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Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation
Teachers need to learn as much as their students. In a masterly and spirited exposition, spangled with wit and exhortation, rife with pragmatic strategies, Saundra McGuire teaches teachers how to awake in their students the powers dormant in them. Be aware, and you will learn!--Roald Hoffmann, 1981 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
For over a decade Saundra McGuire has been acclaimed for her presentations and workshops on metacognition and student learning because the tools and strategies she shares have enabled faculty to facilitate dramatic improvements in student learning and success. This book encapsulates the model and ideas she has developed in the past fifteen years, ideas that are being adopted by an increasing number of faculty with considerable effect.
Co-published with NISOD and NADE
For over a decade Saundra McGuire has been acclaimed for her presentations and workshops on metacognition and student learning because the tools and strategies she shares have enabled faculty to facilitate dramatic improvements in student learning and success. This book encapsulates the model and ideas she has developed in the past fifteen years, ideas that are being adopted by an increasing number of faculty with considerable effect.
Co-published with NISOD and NADE
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2015
156 people are currently reading
1267 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 3, 2016
Several good strategies and resources presented throughout the book that would be useful for any teacher, not just college professors; Optimistic take on student learning; Incredibly redundant however and needs to be organized better
June 29, 2016
Sadly, the author shows limited understanding of the science of learning. She cherry picks some key evidence-based principles (e.g., deep processing, retrieval practice, growth mindset), but then endorses the bunk of learning styles and the MBTI. A far better book is Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, by Henry Roediger.
April 24, 2022
There are a lot of practical, useful ideas in this book that I plan on using in class. In particular, her instruction on teaching students how to study and showing them Bloom’s taxonomy are especially interesting.
November 27, 2019
Good information, but soooo dry.
April 15, 2017
I have been reading six books recently – some fiction, some nonfiction – yet the one that I was most engaged by was Saundra Yancy McGuire's Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies to Incorporate into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation. This is a book that I expect to keep thinking about for a long time.
I love to teach and think I'm pretty good at engaging and motivating students. I have worked hard to offer my students opportunities to learn how to become stronger students. Many of the things McGuire talked about I already do (e.g., teach about mindset, ask them to reflect on their learning strategies right after their first exam, talk about metacognition and effective learning strategies, etc.). Still, I want to do more – without cutting out the things I already do.
My students generally do more poorly on their first exam, but significantly improve by their second exam (this semester in one class: Exam 1 = 66%, Exam 2 = 75%). I have generally attributed this improvement in test scores to my students recognizing that they need to read and study to be successful – in ways that they didn't need to do in high school. McGuire, for example, asks her students what strategies on Bloom's Taxonomy they used to earn As and Bs in high school (generally remembering and understanding), while in college they report needing to use higher order skills (i.e., analyzing and applying), In addition, many of her students report that their high school teachers told them the answers as they prepared for an exam. (It doesn't matter whether they actually did, just that that's what they perceived.) Any surprise that many students struggle when they start college?
McGuire has given me an effective way of thinking about what I already do, as well as additional ways of helping my students even more successfully. If you buy only one book on teaching – if teaching is something that you're interested in – buy this one.
I love to teach and think I'm pretty good at engaging and motivating students. I have worked hard to offer my students opportunities to learn how to become stronger students. Many of the things McGuire talked about I already do (e.g., teach about mindset, ask them to reflect on their learning strategies right after their first exam, talk about metacognition and effective learning strategies, etc.). Still, I want to do more – without cutting out the things I already do.
My students generally do more poorly on their first exam, but significantly improve by their second exam (this semester in one class: Exam 1 = 66%, Exam 2 = 75%). I have generally attributed this improvement in test scores to my students recognizing that they need to read and study to be successful – in ways that they didn't need to do in high school. McGuire, for example, asks her students what strategies on Bloom's Taxonomy they used to earn As and Bs in high school (generally remembering and understanding), while in college they report needing to use higher order skills (i.e., analyzing and applying), In addition, many of her students report that their high school teachers told them the answers as they prepared for an exam. (It doesn't matter whether they actually did, just that that's what they perceived.) Any surprise that many students struggle when they start college?
