All Australian degrees are guaranteed
by the government to reach set standards. If all IT degrees are created equal, how do you choose
where to study? What do you need to be more than standard?
There is an answer.
It lies in knowing what people learn
while doing a degree.
The cognitive factors – the specific
knowledge required for the degree.
And the non-cognitive factors – the
other things students learn which can set them up for success.
A 2012 paper by the University of
Chicago (Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive
Factors in Shaping School Performance) points to five key, non-cognitive
factors which can result in improved academic performance and positive life
outcomes.
These
are:
- Mindset
- Perseverance
- Behaviours
- Learning Strategies
- Social and emotional skills.
And, fortunately for students
considering a degree
course,
these can be learned. The right environment can teach students to believe in
their own ability to succeed.
And while most academics will agree
with the findings of the study, it can be hard for Australian students to find
an institution which actively promotes these qualities.
Rather than look in the traditional
places, where there often seems to be a hands-off approach to non-curricular
learning, students should look to smaller institutions like Melbourne Institute of Technology.
With smaller classes, they’re able to
provide more access to teachers and academics which can support crucial
learning strategies like making a plan and finding help when it’s needed.
