Strategies for Success

1. Academic Learning Services: Strategies for Success

2. Academic Learning Services • Provides individual or group assistance for most subjects and general literacy / numeracy • Located down the very back of the library hub • Request help from the receptionist/Learning Hub staff. We will contact a suitable tutor • Online presence – E.I.T. Online

3. Student Success Cycle

4. Knowing that you’re OK You may face some difficulties coming into tertiary education, but know that you are OK. • Have not studied for a long time • Balance study and family life • Specific learning challenges Most students have some obstacles that impair their chances of success.. If they let them. The successful students take ownership of the issues and make provisions for whatever needs to be dealt with.

5. Know you’re OK Knowing that you’re OK • Success in adult education has little to do with intelligence. It is the determination to get over obstacles, and the working consistently towards your goals that matters. • The best reference books in the library are often on their fifth or sixth edition, this means the writers found they could improve over time. Success is more about knowing you are OK and keeping on going, rather than trying to be perfect first time.

6. Notice who finds it easy • The key to success is to not reinvent the wheel! • Look around the class for someone whom finds the issue no problem at all. They have a strategy that cuts through the difficulties. Talk to them and learn their methods. • Being a student is a group activity, successful students utilise this collective ability and don’t go it alone.

7. Get involved • Engage yourself in the learning process –take ownership of your learning • Break down problems into smaller achievable challenges. • Do any exercises asked by your tutors –it commits what you’ve learned to longer term memory Get involved Look at old exam/test papers. Passing is easier when you know how you are are going to be examined. Every race car driver test drives the track before the big race.. 80% of what we are told is lost if it is not refreshed within the day

8. Engage others in your learning Engage others in your learning • Exams require you to explain your knowledge. Utilise study groups for practise. • In most employment, your success is going to be determined by what sort of team player you are. Use EIT as a training ground. • Involve your family -help them understand why you need time for EIT. Show your children the campus.

9. The Learning Process • Quentin Grady: Observed his students over a period of years and formed ideas as to why some passed, • Why would knowing this be important for us? and others who should have, didn’t.

10. Student approaches to Learning Some students pass Some students ... Have something to prove to themselves or others Are driven by fear of failure Need to prove they are intelligent Are perfectionist / controlling Don’t share / ask others • Ask questions • Don’t worry about mistakes • Talk with others in the class • Plan their assignments & study • Engage in the learning process • Don’t aim for perfection

11. Engage the Learning Process • Engaging ourselves with the learning process will help us keep up our interest and motivation • Look into how YOU learn best. • Find your learning style • Mind mapping • Memorising techniques • http://www.think.newarchaeology.com/

13. Engaging the Learning Process Benefits: Students who are motivated achieve more, and achieve more easily!

14. Memory Your memory needs anticipation, creativity, and comparisons to best remember and recall things. • Anticipate what the tutor is going to say next • Tutor talks ~ 100 wpm, we listen at 400 wpm • Keeps you focused, brain & memory are actively engaged • Creatively relate what you need to know, with what you already know.

15. Cognitive Compass Explore the topic 80% similar 4 cylinder vs V8 20% different In-depth understanding of topic

16. Classroom Strategies for Success Quentin believed that there are four steps to engage yourself towards success PI3

17. Classroom Strategies for Success Four steps to engaging yourself towards success PI3 Engage other students Engage the internal senses Help other students. Improves your understanding and memory Observe & listen I have nothing to prove. I won’t worry about mistakes. Vestibular Sense; ‘Draw with nose’ – Diagrams, images Notice who finds it easy. Find out how they do it. How is this similar to what I know.. Actively participate Anticipate what tutor will say. Ask questions, discuss your experiences/inexperience.

18. Other characteristics of successful learners • Understand instructions • i.e. What is being asked or tasks in an assignment • Work to their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses • Identify your learning style • Persist and are organised • Planning study time