{"id":6814,"date":"2018-03-27T09:28:39","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T08:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=6814"},"modified":"2018-04-19T12:42:13","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T11:42:13","slug":"5-myths-and-misconceptions-in-learning-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2018\/03\/27\/5-myths-and-misconceptions-in-learning-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Myths and misconceptions in learning theory"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There are a number of common myths surrounding learning theory that arise time and time again. In this post we\u2019ll be separating some of the facts from the myths.<\/span><\/p>\n

Myth: Having lecture capture available decreases lecture attendance<\/b><\/h3>\n

Fact: <\/b>It\u2019s an often repeated myth that if you use lecture capture then students will simply watch that and won\u2019t actually bother to turn up to class. However this is at odds with the research1\u00a0<\/sup><\/span>which suggests that it has little to no effect on student attendance. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is likely because the majority of students don\u2019t use lecture capture as a substitution for attending physical lectures but rather as a supplemental way of reviewing information from lectures after attending them. In one study 74% of students said they watched lecture capture videos to revisit concepts they missed during the lecture.2\u00a0<\/sup><\/span>They can also be useful for non-native speakers who may wish to review parts of a lecture at their own pace in order to aid comprehension. International students have reported them to be extremely helpful particularly in their first year of study, whilst adjusting to a foreign language.3<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. The Impact of Lecture Capture on Student Attendance and Results<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Video Lecture Capture Technology Helps Students Study without Affecting Attendance in Large Microbiology Lecture Courses<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Turn up, tune in, don’t drop out: The relationship between lecture attendance, use of lecture recordings, and achievement at different levels of study<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Myth: Younger generations of students are Digital Natives.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Fact: <\/b>The term digital natives refers to the false belief that everyone under a certain age somehow has an innate understanding of everything digital. Research has consistently contradicted the idea that any such group exists,1\u00a0<\/sup><\/span>and the idea can actively harm the learning of individuals<\/span>.2<\/sup>
    \n<\/span><\/p>\n

    A lot of young students, even those born in the 2000\u2019s, often cannot use technology adeptly and often struggle. Technology has in many ways become less active and more passive and while many younger students will be competent using technology to passively consume through social media, streaming services or Amazon, they may not be able to copy and paste or actively use technology for learning purposes. This means these students can often be excluded from contributing to class. Choosing to assume that using technology will automatically make things easier and more intuitive to students is clearly wrong. An approach that does not exclude anybody and makes learning an exclusive experience is the right way.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sources:<\/h4>\n
      \n
    1. The myths of the digital native and the multitasker<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Digital natives: where is the evidence?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Myth: Multiple choice questions are only useful to test memorisation of fact<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Fact: <\/b>Multiple choice questions are often only utilised as a method to test rote memorisation of facts and while that is one approach that can be used with them, they can also be very useful as a method to examine student opinion. Using a tool like PollEverywhere<\/a>, for example, you can gauge a class\u2019s opinion on a certain topic to ascertain their interest or to identify weaknesses in student comprehension and where the learning should go next. <\/span><\/p>\n

      Multiple choice questions can also be used in confidence-based testing which is a method of testing which measures not just what a learner knows, but also their confidence in that answer. This prevents multiple choice questions from just being about memorisation and random chance in a student’s answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Myth: Everyone has an individual learning style that works best for them.<\/strong><\/h3>\n