Sari Lindblom-Ylänne Professor of Higher Education,

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto

Student learning in higher education:

approaches to learning, teaching-learning environments and study success

Sari Lindblom-YlänneProfessor of Higher Education,

Director, Centre for Research and Development of Higher EducationUniversity of Helsinki, Finland

President of European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)


My collaborators

• Anna Parpala

• Henna Rytkönen

• Erkki Komulainen

• Liisa Postareff

• Saara Repo

• Mia Ruohoniemi

• Anne Haarala-Muhonen

• Viivi Virtanen

• Nina Katajavuori

• Laura Hirsto

• Topi Litmanen

23.11.2010 2Lindblom-Ylänne APERA keynote lecture


• Evidence-based academic development

• Students’ approaches to learning• disciplinary variation

• relations to experiences of the teaching-learning environment

• relations to study success

• The effect of the teaching-learning environment on the learning process at an individual level


Outline of my keynote lecture


• Enhancement of the quality of learning and teaching is based on research data from the University and its disciplines

• Research data informs strategic decisions and future directions of academic development

• Centre for Research and Development of Higher Education is responsible • In addition, experts of university pedagogy (higher

education) work at the discipline-specific level and concentrate on discipline-specific research

• All this is funded by the University


Evidence-based academic development at the University of Helsinki


Approaches to learning

• Describe the aims and processes students apply they learn

• Contextual and dynamic in nature• There is empirical evidence that approaches are

related to• characteristics of the teaching-learning

environment• discipline of study• motivation to studying• regulation of studying• personal epistemology (i.e., conception of

knowledge)



• Deep approach• Intention to maximise understanding• Based on an interest in the subject matter

• Surface approach• Intention to coupe with the course requirements• Routine fact memorisation• Related to an experience of high workload

• Organised studying• Self-regulation and effort and time-management• Intention to succeed well


Different approaches to learning


Correlations between the approaches to learning and experiences of the teaching-learning environment scales

(N=2509, p<0.000)

ScalesTeaching for understanding Alignment

Staff enthusiasm and support

Interest and relevance

Construct. feedback

Support from other students

Deep approach

Organised studying

Surface approach



Correlations between the approaches to learning and experiences of the teaching-learning environment scales

(N=2509, p<0.000)

ScalesTeaching for understanding Alignment

Staff enthusiasm and support

Interest and relevance

Construct. feedback

Support from other students

Deep approach .37 .23 .29 .34 .27 .15

Organised studying .23 .30 .24 .42 .24 .20

Surface approach -.33 -.38 -.30 -.38 -.16 -.15



Disciplinary variation of approaches and experiences (N=2509)


www.helsinki.fi/yliopistoLindblom-Ylänne APERA keynote lecture

Disciplinary differences in students’ approaches to learning (N=2509)

• Organised studying is the most common among veterinary students

• Deep approach to learning is the most common among students from behavioural and social sciences

• Surface approach is not the most typical in any discipline, but it is most often applied by pharmacy and science students

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www.helsinki.fi/yliopistoLindblom-Ylänne APERA keynote lecture

Approaches to learning andstudy success in law (N=550)

• Students applying the deep approach succeeded the best during their first study year• The highest GPA and the most study credits

• Students applying the surface approach received the lowest grades and the least study credits

• The most common approach organised studying was not as successful as the deep approach

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• Students applying the deep approach succeeded the best during their first study year

• Students who scored highly on the deep approach, but low on organised studying, experienced the most problems • The least amount of study credits

• The most experiences of high work load


Approaches to learning and study success in veterinary medicine (N=36)


• Organised students succeeded the best during the first study year• Organised studying together with Support

from peers predicted the amount of study credits

• Organised studying together with Interest and relevance predicted the GPA

• (SEM, Structural Equation Model)


Approaches to learning and study success in biosciences (N=188)


Contextual variation of approaches to learning is complex in nature - and still largely unknown

• Quantitative data show that the approaches do not change much (at least not easily) during Bachelor studies

• Evidence of individual variation• Some students are “immune” to the demands and

characteristics of the teaching-learning environment

• Some students are easily affected by the environment

23.11.2010Lindblom-Ylänne APERA keynote lecture

13


Two cases: same course, same teacher, same study phase, same discipline, same level of motivation – different experiences and reactions



Case 1: Teaching impedes learning

• I have a slow study pace and I need a long time to learn something. I seem to be stuck in repetition and never have enough time move to a critical and analytical level. The teacher was very sympathetic, but the course wasn’t a positive learning experience for me. There was such hurry all the time, the teacher hardly had time to breath. I attended all lectures, but could not follow. I tried to read the course book alongside with the lectures, but I got mixed up. The teaching lacked a rhythm and a structure. It was very difficult for me to form a general picture. Had this course been longer, I would have learned better. Without reading the book I wouldn’t have learned anything.



More information of Case 1

• Compared to her average scores on the approaches to learning scales, Student 1 scored in this specific course• much lower on deep approach (3.75 → 2.50)

• organised studying almost the same (3.25 →3.0)

• much higher on surface approach (2.75 →4.25)

• The teacher’s fast pace seemed to hinder learning



Case 2: Teaching does not have a strong effect on the learning processes

• I have a certain system, which I always follow: rule of three. First I listen in lectures, then I go through the notes at home and I don’t go to the next topic before I have understood it. Then I read the materials again before the exam. When I understand, I remember better. It is not memorising. This course was a pleasant experience. I participated in almost all lectures and really went through the contents at home. In addition to the teacher’s material, I made own notes, not everything, but the interesting ones. In this way I remember them better.



More information of Case 2

• Compared to his average scores on the approaches to learning scales, Student 3 scored in this specific course• much higher on deep approach (2.75 → 4.0)

• higher on organised studying (4.0→4.75)

• surface approach almost the same (2.5 →2.25)



Conclusions

• Interaction between the learner and his or her teaching-learning environment is complex in nature

• Characteristics of the environment and discipline as well as students’ approaches to learning play important roles

• At the group level approaches to learning seem quite stable

• Analyses at the individual level show more contextual variation

• More research is needed on the specific factors explaining the individual variation of the effects of the teaching-learning environment on learning



References

• Haarala-Muhonen, A., Ruohoniemi, M., Katajavuori, N. & Lindblom-Ylänne S. (in press). Comparison of students’ perceptions of their teaching-learning environments in three professional academic disciplines – a valuable tool for quality enhancement. Accepted for publication. Learning Environments Research.

• Parpala, A, Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Komulainen, E. & Entwistle, N. (2010). Students’ experiences of the teaching-learning environment, approaches to learning and their relation in two different contexts. Manuscript under review.

• Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Komulainen, E., Litmanen, T. & Hirsto, L. (in press). Students’ approaches to learning and their experiences of the teaching-learning environment in different disciplines. British Journal of Educational Psychology.

• Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S. & Rytkönen, H. (in press). Students' conceptions of good teaching in three different disciplines. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.

• Ruohoniemi, M. & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2009). Student perspectives on factors enhancing and preventing their learning. International Journal of Academic Development, 14 (1), 69–81.

• Ruohoniemi, M., Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S. & Katajavuori, N. (2010). Relationships between students’ approaches to learning, perceptions of the teaching-learning environment, and study success – a case study of third-year veterinary students. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 37 (3), 282-288.



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