LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

Learning Neuroplasticity is at work throughout life

and explains how the human brain is able to
According to the behaviorists, learning can be defined as the
adapt, master new skills, store memories
relatively permanent change in behavior brought about as a
and information and even recover after a
result of experience or practice.
traumatic brain injury.
Learning is “a process that leads to change, which occurs as
The brain of younger people are very plastic
a result of experience and increases the potential for
but as we age the brain loses some of its
improved performance and future learning” (Ambrose et al,
plasticity and we become more fixed in how
2010)
we think, learn and perceive.

How the brain works during learning?

Parts of the brain that is responsible for
- Learning changes the physical structure of the brain. learning:
- Different parts of the brain may be ready to learn at
- The brain is an amazing three-pound
different times. Each and every time we learn something
organ that controls all functions of the
new our brain forms new connections and neurons and
body, interprets information from the
makes existing neural pathways stronger and weaker.
outside world.
- The cerebrum is most important in
learning, since this is where higher-
ordered functions like memory and
reasoning occur. The cerebrum is the most
highly developed part of the human brain
and is responsible for thinking, perceiving,
producing , and understanding language.

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt to changes

in an individual’s environment by forming new neural
connections over time. It is sometimes referred to as “brain
plasticity.”

Aspects of our brain are “plastic,” meaning they are

adaptive and can be altered in response to environmental
and/or structural changes.
- Most information processing occurs in the
cerebral cortex. It is the large, outer part
of the brain, controls reading, thinking,
learning, speech, emotions and planned
muscle movements like walking. It also
controls vision, hearing and other senses.
 do so.

2. Intellectual ability – Some students can readily

understand abstract concepts while others need
concrete examples. Everyone has different intellectual
strength and weaknesses.

3. Attention spans - attention spans vary among both

children and adults. Since the most popular method of
teaching requires students to listen and read, often
while sitting still, students who have a short attention
The hippocampus is a complex brain structure span might have difficulty learning.
embedded deep into temporal lobe. It has a major
role in learning and memory. 4. Prior knowledge – A student could have the highest
IQ in the room, but if he hasn’t been exposed to basic
information that relates to the lesson, he will have
difficulty learning.

Four stages of Learning

- The idea is that learners are not aware of how little or

how much they know.
- Abraham Maslow’s 4 stages of learning gives us a
valuable conceptual framework to understand how we
learn anything. It is important to keep these stages in
- The amygdala helps to store memories of events and
mind when developing learning because different
emotions so that an individual may be able to
learners will be at different stages.
recognize similar events in the future.
-

Factors that affects the learning process

1. Motivation – of all the factors that can affect how

people learn, motivation might be the most
important. Someone who is motivated to learn a
particular task or bit of information generally
succeeds, even if she has to work long and hard to
do so.
1. Unconscious incompetence - In this stage, the Psychologist John Flavell (Lai, 2011) identifies
learner does not have skill or knowledge set yet. They two components of metacognition.
do not see any reason to learn it because they don’t
1. Metacognitive knowledge; and
consider it a need. You don’t know what you don’t
2. Metacognitive regulation.
know.
e.g. as a very young child you do not realize the Metacognitive knowledge includes knowledge
usefulness of riding a bike. of one's own cognitive abilities, knowledge of
cognitive tasks, and knowledge of the
2. Conscious Incompetence - By the second stage the
strategies to complete the cognitive task
learner is aware of the skill that they lack and can
understand that there is a deficit. The learner wants to Metacognitive regulation refers to how an
learn because they are aware of their lack of individual monitors and controls his or her
knowledge and it makes them uneasy. cognitive processes.
3. Conscious Competence – This stage takes place
when a learner has acquired a skill but has not yet Examples:
mastered it to the point where it comes naturally. 1. awareness that you have difficulty
4. Unconscious Competence - You know the phrase, remembering people's names in social
"It's like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it." situations
The fourth stage of learning encompasses Just that: 2. reminding yourself that you should try to
you know it so well you don't even realize you are remember the name of a person you just met
doing it. The skill is so embedded that the learner
doesn't even need to process what they are doing. 3. realizing that you know an answer to a
question but simply can't recall it at the
moment
Metacognition is the ability to examine how you
process thoughts and feelings. It was introduced as a 4. realizing that you should review an article
concept in by John Flavell (1979), who is typically seen you read last week because you have forgotten
as a founding scholar of the field. This ability many of the key points
encourages students to understand how they learn
best. 5. realizing that there is something wrong with
your solution to a problem

Self-directed learning describes a process in

which individuals take the initiative, with or
without the help of others, in diagnosing their
learning needs, formulating learning goals,
identifying human and material resources for
learning, choosing and implementing
appropriate learning.
Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, and Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, and
Norman (2010) suggest that "to become self- Norman (2010) suggest that "to become self-
directed learners, students must learn to directed learners, students must learn to
assess the demands of the task, evaluate their assess the demands of the task, evaluate their
own knowledge and skills, plan their approach, own knowledge and skills, plan their approach,
monitor their progress, and adjust their monitor their progress, and adjust their
strategies as needed" (p. 191). strategies as needed" (p. 191).

