Surface learners are students who primarily focus on external goals such as getting a particular grade or award or pleasing or impressing someone else. Instead of striving for deep comprehension, they tend to approach learning in a way that requires minimal effort to achieve these outward objectives.
Based on the reference, key characteristics of surface learners include:
- Focus on External Outcomes: Their motivation stems from achieving visible results like good grades, winning awards, or gaining approval from others [1].
- Minimal Effort: These students typically do only what is necessary to meet the requirements or pass assessments [1]. They aren't driven by intrinsic curiosity or a desire for mastery.
- Regurgitation over Understanding: A core trait is their focus on being able to regurgitate what they have learned rather than truly understanding and absorbing the material [1]. This means they prioritize memorization for tests rather than integrating knowledge into their existing understanding.
Essentially, the surface learning approach is task-oriented and relies heavily on memorization and recall for short-term goals, often neglecting the development of a deeper, more durable understanding of the subject matter.
Reference:
[1] [Source describing surface learning characteristics] - Note: The provided text snippet acts as reference [1]. A real-world response would include the actual source information.
