Approaches to Learning

Category: Thinking
Critical Thinking Skills Creative Thinking Skills Transfer Skills
 Practice observing carefully  Use brainstorming and visual  Use effective learning
in order to recognize diagrams to generate new strategies in subject groups
problems ideas and inquiries and disciplines
 Gather and organize relevant  Consider multiple  Apply skills and knowledge in
information to formulate an alternatives, including those unfamiliar situations
argument that might be unlikely or  Inquire in different contexts
 Recognize unstated impossible to gain a different
assumptions and bias  Create novel solutions to perspective
 Interpret data authentic problems  Compare conceptual
 Evaluate evidence and  Make unexpected or unusual understanding across
arguments connections between objects multiple subject groups and
 Recognize and evaluate and/or ideas disciplines
propositions  Design improvements to  Make connections between
 Draw reasonable conclusions existing machines, media and subject groups and
and generalizations technologies disciplines
 Test generalizations and  Design new machines, media  Combine knowledge,
conclusions and technologies understanding and skills to
 Revise understanding based  Make guesses, ask “what if” create products or solutions
on new information and questions and generate  Transfer current knowledge
evidence testable hypotheses to learning of new
 Evaluate and manage risk  Apply existing knowledge to technologies
 Formulate factual, topical, generate new ideas, products  Change the context of an
conceptual and debatable or processes inquiry to gain different
questions  Create original works and perspectives
 Consider ideas from multiple ideas; use existing works and
perspectives ideas in new ways
 Develop contrary or opposing  Practice flexible thinking—
arguments develop multiple opposing,
 Analyze complex concepts contradictory and
and projects into their complementary arguments
constituent parts and  Practice visible thinking
synthesize them to create strategies and techniques
new understanding  Generate metaphors and
 Propose and evaluate a analogies
variety of solutions
 Identify obstacles and
challenges
 Use models and simulations
to explore complex systems
and issues
 Identify trends and forecast
possibilities
 Troubleshoot systems and
applications
 Approaches to Learning
Category: Self-management
Organization Skills Affective Skills Reflection Skills
 Plan short- and long-term  Mindful awareness  Develop new skills,
assignments; meet deadlines o Practice focus and techniques and strategies for
 Create plans to prepare for concentration effective learning
summative assessments o Practice strategies to  Identify strengths and
(examinations and develop mental focus weaknesses of personal
performances) o Practice strategies to learning strategies (self-
 Keep and use a weekly overcome distractions assessment)
planner for assignments o Practice being aware of  Demonstrate flexibility in the
 Set goals that are challenging body–mind connections selection and use of learning
and realistic  Perseverance strategies
 Plan strategies and take o Demonstrate persistence  Try new ATL skills and
action to achieve personal and perseverance evaluate their effectiveness
and academic goals o Practice delaying  Consider content
 Bring necessary equipment gratification o What did I learn about
and supplies to class  Emotional management today?
 Keep an organized and logical o Practice strategies to o What don’t I yet
system of information overcome impulsiveness understand?
files/notebooks and anger o What questions do I have
 Use appropriate strategies o Practice strategies to now?
for organizing complex prevent and eliminate  Consider ATL skills
information bullying development
 Understand and use sensory o Practice strategies to o What can I already do?
learning preferences reduce stress and anxiety o How can I share my skills
(learning styles)  Self-motivation to help peers who need
 Select and use technology o Practice analyzing and more practice?
effectively and productively attributing causes for o What will I work on next?
failure  Consider personal learning
o Practice managing self- strategies
talk o What can I do to become
o Practice positive thinking a more efficient and
 Resilience effective learner?
o Practice “bouncing back” o How can I become more
after adversity, mistakes flexible in my choice of
and failures learning strategies?
o Practice “failing well” o What factors are
o Practice dealing with important for helping me
disappointment and learn well?
unmet expectations  Focus on the process of
o Practice dealing with creating by imitating the
change work of others
 Consider ethical, cultural and
environmental implications
 Keep a journal to record
reflections
 Approaches to Learning
Category: Research
Information Literacy Skills Media Literacy Skills
 Collect, record and verify data  Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize
 Access information to be informed and inform and ethically use information from a variety of
others sources and media (including digital social media
 Make connections between various sources of and online networks)
information  Demonstrate awareness of media interpretations
 Understand the benefits and limitations of of events and ideas (including digital social media)
personal sensory learning preferences when  Make informed choices about personal viewing
accessing, processing and recalling information experiences
 Use memory techniques to develop long-term  Understand the impact of media representations
memory and modes of presentation
 Present information in a variety of formats and  Seek a range of perspectives from multiple and
platforms varied sources
 Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and  Communicate information and ideas effectively
make informed decisions to multiple audiences using a variety of media
 Process data and report results and formats
 Evaluate and select information sources and  Compare, contrast and draw connections among
digital tools based on their appropriateness to (multi)media resources
specific tasks
 Understand and use technology systems
 Use critical-literacy skills to analyze and interpret
media communications
 Understand and implement intellectual property
rights
 Create references and citations, use
footnotes/endnotes and construct a bibliography
according to recognized conventions
 Identify primary and secondary sources
 Approaches to Learning
Social Communication
Category:Social Category: Communication
Collaboration Skills Communication Skills
 Use social media networks appropriately to build Through Interaction:
and develop relationships  Give and receive meaningful feedback
 Practice empathy  Use intercultural understanding to interpret
 Delegate and share responsibility for decision- communication
making  Use a variety of speaking techniques to
 Help others to succeed communicate with a variety of audiences
 Take responsibility for one’s own actions  Use appropriate forms of writing for different
 Manage and resolve conflict, and work purposes and audiences
collaboratively in teams  Use a variety of media to communicate with a
 Build consensus range of audiences
 Make fair and equitable decisions  Interpret and use effectively modes of non-verbal
 Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas communication
 Negotiate effectively  Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and
 Encourage others to contribute teachers
 Exercise leadership and take on a variety of roles  Participate in, and contribute to, digital social
within groups media networks
 Give and receive meaningful feedback  Collaborate with peers and experts using a variety
 Advocate for one’s own rights and needs of digital environments and media
 Share ideas with multiple audiences using a
variety of digital environments and media
Through Language:
 Read critically and for comprehension
 Read a variety of sources for information and for
pleasure
 Make inferences and draw conclusions
 Use and interpret a range of discipline-specific
terms and symbols
 Write for different purposes
 Understand and use mathematical notation
 Paraphrase accurately and concisely
 Preview and skim texts to build understanding
 Take effective notes in class
 Make effective summary notes for studying
 Use a variety of organizers for academic writing
tasks
 Find information for disciplinary and
interdisciplinary inquiries, using a variety of
media
 Organize and depict information logically
 Structure information in summaries, essays and
reports