Strategies for Effective Studying/Test-Taking

1. Strategies for Effective Studying/Test-Taking A workshop for new nursing students at KVCC

2. Today’s Agenda • Critical Thinking • Reading Strategies • Study Strategies • Test Strategies

3. What is critical thinking? • Critical thinking can be thought of as: • Driving your car to a new place. 2 things are needed: 1. Directions 2. How to drive the car

4. Critical Thinking in Nursing Nursing requires not only the learning of facts and procedures—but also the ability to evaluate each unique patient situation.

5. What is critical thinking? • Purposeful goal-directed thinking • Aims to make judgments based on evidence/fact rather than guesswork/opinion • Reflective and reasonable thinking that focuses on what to believe and do (Ennis, 1985). • Memorizing does not require critical thinking—application does! “Learning without thought is labor lost.” Confucius

6. Nursing 130 Objectives • Apply the nursing process to the family • Apply care giving concepts to the management of care of the family • Apply knowledge of socialization of nursing as related to the care of the family Notice anything?

7. Are you a critical thinker? Do you: • Base judgments on facts and reasoning? • Support views with evidence? • Evaluate the credibility of sources? • Turn mistakes into learning opportunities? • Ask “why” and “why not”? • Seek themes, patterns? • Follow hunches?

8. Critical Thinking Skills: You can improve yours! • Learning is developmental • No limits to the development of the human brain or capacity to learn—the neuron’s ability to make and strengthen connections is lifelong. • Students can improve critical thinking skills with practice • Gather objective information • Put info in context • Don’t jump to conclusions

9. 3 Critical Questions • How do I make the connection between what I’m learning in class/in my readings and what I will find on the test? • How do I study effectively for the test? • How do I make sure to do my best on the exam?

10. Reading Strategies

11. Passive Reading Habits:Take the Quiz! • Do you memorize exact phrases? • Do you try to memorize everything? • Do you review by re-reading the textbook word for word? • Do you review ideas without knowing what questions they answer? • Do you review without knowing how you are expected to apply the info on a test? • Do you set aside lots of time for one review right before the test?

12. Learn how to use your textbook: Find the index, appendices and glossary. Preview the material by reading: Chapter title and intro Headings and subheadings Boldfaced/italicized words Visual cues Chapter summary and review questions Preparing to Read

13. Pay special attention to main ideas and supporting details Reexamine graphs, charts and illustrations. Be sure to read captions under visual aids Ask yourself questions: “Do I understand what I’m reading?” “Does this make sense to me?” Annotate: Highlight Write notes Make a table or visual As You Read

14. Think about what you’ve learned. Can you answer thechapter questions? Can you apply what you’ve learned to the Nursing Process? Can you restate the main ideas in your own words? Mark down any points you don’t understand in the margins or notebook—ask your instructor to explain next class! After You Read

15. In Other Words… • Reading the text several times is not enough! • You must actively participate while you read. • Think about what you already know • Identify topics you don’t understand with questions • Reorganize information for better retention • Pick out points you think will be on the test— apply what you are reading

16. Discussion • Are you most often an active or a passive reader? Explain. • Share an active reading strategy that has worked for you in school or work. • What are the differences between active reading and studying?

17. Studying Effectively

18. Make the most of your memory: the key to effective studying Your ability to remember is affected by— • Distractions • Time of day • Comfort Level • Stress • Interest in material • Level of motivation

19. General to Specific Before learning new material, get a general overview Make it Meaningful Ask yourself, “How will I use this information?” Create Associations Relate what you’re learning to what you know Learn Actively Manipulate and change the information Reduce Distractions Turn off the TV! Monitor Your Learning Ask yourself questions at the end of section

20. The point is— • All of these techniques require you to reorganize information you need to learn • Repeated readings of text and/or notes is not enough!!!!

21. Test Anxiety

22. Basic Learning Principle Critical thinking is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat. The optimal state for learning is relaxed awareness.

23. Test Anxiety: Recognize it • Freezing up • Panicking • Being easily distracted • Physical effects • Lack of interest in test or topic

24. Channel that energy! Use positive thinking: “I know a lot about this!” “I studiedhard!” and then start listing what you do know Get yourself a “Mantra” Major cause of anxiety is not being prepared! Test anxiety: Make it work

25. Test Day • Avoid diuretics (coffee, tea, etc.) • Ingest protein/glucose substances • Bring hard candy to deal with dry mouth • Wear comfortable layered clothing (you don’t want to be thinking about a tight belt) • Women: take necessary precaution to deal with onset of menses • Relaxation before test time

26. Multiple-Choice Tests

27. Components of a multiple-choice question

28. Multiple-choice tests: Use your critical thinking • Strategies: • ABCS • Acronyms • Acrostics Levels of Cognition (Bloom’s Taxonomy) • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis

29. Analysis: Blood Pressure

30. Key Strategies: The Nursing Process • Assess • Diagnose • Outcomes • Plan • Implement • Evaluate When more than one answer looks correct, choose the first step in the nursing process

31. Key Strategies:Prioritize Using Principles of Therapeutic Communication • Actively listening to the client • Understanding the client’s needs • Promoting clarification and insight about the clients’ condition

32. Therapeutic Communication Incorrect choices will have the nurse: • Telling the client what to do without regard to client’s feelings or desires • Asking a yes/no question • Implying disapproval of client’s behavior • Offering false assurances • Attempting to interpret client’s behavior rather than allowing client to verbalize feelings

33. Group Question Choose two of the strategies we have discussed and talk about why they might/might not work for you.

34. Bibliography Nugent, P. & Vitale, B. (2004). Fundamentals Success: A course review applying critical thinking to test taking. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. Nugent, P. & Vitale, B. (2000). Test Success: Test-taking techniques for beginning nursing students. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

35. Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it. Thomas Fuller

36. Internet Sites to Explore… • Cybernurse: www.cybernurse.com/ • Nursing Net: www.nursingnet.org/ • Nursing Network: http://www.nursingnetwork.com/critthink1.htm