Factors Important to University of East London Graduates to Enable Effective Learning - Research Paper Example

?                                               Factors Important to of East London Graduates to Enable Effective Learning   Institution Instructor Course Date                     Research question i. What factors are important to yourself as an undergraduate student which helps you learn effectively in your course? ii. What factors are important to UEL graduates to assist them to learn effectively? Research hypothesis i. There are important factors to as an undergraduate student which will help you learn effectively in your course. ii. There are no important factors to as an undergraduate student which will help you learn effectively in your course. iii. There factors that are important to UEL graduates to assist them to learn effectively. iv. There are factors that are not important to UEL graduates to assist them to learn effectively. Introduction According to Carnell and Lodge (2012:56-57) asserted that learning is not simply the passive receiving of information. Learning means to change your beliefs, behaviours, and attitude in relation to the ideas being encountered. Learning is actually not all about gaining something from instructors or trainings but it can also be the things that we learn from other people’s experiences then to tolerate difficult things yourself. In that sense, learning is not seen as a single step process. It usually takes by and by processes to shape itself. Learning something is compared to keeping a treasure in the mind forever, it is not remembering it but considering it the way it is and the way it can be. Learning is considered as an activity of construction, but one of reception (Hewitt, 2009). Sisakhti outlines contemporary views on learning when they assert that education needs to be focused on the learner (1998:205), insisting on leaner participation in the learning process as joint course-designer, evaluator, and decision-maker. The learner is a person with various needs and they need to be considered as an integral part of learning, as also must the specific life contexts of those people who are involved in the process of teaching and learning. Effective learning involves not only acquisition of strategies, but also the monitoring and reviewing the learning in order to ascertain whether particular strategies were effective. A classroom is viewed as a very complex and multifaceted environment. Therefore, for effective learning to be attained in such an environment, it requires clearly set out strategies. A learning process for it to be considered effective needs to include those factors that the students view as being helpful to them. The modern learning institutions such as East London University have been at the forefront of providing university education, engaging and delivering a supportive learning environment for all the students irrespective of the social backgrounds and ages. The UEL also provides equipments such libraries, computers, adequate and qualified teaching staff, and a silent and serene environment for learning, although some of these factors pose some significant challenge. The paper is going to discuss those factors that the graduate students of University of East London (UEL) find useful to promote effective learning. Methodology A mixed method of quantitative and qualitative will be used (Collis, & Hussey, 2009).The relevant quantitative data collection methods for this research are surveys with closed-end questions and sampled the questionnaire after choosing 3 from 7 interviews. Qualitative data collection methods were interviews. The advantage of these interviews is that it allows the interviewer to clarify the subject answers and seek for follow-up information. Since the utilization of one method is considered to relay more coherent and accurate results, the research document was more inclined in utilizing interviews. The other method of data collection was conduction of a survey (Collis & Hussey, 2009). The interviews were conducted on seven University of East London graduate students on the various factors that promote effective learning. Results The research paper used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The research sampled the questionnaire after choosing 3 from 7 interviews. Results were recorded from three students with resided in Docklands, University Square, and Stratford. From the cognitive interview the factors that were important to the UEL undergraduates so as to learn effectively were reported as follows: the first student of UEL at Docklands who lived on campus when interviewed reported that the university has provided him good facilities at their Docklands campus which has a good amount of computers and study rooms available to students. This is a major boost since his expenses are very high since he lives on campus and cannot afford a laptop. He was also not aware of the UEL Bursary until his final year and he is not sure if it was introduced earlier or not. Since he lives on campus it is also very easy to reach teachers whenever he needs to. He can also visit them during their office hours because he can manage 5-10 minutes due to living on campus. The seminar tutors are most helpful if you come to class on time and present yourself well. This encourages one to work harder in class to obtain benefits out of class by building a good relationship with the tutors. On the other hand, the lecturers pay no importance to him because he barely heard them or see them to feel that direct interaction.   Secondly, a student of UEL at Stratford who lives off campus asserted that the university never had anything which was beneficial or resourceful for them as students. He reported that recently the university built a new computer room after the library had no space for the students to do their work. This was the best thing in years that they had done. However, the atmosphere is very dull and the building itself is not very attractive. He also points that he does not like the smell or the colours of the walls or the old wooden doors. Besides, the seminar teachers do helped a little, but he preferred having the lecturer as his seminar teacher as well because he feels they tend to know more and can explain what they mention in lecture more clearly in seminar. The facilities in the campus compared to other campuses, is appalling. He therefore feels to have applied to one of the best campuses. Lastly, a third student of UEL University Square lived off campus too and he reported that the university is very well facilitated mainly because it has just been built. He also claims that their courses are a lot more focused and our seminar classes and lectures are quite small. We have a very good relationship with the teachers and lecturers as they have less faces to remember. They are very helpful and ensure utmost help and advice to all students who struggle or need help. We have very good facilities around us on campus and off campus. The university as a whole is very vibrant and colourful which makes the general ambience have a peaceful and positive feel to it. The module guides are also a big help as they include a lot of information and resources including core books, journals and lots of other information. He had no issues with this new campus and feel that all these factors help him learn effectively at university.   