GRAHAM GARNER FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR SPRING 2008, SECTION 8 Study Skills: Strategies for Learning and Testing Adapted from “Thriving in College & Beyond,” by Joseph B. Cuseo, Viki Sox Fecas, and Aaron Thompson

Stages in Learning: Perception This is about getting information into your brain Perception requires attention Two key sensory channels for learning: Hearing, such as listening to lectures Seeing, such as reading

This is about getting information into your brain

Perception requires attention

Two key sensory channels for learning:

Hearing, such as listening to lectures

Seeing, such as reading

Stages in Learning: Storage Three forms of memory: Short-term, lasting for seconds Working, consciously holding it and working on it Long-term, storing something and being able to recall it Memory is like a computer document Information on the screen Work on the document Save the information for later retrieval Hippocampus Coding: process of transferring from working to long-term Memory trace: a physical or biological trace in the brain

Three forms of memory:

Short-term, lasting for seconds

Working, consciously holding it and working on it

Long-term, storing something and being able to recall it

Memory is like a computer document

Information on the screen

Work on the document

Save the information for later retrieval

Hippocampus

Coding: process of transferring from working to long-term

Memory trace: a physical or biological trace in the brain

Stages in Learning: Retrieval “ Tip of the tongue”

“ Tip of the tongue”

Listening to Lectures Focus your attention through selective attention Information instructors put in writing Information presented in first and last few minutes Information communicated through v erbal (key phrases, repeating), vocal (pitch and rate) and nonverbal (facial expressions, body movement) cues Seating: Maximum attention, minimum distraction Front and center is best Social seating: Affects behavior Posture: Check yourself to see if you’re listening Upright and leaning forward

Focus your attention through selective attention

Information instructors put in writing

Information presented in first and last few minutes

Information communicated through v erbal (key phrases, repeating), vocal (pitch and rate) and nonverbal (facial expressions, body movement) cues

Seating: Maximum attention, minimum distraction

Front and center is best

Social seating: Affects behavior

Posture: Check yourself to see if you’re listening

Upright and leaning forward

Taking Notes Get organized: Each idea gets its own paragraph Make them yours: Don’t rely on others’ notes Don’t stop: If you don’t understand, keep going Compare: Consult syllabus to see where you are Arrive early: Review your notes and assignments Missing links: Check for gaps, incomplete thoughts Reflect: Review as soon as possible Take notes on your notes Translate technical information into your own words Reorganize your notes to group related ideas together

Get organized: Each idea gets its own paragraph

Make them yours: Don’t rely on others’ notes

Don’t stop: If you don’t understand, keep going

Compare: Consult syllabus to see where you are

Arrive early: Review your notes and assignments

Missing links: Check for gaps, incomplete thoughts

Reflect: Review as soon as possible

Take notes on your notes

Translate technical information into your own words

Reorganize your notes to group related ideas together

Reading Textbooks Before reading See how assigned reading fits into overall book and course Preview chapters through headings, outlines, summaries During reading Read selectively by noting or highlighting key concepts Adjust reading speed to subject matter Look up meaning of unfamiliar words Take written notes on your reading After reading Finish with a short review of your notes and highlighting Collaborate with peers Look at how other textbooks treat a concept

Before reading

See how assigned reading fits into overall book and course

Preview chapters through headings, outlines, summaries

During reading

Read selectively by noting or highlighting key concepts

Adjust reading speed to subject matter

Look up meaning of unfamiliar words

Take written notes on your reading

After reading

Finish with a short review of your notes and highlighting

Collaborate with peers

Look at how other textbooks treat a concept

Study Strategies Minimize distractions: Don’t multitask Find meaning in terms: Do vocabulary Compare and contrast: What do you already know? Integrate information: Organize it together Divide and conquer: Distributed practice method Part-to-whole method: Break it up, then put it together Begin with review: Start new study with review of previous study Change things up: Study different things in different places Use all your senses: Diversify your “memory traces” Emotional learning: Intensity strengthens memory Study groups: Learn through social interaction

Minimize distractions: Don’t multitask

Find meaning in terms: Do vocabulary

Compare and contrast: What do you already know?

