Adult learners are generally very strategic about their learning and prefer to know in advance what their learning tasks are and how much time it will take them so they can plan their busy lives. But, how can you provide them with an accurate estimate for how long it will take them to complete learning tasks, like watching a YouTube video or reading a research article?
This paper argues that students’ frequent use of ineffective learning strategies (like rereading and highlighting) isn’t just due to lack of awareness, time pressure, or goals — it may also reflect habitual behavior. Traditional research on self-regulated learning emphasizes deliberate choice and metacognition, but this article suggests that many study practices have become automatic routines triggered by environmental cues. Ineffective strategies often become habituated because they are easy, familiar, and contextually ingrained.
Chew & Cerbin propose a research-based framework of nine interacting cognitive challenges that teachers must address in order to promote “optimal learning” rather than merely acceptable performance. They emphasize that teaching is not just delivering content but creating the conditions in which students learn. Each of the nine challenges represents a characteristic of how students think, learn, or struggle — the idea being that failure to address any one of these can undermine learning. The authors describe each challenge, provide examples, and suggest instructional strategies for mitigation.