Design and Development of the Learning Activities Questionnaire

Abstract
This instrument was designed to identify types of learning strategies used by individuals in a variety of academic and training environments. After undergoing two pilot tests, the final version of the LAQ was administered to individuals at five different educational levels: graduate students, community college students, and three groups of Army trainees-high school graduates, general equivalency diploma holders and trainees who had not completed high school. In 10 of the 15 major comparisons conducted, graduate students used each of the learning strategies significantly more than the other groups. With the exception of rote methods, the three non-college groups of Army trainees reported the lowest use of learning strategies. In general, rote strategies appeared to be used frequently by all groups of respondents for most tasks. However, graduate students supplemented rote strategies with additional learning strategies. This was also true, although to a lesser extent, for community college students. It appears that learners at lower educational levels may not have developed a broad repertoire of learning strategies and depend, to a large degree, on rote strategies. This suggests the need for training programs designed to modify or enhance the learning strategies of students and trainees, particularly at lower educational levels.

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