The Deep/Surface distinction

It has been observed that students go about learning in different ways.  Some seem determined to give back, in essays and reports, exactly what they were given in lectures. Others strive to develop their own perspectives and syntheses of the subject. These two extremes have been termed a surface approach and a deep approach. Through extensive interview studies (Marton and Saljo 1976, Marton and Saljo 1984) the following definitions have been generated, illustrated here with quotes from students.

Surface approach
The student reduces what is to be learnt to the status of unconnected facts to be memorised. The learning task is to reproduce the subject matter at a later date (perhaps in an exam).

'It would have been more interesting if I'd known that I wasn't going to be tested on it afterwards, 'cos in that case I'd've more, you know, thought about what it said instead of all the time trying to think : "Now I must remember this and now I must remember that".'

Deep approach
The student attempts to make sense of what is to be learnt, using ideas and concepts. This involves thinking, seeking integration between components and between tasks, and 'playing' with ideas.

'I tried to look for ... you know, the principal ideas ... I tried to think what it was all about ... I thought about how he had built up the whole thing.'

An approach is not the same as a skill. It is primarily about the learner's intention. It can be helpful to make the learning process explicit by discussing students' intentions with them.  Ask the students what they were trying to do and what they were thinking about, for example when they were making notes or writing their essay.

Gibbs (1992) explores the notions of deep and surface learning in : 'Strategies for fostering a deep approach' in Gibbs, G. 'Improving the quality of student learning'  Plymouth, UK: Technical and Educational Services Ltd. Pp 12 - 18