TEACHING STUDY SKILLS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

1. TEACHING STUDY SKILLS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS ACADEMIC CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE Division of Undergraduate Studies Facilitator: Dr. Patricia Golay

2. http://undergrad.fsu.edu/ACE

3. Learning Objectives As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to: • Explain the importance of time management and translate student schedules into workable, goal-oriented plans of action • Identify learning styles and assist students with developing and applying learning strategies • Integrate the Cornell method into students’ note taking repertoire • Explain test taking strategies and demonstrate how to apply this knowledge to improve test taking performance

4. Agenda • Time management • Identifying learning styles • Note taking for academic success • Test taking strategies • Q&A

5. Question? • What is the number one issue that college students say they need help with? Is it… Finances Math Choosing a major Writing Home sickness Career choice Don’t know?

6. TIME MANAGEMENT …is the number one issue that college students say they need help with.

7. One Week Log Ask students… • to complete pages 4-6 • calculate their current hours spent on the tasks indicated • enter the ideal numbers and their numbers where appropriate • subtract the numbers • enter larger numbers in high priority and lower numbers in low priority

8. Time Management • Use the OWL as a basis for… • Getting students accustomed to prioritizing • Encouraging students to seek balance between intellectual and non-intellectual pursuits • Getting students organized • Encouraging students to set goals

9. Assignment Calendar Ask students to… • Collect syllabi for all of their courses • Locate all HW assignments and exams • Record each on the appropriate day on a monthly calendar • Write in study times on a daily/weekly basis • Color code if necessary • Cross off assignments and exams completed

10. Time Management • Use the Assignment Calendar as a basis for… • Consolidating information from class syllabi • Keeping track of assignment and exam due dates • Getting students accustomed to using a planner and working from a schedule • Planning research and study time • Staying ahead of schedule

11. Suggestions Homestretch schedule (end of semester) • Have students make a list of all assignments and exams due the last few weeks of the semester. • Estimate how much time is needed for each task. • Map out time to study on a calendar or planner.

13. Learning Styles • Four learning styles • Visual • Aural • Kinesthetic • Reading/writing

14. Websites to discover learning styles • VARK a guide to learning styles http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire • learning-styles-online.com http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/ • Learning styles inventory http://ttc.coe.uga.edu/surveys/LearningStyleInv.html

15. Learning style strategies • Visual learners learn best using underlining and highlighting, symbols, charts and graphs, constructing images, concept maps, diagrams. • Aural learners learn best attending lectures, discussions, tutorials, tape recordings, study groups, talking yourselves through what you’ve studied.

16. Learning style strategies • Reading and Writing learners learn best creating lists and headings, taking good lecture notes, reviewing handouts, textbook readings, dictionaries and linguistic definitions, identifying key words. • Kinesthetic learners learn best trying and using all senses, labs, field trips, creating personal examples, and in settings in which they can physically manipulate something in order to learn about it.

17. Suggestions • Ask students to speak with their professors about ways to learn the material in their preferred learning styles • Ask that they pay attention to the style that is their strength and try and develop those that are weaknesses • Suggest they practice learning things in styles that are not their preferred ones

18. Note Taking • Good listening is the KEY • Active listening is the KEY

19. Question:Students who review lecture material within an hour after class still remember what percentage of it 48 hours later? • 40-50% • 50-60% • 60-70% • 70–80%

20. Taking organized and effective notes The Five R’s • Record • Reduce • Recite • Reflect • Review

21. Introducing The Cornell System

23. Main block Primary area to Record your notes Use whatever note taking format you prefer Don’t write every word Don’t crowd your notes

24. Cue column Reduce: write notes on your notes Topics Pictures/diagrams Clarification of points Study questions Recite your cues when you write/study them

25. Summary Reflect on questions to ask before the next lecture Write a short summary of what’s on the page This is what you Review before the next lecture

26. Review of The Five R’s • Record • Reduce • Recite • Reflect • Review

27. Completing Your notes Record the important information contained in the lecture Reduce the lecture’s central ideas into the cue column alongside the corresponding notes you’ve taken. Use terms, short phrases, pictures, diagrams, etc. Recite notes to self. Reflect on meaning, context, themes, ideas, theories, etc Review and summarize the main ideas from the lecture in the summary box. Use this section for review and study. Encourage students to always ask themselves, “Will these notes help me to remember the lecture and prepare for an exam on the material?”

28. Suggestions Encourage students to… • Do assigned reading, take notes on the reading and come up with questions. • Review the syllabus before each class to prepare for upcoming lecture/discussion topics. • Look over notes from the last lecture and make sure they understand the material

29. Test Preparation Symptoms of Test Anxiety Do students complain of… Sweaty palms, upset stomach, a headache, becoming easily distracted, nervousness, trouble organizing thoughts, drawing a blank, scoring lower on test than assignments and papers ?

30. If they do… They are probably suffering from TEST ANXIETY TEST ANXIETY TEST ANXIETY TEST ANXIETY

31. WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO ABOUT TEST ANXIETY? • Use good study techniques to gain cognitive mastery of the material. • Maintain a positive attitude as they study. • Go into the test well rested and well fed. • Stay relaxed during the test. • Not worry about other students finishing the test before they do.

32. The DETER Strategy • D = Directions • E = Examine • T = Time • E = Easiest • R = Review http://www.how-to-study.com/a-strategy-for-taking-tests.htm

33. Directions Encourage students to… • Read the test directions very carefully. • Ask their instructor to explain anything about the test directions they do not understand. • Follow directions. This is the ONLY way students can achieve a good score on the test. • …know that by not following the directions, they will not be able to demonstrate what they know.

34. Examine Encourage students to… • Examine the entire test to see how much they have to do. • Only by knowing the entire task can they break it down into parts that become manageable.

35. Time Encourage students to… • Examine the entire test and decide how much time they will spend on each item. • Plan to spend the most time on the items that count for the most points if there are different points for items. • Avoid spending so much time on one item that you have little time left for other test items. Planning your time is especially important for essay tests.

36. Easiest Encourage students to… • Answer the items they find easiest first. • If students get stuck on a difficult item that comes up early in the test, they may not get to answer items that test things they do know.

37. Review Encourage students to… • Review their answers and make them as complete and accurate as possible. If they have planned their time adequately, they will have time to review. • Also make sure to review the test directions to be certain they have answered all items required.

38. Strategies for test taking See handouts: • Test taking strategies • Analyzing Test Errors Types of test Essay Multiple choice True/False Matching Math Exams

39. Review after the exam Students need to know where they went wrong. Suggest that students use the “Analyzing Test Errors” form to determine the error type and needed corrections. Types of errors Carelessness Application Error Conceptual Test-taking Error Misread Direction Error

40. Websites for test taking strategies • http://ccc.byu.edu/learning/strategy.php#4 • http://www.how-to-study.com/ • http://www.testtakingtips.com/

41. Q&A