{"id":45608,"date":"2018-10-11T13:24:52","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T20:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=45608"},"modified":"2018-10-11T13:24:52","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T20:24:52","slug":"why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBlock subjects<\/a>\u00a0is a model of teaching students one subject at a time over two to four weeks, rather than several subjects at a time over ten to 13 weeks in a semester.<\/p>\n

For some, like\u00a0Victoria University<\/a>, the model is a stunning success. There are already tangible\u00a0improvements in pass rates<\/a>\u00a0in the first year of implementation.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s less clear is what the long term implications of these approaches are for student learning. It may seem, on the surface, that focusing on shorter subjects one at a time is better than the traditional semester model. But research on effective learning shows learning over a long period and studying multiple subjects at a time is more effective.<\/p>\n

Massed vs. spaced learning<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Research<\/a>\u00a0on learning shows \u201cmassed\u201d learning is inferior to \u201cspaced\u201d learning. In other words, when learning is spread out over a longer time-frame, the retention of and capacity for using the knowledge is better than when it\u2019s blocked together.<\/p>\n

The best example of massed learning is cramming \u2013 as in \u201ccramming\u201d for an exam. Information might be adequately stored for a short time \u2013 enough to complete an exam \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t stick as well as it would if it had been studied over a longer period.<\/p>\n

Research consistently shows\u00a0cramming<\/a>,\u00a0bingeing<\/a>\u00a0or otherwise learning for a short, focused period isn\u2019t the most effective way to remember new information.<\/p>\n

In addition to spacing study out, there are also benefits to mixing up study across different topics. This process of switching is called \u201cinterleaving<\/a>\u201d and it might also point to a benefit provided by studying multiple subjects at the same time.
\n

\"\"

Research shows \u2018cramming\u2019 for an exam is less effective than learning over a longer period of time. from www.shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The advantages of spaced practice and interleaving are shown in\u00a0robust findings<\/a>\u00a0in the psychology laboratory. But basic\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0on learning in the brain and mind is difficult to make sense of in the real world. There are many complexities in university education that cannot be tested or controlled for in laboratory studies.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0evidence<\/a>\u00a0about what constitutes quality learning is difficult to see in the university classroom.<\/p>\n

This makes it difficult to know if studying subjects in short blocks will lead to the same problems as cramming or not. Students might pass, might report greater levels of satisfaction but might not be able to remember and use what they have learned as effectively long-term.<\/p>\n

The evidence problem<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It isn\u2019t clear whether block subjects are a form of cramming or not. So it\u2019s not certain there are any long-term negative effects of this approach.<\/p>\n

The recent national discussion about effective delivery of higher education has been dominated by economists, consultants and accounting firms. Economic indicators provide a crude but easy proxy and have been\u00a0prioritised<\/a>\u00a0over quality learning in policy and practice. In the process, the link between indicators such as completion rates or student satisfaction and learning is being lost.<\/p>\n

This means universities are making substantial changes without necessarily knowing what they mean for student learning. University students might be satisfied, complete their degrees and get a job. But there is a real risk they may not have the necessary knowledge and skills to\u00a0thrive and adapt<\/a>\u00a0in the 21st Century.<\/p>\n

Testing innovations<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The role played by the now disestablished\u00a0Office for Learning and Teaching<\/a>\u00a0(OLT) was critical for this kind of problem. The OLT provided a vital mechanism for testing out innovations such as the block model.<\/p>\n

An OLT project could have examined under what conditions the model is most effective, for which students and how to get it to work best in different disciplines and year levels. While important, crude indicators such as\u00a0pass rates<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0satisfaction<\/a>\u00a0are not enough to provide this kind of evidence base.
\n

\"\"

Innovations in student testing need to be rigorously examined to ensure they\u2019re effective. from www.shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Sadly, the small investment in a mechanism for ensuring these kinds of questions could be answered was deemed\u00a0too expensive<\/a>\u00a0for the federal government. It\u2019s now difficult to systematically figure out whether approaches like the block model are good for learning in the long term and whether they\u2019ll work elsewhere.<\/p>\n

