Deep Learning Is Among the Best Strategies for Students

Learning Styles -- Academic Performance

There has been a great deal of scholarly research done on how students learn, and how certain learning styles impact the academic outcomes. This paper delves into four scholarly research papers that describe learning styles and the subsequent academic achievements that result from those learning styles.

Deep Learning is Preferable to Surface Learning

Several learning styles were used in a research project involving 273 Social Science students at a British university. The learning styles being rated and observed (part of Vermunt's Inventory of Learning Styles) included "deep learning," "self-regulated learning," "intrinsic motivation," and "constructivist conception of learning." In the research, these four styles of learning were seen as preferable to "surface learning," "teacher-centered learning," "extrinsic motivation," and "objectivist conception of learning" (Boyle, et al., 2003). The most acceptable learning style in terms of the student achieving positive academic gains was "deep learning," which requires the student to " ... understand meaning by working out relationships between concepts, relating new material to previously known information" (Boyle, 268). On the other hand, surface learners tend to use memorization to retain knowledge in the hopes of getting a good grade and later, a good job (Boyle, 268).

Three Approaches to Learning: Deep, Achieving, and Surface

Psychology professor Adrian Furnham conducted research to see what methods British students use that best applies to learning; in his research, 178 psychology students at the University of College London completed six tests upon entering the university, and a year later they were given " ... comprehensive essay-based exams"; the first one showed that "Conscientiousness and General Intelligence" were the only "significant predictors" in evaluating the results (Furnham, 2012). One interesting outcome of this research is that "intelligence" accounts for just 5 to 20% of the factors that go into measuring learning abilities. Three styles did play a big role in learning outcomes based on styles of learning: conscientiousness, deep learning, and personality (or, otherwise stated, "intelligence and personality" (Furnham, 120). Students who were "very focused on the relevant (examinable) aspects of the topic and those who were pragmatic and extrinsically (not intrinsically) motivated seem to do the best" (Furnham, 124).

"Active" Teaching is Needed in Economics

The article in The American Economist points out that fewer students will be interested in taking economics courses unless instructors " ... move beyond the traditional lecture approach" (Boatman, et al., 2008). In other words, this article deals as much with teaching methods as it does with learning styles. The authors suggest that in order for economics courses to be more attractive to students, professors should provide three kinds of presentations: a) charts, graphs and symbols rather than words (visual modality); b) lectures and group discussions (auditory/aural); and c) read-write modality (texts) (Boatman, 40).

Counter Argument: Deep Learning has its Limits