Today’s lecture...

1. Today’s lecture... Study Techniques Based on: “What Smart Students Know” by Adam Robinson Colman McMahon cajmcmahon@gmail.com

2. Module Homepage: www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/courses/communications/index.html http://modulecatalogue.hosting.heanet.ie/catalogue/modules/BUSN1110/ Contact me: Colman McMahon cajmcmahon@gmail.com

3. 2nd vs 3rd Level

4. 2nd Level (School) Learning • Heavy emphasis on memory • Read text & make notes • highlight or underline items that seem important • Re-read text book • Revise/refine notes • Re-read notes as many times as possible, as exams approach

5. Drawbacks to “school” studying • It’s passive • You feel busy studying but you are not really doing anything, i.e. you’re not really thinking • active thinking connects the mind with the material • It’s boring • Reading and re-reading... • It’s ineffective • Ineffecient way to memorise or understand facts • It’s not practicing anything important • Practicing highlighting and re-reading (which isn’t on the exam)

6. 3rd Level Studying • Independent thinking • Critical analysis • Student responsible for own learning • A more targeted, evolved approach • Interrogate the information to select only the important, valuable parts • Organise and re-organise information • Make connections between new material and what you already know • Build genuine understanding

7. Creating Evaluation Analysing Applying Understanding Knowledge/Remembering Bloom’s Taxonomy

8. 12 Principles of High Performance Students

9. 12 Principles of High Performance High-performing students, consciously or unconsciously, believe the following about college and their learning process: • Nobody can teach you as well as you can • Merely listening to your lecturers and completing assignments is never enough • Not everything you are assigned to read or asked to do is equally important • Grades are just subjective opinions • Making mistakes (and occisionally appearing foolish) is the price you pay for learning and improving • “He who asks a question looks foolish for 2 minutes. He who doesn't, remains foolish forever.” • The point of a question is to get you to think – not simply to answer it.

10. 12 Principles of high performance • Ultimately, college is designed to teach you to think for yourself, not to repeat what textbooks and teachers tell you • Subjects do not always seem interesting and relevant, but being actively engaged in learning them is better than being passively bored and not learning them • Few things are as potentially difficult, frustrating or stressful as genuine learning, yet nothing is so rewarding and empowering • How well you do in college reflects your attitude and methods, not your ability • If you’re doing it for the grades or approval of other, you’re missing the point • College is a game... but a very important game

11. Personal & academic development • How you view your academic work says a lot about how you view yourself • Self-image has a powerful effect on academic performance • Self-fulfilling prophacy • Performace influences self-image, and vice versa • Must understand what makes you tick as a person • See yourelf in a positive light... • Attitude has developed over lifetime – won’t change over night “I never let schooling interfere with my education” Mark Twain

12. A New Twist on an Ancient Method Socratic Method

13. The Socratic Method • Socrates • Greek philosopher, c470BC-399BC • One of the founders of Western philosophy • Known only through the work of his student, Plato • Renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics • Question & Answer approach • A dialogue with the material • Used for centuries in colleges, e.g. Oxford and Cambridge • Key to the Socratic Method is knowing what questions to ask • More imporant than merely knowing the answers • Once you know what questions to ask, finding and remembering the information will be a lot easier • Things will start to make a lot more sense

14. 12 Questions to Improve Study • Internal dialogue between you and the material you are studying • ask and answer your own questions: • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

15. It’s possible to answer these questions and size up material very quickly. An example...

16. Friend phones and asks if you’d like to go to a film... • Have I seen the film? • If not, what have I heard about it? • Do I want to see it? • Even if I don’t, would I go just to be with my friend? • How will I get there? • Who else is going? • Do I care? • Am I avoiding anyone that might be there? • Is there anything else I should be doing? • Do I have other plans? • If so, would I break them? • Can I afford it? • What time is it over? • Is there anything happening after the film? • How would my friend feel if I said no? • If I say “no”, do I want to offer an excuse or suggest an alternative?