McGuire has given me an effective way of thinking about what I already do, as well as additional ways of helping my students even more successfully. If you buy only one book on teaching – if teaching is something that you're interested in – buy this one.
December 28, 2018
Very clear, fantastically written, with many embedded narratives to make sense of the practice of the theories presented here. I read this both in a faculty group and use this in a Teaching Theory and Practice course; the faculty were by far more skeptical than the students, who were so shocked that metacognition and Bloom's taxonomy were a thing-they'd-never-heard-of that they asked me if all professors and students could be given this book. Also, Dr. McGuire is an absolute gem. If you can attend her webinars where she discusses this book, please do!
December 28, 2016
When I retired seven years ago, I began teaching at a local community college. I quickly became dismayed at how many students who graduated from high school did not know how to study, a skill I mistakenly thought should have been learned in high school. The author had a similar experience. This book is a wonderful resource for college faculty providing a wealth of learning strategies, which can be included in any classroom to increase the probability of success.
January 23, 2024
The appendices are useful, as are many of the strategies. However, this book reads like a mid-level marketing scheme for metacognitive learning strategies, many of which boil down to persuading students to “do the work they are asked to do,” at least as applied in my classes. Worth a skim for those teaching university classes looking for good basic advice, but many of the book’s tips are fairly obvious.
November 1, 2020
In the book, Teach students how to learn, the author, Saundra Yancy McGuire, intended to teach students how to succeed academically. The author gives many different ways that professors can teach students to be successful.
One example that McGuire includes in the book is that results are based on actions and not ability. Many times after I get a bad score on a test, I will often blame my ability for not doing well when it was my actions that affected getting the score. Actions such as not studying enough, wasting time, or not understanding the material and not asking about it can affect the scores I get on my tests.
Another part of the book is when McGuire talks about monitoring self-talk and staying positive. Self-talk can be helpful or harmful depending on how you use it, staying positive, and taking bad experiences and learning from them is the best way to succeeding. I often take bad experiences as being a bad learner or student. Doing this is a harmful mindset to have and I have to learn to accept what I got and try to do better next time. I would recommend this book to professors or teachers that are interested in making their students more successful.
One example that McGuire includes in the book is that results are based on actions and not ability. Many times after I get a bad score on a test, I will often blame my ability for not doing well when it was my actions that affected getting the score. Actions such as not studying enough, wasting time, or not understanding the material and not asking about it can affect the scores I get on my tests.
Another part of the book is when McGuire talks about monitoring self-talk and staying positive. Self-talk can be helpful or harmful depending on how you use it, staying positive, and taking bad experiences and learning from them is the best way to succeeding. I often take bad experiences as being a bad learner or student. Doing this is a harmful mindset to have and I have to learn to accept what I got and try to do better next time. I would recommend this book to professors or teachers that are interested in making their students more successful.
December 30, 2024
There are some helpful insights in this book, and some of the ideas presented are ones I implemented and noticed were beneficial for the students in my writing classes. However, the writing is very dry and repetitive. Even the chapters become repetitive after a while. My suggestion is to read the first few chapters to get the gist of the book, and then to pick and choose other sections based on what interests you or what you see as a need for your students. Reading this book from start to finish becomes a slog.
May 22, 2016
An informative book written for faculty who wants to help their students perform better in their classes. The first assumption is that students, all students, can do well if they engage in certain behaviors. The second major assumption is that it is the role of the instructor to inform students of these behaviors.
Students do not know which actions and behaviors facilitate learning due to misconceptions, high school experiences, and a fixed mindset. Instructors are also unfamiliar with proper study skills or as Dr. McGuire prefers, "metacognitive learning strategies." In addition, instructors tend to believe that it is not their job to teach students how to learn.