6. Be punctual and always show up.

WAYS TO BE A BETTER STUDENT
Your teachers will appreciate it when
Sometimes, studying is not enough to become you arrive early. It shows you are
excellent in school. Attitude towards what you interested to learn from them, and that
are doing affects your performance as well. would also make them be interested to
Every student can do better or even the best, if teach you.
only they practice a helpful and healthy routine 7. Visit a library and read. Reading is the best
that would lead them towards success. way to educate yourself, and do not just
1. Love what you're doing. When you choose read, try to digest the things you are
a course in college, be sure that you really reading. Spend your vacant time at the
want it, so you'll not regret it in the end. library to study and make a research.
2. Be positive. Always be optimistic at school, 8. Make a To-Do-List. Be organized, that is one
you may encounter circumstances that way to achieve success. List down the
would test your patience and capabilities. activities that you need to do at home or
When you encounter problems, be even the other days to come. Your to-do list
courageous to face and solve them. will serve as your reminder and help you
3. Have self-esteem. Do not be shy to stand up keep track of your progress.
and speak in front of a large class. Be
confident with yourself, do not hesitate to 9. Have self-discipline. Submitting your
share your ideas and strive to be the best requirements on time is another form of
version of yourself. self-discipline. Being late is not a good
attitude of a student. So get rid of all the
4. Pick good friends in school. Choose your distractions, and do as much as you can to
friends at school, be with a group who can submit your requirements before
help you be more responsible in your deadlines.
studies. Making friends with the right
people is another way to enjoy your study. 10. Take good care of your health. Health is
wealth, and it's true. So prioritize your
5. Do advance reading. If you are having health, because if you are healthy, you can
a hard time with a particular subject, do study well. Going to school requires a lot of
some reading. Also, read the topic that energy. Hence, be physically, emotionally,
you think will be discussed in the
and mentally fit.
following days, so whenever it is
discussed, you're already well-versed
about it.
11. Never procrastinate. Everything that we
rush fails most of the time. Hence, give enough
time for your assignments and projects. Study
a week before your major examinations, so you
could have the chance to get a higher score.

12. Think of your parents' sacrifices. You are at

school because of your parents' efforts. Repay
them by giving them good grades at the end of
the semesters. Excellent students are good
children of their parents.
 GOAL SETTINGS FOR SUCCESS
Goal setting is the process by which we achieve Additionally, goals affect the intensity of our
these goals. The importance of the goal-setting actions and our emotions - the more difficult
process should not go unappreciated, and valued a goal is, the more intense our
according to Locke (2019) efforts will be in order to attain it, and the more
success we experience following achievement
• "Every person's life depends on the process
(Latham & Locke, 2006).
of choosing goals to pursue; if you remain
passive you are not going to thrive as a human Through the experience of success and the
being." positive emotions that accompany it,
confidence and belief in our own abilities grow.
The goal-setting theory approaches the issue of
motivation from a first-level perspective; its Schunk (1985) found that participation in goal
emphasis is on an immediate level of setting encourages a search for new strategies
explanation of individual differences in task to aid success.
performance.
Finding novel ways to utilize our skills and push
According to Ryan (1970), if individuals are our abilities increases task-relevant knowledge
equal in ability and knowledge, then the cause while enhancing self-efficacy and self-
must be motivational. confidence.

According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy is

What is the role of motivation in achieving "the belief in one's capabilities to organize and
one’s goal? execute the courses of action required to
manage prospective situations."

Self-efficacy is a person's belief in his or her

ability to succeed in a particular situation.

Self-confidence is an attitude about your skills

and abilities. It means you accept and trust
yourself and have a sense of control in your life.

You know your strengths and weakness well,

and have a positive view of yourself.

