How to achieve good learning outcomes
6. An Excellent Learning Outcome: Extended Ideas
6.1 Improving from 'Relational Understanding' to 'Extended Ideas'
If you have already achieved at the 'Relational Understanding' level, the following table shows you how to improve to the excellence of 'Extended Ideas".
Click the headings along the left column to see the differences between the two levels. If you want to improve yourself, click 'Improving towards Extended Ideas'.
Relational Understanding
Extended Ideas
Improving towards 'Extended Ideas'
Understanding
Good understanding of the topic
Understand how the topic is related to other topics
Relate
the topic to
previous knowledge
from
different courses
Relate
theories to
experiences
Try to
form your own conceptual framework
for integrating the knowledge
Read
widely
Discuss
with teachers & students
Reflect
on past experience
Brainstorm
ideas
Coverage inthe answer
Covers what has been discussed within the topic
Goes beyond what has been discussed
Structure of the answer i.e. how facts and concepts are organised
The structure is similar to that used in the book or by the professor
Develops a new structure based on the 'extended' understanding
Problem solving
Able to solve familiar problems
Able to solve unseen, real problems
6.2 To achieve 'Extended Ideas' - Think in this way!
The following are very useful thinking tasks which can help you to achieve the level of 'Extended Ideas'.
Thinking task
Want to know how each thinking task is done?
Click the task to see a tip.
How well am I doing now?
Verywell
Notwell
Reflect
Show new understanding of something by studying past experience
5
4
3
2
1
Generalize
Draw a general conclusion from a number of facts
5
4
3
2
1
Recommend
Suggest what is appropriate to do based on a critical evaluation of available information.
5
4
3
2
1
Hypothesize
Propose an idea which can be used as a starting point for further study
5
4
3
2
1
Theorize
Form general principles of an art or science
5
4
3
2
1