Learning Strategies and Learning Aids

Learning strategies are ways of approaching learning tasks. Each person has a unique point of view and needs to adjust any strategy to their own situation and style. As Tutors, you will have students who may need some ideas of ways to help them study and support them in being successful. The following pages include some of the basic elements of key strategies for academic success.

A learning aid is a something intended to enhance learning and retention by the learner. They may include, but are not limited to: written materials, visualizations, charts, diagrams, processes, strategies, or any other appropriate item. Learning Aids incorporate “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning,” according to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Definitions and Terminology in their description of instructional technology (2013). This description is extended to physical objects that aid and enhance learning as well.

Learning aids should be:

• Theory grounded
• Evidence-based
• Relevant
• Clear
  (from: Ambrose, et al, 2010)

KPU’s Learning Centres produce materials that are intended to aid learners in their acquisition of processes and strategies that aid in their learning and retention of content materials from their courses and programs.

The Learning Centres have over 90 Learning Aids that are available on the website, and which you can draw on as a tutor. A selection of core learning aids can be found in the Ways to Achieve Academic Success booklet (31 pages) which was developed in consultation with Level II and Level III tutors around the strategies most needed by tutees

Learning Aids Activity:

• List any questions that you have received as a tutor where the tutee is asking for a learning strategy or process to help their learning (rather than content questions about the subject matter).
• Select a Learning Aid that is relevant to your tutee.
• Examine how you would use the Learning Aid with your tutee through the lenses you have explored in Level 2.  Your trainer may ask you to prepare a short presentation for a Community of Practice session.