Dr. McGuire makes an impassioned case for instructors to help their students study smarter, not necessarily harder, in order to improve performance. To achieve this the book offers many strategies for both students (39 strategies) and faculty (33 strategies). The book also gives faculty all the tools for how to teach their students how to learn, including PowerPoint slides and scripts.
For students the learning strategies focus on metacognition, thinking about your own thinking, Bloom's taxonomy of learning, as well as motivation. Practical suggestions center around how to read a textbook, what to do in class, and how to approach homework assignments and exams. To provide a flavor, here are five of the 39 strategies for students:
3. Actively prepare to read by previewing reading assignments.
10. Preview and review for every class.
11. Do homework assignments without using examples or textbook information.
19. Monitor your self-talk and stay positive.
38. Use the campus learning center for group study, tutoring, and other helpful information.
Suggestions for faculty emphasize creating a supportive environment, teaching students about learning, connecting content to student interests, using active learning strategies (including early and frequent assessment), and partnering with the campus learning center.
The book provides information that will be very useful for students, and makes a good case for why faculty should help. The book provides success stories, some empirical evidence, and refers to research results that support the book's goals. Faculty, however, need to read a different book to learn more about how to better structure their courses to facilitate students learning.
Students do not know which actions and behaviors facilitate learning due to misconceptions, high school experiences, and a fixed mindset. Instructors are also unfamiliar with proper study skills or as Dr. McGuire prefers, "metacognitive learning strategies." In addition, instructors tend to believe that it is not their job to teach students how to learn.
Dr. McGuire makes an impassioned case for instructors to help their students study smarter, not necessarily harder, in order to improve performance. To achieve this the book offers many strategies for both students (39 strategies) and faculty (33 strategies). The book also gives faculty all the tools for how to teach their students how to learn, including PowerPoint slides and scripts.
For students the learning strategies focus on metacognition, thinking about your own thinking, Bloom's taxonomy of learning, as well as motivation. Practical suggestions center around how to read a textbook, what to do in class, and how to approach homework assignments and exams. To provide a flavor, here are five of the 39 strategies for students:
3. Actively prepare to read by previewing reading assignments.
10. Preview and review for every class.
11. Do homework assignments without using examples or textbook information.
19. Monitor your self-talk and stay positive.
38. Use the campus learning center for group study, tutoring, and other helpful information.
Suggestions for faculty emphasize creating a supportive environment, teaching students about learning, connecting content to student interests, using active learning strategies (including early and frequent assessment), and partnering with the campus learning center.
The book provides information that will be very useful for students, and makes a good case for why faculty should help. The book provides success stories, some empirical evidence, and refers to research results that support the book's goals. Faculty, however, need to read a different book to learn more about how to better structure their courses to facilitate students learning.
June 13, 2018
The central problem discussed in this book is that by "focusing exclusively on teaching and ignoring how we can help students figure out how their role in the learning process, we are leaving out half the equation" (p. 9). According to the author, this is because students have spent their entire educational career listening to educators who have been, to a large extent (from their perspective at least), wrong about what it takes to be academically successful. So, by the time they get to college and realize that almost no one studies 2-3 hours per credit hour to earn a 3.0, students have been acculturated to rely more on peers and social media for expertise.
This is where metacognition comes in. Metacognition is thinking about one's own learning. It provides a host of tools and strategies for increasing metacognition in the classroom.
One strategy that I will use is the author's 4-step formula for increasing metacognition. It based on Bloom's Taxonomy and gets students to think about the differences between teaching and learning and to identify what level of Bloom's they think they are operating under.
What I really appreciated about this book was the emphasis on affective assessment in the classroom. Assessment (and I think teaching and learning) books almost never cover this topic. Or, it's given a random and somewhat isolated chapter on its own. The reason to assess affect is that students who love learning will continue, even on their own. To do that as an instructor, one needs to tap into engagement and motivation strategies. Affective learning and assessment are under-utilized in higher education, in my opinion, so I was glad to see this topic covered.
