ACTIVATING INSTRUCTION - HOW TO FOSTER STUDY AND THINKING SKILLS IN HIGHER-EDUCATION

New instructional procedures have been developed and applied at the Un iversity of Helsinki, Department of Psychology since 1986. The aim of these procedures has been to enhance effective study skills. The idea is to stimulate active learning in students by so called activating in struction, which is theoretically based on a combination of Vygotsky's ideas, applied cognitive science, and process-oriented instruction. I n many courses, students have been able to choose a preferred form of instruction among the new and the traditional methods. A six-year long itudinal study was conducted in order to see, what kinds of choices ps ychology students (N=114) made and how these choices were connected wi th their academic progress. On the basis of students' evaluations, the new methods differed significantly from traditional methods. Students associated the development of study skills and understanding move oft en with activating instruction than with traditional courses. The numb er of activating courses taken was related to success in final exam an d thesis writing. Those who participated in activating instruction stu died slower during the first three years of their studying, but were m ore successful in the long term.