Sessional Academic Staff Online Directory
Who are my Learners
CSU – a multi-campus university
CSU is one of the largest universities in Australia, with more than 35,000 students and close to 2,600 staff. University operates main campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga. CSU operates from other locations including the City of Sydney, Manly, Goulburn, Canberra, Orange, Port Macquarie and Ontario Canada.
CSU – a multi-mode university
CSU has over 9,000 on-campus students, 24,000 off-campus and over 5,000 mixed mode students (2011). The differences between modes of learning are becoming less as a more blended learning approach is becoming more evident. This means that engaging the learner is a primary concern, and the mix of face-to-face and online can bring new possibilities of extended interaction spaces, and improved outcomes resulting from blended learning approaches.
For more information see: http://www.csu.edu.au/about/locations
To find out more about your students visit:
- CSU pocket statistics - includes key statistics on students.
- CSU Statistics Portal – including cohort Tracking and First Year Attrition reports
Why do we need to know our students?
Students are not only intellectual but also social and emotional beings, and all these dimensions interact to impact learning and performance. To plan learning experiences effectively, it is important to consider who our students are, taking into account:
- Prior knowledge;
- Intellectual development;
- Cultural background; and
- Generational experiences and expectations.
(Source: http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/yourstudents.html)
You also need to consider the characteristics of adult learners:
- the need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction;
- experiences (including mistakes) provide the basis for learning activities;
- are most interested in learning that has immediate relevance to their job or personal life problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
Knowles' (1975) theory of andragogy is an attempt to develop a theory specifically for adult learning. In practical terms, andragogy means that instruction for adults needs to focus more on the process and less on the content being taught. Strategies such as case studies, role playing, simulations, and self-evaluation are most useful. Teachers need to adopt a role of facilitator rather than lecturer or content provider.
References
Knowles, M. (1975). Self-Directed Learning. Chicago, Follet. http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/andragogy.html (accessed 10 September 2012)
Further Resources
Supporting your learners
CSU websites available to support your learners:
Learning styles
- Different ways in which people learn (see How Do My Learners Learn?)
- For blended learning (see FLI website and BFL wiki)
- Kolb's theory of learning styles (Wikipedia)
- Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences