As an international student studying in Canada, the biggest challenge I face here is the language barrier. Because my English is not good, I usually have trouble understanding new concepts quickly during class, especially at the beginning of each term. To be more specific, in Econometrics, I have learned many difficult terms. Even when I translate them into my mother tongue, I still do not fully understand the meaning. In addition, in classes like Public Economics or Cost-Benefit Analysis, the professor often talks about current events or past government policies, which are closely related to what we are learning. Because of my background, I am not familiar with this news and policies, and I often feel confused in class.
To face this challenge, I have used many learning strategies. These strategies connect well with the learning theories in this chapter: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
Cognitivism: Before class, I will preview the slides, translate the words I do not understand, and write short notes beside each term to help me remember. For example, when I learned the concept “heteroskedasticity” in Econometrics, I wrote down a simple meaning in Chinese and compared it with “unstable data.” This helps me build a mental picture of the concept, so I can understand it better during class.
Behaviorism: When I do not understand a certain concept, I use ChatGPT as a practice tool. I will ask ChatGPT to give me some questions to see if I understand that concept. Sometimes I will use the chat function in ChatGPT to explain what I understand. Then it tells me whether I am right or wrong. This feedback helps me improve step by step.
Constructivism: When I have extra time, I will go to YouTube to find videos related to my topic. These videos often use real-life examples, like using housing prices to explain regression. I connect what I learn with real-life things, which makes the knowledge more meaningful.
These strategies make me more confident in learning and make me feel more prepared for exams because I can understand the key concepts better.