The questionnaire was filled by a student aged 26 years and above in third year of study residing in the University Square. From the questionnaire the smart team and the library were reported to be very important. The articles were important while the journal articles were very important. The computers were also very important and the printers were important. The UEL facilities had a rating of 4 meaning it was very good. The university also has enough computers. The printers are not very useful since there were some charges. The university library is full of resources such as the computers, journals, books, articles, and other research materials. The lecturers are not that interactive with the students. The same applies to the seminar teachers whom some students said were interactive while others did not oblige thus being given a rating of 2. The modules were also averagely explained to the students. The exams received good feedback thus receiving a rating of three. However, the respondents outlined that the university did not keep them well informed of the available services. On the other hand, from the questionnaire the respondents reported that they received advice in relation to their future. All respondents as found in the questionnaire asserted good accessibility to the university. Graph of the 7 student’s interview responses on effective learning on different campuses Graphs on what mattered to the students of different campuses Mean for student at Docklands: 4+3+3+4+3+4=21/6 3.5 Student at Stratford: 3+3+2+3+4+4=19/6 3.17 Student at Uni Square: 3+4+3+4+4+4=22/6 3.67 Graph of what is considered important by the students The university is well facilitated= 3, 4, 3, 4, 4 3, 3 mean 3.42, mode 3 The university library has enough computers= 2, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 mean 2.86, mode 3 The printers are useful= 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4 mean 3.29, mode 3 The library is full of resources= 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3 mean 3.28 mode 4 The lecturers are interactive= 2, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2 mean 3.14, mode 4 The seminar tutors are interactive= 4, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4 mean 3.14 mode 3 The module is clearly explained= 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 mean 3, mode 3 The assignment receive god feedback= 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3 mean 2.71 mode 3 The university keeps the students informed= 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2 mean 2.54 mode 2 Students informed of the services available= 2, 4, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3, mean 3 mode 2 Received advice regarding the future= 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3 mean 3 mode 3 Good accessibility to UEL= 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, mean 3.14 mode 3 Clean and pleasant university= 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 mean 4 mode 4 The university canteen provides good food= 3, 3, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2 Mean 3.42 mode 3 The students relate to each other well= 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3 mean 2.86 mode 3 A pie chart on crucial factors that influence effective learning With regard to the factors that were important 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4 Mean= 39/14, 2.79 Mode= 3 Analysis and Discussion There are three general factors which have direct effects on the process of learning. They factors are as named below: teacher-level factors, school-level factors, and student-level factors (Marzano, 2003). The school-level factors are majorly a function of school policy and school-wide decisions and initiatives. For instance guaranteed and viable curriculum, a safe and orderly environment, challenging goals and effective feedback, and lastly, professionalism and collegiality (Carnell & Lodge, 2012:23-31).The teacher level factors are majorly under the control of the teachers. In relation to the student-level factors the first student of UEL docklands who lived on campus reported that the university has provided him good facilities at their docklands campus which has a good amount of computers and study rooms available to students. This enables the student to be motivated to learn as there is availability of learning equipments. The student also needs to be informed on the existence of programs such as the UEL Bursary, and does not need to wait until the final year. The secondly student of UEL Stratford who lives off campus asserted that the university never had anything which was beneficial or resourceful for them as students until the university built a new computer room after the library had no space for the students to do their work. A library and computers are very resourceful and create a very learning environment for the students (Biggs, 1999). The university architects need to come up with structures that are appealing to everyone. This would create an inviting learning environment for the students. This view is also shared from the interview of the third student of UEL University Square who lived off campus too and responded that the university is very well facilitated mainly because it has just been built. With regard to the school level factors He also claims that their courses are a lot more focused and our seminar classes and lectures are quite small. We have a very good relationship with the teachers and lecturers as they have less faces to remember. They are very helpful and ensure utmost help and advice to all students who struggle or need help. We have very good facilities around us on campus and off campus. The university as a whole is very vibrant and colourful which makes the general ambience have a peaceful and positive feel to it. The module guides are also a big help as they include a lot of information and resources including core books, journals and lots of other information. He had no issues with this new campus and feel that all these factors help him learn effectively at university (Mumford, 1999).   