According to Ken Bain, there are three styles of learners: surface learners, who aim to quickly memorize key words and facts; strategic learners, who aim for top grades and efficiency; and deep learners, who aim to “answer questions or solve problems that they regard as important, intriguing, or just beautiful” (44) . This book focuses on this third style of learners – who are driven and curious – because they develop the skills and capacities to lead productive, creative, meaningful lives. As college students, they ask big questions and pursue their passions – with or without their teachers and their peers.
Ken Bain, What the Best College Students Do (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2012), 21.