18. Decision making... • Takes a split-second! • “Hmm... Yes! Sure. Would love to...” • “Hmm... No, sorry. Can’t make it tonight... I have exams coming up and have to study...” • Ability to process vast amount of information very quickly. • Keep this in perspective as examine the 12 questions

19. 12 Questions

20. 12 Questions • Internal dialogue between you and the material you are studying • Ask and answer your own questions: • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

21. 1. What Is My Purpose For Reading This? • Easy first question - can answer in a few seconds • Then... read with purpose (like you are shopping...!) • State your purpose – unlock the material • If the text seems confusing & tedious, it’s possible you haven’t defined you purpose fully enough • Some purposes for reading in college: • researching a paper • studying for an exam • looking up imporatant information • scanning for background ideas • preparing for a class/group discussion

22. 12 Questions • What is my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What is the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What is my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

23. 2. What Do I Already Know About This Topic? • Most people start assignments, reading, etc. without any preparation • Reading text is a strenous mental excercise • You must warm up first • At the start of term you may not know much about a topic • jot down some questions or notes about things you expect to learn in the reading • After reading the title but before you begin reading the text, quickly and briefly write down the following: • What you know about the topic • What the topic reminds you of • What you’d like to know or expect to learn • Don’t think it - write it! • physical act of writing activates parts of your brain

24. Warming up... • Has the effect of making you curious • Starts process of generating questions • Makes you aware of what you know and don’t about a topic • Puts you on the lookout for new information • Valuable practice in resourceful thinking • Acts as a review • Makes you the authority • before you are influenced by the author, express your own ideas • lessens your dependence on the text • encourages/forces you to think for yourself

25. 12 Questions • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

26. 3. What is The Big Picture? • Skim through material first to get an outline • Text can be difficult to understand because it is linear (one fact after another) • To understand - you need to see the whole as well as the parts (the general structure) • Like travel – get a general idea of route and destination before starting out

27. 3. Big picture - what you are looking for • Main ideas and Themes • Typical chapter only contains half-a-dozen main ideas. Get them before you get swamped with detail • Important Terms and Concepts • Don’t try learn them now, just familiarise yourself • Overall Organisation • Recognise the order in which main ideas are presented • For this step, skip most of facts and minor details • like getting to know someone – don’t get intimate details right away

28. 3. Big picture – where it’s found • Book • Preface and introduction • Author biography • Table of contents • Chapter summaries • Chapter or article • Title • First and last paragraphs • Section headings • Tables, graphs, charts, pictures and diagrams • First sentence of each paragraph

29. 12 Questions • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

30. 4. What is The Author Going to Say Next? • Try and stay one step ahead of the author, anticipating what’s coming next • Now you’re ready to read • Question 1 – defined your purpose • Question 2 – warmed you up • Question 3 – gave you the big picture • Now you’re ready to drill deeper

31. Anticipation vs waiting • Anticipation • keeps us alert and interested • Waiting • passive and boring • The author/lecturer should almost be answering your questions as you read/listen • This is part of the “dialogue” or interrogation process • non-passive role – keeps you actively involved • it’s not about being right or wrong – it’s about not being bored

32. Clues to anticipation 1. Organisational • Problem followed by solution • Definition followed by examples • General rule followed by exceptions • Claim followed by reasons • Whole followed by parts • Question followed by answer • Cause followed by effects 2. Grammatical (examples) • Introduce a new idea: but, although, nevertheless, despite, however, except • Elaborate on or emphasise the idea under discussion: and, moreover, also, furthermore • Offer a conclusion: so, therefore, as a result, consequently, thus, hence • Provide reasons for a conclusion: because, since, owning to, as a result of • Provode a list of itesm: first, second, next last

33. 12 Questions • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

34. 5. What Are The “Expert Questions”? • Each subject asks a unique set of questions that you need to keep in mind as you drill deeper.

35. “Expert questions” in computing • For example... • What is the domain? • What is the problem? • What is the desired outcome? • What are the constraints? • What is the history? • Are there any legacy issues? • What is the most appropriate technology/language? • What alternatives are there? • What additional processes must be considered? • If a certain type of question come up again and again in a text book, it is probably an “expert question” (study introductions and chapter summary questions) • You will come to work out your own list over time

36. “Orientation questions” • i.e. helping you get oriented to a subject/topic: • What is the definition of X? • What is an example of X? • What are the different types of X? • What is X related to? • What can X be compared with? • General questions • do not vary from subject to subject • Also, the most popular exam-type questions

37. 12 Questions • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

38. 6. What Questions Does This Information Raise For Me? • Make it your own • Be aware of other questions the material should be raising in your mind. • “Expert” and “orientation” questions are generic • Create your own questions uniquely suited to your curiosity, interests, background, career direction, etc. • Start out with basics: • Who? • What? • When? • Where? • How?

