What do you do if your students in Higher Education struggle to grasp complex ideas?

Starting off by knowing what students are struggling with is the key to changing up the teaching strategy that will help your students learn better. I do this by assessing prior knowledge at the beginning of my lesson and conducting regular comprehension checks as the lessons progress. This gives me insights into students' learning and their levels of understanding. This information can be used in conjunction with tools like informal formative assessments like short quizzes and discussions to uncover misconceptions and knowledge gaps. We can then use our understanding of where students are struggling to provide targeted interventions which helps foster deeper comprehension of the content and improved learning outcomes.

Break down concepts: Simplify complex ideas into smaller, digestible components. Use real-world examples: Relate abstract concepts to familiar situations to enhance cognition. Provide scaffolding: Offer incremental support and guidance, gradually increasing complexity as students grasp foundational concepts. Foster active learning: Engage students in discussions, activities, and problem-solving exercises to encourage deeper comprehension. Offer additional resources: Provide supplementary readings, tutorials, to cater to diverse learning styles. Encourage peer collaboration: Facilitate peer learning and support networks where students can exchange ideas and clarify doubts. Remind students that the learning is a messy yet rewarding journey.

In general the source of confusion is their lack of culture/experience. In many cases we (teachers) take it for granted that they "know", therefore that they have a basis on which to build new knowledge. In reality this is not the case, and we make the mistake of wanting to hang our coat where there isn't a hook... The first step is to verify our previous knowledge, a decisive step that we sometimes forget to take.

Metaphors are useful here. Often the process of creating the ‘right’ metaphor can be difficult. As a teacher, going through that process to put a complex idea into a comparison clarifies the essential ideas and elements that are most in terms people can understand.

To break it down into smaller, easier-to-handle parts, you can start by introducing the concept of halves (1/2), which students may already be familiar with from everyday experiences like sharing a pizza. Then, move on to quarters (1/4), using examples such as cutting a cake into four equal pieces. After that, introduce eighths (1/8) by dividing each quarter into two equal parts. Finally, you can progress to more complex fractions and operations like adding and subtracting fractions, using the foundation laid by understanding halves, quarters, and eighths.

Thus far the onus for action is on the instructor - "you find out what your students don't know." I disagree with this approach - I start here with #5. Help your students reflect on their knowledge needs. Otherwise, you can try to do things for them all day and it won't change the situation. Learning requires student engagement and buy-in to the process. For example, in an engineering course I start by assigning the class a problem to work through in small groups, where I've given some prompts on the steps to solve it. I ask students to walk through the solutions with me, and I point out insights needed to solve it. They're usually surprised that what they "thought" they understood from readings but couldn't quite apply to the situation.

Hide your smartphone for 1 week. Constantly posting and seeking feedback from contacts takes away one's focus. All of us need time off for work, time off for rest.

Encourage all students get rid of their personal problems and confusions proactively, ensuring they understand the benefits of having and developing healthy relationships, once finished with this preoccupation. Touch any field of study at any level of complexity it will be obvious. The keywords here are "personal" and "confusion".

When high school students struggle with understanding it is the teachers’ responsibility to take initiative to identify & resolve it, however, in higher education that is the students’ responsibility. In higher education the curriculum should be delivered with pedagogical variety to thoroughly address the unit objectives, but if disparity exists between the abstract knowledge or concepts engaged & the adult learners’ comprehension, then the learner is responsible for finding & filling their own gaps. That may include enlisting the lecturer support, & most would readily help. If multiple students express similar difficulties then most educators would re-evaluate & modify their delivery & if need be reexamine course prerequisites!

I’ve had success with using hands on learning activities in class for complicated topics. I continue to find experience is the best teacher and the novelty of hands on learning helps with concept retention.

I will give them assignments that are creative and reinforces what was taught. In this way, the learning of the complex concept is made concrete.