What Does a Learning Strategist Do?
When people ask me what I do, and I say that I am a learning strategist, I am almost always then asked what that is. I have my elevator speech down to two sentences:
A learning strategist teaches people the skills for being more efficient academically. A learning strategist coaches people through applying those skills and keeping on track.
A learning strategist shows you how to work smarter, not harder. Of course, you have to put the work in, but there are students who put in the effort and the hours without seeing the results they are targeting. Maybe it’s just one subject, perhaps it’s across the board.
My students report that the grade-to-effort ratio increases significantly from the work we do.
What does this work typically involve? Every student has different skills, different personalities, different goals and different life circumstances, so the work is customized to those differences from the get-go. Even for my universal mantra, Time Management!, customization, trial and error and retrial are key.
Gaining and applying effective learning techniques requires customization throughout, including:
- Awareness of your learning strengths and weaknesses.
- Learning how to pace the work to get it done, to understand it, to recall it.
- Learning how to take advantage of your strengths, and how to accommodate and strengthen your weaknesses.
- Learning the techniques that best fit your style and your subject matter–Taped notes? Vocabulary drill? Flashcards? Buddy study? Metaphors? Pictures?
- Learning the tools of academia: reading, researching, abstracting meaning from lectures, writing, presenting, managing group projects, writing different types of exams.
- Learning to integrate a whole life.
- Learning to self-manage motivation, thoughts and emotions through the inevitable ups and downs of your academic career. Trust me, this is a transferable skill!
Your learning strategist needs to have expertise in these areas, and the skill and experience to work with customizing them until they work for you. You will know fairly quickly in your work with a strategist if they are the right coach for you.
Next week: Going beyond learning the basics.
Contact me with questions you have about working with a learning strategist, or just to share your experience. [email protected]