Claire Ellen Weinstein s notion of strategic learning has enjoyed growing acceptance in higher education. Sagging grades rebound when students learn the tricks of pinpointing the key points in lectures and of charting and summarizing their notes as they study for tests. More than half of all colleges in the United States use it, and it s also been translated into more than 30 languages.
Instructors use it to guide students toward better learning strategies.
Researchers, guidance counselors and instructors use the high school version in study skills workshops and college transition programs or courses. Many colleges and universities give it to their entire freshman class or use it in student affairs programs or classes geared for students at risk for academic failure. An unprecedented rise in college attendance and the cultural and economic diversity of students attending college makes a learner focus essential, says Weinstein. Many students attending colleges today have never been taught how to learn. When students make the transition from high school to college which can be particularly tumultuous for first-generation college students colleges have an ethical responsibility to help them develop effective learning strategies such as reading more efficiently, Weinstein contends.