EDUC46830: Learning and Individual Differences

• EDUC40330 Psychological Perspectives on Learning or an equivalent Psychology module.

• None.

• None.

• To develop an informed understanding of how individual differences in learners interact with environmental factors to learning in various educational contexts.

• This is a specialist module that builds on the level 4 module Psychological Perspectives on Learning. This module will focus on key psychological theories, models, and constructs relevant to describing, explaining and influencing learning from an individual differences perspective.
• The module enables students to deepen and expand their psychological understanding of learning and to critically consider translations into educational praxis, both existent and potential. Learning is understood as a dynamic process of within-person change in a persons thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
• Both cognitive and non-cognitive constructs, including working memory, cognitive abilities, motivation, self-regulation, emotion, or personality will be considered as antecedents, moderators and/or consequences of learning. Methods for assessing such constructs will be introduced and their theoretical basis will be critically evaluated. This will include a consideration of measuring person-level change over time. The module presents students with opportunities to explore specialized issues, current trends and debates in the field, such as the potential malleability of personality and intellectual abilities.
• A critical analysis of relevant research and its implications for practice will form one of the major themes of the module.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of the module, sucessful students will have:
• acquired fundamental knowledge of how learning can be studied from an individual differences perspective;
• gained and refined their understanding of the significance and limitations of various conceptual and methodological approaches to studying learning processes and how these can help inform educational practice;
• extended their understanding of the range of factors that are likely to influence learning, including individual differences in cognitive and non-cognitive attributes of the learner and how they interact with environmental and situational factors.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Successful students students will be able to:
• analyse complex situations in educational contexts and appreciate how these are likely to be reflected in the context of various psychological conceptualisations of learning;
• interrogate the assumptions underpinning theories, models, and empirical research related to learning;
• develop informed arguments concerning human learning in different contexts using appropriate terminology;
• identify discrepancies between educational practice and conceptually informed and empirically based research evidence.

Key Skills:

• Successful students will have honed their skills:
• to learn independently including the capability to plan, manage, and to reflect on their own learning (e.g. working to deadlines);
• to further develop informed criticality and to construct and sustain a reasoned argument;
• to use written and spoken communication skills effectively (and efficiently) with appropriate use of specialist vocabulary, underpinned by knowledge and understanding;
• to retrieve complex information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way, including the use of a variety of library and IT resources.

• Learning in this module is facilitated through lectures and seminar teaching and is supported by resources on the virtual learning environment (VLE). Directed, yet independent work is an important part of the module. Lectures expose to and help familiarise students with concepts, ideas and arguments. Seminars and independent study provide opportunities to deepen their understanding and to apply their knowledge to a range of professionally relevant, practical contexts. Activities in lectures and seminars include a variety of active learning approaches including discussion, group work, presentations, question and answer sessions, and individual tasks. Preparation for the assignment involves students in wide reading and critical reflection on the topics discussed in the module.
• The success with which students have acquired knowledge and a critical understanding of psychological processes related to learning in educational contexts is assessed via a 3000 word written assignment. In addition to verbal feedback given to students' contributions during class teaching sessions (i.e lectures and seminars), but also via online tools (shared documents or discussion boards), the preparation for the summative assessment is supported by the opportunity to receive formative feedback on an outline of the assignment.

Verbal feedback is given to students' contribution during class teaching sessions. Tutors can be contacted for individual help. Oral formative feedback is provided on active contributions in teaching sessions and written formative feedback is provided on the academic outline for the summative assignment.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our Help page. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the Help page, or a query about the on-line Postgraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.