Study Methods

STUDY METHODS Index study system Here is a method of studying that gives you an accurate perception of how well you know the material, and forces you to think about it, rather than just look over it. • •

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Review your notes and readings frequently, so the material is "fresh" As you're reading your text or reviewing your notes, write down questions about the material. Imagine you're teaching the course. What questions would you ask on the exam? Keep track of any terms you need to know Try the index card system:

1. Write each question or term on the back of an index card 2. On the front of each index card, write an answer or an explanation for the question or term on the back. Use your notes and text for a reference, but put the answer or explanation in your own words whenever possible 3. Shuffle the index cards so you can't figure out any answers based on their location in the deck 4. Look at the card on the top of the deck: Try to answer the question or explain the term. If you know it, great! Put it on the bottom of the deck. If you don't know it, look at the answer, and put it a few cards down in the deck (so you'll come back to it soon) 5. Proceed through the deck of cards until you know all of the information Some Tips: •

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Carry your cards with you everywhere. Take advantage of little pockets of time. Test yourself while you're waiting on line, riding the bus, etc. If you think you know an answer, but can't put it into words, you probably don't know it well enough. Explaining the information is a good way to be sure that you know it. It's also a good way to prevent test anxiety

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Test yourself someplace where nobody can see you and recite the answers out loud. That's the best way to be sure that you can explain them Study with a friend from your class. You can share ideas and help each other out with concepts. You can use each other to make sure that you're explaining your answers adequately

Studying with Multiple Sources Course information can be delivered through a variety of formats: Lectures by teacher or guests

Textbooks

Interviews and biographies eyewitness accounts or commentaries

Duplicates/han d-outs of (text) chapters, magazine articles

Electronic media such as videos, radio programs

Internet web site pages, discussion groups

Fictional story/novels

Original source material as diaries, government documents, proceedings, minutes

Stahl, et al (1998) found that using multiple-text sources can only be effective if we are taught to use them properly. As beginners, we tend to be more consistent in what information we select from short, wellconstructed texts. Longer, less structured documents tend to be more confusing. Text books • • • •

provide a foundation of facts and viewpoints to provide an overview sequence information and facts to understand issues create a context for comparing and understanding other sources are written in a neutral, objective tone 2

Problems with a single text for a subject or course include: •

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information is often "academic" lacking the drama of real life experience, adventure, and experimentation bias is hidden or concealed ignoring competing facts, priorities, minority viewpoints a single interpretation limits how reported facts are prioritized/sequenced restricting viewpoint (Euro/Caucasian) or subject testing (white male) original/eyewitness sources of information are secondary to interpretative accounts

Additional readings and alternative sources of information can assist you to create a richer understanding with additional information and perspective • • •

interact or engage with facts, actors, circumstances of the material practice and familiarize yourself with new subject vocabulary and concepts process opposing, even conflicting, points of view in order to assess, evaluate, defend

Conflicting information however can impede your learning, unless you can • • • •

analyze it for commonalties reorganize or synthesize your model for understanding it consider the impact of, and evaluate, conflicts filter it with athe context presented in the basic text

Some Recommendations: •

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Read your text to provide the factual framework from which to begin (see also Taking notes from a text book) Proceed to shorter, more focused sources of information expecially if you are inexpereinced in the subject Practice with multiple texts to improve your evaluative skills: o compare and contrast your sources o analyze them for bias or viewpoint

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note when and where they were written, and how that affects the viewpoint Understand the connections between events, actors, and circumstances rather than learn a series of "facts" which can be easily be forgotten Use in-class or on-line discussion time to test your understanding and ask questions! o

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Visual/spatial learning I visualize things in my mind before I have to do them. It is like having a mental workshop. Jack Youngblood, 1950- , American

“Learning, for visual-spatial learners, takes place all at once, with large chunks of information grasped in intuitive leaps, rather than in the gradual accretion of isolated facts, small steps or habit patterns gained through practice. For example, they can learn all of the multiplication facts as a related set in a chart much easier and faster than memorizing each fact independently." 1 Organizing: •

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The visual/spatial perspective is the organizing principle Perfectionism for visual/spatial learners is a well-ordered and -designed space with each object in its place and appealingly so. They are uncomfortable, even restless, encountering incomplete or unsettled situations With an instinctive sense of balance and completeness they can tell when something is out of alignment, or not truly horizontal or vertical. They are adept at working with mirror images and rotating images in their minds, and strive to bring order by constructing, arranging, color coding, or fixing things

Observing/experiencing: •

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Visual/spatial learners are good at seeing the “big picture” of both simple and complex systems. Overviews or summaries are their specialty, often at the expense of remembering details or constructing sequences Personal presentation (dress, grooming, even gestures) is important Their own presentation/dress is as important as what they notice

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about others. They establish eye contact when speaking, though can be distracted by their surroundings. So also background sounds can disrupt their listening skills, and they often doodle during lectures, at meetings, etc. They prefer to read and work under subdued or natural lighting and in comfortable conditions, and are uncomofrtable with glare/harsh lighting, rough clothing, drafts, and temperature extremes

Learning strategies: •

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Focus on the learning objectives of the class Meet with the teacher to understand and apply these to your situation Request advanced organizers to help you relate to new material with what you already know Look for opportunities to work with, manipulate and/or engage new material o Hands-on approach manipulating forms or objects o Using visual clues or landmarks rather than (verbal) sequential steps Look for visual/spatial dimensions in your study: Example: geometry has more visual components than algebra in mathematics; physics rather than chemistry in science; graphic applications in computer science and technology fields; studio arts in the creative arts, architecture, mechanics, aeronautics, engineering, urban planning Seek out independent and open-ended studies, problem-based learning, case studies, or ways you can be more active with the material to be learned and have alternative strategies of assessment or demonstrating learning

Study habits • •

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Always have the "big picture" before you especially when studying its parts or details When trying to remember things, close your eyes to get a “picture” or image of the information to facilitate recall or use flash cards with limited information so that you can "picture" details and concepts Once a concept is grasped, Practise applying the information to new situations or progressive stepped learning

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in place of routine drill and practice that will challenge your attention span Use mind or concept maps (rather than outlines) to organize writing assignments to visualize ideas, their connections, sequences, and conclusions Brainstorm using illustrations, mind maps and models Look for alternative sources of visual material when you study videos, overheads and PowerPoint demonstrations, graphs, maps, and media programs

Using technology: • • • •

Take advantage of the visual elements of the computer in studying or locating information Take advantage of stop/start/replay in mediated programs Produce your own mediated programs in place of written reports Develop and apply graphical and/or three dimensional models to understand new material

For lectures • •

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Avoid visual distractions in classroom seating (windows, open doorways, etc.) Look for opportunities to break up lectures with reflective though active exercises (question-write-pairshare) and brain-storming sessions Illustrate your notes with images and graphs Review and organize your notes after class with concept maps Keep and organize a file of handouts and summary documents after lectures for review Request "guided notes" or blanks in handouts that provide you with cues for completion

Reading text books • •

Look through titles, charts, graphs, and pictures to get an overall idea of the content before reading a chapter Use color highlighers to emphasize important material

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Write or illustrate in the margins to emphasize important material

Test taking/assessment • •

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Write out/illustrate steps in a sequence as a checklist to keep on task Think of visual cues and associations in remembering information (You may also see the location of an answer rather than the answer itself!) If you are challenged by standardized and/or timed tests, meet with your teacher to discuss alternatives for assessment Essay and/or short answer tests, or class presentations/demonstrations may be optional assessment techniques

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