In relation to the teacher- level factors, one of the advantages of living on campus is that it is very easy to reach teachers whenever one needs to. The student also can consult them during their office hours because since they can manage 5-10 minutes due to living on campus (Hewitt, 2009). Although the first student reported that seminar tutors are most helpful if you come to class on time and present yourself well. This encourages one to work harder in class to obtain benefits out of class by building a good relationship with the tutors. On the other hand, the second argued that the seminar teachers do helped a little, and therefore he preferred having the lecturer as his seminar teacher as well because he felt they tend to know more and can explain what they mention in lecture more clearly in seminar. This is contrary to the first interviewee who asserted that lecturers paid no importance to him because he barely heard them or see them to feel that direct interaction.   Motivation is considered a very crucial factor in every learning environment. Students must be highly motivated for them to learn effectively. Motivation is the driving force that enables students to stick to the information that is being provided to them by the lecturer or seminar teacher. However, when the student is faced with problems of learning, the instructor needs to be highly motivated to spend extra time to make sure that the students are able to comprehend effectively the presented material. As a result, the curriculums need have colourful and illustrative slide shows, highly structured major concepts that are presented in manner that will capture the student’s attention (Jarvis, 2005:43-47). The seminar teachers and lectures need effectively use the information presentation. It includes so many things such as demonstration simulations, instructor’s orations, videos, overhead projectors and slides, as well as any other thing that would convey data. This is why presentation is viewed as the heart of training. As a result, it has been found to be the strongest point of teaching courses (Carnell & Lodge, 2012). Lastly, repetition is very effective learning factor. As noted by Sisakhti (1998) slide shows usually help in reviewing. Repetition usually reinforces the student’s comprehension of a learned environment. With regard to the frequency and duration of each learning session, a portion of the entire session need to devote some time for reviewing what the students already know. Only after the students have grasped the firm basics of the curse will the instructor proceed to the next topic. From the questionnaire the smart team and the library were reported to be very important. The articles, journals, computers are very important as they assist for easy access of information. The printers though are not very important when charged they also helpful to the students during research and learning. The UEL’s facilities are modernized giving the students enough learning space with the university library is full of resources such as the computers, journals, books, articles, and other research materials. The lecturers and the seminar teachers need to be interactive with the students and ensure that all the students grasp the content that ought to. However, the some respondents outlined that the university did not keep them well informed of the available services thus leading to wastage of precious learning time trying to search for useful programs such as bursaries or in some instances the students is not even aware. On the other hand, from the questionnaire the respondents reported that they received advice in relation to their future after in preparation to the career world. The university can have graduate placement programs which will ensure that the students are integrated into the respective professions Conclusion Every learning institution need to clearly highlight its learning modules. These modules when explained to the students lead to some students conducting initial reading (Mumford, 1999:112). By exams receiving good feedback this shows that the student can be able to track his or her progress. The students consider that there should be early provision of course materials and timetables, and module guides. This enables to effectively plan for the various activities that may affect learning. They claimed that they were often given module reading lists, timetables, and placement information on a very short notice, and in some instances term dates were very difficult to find. The provision of course materials early enough is very useful for those students who wish to undertake initial reading. Moreover, early provision of key information has potential to have a greater improvement to the student. The student can use the information to be up to date with teacher’s information (Hettich, 2011). Summarily, some of the most crucial factors that promote effective learning include: proper learning facilities, good teacher-student relationship, availability of enough computers, libraries, peaceful and silent learning environment, students receiving advice in connection to the future, and university keeping the students well informed of the available services. The university as a whole needs to be vibrant and colourful which makes the general ambience have a peaceful and positive feel to it. The module guides offer significant help as they include a lot of information and resources including core books, journals and lots of other information.    Reference List Biggs (1999).  Teaching for Quality Learning at University.  In J. Ryan’s (2000) A Guide to Teaching International Students, Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, Oxford, UK. Carnell, E., & Lodge, C. (2012). Supporting Effective Learning. New York: Sage Publications. Collis, & Hussey. (2009). Research Methods. New York: Cengage Learning. Hettich. J. (2011, 03). Different Factors That Contribute to the Effective Learning in Elementary Education. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 9, 2013, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Different-Factors-That-Contribute-To-The- 618740.html. Hewitt, D. (2009). Understanding Effective Learning. London: McGraw-Hill International . Jarvis, M. (2005). The Psychology of Effective Learning and Teaching. New York: Nelson Thornes. Mumford, A. (1999). Effective Learning. Camp Road, London: CIPD Publishing. Sisakhti, R. (1998). Effective Learning Environments: Creating a Successful Strategy for Your Organization. New York: American Society for Training and Development. Read More