Student adaptation to credit training through student research projects

At the recent Student Science Conference for the 2007-2008 academic year, there were a number of scientific reports that attracted the attention of the audience because they mentioned a new but very necessary issue for students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. That is the adaptation of students to the credit training method that the University has implemented since the 2007-2008 academic year. We had a conversation with the students who are the authors of these research works about the implementation of the topic and their views on the current student learning issue.

First is the exchange with student Pham Thi Ngan (K51 Archival Studies and Office Administration), author of the topic "Study planning in the credit training model at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU”.

-PV:Why did you choose this topic to research?

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/5/pham%20thi%20ngan.jpg" border="0" alt="SV Pham Thi Ngan" title="SV Pham Thi Ngan" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right" ]

-Pham Thi Ngan (PTN):This is the first school year that the school has implemented the credit training model. This training model has many new points that are different from the old training model. The new training model requires students to self-study and research, which means that they have a high level of self-learning. When applying this model, there are many changes in testing, evaluation, and teaching and learning methods. Therefore, in order to have good learning results, students need to have appropriate learning methods to adapt to those changes, especially having a scientific, reasonable, and effective learning plan.

Currently, many students do not have a good study planning method. Moreover, from my own experience, because I participate in Youth Union and Association activities, the time I spend on studying is reduced. Also through some articles, I know that when switching to a new training model, the School pays great attention to students' study planning to improve their adaptation to the new learning method.

For those reasons, I chose this topic to research. The biggest result of my topic is to build 2 sample study plans for students to refer to, from which they can create their own suitable and effective study plans.

-PV:In your opinion, do students at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities currently have the habit of making study plans? How does this affect learning outcomes?

-PTN: As I see from my class, most of the students do not have the habit of making a study plan for themselves. Some of them have made a plan but have not achieved the desired results. This greatly affects the students' learning results. Because if there is no study plan, it will be difficult for students to study regularly according to the set goals. In fact, most students often only start studying when the exam is about to take place. This way of studying often makes students stressed, tired, pressured but still does not achieve the desired results.

-PV:In your opinion, what factors influence students' study planning and which factor is the most important?

-PTN:In my opinion, there are objective and subjective factors that affect students' study planning. Objective factors are: students' course registration; students' class schedule, exam schedule and study timetable. Subjective factors are: students' level of understanding of the credit system; students' ability to plan and organize personal work; students' self-awareness and initiative in studying; students' part-time jobs; students' participation in union activities.

In which, in my opinion, the most important factor is the ability to plan and organize personal work of students. This ability depends on the basic knowledge of students about skills and methods of planning personal work scientifically, including: the ability to predict the whole, the ability of students to perceive the factors affecting the planning of study in the credit training model and the learning methods of students. Even if other factors are fully met, if students do not have the ability to plan, the plan will still not bring the desired results.

-PV:That means, in your opinion, the subjective factor of each individual is the deciding factor in the effectiveness of study planning?

-PTN: Yes, because in the credit training model, students are the ones who take the initiative in learning and the school only creates an environment and favorable conditions for students to be able to promote that initiative.

-PV:Some people say that the school's credit-based training implementation process is not really effective and that is the factor that has the greatest influence on students' study planning. What is your opinion on this issue?

-PTN: I do not agree with this point of view. It is true that in the current period, the implementation process of the School still faces many difficulties, but the School has proposed many solutions to overcome them. Moreover, any implementation of a new policy cannot immediately have the desired good results. The difficulties that the School faces in the current period are inevitable. And in this new model, students must be proactive and find ways to overcome them themselves, not just rely on solutions from the School.

-PV:So to have a good study plan and follow it, what do students need to do?

-PTN: Most importantly, students must identify their learning goals. In addition, students must be aware of the factors that influence their learning planning.

-PV:In fact, there are many objective reasons why we do not always follow the plan. Some people say that planning is quite rigid and inflexible. What do you think?

-PTN: It is true that there are many reasons why you cannot carry out your plan properly. But I think that planning is not rigid because to make a plan, the most important thing is that you must set a goal, and the measures and methods to implement it depend on the conditions and circumstances of each individual.

-PV:It is known that one of the research tasks in your topic is to build two sample study plans. Can you present them to everyone?

-PTN: First of all, here are two sample study plans for you to refer to and from there create your own plan that is suitable for you, not imposed.

Table 1 is a study plan for 1 week. In it, you should determine your study goals for 1 week, the main tasks to do each day, such as: studying in the classroom, reading reference materials, doing group assignments, individual assignments, working part-time, entertainment. Total time spent studying in 1 week and time spent on other activities such as: sleeping, playing sports, entertainment...

Table 2 is a study plan for 1 semester. It identifies the study goals for the entire semester, the main tasks to be done each week, the total time spent on studying and other activities.

-PV:Do you have a study plan yourself? What are some of your personal experiences in planning your own studies?

-PTNAs soon as I had the school's study schedule, I started making my own study plan.

My personal experience shows that the planning time should only be within the first 1 to 2 weeks of the semester. First of all, to make a plan, you need to determine your learning goals. These goals need to be clear, have a deadline for completion, and must be feasible. The goals need to be classified according to different levels of priority and concretized into tasks to be carried out.

After making a plan, students need to make an effort and be serious to complete the plan, otherwise it will just be a plan on paper. When they cannot carry out the plan, students will feel discouraged, feeling that planning is not really meaningful to them while it is a decisive factor in the quality of their work.

-PV: Thank you.

(to be continued...)

• Thanh Ha (perform)