| Title | 37. How can you know what you don’t know? |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Changing the narrative around the “successful learner” |
| Contributor | Stephanie Jury (author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0462.37 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0462/chapters/10.11647/obp.0462.37 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Stephanie Diane Jury; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-07-02 |
| Long abstract | This chapter critiques the marketisation and commodification of Higher Education, which has shifted universities from centres of holistic learning to spaces where students are treated as “customers” and education as a “product”. In this environment, individual exploration and self-development have been deprioritised, and the notion of a “successful learner” has become synonymous with independence from support—an outdated view that fails to recognise the diversity of contemporary university cohorts. Drawing on a case study, the chapter advocates for a personalised approach to study skills development, incorporating face-to-face motivational interviewing, accountability check-ins, and tailored skills development plans. It argues that fostering and empowering students on their self-study and learning journeys builds genuine independence rather than dependence. Special attention is given to the role of non-cognitive skills in supporting stronger academic skills development, particularly for neurodiverse students. By reframing the narrative of what success in learning looks like, the chapter highlights the need for more inclusive, supportive, and human-centred approaches in Higher Education. |
| Page range | pp. 445–458 |
| Print length | 14 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
Dr Stephanie Jury completed her PhD in History from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, in 2016. Following her interest in metacognition and learning strategies, which she developed as a Teaching Associate, she joined the Learning Skills Advisor team at Monash shortly after graduation. During her time at Monash, she received training in executive functioning skills and writing support, and advised students in various faculties, working predominately with students in Medicine, Nursing, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Concurrently, she also taught the first year Academic Preparedness courses at the Australia College of Applied Psychology, Melbourne. In 2020, Stephanie joined the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus (Kelowna, Canada), as their first Learning Strategist. Building the Learning Strategist services from the ground up, she has helped expand these services by introducing Thriving in Action, a resilience training program for undergraduate students. In April 2024, she joined the Department of Student Services at Brandon University (Manitoba, Canada) as their Academic Skills Specialist. Currently Stephanie’s research interests are in student success, retention, and metacognition, however she still holds place for her love of medieval and Renaissance history.