The art of learning and self-reflection with Learning Coach Meredith Kayess

Meredith Kayess is a Learning Coach at Southern Cross University’s Student Learning Zone, and she says that reflecting upon how you study, and complete assessments, can reduce study stress, while setting you up for study success. 

So, what is a Learning Coach? They’re somebody who supports students to develop numeracy, assessment, study, time management, and academic writing skills. They help students to develop the strategies and skills needed to succeed in their studies.

Students can tap into this advice and make appointments with learning coaches like Meredith at the Learning Zone, a free service available to Southern Cross University students. Meredith outlines the types of learning support you can access at the Student Learning Zone: 

“We offer individual consultations, online and in-person, workshops that cover all kinds of generic skills, such as how to write a report or a case study or reference or how to keep a concept journal. We have short clips and little one and two-page guides that give you the essence of how to do something, whether it's writing an introduction or planning your study schedule.”  

Meredith explains that assessment feedback is an important aspect of the learning relationship between students and teachers. Learning how to make the most of marker feedback is an important part of succeeding at university. This Quick Guide explains how.  

While receiving disappointing results after putting your heart and soul into an assignment can be difficult, Meredith offers two ways to turn these moments to your advantage. Firstly, it is helpful to know that your teachers tend to see assignment feedback as supporting your learning.

“When teachers are giving you feedback, they see that feedback as a key moment in the learning relationship. They see that as a really powerful part of the learning experience and their relationship with you. They're trying to be supportive and help students in their learning,” she said. 

Secondly, by taking a step back to reflect upon disappointing results we can turn them into powerful learning moments. Getting into the habit of reflecting upon marker feedback, and how we completed an assignment or exam, can help us to “see” what we could do differently next time. 

“If we can reflect upon those moments, that's where we can make often quite small changes that have really big outcomes in terms of learning, enjoyment of study, and our grades” she said 

On this week’s episode of the SCU Buzz podcast our host Suzie Fawcett chats to Southern Cross Learning Coach Meredith Kayess about focusing on learning how to learn by taking a reflective approach to your studies. 

Listen on SoundCloud, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.  

Learning Coach Meredith Kayess.