Affective learning and assessment are particularly salient in my course on assessment and evaluation. Many people feel anxious and uncertain about assessment. Understanding where they are from an affective standpoint (as opposed to exclusively cognitive) will me implement strategies to increase engagement and motivation with the material.
There were lots of other useful and practical parts in this book. I recommend it and plan on implementing many of the strategies in my course.
This is where metacognition comes in. Metacognition is thinking about one's own learning. It provides a host of tools and strategies for increasing metacognition in the classroom.
One strategy that I will use is the author's 4-step formula for increasing metacognition. It based on Bloom's Taxonomy and gets students to think about the differences between teaching and learning and to identify what level of Bloom's they think they are operating under.
What I really appreciated about this book was the emphasis on affective assessment in the classroom. Assessment (and I think teaching and learning) books almost never cover this topic. Or, it's given a random and somewhat isolated chapter on its own. The reason to assess affect is that students who love learning will continue, even on their own. To do that as an instructor, one needs to tap into engagement and motivation strategies. Affective learning and assessment are under-utilized in higher education, in my opinion, so I was glad to see this topic covered.
Affective learning and assessment are particularly salient in my course on assessment and evaluation. Many people feel anxious and uncertain about assessment. Understanding where they are from an affective standpoint (as opposed to exclusively cognitive) will me implement strategies to increase engagement and motivation with the material.
There were lots of other useful and practical parts in this book. I recommend it and plan on implementing many of the strategies in my course.
November 25, 2021
Overall, a very good book, especially if you are, like most professors in higher education, not very well-versed in how to help students learn. The book draws well from pertinent literature. However, the strategies are definitely designed for helping students become better at studying so that they learn more within a fairly traditional model of instruction. I’d love to see an advanced chapter in which the ways in which professors can move past traditional approaches to teaching so that such study skills are not as necessary because actual deep learning is just part of the course, not something students are expected to do outside of the course. Yet, I understand why the book remains introductory, that is where most faculty likely are.
While the author does provide details about the limits of learning styles, it seems they are working a bit too hard to hold on to the myth. There are studies that show that student learning is hindered when learning styles are catered to and I have personally witnessed students putting themselves in restrictive boxes when they think they have a particular style or preference. It’s an unneeded intervention (as the author comes close to admitting) with no research support. Let’s just let it go. Fortunately, the example 50-minute intervention didn’t seem to have any connections to learning styles.
Overall, if helping students learn without a fairly traditional classroom is your goal, this book will be very valuable. If you’ve moved on from traditional instructional models, you might get a few ideas.
While the author does provide details about the limits of learning styles, it seems they are working a bit too hard to hold on to the myth. There are studies that show that student learning is hindered when learning styles are catered to and I have personally witnessed students putting themselves in restrictive boxes when they think they have a particular style or preference. It’s an unneeded intervention (as the author comes close to admitting) with no research support. Let’s just let it go. Fortunately, the example 50-minute intervention didn’t seem to have any connections to learning styles.
Overall, if helping students learn without a fairly traditional classroom is your goal, this book will be very valuable. If you’ve moved on from traditional instructional models, you might get a few ideas.
July 2, 2020
This is a pretty good book. There's a lot of very good information inside it, based on actual research, and I appreciated that. It gives the reader enough information to actually be able to help their students. I'm looking forward to trying several of the things mentioned in the book.
However, there's an awful lot of "padding". There are so many success stories that are repeated over and over, and many encouragement that are also repeated over and over, but it does get quite tiring. I imagine some people need this type of padding to make them feel comfortable and encouraged, though being in the academic setting myself I find it more annoying than anything. Of course, I don't expect just a list of ideas, but I do not want to read the same success stories over and over and over.
I found myself skimming through the second half of the book, looking for the highlights in the main points. This seem to work much better for me, stopping to read the ones that I needed more explanation for.
