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Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Paul Kirschner references an article in Cognitive Psychology (paywalled, naturally) where students describe extra effort in courses as "ineffective for learning" and hence wasted. The article describes this as a misconception on the part of students, "a misinterpreted-effort hypothesis in which the mental effort associated with many normatively effective learning strategies (desirable difficulties; Bjork & Bjork, 1992) leads learners to misinterpret them as ineffective for learning " Kirschner disagrees, representing the students' perception as an instance of "discipulus economicus, or as (s)he is pejoratively called: the calculating student. This is a student who carries out the minimum of effort for the maximum benefit; a far cry from no pain, no gain.... They call it supporting the misinterpreted-effort hypothesis. I tend to call it supporting the calculating student hypothesis."

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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