39. Deep questioning • So what...? • How is this significant? What does it tell me about other things? • Says who...? • Is this a fact or someone’s opinion? How can this be verified? Does this depend on a particular point of view? Is it conditional? • What if...? • What would happen if...? What if I...? • What does this remind me of...? • Where have I seen something like this before? (Fantasy) (Analogies & metaphors) Most important question. This question alone will lead to all others. If you remember nothing else, remember to ask this question constantly!

40. Dig, Dig Dig! • Never-ending process – one question leading to the next • Questioning is how you build understanding • It is also how you stay interested in a subject • If you are bored in class/course/college... • is it becuase you are doing too little

41. 12 Questions • What’s my purpose for reading this? • What do I already know about this topic? • What’s the big picture? • What’s the author going to say next? • What are the “expert” questions • What questions does this information raise for me? • What information is important here? • How can I paraphrase and summarize this information? • How can I organise this information? • How can I picture this information? • What’s my hook for remembering this information? • How does this information fit in with what I already know?

42. 7. What Information is Important? • Questions 4-6 established a dialogue between you and the text. • Now... rein in the question and information and begin the selection process • Using: • Pareto’s Principle Zipf’s Law

43. Pareto’s Principle: 80-20 Rule • Vilfredo Pareto • (1848-1923) Italian industrialist, sociologist, economist, and philosopher • Important legacy - partly because of him, the field of economics evolved from a branch of social philosophy into a data intensive field of scientific research and mathematical equations • Most well known for what became known as “The Pareto Principle” concerning the distribution of income • Pareto observed that in 1906, 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population • Proved through statistics and mathematical analysis that in any endeavor, 80% of results are generated by 20% of the inputs • 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients • 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your products, e.g. 5 products, 1 would be best seller

45. Zipf’s Law • George Kingsley Zipf • (1902–1950) an American linguist and philologist, studied statistical occurrences in different languages • Legacy - much of his effort can explain properties of the Internet, distribution of income within nations, and many other collections of data • Zipf's Law - while only a few words are used very often, many or most are used rarely. • Most frequently used word (the) appears... • twice as often as the 2nd ranked work (of), • three times as frequently as the 3rd ranked word (and), • ten times as frequently as the 10th ranked word (I), • and so on http://searchengineland.com/the-long-tail-of-search-12198

46. Pareto, Zipf and You • Not all information is created equal • Some is more imporant than others • Do your brain a favour... • Don’t try and absorb everything (you won’t be able to anyway) • Example - if you have 50 pages to read, the “80-20 Rule” says: • 80% of important facts and ideas are going to be found on 20% of the pages • 10 pages important – 40 pages less so • If you have a 1 hour to study: • spend 48 minutes on 10 pages • spend 12 minutes on the other 40

47. Studying the 80-20 way Total Available Study Time Total Pages to Read Major ideas and facts Focus on (read carefully) 20% Minor ideas and facts 80% 80% Skim/ignore 20% 100 pages 60 minutes

48. Challenge for the student • Which information you should focus on? • What information you should skim? • Which information you should ignore completely?

49. How can you tell what’s important and what’s not? • In first few weeks, everything seems important • Since main concepts are usually covered first, everything may well be important • After that, definitely important: • Any facts or ideas needed to answer the “expert” or “orientation” questions • Your thoughts, questions and reactions (!!!) • Any key terms, concepts or ideas (Remember Bloom’s Taxonomy)

50. Where is the important stuff? • The beginning and the end • Authors open and close with most imporant ideas • Anything emphasised graphically • Bold, italics, etc. is a good indication • The gist of any chart or diagram • The idea conveyed is the important element • The chapter summary • Indicates at least what the author thinks is important