Week 12

Activity 2
Read the article by Richardson (2005), ‘Students’ approaches to learning and teachers’ approaches to teaching in higher education’.
I didn't find anything new in this paper. I did however have problems with the terminology...what is it about people insisting papers are written in academic language that alienates half the readers....so unnecessary. What the heck does...'effects of contextual factors'.... actually mean?
As for using questionnaires there is no mention of how many actually filled them in comparison to the number of participants in the study. As an AL my students are asked to fill in a questionnaire towards the end of each course regarding their learning experience. Out of approx 20 students 5 usually oblige!!
Who were the students taking part in the research.....gender, age, demographics, reasons for studying, new learners etc???
Who were the tutors taking part....gender, age, new to teaching, first time teaching the course etc???
I would agree that the 3 predominant approaches used by a student are likely to vary during the course depending on the course demands.