Home » Self-directed learning » Surface learning and deep learning

Learning means different things to different people. For some people it's about getting good marks. For others it's about understanding reality at a whole new level. Your motivation for learning will have a big impact on what you get out of your courses.

Many students did not get the point of what they were reading "simply because they were not looking for it".

What were they looking for? They were looking for the facts they thought they would be tested on. They were not looking for the meaning of the text.

Rheem, J. (1995). 'Deep/Surface Approaches to Learning: An Introduction.' National Teaching and Learning Forum, vol. 5, no. 1.

What's your motivation for learning? Are you a surface learner, a goal-oriented learner or a deep learner?

Type of learner	Motivation	Strategies
Surface	Just wants to pass	Focuses on surface meaning. Does the minimum amount of study and reading. Studies at the last minute. Memorises information. Reproduces ideas from source texts.
Achievement-oriented	Wants to get good grades	Focuses on the task demands. Finds out what the lecturer wants. Follows up all the required references. Manages time carefully and hands in assignments on time. Accesses learning support services. Keeps good notes.
Deep	Excited by learning	Focuses on the topic. Reads widely. Relates new ideas to previous knowledge. Thinks analytically. Discusses the topic whenever possible.

Reproduced from: University of Canberra Academic Study Skills web site: Independent learning
http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/learning/independent/ [accessed March 2008]

At UQ you'll be encouraged to become a deep-learner or an achievement-oriented learner, especially as you progress from first year courses to final year courses.

You may feel that surface learning is all you can manage at the moment, or all you can manage for a particular course. However, you'll probably get a lot more out of your university studies if you aim for deep learning whenever possible.