This lack of a mechanism for rigorously testing innovations also risks our global reputation for high quality higher education.\u00a0Micro-credentials<\/a>,\u00a0artificial intelligence<\/a>\u00a0and other innovations are poised to have a substantial impact on higher education in the near future.<\/p>\n

There is\u00a0currently no mechanism<\/a>\u00a0to fund rigorous, national studies into how\u00a0Australian higher education<\/a>\u00a0can remain competitive in this rapidly evolving environment.<\/p>\n

There is every likelihood the students who complete their studies in a block model are receiving quality instruction, leading to quality learning. The results at Victoria University certainly\u00a0look promising<\/a>. But it\u2019s difficult to determine this until student learning and development are made the priorities over crude economic indicators.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong>Jason M Lodge is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, School of Education & Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation at The University of Queensland<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Block subjects\u00a0is a model of teaching students one subject at a time over two to four weeks, rather than several subjects at a time over ten to 13 weeks in a semester. For some, like\u00a0Victoria University, the model is a stunning success. There are already tangible\u00a0improvements in pass rates\u00a0in the first year of implementation. What\u2019s […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":45609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[224451],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-45608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-higher-education","tag-exam-cramming"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy block subjects might not be best for university student learning - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Block subjects\u00a0is a model of teaching students one subject at a time over two to four weeks, rather than several subjects at a time over ten to 13 weeks in a semester. For some, like\u00a0Victoria University, the model is a stunning success. There are already tangible\u00a0improvements in pass rates\u00a0in the first year of implementation. What\u2019s […]\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-10-11T20:24:52+00:00\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Cramming-for-exam.png\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"680\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"425\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kevin\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kevin\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kevin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\"},\"headline\":\"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-10-11T20:24:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":868,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/10\\\/Cramming-for-exam.png\",\"keywords\":[\"exam cramming\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Higher Education\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning - World leading higher education information and services\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/10\\\/Cramming-for-exam.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-10-11T20:24:52+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/10\\\/Cramming-for-exam.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/10\\\/Cramming-for-exam.png\",\"width\":680,\"height\":425},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/\",\"name\":\"World leading higher education information and services\",\"description\":\"Global Higher Education Jobs, University jobs, Lecturer & tenure jobs.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\",\"name\":\"Kevin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g8ba4c352a279c450aa9435d770c1ebf4\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kevin\"},\"description\":\"Kevin is founder of the world.edu project. The past 28 years have been involved in publishing to the education sector in print and the internet. Kevin has a degree in Education and has a many years experience in developing companies and projects.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/author\\\/kevin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning - World leading higher education information and services","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning - World leading higher education information and services","og_description":"Block subjects\u00a0is a model of teaching students one subject at a time over two to four weeks, rather than several subjects at a time over ten to 13 weeks in a semester. For some, like\u00a0Victoria University, the model is a stunning success. There are already tangible\u00a0improvements in pass rates\u00a0in the first year of implementation. What\u2019s […]","og_url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/","og_site_name":"World leading higher education information and services","article_published_time":"2018-10-11T20:24:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":680,"height":425,"url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Cramming-for-exam.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Kevin","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kevin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/"},"author":{"name":"Kevin","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee"},"headline":"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning","datePublished":"2018-10-11T20:24:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/"},"wordCount":868,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Cramming-for-exam.png","keywords":["exam cramming"],"articleSection":["Higher Education"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/","name":"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning - World leading higher education information and services","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Cramming-for-exam.png","datePublished":"2018-10-11T20:24:52+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Cramming-for-exam.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Cramming-for-exam.png","width":680,"height":425},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-block-subjects-might-not-be-best-for-university-student-learning\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/world.edu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why block subjects might not be best for university student learning"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/","name":"World leading higher education information and services","description":"Global Higher Education Jobs, University jobs, Lecturer & tenure jobs.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee","name":"Kevin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g8ba4c352a279c450aa9435d770c1ebf4","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kevin"},"description":"Kevin is founder of the world.edu project. The past 28 years have been involved in publishing to the education sector in print and the internet. Kevin has a degree in Education and has a many years experience in developing companies and projects.","sameAs":["https:\/\/world.edu"],"url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/author\/kevin\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45608"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=45608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}