I recommend this book to any other teachers out there, though I do suggest you maybe try reading it by looking for the main points and only reading those of interest. It's really too bad that a good editor didn't grab a hold of this book and go through it with a strict use of the red pen!
Too many people are afraid of making their books thin or not easy enough to understand, and end up making them way too thick and confusing on the other side.
However, there's an awful lot of "padding". There are so many success stories that are repeated over and over, and many encouragement that are also repeated over and over, but it does get quite tiring. I imagine some people need this type of padding to make them feel comfortable and encouraged, though being in the academic setting myself I find it more annoying than anything. Of course, I don't expect just a list of ideas, but I do not want to read the same success stories over and over and over.
I found myself skimming through the second half of the book, looking for the highlights in the main points. This seem to work much better for me, stopping to read the ones that I needed more explanation for.
I recommend this book to any other teachers out there, though I do suggest you maybe try reading it by looking for the main points and only reading those of interest. It's really too bad that a good editor didn't grab a hold of this book and go through it with a strict use of the red pen!
Too many people are afraid of making their books thin or not easy enough to understand, and end up making them way too thick and confusing on the other side.
July 8, 2020
A very practical approach to introducing students to studying and metacognition. Not a hard read, occasionally repetitive but ultimately clearly organized. I do question the heavy reliance on a textbook--while I do know that the reading comprehension is a key skill that students should be introduced to; I think that education is moving away from traditional texts and this book does not reflect that.
August 8, 2022
I had to read this book for a student coaching training I think the overarching strategies and resources described in this book are great and will be effective in working with students and I appreciate the plethora of information in the appendices. However, the author definitely fluffs her writing and made this book much longer than it needed to be. Every chapter she starts by talking about what she's going to talk about in the chapter and ends every chapter talking about what she will talk about in the next chapter. I ended up doing a lot of skipping of sections so I didn't just keep rereading the same thing. And also throughout the book she is trying to convince you of why these learning strategies work and does so by talking about random examples of students who were failing and then began to succeed after implementing strategies. I feel like if someone is reading the book they likely don't need to be convinced every few pages that they should try to implement these strategies and that they're effective.
September 20, 2019
The content of this book was mostly interesting, but there were some points where things felt a little too repetitive. The writing style is rather elementary, and, near the end, it got a little dry. I really appreciate, though, how much this author/professor is all about empowering students to take charge of their behaviors and to know that they can succeed even when school courses seem really challenging.
December 31, 2016
If you look past the promises of "miracles" , anecdotal evidence and testimonials, there are excellent suggestions here for teaching faculty.
March 2, 2018
Great book for those who teach STEM courses. Book is a little weak in application/illustration for soft sciences.
January 18, 2019
I understand the plot of how many so caught up into life and the drear of life that the learner may suffice to memorize only to fail later in college. Overwhelming difficulty not only looms but destroys all shred of time and dignity. I was one of those unfortunate students that failed and flunked out of school repeatedly. So many chances each one was deafening blow to my confidence. What does one do? For me it was prayer. I met a good Ace in my deck and he lead me to great study skills and study skill books.
No one is a genius at birth. I realized the tenet when reading these study skill books. Like Dr. McGuire says its either you were told it from inside sources or your lucky stars were in line and you had a teacher that gave those skills to you. McGuire wants to spread these skills more than just luck. She devotedly slaved at spreading the good word of studying not as a student who just wants an A but but wants to study as a learner who can teach the material to him/herself and others.
So many of her contemporaries found her methodology of incorporating this set study skills into the curriculum that they bought in. If the students were well read and pre-trained they gained more. If they weren't well read and not trained they gained even more than those that were. So many teachers found this dichotomy to easy to resolve and they did by teaching McGuire's tried and true methodology.
The results showed: McGuire et. al. consistently showed strong improvement statistically and across many schools and teachers. Dr. McGuire even won the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teacher and her school's Learning Center which she is a part has earned strong recognition too. So if you're a teacher, or if you're student, do read this. The evidence is strong and the rewards of her methodology are strong. Like McGuire says that if it works use it unless it provides harm, where there would be reconsideration, just use it.
