and what to learn. One of the most critical choices students make is a major field of study. College students have many options to weigh, such as whether to study abroad, take an independent study course, or enroll in an internship.
However, more basic than all of this is the responsibility students have to actually learn the subject matter, and depending on your field of study, become proficient in a certain skill set for professional work. You are indeed responsible for your own learning as an adult student.
College instructors are certainly happy to support their students’ learning. However, usually one instructor has at least a few or even several classes to manage. The reality is that there is one teacher for many students. Even if the instructor has teaching assistants, they are typically graduate students. Many of these assistants are very knowledgeable, but they are not a substitute for the instructor herself.
Adult Learning
The truth is that you will function as an adult learner in college. So how is it different from middle or high school?
While the onus for learning the subject matter and mastering the skills is on you, it is not necessarily a bad thing. You truly begin to chart your own course. As a continuation of high school instruction, students engage in critical thinking and analysis, while drawing their own conclusions. Students learn how to use logic, weigh the value of arguments, and identify fallacies.
Learner-centered or student-centered learning puts the focus on you. Based on your needs and strengths, instructors help you to guide your own learning process. A hypothetical example of a learner-centered activity is a final project for a college course. In this example, a student could choose a career to research, including an interview with someone employed in the field, a site visit and a comparative industry. As long as the choice meets the instructor’s defined criteria, the student may choose what he wishes. This is a good illustration of a learner-centered activity.
Students may often relate past experiences to assignments and factor them into their work. Life experiences as an adult are very relevant to the learning process. Learning truly becomes one’s own, as students are invested in both the process and the outcome.
Learning Styles
Because everyone has a different way of learning, a one-size-fits-all approach is not optimal. Instructors often differentiate their approach and use a variety of modalities. In elementary and secondary school, often teachers try to tailor some lessons to each student’s learning style; i.e., auditory, kinesthetic, visual, musical and reading/writing preference learners. Group work may be divided based on the students’ learning styles. Remember that it is not how intelligent a student is, but how the student is intelligent, so to speak. Our brains are all just wired slightly differently.
Because in college the manner in which you approach assignments is your choice, you might want to take advantage of your learning style. Using your strengths and preferences makes completing the work a very positive experience.
Chart your own course! Enjoy the journey to independent thinking!
All the best!
