Learning to Learn

In addition to teaching pupils curriculum content, we can teach them strategies and approaches for more effective learning.  Teaching pupils how to learn helps pupils develop transferrable skills which will contribute to lifelong learning.  It can help develop positive attitudes to the learning process; it can improve motivation; and it can promote adaptability and flexibility in pupils’ approaches and create and nurture in them the disposition to reason in a considered and measured way. This document deals with similar areas to the Toolkit material on Accelerated Learning.  Learning to Learn is sometimes abbreviated to L2L.

Points Arising from Research

• Pupils can be taught how to learn more effectively
• Recent and constantly developing research findings enable us understand more about how the brain works and about the learning process
• A “mind-friendly” approach to learning can improve pupil-teacher relationships
• The brain works most effectively when both left and right hemispheres work together
• Without reinforcement, we forget about 80% of what we have learned within one day
• Able pupils tend to be less positive about “mind-friendly” strategies
• Short term memory can hold about 7 items for a short time; we need to try to move items into the long-term memory.

Key Elements of Learning to Learn

Self-awareness

This can be developed in several key areas:

• Promotion of self-esteem.  Pupils will learn more effectively if they believe that they have the ability to succeed.  (See Toolkit section on Self-Esteem )
• Awareness and understanding of how the brain functions can help focus on the learning conditions, principles and tools that can be used to maximise the learning process and shape thinking:
  • The left and right sides function differently.  The most effective learning exploits the potential of both sides.  Thus using colour, graphics, patterning and rhythm (associated with right brain) can help learn “linear” material (associated with the left brain)
  • Learning is most effective when the brain is relaxed and alert and emitting alpha waves. 
• Pupils can benefit from understanding their individual preferred learning styles (particularly Visual/Auditory/Kinetic).  Teachers can help by responding and attending to these
• A SWOT analysis can help pupils orientate themselves for individual tasks and in a broader educational context.  This considers and provides pupils with the opportunities to attend to and address Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in the learning process
• Knowing that we learn most effectively at the beginning and end of a session can help pupils organise study time.  (25-40 minute blocks are best)

Learning environment

• Music is a powerful tool that can enhance aspects of the learning experience. Baroque music (eg Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi) can promote a relaxing environment; its rhythm of 60-70 beats per minute is emulates the  frequency of alpha waves and stimulates their production
• Dehydration inhibits learning and schools should ensure that supplies of drinking water are easily accessible to pupils.
• If the teacher is seen as a learner too, this can help create a positive learning environment; it helps to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect

Organising ideas

• Because the brain responds well to patterns, using MIND MAPS can be very effective.  Invented by Tony Buzan, these involve pupils converting information into diagrams, using colour and graphics.  These work well for several reasons:
  • The process of organisation helps the brain understand and retain the information
  • The use of colour-coding helps the brain make sense of the information
  • The use of graphics linked to individual ideas aids retention of information    
• Brainstorming is an excellent way of producing/collecting ideas.  Brainstorming can lead to a mind map and then on to a linear organisation of material if this is necessar.
• Memory Mapping – using lines to connect ideas and symbols to represent key concepts can be a highly informative way of checking sophistication and depth of understanding

Learning strategies

• Mnemonics can really help us learn information.  These can work in several ways:
  • Using a memorable string of words (eg Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain)
  • Creating a story in which the individual items to be remembered are mentioned in turn
  • Numbers can be learned by using rhyming words and building them into a story.
• Various types of patterning can be used.  Long numbers can be learned more easily if they are learned in short blocks (three/four/five at a time)
• Pupils can be encouraged to adopt specific strategies, such as:
  • Learning spellings:  Read-Say-Cover-Write-Check and variations on this theme (saying the word aloud during the process aids retention)
  • Knowing how and where to access relevant information
  • Knowing procedures to follow when stuck
  • Regularly reviewing material learned.
• Speed reading skills can be developed.  This is touched on in The Learning File  (see Selected References)
•  Linking rhythm and music to information can aid retention (eg writing a “rap” – Pupil composition? Teacher’s?)

Reflection and Discussion

Do you feel that your department/school adopts “mind-friendly” strategies?

Are there ways in which you could enhance the pupil experience in this sense? 

What whole-school implications are there? 

Whose responsibility should it be to teach pupils how to learn?

The resources listed in Selected References, below, offer much opportunity to follow up these issues.

Some Activities for Consideration of Approaches to Learning how to Learn

Selected References 

Further Reading

The following books are all published by Network Educational Press Ltd, Box 635, STAFFORD, ST16 1BF.

Accelerated Learning in the Classroom by Alistair Smith (ISBN: 1 85539 034 5)
Gives details of the scientific background to current learning theories and interprets research for practical purposes.

Accelerated Learning in Practice by Alistair Smith (ISBN:  1 85539 048 5)
Exploits the research to provide extensive suggestions for implementation of current theories in practical classroom activities.

The ALPS approach - Accelerated Learning in Primary Schools by Alistair Smith and Nicola Call (ISBN 1 85539 056 6)
Practical strategies for Primary teachers

Lessons are for Learning by Mike Hughes (ISBN:  1 85539 038 8)
Gives consideration to the most effective ways of delivering lessons in the classroom.  Includes references to current research as the basis for advice.

Closing the Learning Gap by Mike Hughes (ISBN:  1 85539 051 5)
Further consideration of best classroom practice in the light of research.  Very good at prompting teachers to reflect on practice and good at opening up new ideas for consideration.

The following teaching resource is ready for classroom use, based largely on well-produced OHP materials (though look out for spelling/punctuation errors):

The Learning File by Matthew Boyle (in association with Quality in Education Centre, University of Strathclyde and The HCD Education and General Charitable Trust).