Several years after my introduction to study skills, and many classes later, I find that my strengths in studying have on average gone much higher. I went from a lazy uninterested maybe sometimes A student with mostly lucky B's and C grades to a die hard hardcore study skill user that pushes the envelope toward A's. Since I've started using study skills I've had 39% of grades have been 3.40 or higher but before then I had only 35% grades 3.40 or higher and inconsistent performance.
I find my weaknesses are in learning new things and during mid-Semester where new concepts are shown I usually lose steam and fall from the A grade. With this new set of perspectives and a strong methodology to bolster my efforts I feel ready to embark on a strong Semester. I am excited to try out McGuire's method and I enjoin you to try it out too, both as student and teacher!
No one is a genius at birth. I realized the tenet when reading these study skill books. Like Dr. McGuire says its either you were told it from inside sources or your lucky stars were in line and you had a teacher that gave those skills to you. McGuire wants to spread these skills more than just luck. She devotedly slaved at spreading the good word of studying not as a student who just wants an A but but wants to study as a learner who can teach the material to him/herself and others.
So many of her contemporaries found her methodology of incorporating this set study skills into the curriculum that they bought in. If the students were well read and pre-trained they gained more. If they weren't well read and not trained they gained even more than those that were. So many teachers found this dichotomy to easy to resolve and they did by teaching McGuire's tried and true methodology.
The results showed: McGuire et. al. consistently showed strong improvement statistically and across many schools and teachers. Dr. McGuire even won the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teacher and her school's Learning Center which she is a part has earned strong recognition too. So if you're a teacher, or if you're student, do read this. The evidence is strong and the rewards of her methodology are strong. Like McGuire says that if it works use it unless it provides harm, where there would be reconsideration, just use it.
Several years after my introduction to study skills, and many classes later, I find that my strengths in studying have on average gone much higher. I went from a lazy uninterested maybe sometimes A student with mostly lucky B's and C grades to a die hard hardcore study skill user that pushes the envelope toward A's. Since I've started using study skills I've had 39% of grades have been 3.40 or higher but before then I had only 35% grades 3.40 or higher and inconsistent performance.
I find my weaknesses are in learning new things and during mid-Semester where new concepts are shown I usually lose steam and fall from the A grade. With this new set of perspectives and a strong methodology to bolster my efforts I feel ready to embark on a strong Semester. I am excited to try out McGuire's method and I enjoin you to try it out too, both as student and teacher!
January 30, 2023
This is a Great book that is full of strategies for how to engage with college students about their learning and how to create a course atmosphere that supports students in their journey to master course content.
I am implementing many of these strategies in my classes this semester. So far, I'm pleased with how students are responding to increased discussions about learning strategies, mindset, and learning over studying.
My favorite aspect of the book was the reminder that no matter the level of preparation when students arrive in our classrooms, there are strategies, conversations, and techniques for increasing the likelihood that they master our content and leave our classes better prepared for success in other classes and professional/personal endeavors. This was a reminder that I needed this semester!
I am implementing many of these strategies in my classes this semester. So far, I'm pleased with how students are responding to increased discussions about learning strategies, mindset, and learning over studying.
My favorite aspect of the book was the reminder that no matter the level of preparation when students arrive in our classrooms, there are strategies, conversations, and techniques for increasing the likelihood that they master our content and leave our classes better prepared for success in other classes and professional/personal endeavors. This was a reminder that I needed this semester!
December 15, 2018
This book was very clearly written and contained very helpful strategies that I will adapt for my classes and share with colleagues this coming semester. Having said that, the book almost ignores writing or assignments/projects that aren’t exams. Even one chapter on how professors adapt these strategies for the humanities would help a great deal. While I think she’s probably absolutely right about what she’s saying, comments like, “During the intervention, we are not information-delivery systems. We are salespeople” are a bit disconcerting. On the other hand, one of the strongest rhetorical choices in the book is her decision to present herself as a reformed skeptic. And, as I said, I fully intend to try her methods!
