Abundant laboratory and classroom research demonstrate the superior effectiveness of effortful learning strategies based on cognitive science over re-reading, highlighting, and other strategies more widely used by college students. However, persuading students to adopt and adhere to effective strategies is difficult. This article outlines a novel,…

The decision to explicitly teach students learning strategies and skills and how to think reflectively about their learning process is framed theoretically by the literature on self-regulation, metacognition, and social-cognitive theory. Interventions for self-regulation and metacognitive strategies can optimize the student learning process and…

Since the 1920s, colleges have offered how-to-study courses orientating students to the rituals of academic study. We present an historical overview of these courses by highlighting major developments including the emergence of courses that evolved from skill-based curriculum underpinned by behaviorism to strategy-based curriculum underpinned by…

As learning center professionals, we have much to gain by conducting assessment to understand how our services help college students develop their academic strategies. The type of data we collect makes a difference in the interpretations we can draw, however. An initial step in becoming a scholarly practitioner is to consider the strengths and…

Students taking developmental mathematics often struggle with dedicating adequate time to engage with material outside of class. The institution in this study requires participation in out-of-class support and has utilized a variety of models of support. The goal of these support programs is to increase the pass rates for students and aid in the…

College student success courses are designed to help students develop effective self-regulating learning (SRL) skills. Little research has examined students' perceptions of SRL at course end. The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of "what makes an effective college student" in regards to SRL after course…

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a neurological disorder which effects learning and that has a confusing set of diagnostic symptoms and an even more confusing set of remedies ranging from medication to meditation to nothing at all. Current neurological research suggests, however, that there are strategies that the individual with ADD can use to…

This small, descriptive, pilot study addressed survey data from four levels of nursing students who had been taught to maximize their learning styles in a first-semester freshman success skills course. Bandura's Agency Theory supports the design. The hypothesis was that without reinforcing instruction, the students' recall and application of that…

This article explores the reasons that Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), commonly called PASS-UIW, has been successful in science courses at the University. The intent is to provide information for other institutions to launch, evaluate, or improve their own programs. PASS-UIW is a student-led…

This article describes a unique course-based collaboration involving an English professor, a Learning Strategies Counselor, and a Librarian. The potential benefits and barriers of collaborative teaching in literature are reviewed. The article delineates a three-way instruction model built around an annotated bibliography assignment in a…

The current trend in First Year Experience (FYE) courses is to add critical thinking through reading and writing. Research now suggests this design for a learning strategy based FYE course improves retention rates. This paper provides methods of incorporating critical thinking through reading and learning into the FYE course curriculum through a…

Many students who enter colleges and universities seem to be focused on memorizing and regurgitating information rather than on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Mentoring is crucial to help these students transition from the current approach to one that will be successful in college. Successful mentoring requires a…

Extends the literature on learning processes by identifying the motives and learning strategies of Master's- and Doctoral-level students. Finds that some graduate students seem more like undergraduate students in terms of their motives and learning strategies. Students' academic competency cannot be assumed simply as a result of their progression…

Describes the author's research on learning and brain activity, which involved more than 5,000 students and faculty members. Explores six stages of learning: (1) preparing to learn; (2) starting to learn; (3) consolidation; (4) branching out; (5) gaining fluency; and (6) continued improving. States that merging educational research with…

Asserts that technology can be one of the strongest teaching and learning tools available today if used well. Finds that, in particular, courses enriched through use of e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, "drill and practice" software, and the Internet can help to engage developmental students, motivating and enabling them to achieve greater…