You set realistic expectations and goals,

The setting of goals has been shown to communicate assertively, and can handle
increase employee motivation and criticism.
organizational commitment (Latham, 2004).
Self-confidence enables students to
handle setbacks with ease.
Instead of being crippled by failure, resilient
children get unquickly, learn from their
mistakes, and try again.
They accept that failure is a part of life and
take more chances as a result - which
makes them even more successful later in
life.
Not everyone is born with an inbuilt sense
of self-confidence. Locus of control is the degree to which people
Sometimes it can be hard to develop believe that they, as opposed to external forces
confidence, either because personal (beyond their influence), have control over the
experiences have caused you to lose outcome of events in their lives.
confidence or because you suffer from low
The concept was developed by Julian B. Rotter
self-esteem.
in 1954, and has since become an aspect of
personality psychology.

Where individuals with an external locus of

control believe that both positive and negative
outcomes are the result of external influences,
those with an internal locus of control believe
that success is determined by their own
actions and skills.

What is locus control?

The capacity to plan positively impacts our
perceived control over goal outcomes and
our future (Vincent, Boddana, & MacLeod,
2004)
Furthermore, goal setting and achievement
can promote the development of an internal
locus of control.
The Three Most Important Factors Of SMART
Goal Setting
The S.M.ART. protocol offers a guide to help
steer you towards setting goals that are suited
to your abilities, timely and measurable.
1. IT HAS TO BE GENUINELY
IMPORTANT TO YOU. Your goals have to If you are unsure of the goal setting process the
be genuinely important to you.... SMART framework offers a sense-check to
2. IT HAS TO BE MEASURABLE AND ensure your goals are the best they can be.
BREAK IT DOWN. If your goal is
measurable then you can track your
progress ongoing.....
3. YOU HAVE TO TAKE CONSISTENT
AND FOCUSED ACTION TO ACHIEVE
THE GOAL.
HOW CAN WE BEST ACHIEVE GOALS WE
HAVE SET?
1. Write down your goals How to be optimistic about the future?

It may seem like an unnecessary additional effort, 1. Have a positive attitude

but there is value in putting pen to paper. Write 2. Visualize what your future look like
down your goals and think carefully about the steps 3. Set and accomplish goals
involved to get there. 4. Remove any negative thoughts
about the present.
The very act of writing something down improves
5. Take responsibility for your own
recall (Naka & Naoi, 1995), and having a physical
actions.
reminder of what you want to achieve means you
6. Take care of yourself
can check-in and review it at any time.
7. Get inspired
2. Put a plan into action and review it regularly.

Consider the timescale in which you wish to achieve

your target. If your goal is particularly challenging
one, break it down into smaller, more manageable
goals that culminate in attaining your main goal.

3. Keep it specific and review your progress often

How we articulate goals to ourselves is integral to

the outcome of our efforts.

Rather than a blanket statement, more specific

goals will be much more effective.

Rethink your objectives by presenting them in more

specific terms then build on that.

4. Reward yourself for your successes, but don't

punish yourself for failure.

Acknowledge your success and revel in the positive

emotions that accompany it.

It is important to be resilient in the face of adversity.

Reassess your goals and make alterations when you
feel it is necessary to do so.

It's great to shoot for the stars, but goal setting is

more about what you can realistically accomplish
rather than an idealistic vision of what you hope you
can achieve.
 WHEN DOES CONFLICT ARISE?
3 Reasons Conflict Occur Defense mechanisms are psychological
strategies that are unconsciously used to protect
a person from anxiety arising from unacceptable
Situational Conflict: thoughts or feelings.
short-lived conflicts about common problems of
daily life. We solve it quickly and move on.
It can allow people to navigate painful
experiences or channel their energy more
productively.
Personality Difference:

Differences in our personalities cause conflict,

which can be daily to "forever". Problems can be The concept arose from the work of Sigmund
small or big. Freud and his daughter Anna.

Power Struggles: What are some of the most common defense

mechanism?
Issues are important to both sides and we get
caught up in wanting CONTROL over the other
person's behavior, which causes the struggle.
What is coping mechanism?

Coping mechanisms are the strategies people often use in the face of stress and/or trauma to help
manage painful or difficult emotions.

Can help people adjust to stressful events while helping them maintain their emotional well-being.
What are examples of coping mechanisms? What is self-care and why is it important?
1. Lower your expectations Self-care is the practice of taking an active role
in protecting one's own well-being and
2. Ask others to help or assist you
happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
3. Take responsibility for the situation

4. Engage in problem solving

5. Maintain emotionally supportive

relationships

6. Challenge previously held beliefs that are

no longer adaptive

7. Directly attempt to change the source of

stress

8. Distance yourself from the source of stress

9. View the problem through a religious

perspective