January 22, 2021
Dr McGuire has a vast amount of experience on the topic that she is writing about in this book. I am not a teacher, I am just someone who wanted to discover some new methods to help me learn and study more efficiently. This book met those needs fantastically. Metacognition and the section on motivation are exactly what I needed to improve my study habits.
I have removed one star because this book could have been condensed to something much shorter. Dr McGuire has a tendency to state the same thing over and over.... and over again throughout this book, it can be exhausting. That being said, I will still leave 4 stars because there is an enormous amount of good information present.
I have removed one star because this book could have been condensed to something much shorter. Dr McGuire has a tendency to state the same thing over and over.... and over again throughout this book, it can be exhausting. That being said, I will still leave 4 stars because there is an enormous amount of good information present.
January 23, 2021
Why do some students seem to proceed through school with confidence, studying with energy and enjoying high grades and praise, while other students, equally diligent and capable, struggle and often fail? McGuire, a chemistry professor, discovered that learning centers and researchers already knew many of the strategies and practices that set successful students apart. But professors and students were not privy to this information. So, she set out to experiment with teaching her students these skills and was astounded by the results.in this book, McGuire demonstrates how professors and secondary teachers can help their students “learn to learn” for academic success.
August 15, 2024
A must read for every aspiring university student. My son’s chemistry professor gave this to his entire class at the beginning of the course, his freshman year, and when I found it gathering dust the next summer, picked it up and read it cover to cover. Then we studied it together. A game changer for all dimensions of learners. But especially for those who have been told they “just can’t do X,Y or Z.” You can. You just need to learn how to learn and study and advocate. As McGuire so succinctly lays out. It’s obvious she is a scientist!
March 30, 2018
There was a lot to like about this volume, particularly the easy to understand and implement tips for improving student retention and performance (via a focus on learning vs. performance it's important to add). While the book may be more focused on STEM and test-taking than many other volumes of its ilk, there was still a lot for this writing instructor to learn. And, it's also refreshing to see how these principles might be used in other disciplines and assessment environments.
September 4, 2019
I really appreciate the actionable tools provided in this book. The concrete examples and evidence really provided me with a lot of buy-in as well, but I like that she gave resources, check-lists, and ready to go activities that I could easily implement. For instance, she provided a complete slide-set with talking points for each slide. I feel excited to implement these strategies into my biology courses!
November 5, 2019
I used many of the strategies outlined in this book and found it opened up interesting discussions about learning and higher-level thinking. I teach first year students so Bloom's Revised Taxonomy may have been too heavy as a starting point but overall my students have connected with it.
The study cycle on the other hand...for some reason, they struggled with breaking apart studying into 5 phases.
Despite the student confusion, I'm still a big fan of this book.
The study cycle on the other hand...for some reason, they struggled with breaking apart studying into 5 phases.
Despite the student confusion, I'm still a big fan of this book.
March 29, 2022
3.5 stars
Read for work
This book, primarily aimed at faculty, comes from the premise that behavior, not ability to innate intelligence, in the key factor in whether or not students succeed or fail academically. The author goes into detail about study strategies students can use to drastically improve their grades and provides specific teaching strategies and lessons plans faculty/teachers can use to help students improve the way they study and learn.
Read for work
This book, primarily aimed at faculty, comes from the premise that behavior, not ability to innate intelligence, in the key factor in whether or not students succeed or fail academically. The author goes into detail about study strategies students can use to drastically improve their grades and provides specific teaching strategies and lessons plans faculty/teachers can use to help students improve the way they study and learn.
January 24, 2019
While metacognition is a complex study, this book offers an introduction to teaching students to use metacognitive principles in their classrooms. As a writing teacher, not every part of the book is applicable to my classes. However, there is enough in this book that I can apply to my teaching to make it worth using.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews