Have you ever heard of the KBCP Framework?
Just knowing about an effective strategy or technique isn’t usually sufficient to get anyone to start using that strategy. After all, we all know that physical exercise is good for us, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into regular visits to the gym. Changing habits is hard.
The same is true when trying to persuade students to adopt more effective learning strategies. In fact, the problem may even be compounded as ineffective strategies such as re-reading, cramming and blocking feel more effective in the moment because they lead to short-term boosts in performance.
To help overcome students’ reluctance to use more effective learning strategies, researchers McDaniel and Einstein have come up with the Knowledge, Belief, Commitment and Planning (KBCP) Framework.
KBCP – Knowledge
Learning isn’t intuitive, and without knowledge of the research, it makes sense that students will not opt to use the most effective methods. In order to use a new strategy, students must first understand:
- the strategy itself
- the evidence behind its effectiveness
- how to apply the strategy within the context of their academic study
For example, if you wanted to encourage students to use Retrieval Practice, the first thing you will need to do is to build your students’ knowledge in this area. This could be by sharing with them findings from the research, followed by teaching them about specific strategies which use Retrieval Practice such as flashcards.
KBCP – Belief
Learners tend to think that they are unique and that although there are strategies that might be more effective for people in general, these strategies will not work for them personally. We therefore need to convince students that a technique will work for them by helping them to see the relationship between using the strategy and learning outcomes. This can be achieved through a concrete demonstration in which students experience how using the strategy boosts their learning in comparison with a less effective, but more commonly used, technique.
For example, to shift students’ belief around the effectiveness of Retrieval Practice, you could share a list of definitions with students and have them learn half by simply re-reading them and half using flashcards. Afterwards, you can show that those definitions learnt using flashcards were better remembered in a subsequent test. The demonstration could then be followed with a class discussion which highlights the effectiveness of flashcards and asks students where they might use the strategy themselves.
KBCP – Commitment
Once students have a belief that a new strategy will be effective, it will still require effort to implement this strategy. We can help students with this implementation by setting specific assignments where they have to try out the strategy and subsequently report back on its effectiveness.
So, having demonstrated the effectiveness of flashcards as a retrieval strategy, you could then set a homework task for them to create their own set of flashcards to support their learning for an upcoming lesson. In a subsequent session, you could have students share their reflections on the extent to which their flashcards were effective and how they might adapt the strategy for the future.
KBCP – Planning
Even when students believe in the effectiveness of a new strategy, it will be all too easy for them to default back to their usual study habits without a concrete plan for the longer term. Students should therefore be encouraged to form a plan for incorporating the new strategy into their study programme, thinking carefully through when, where and how it will be implemented.
A student’s long-term plan for using flashcards as part of independent study could include details of when they will create their own flashcards and how they will space out their learning using a system such as the Leitner System. Regular discussion with peers can help students to evaluate the effectiveness of their plan. This discussion could also include reflections on whether flashcards were the most appropriate learning strategy or whether they could have incorporated other strategies such as self-quizzing, brain dumps or mind maps.
Final Thoughts
Changing habits is hard, and a one-off knowledge-building session on effective learning strategies is unlikely to lead to any change in long-term behaviour. The KBCP Framework can help us to not only share knowledge with students but also help shift their beliefs, get them to commit to using new strategies and implement a plan for using these strategies in the long term.