Integrate information: Organize it together

Divide and conquer: Distributed practice method

Part-to-whole method: Break it up, then put it together

Begin with review: Start new study with review of previous study

Change things up: Study different things in different places

Use all your senses: Diversify your “memory traces”

Emotional learning: Intensity strengthens memory

Study groups: Learn through social interaction

Memorization Strategies: Mnemonic Devices Meaningful association: “Spring forward, fall back” Organization: 208-282-4407 vs. 2-0-8-2-8-2-4-4-0-7 Visualization: > means “greater than,” eats smaller items Rhythm and rhyme: “I before E, except after C” Acrostics: FOIL or Every Good Boy Does Fine (treble) Link system: Make a list, arrange it, make associations between each Loci system: Take a familiar location, associate list of items with elements of location, take an imaginary walk

Meaningful association: “Spring forward, fall back”

Organization: 208-282-4407 vs. 2-0-8-2-8-2-4-4-0-7

Visualization: > means “greater than,” eats smaller items

Rhythm and rhyme: “I before E, except after C”

Acrostics: FOIL or Every Good Boy Does Fine (treble)

Link system: Make a list, arrange it, make associations between each

Loci system: Take a familiar location, associate list of items with elements of location, take an imaginary walk

Test-taking Strategies: Before the Test Be well-prepared, don’t cram, and get good sleep Adjust study strategies to test type Recognition: multiple choice, true-false, matching Recall: short answer, essay Paired-associate recall: memory for single piece of information Free recall: memory for two or more, in any sequence Serial recall: memory for two or more, in specific sequence Recitation: active retrieval, clear feedback, your own understanding Creation of retrieval cues: catchwords and acronyms Match study environment to test environment

Be well-prepared, don’t cram, and get good sleep

Adjust study strategies to test type

Recognition: multiple choice, true-false, matching

Recall: short answer, essay

Paired-associate recall: memory for single piece of information

Free recall: memory for two or more, in any sequence

Serial recall: memory for two or more, in specific sequence

Recitation: active retrieval, clear feedback, your own understanding

Creation of retrieval cues: catchwords and acronyms

Match study environment to test environment

Test-taking Strategies: Day of the Test Come fully equipped Eat to learn Eat breakfast Make it a light meal Eat fruit instead of candy for energy Avoid caffeine Arrive early Sit in the same seat

Come fully equipped

Eat to learn

Eat breakfast

Make it a light meal

Eat fruit instead of candy for energy

Avoid caffeine

Arrive early

Sit in the same seat

Test-taking Strategies: During the Test Write down mnemonic devices and hard-to-remember terms, formulas, equations Answer easier questions first Makes efficient use of time, gets points under your belt Overcome memory block with strategies Guided retrieval, recall related materials, trust your subconscious Manage test anxiety Focus on here and now, focus on test, don’t focus on time, be positive, keep the test in perspective Multiple choice Look for qualifying words, longest answers, middle answers Don’t be afraid to change answers

Write down mnemonic devices and hard-to-remember terms, formulas, equations

Answer easier questions first

Makes efficient use of time, gets points under your belt

Overcome memory block with strategies

Guided retrieval, recall related materials, trust your subconscious

Manage test anxiety

Focus on here and now, focus on test, don’t focus on time, be positive, keep the test in perspective

Multiple choice

Look for qualifying words, longest answers, middle answers

Don’t be afraid to change answers

Test-taking Strategies: During the Test Essay questions Outlines Remember major points Improve organization Have an idea in advance to reduce anxiety Outline can substitute for incomplete questions Get to the point Answer precisely and completely Cite specific evidence Leave extra space for additions after further recall Proofread; neatness counts Review and double-check before turning it in

Essay questions

Outlines

Remember major points

Improve organization

Have an idea in advance to reduce anxiety

Outline can substitute for incomplete questions

Get to the point

Answer precisely and completely

Cite specific evidence

Leave extra space for additions after further recall

Proofread; neatness counts

Review and double-check before turning it in

Test-taking Strategies: After the Test Troubleshoot errors and lost points Seek quality feedback Specific Prompt Early in the learning process Did you have the information you needed? Did you have the information, but not study it? Did you know the information, but not well enough? Did you study the material, but not understand it? Did you know the material, but fail to retrieve it? Did you know the answer, but make a careless mistake?

Troubleshoot errors and lost points

Seek quality feedback

Specific

Prompt

Early in the learning process

Did you have the information you needed?

Did you have the information, but not study it?

Did you know the information, but not well enough?

Did you study the material, but not understand it?

Did you know the material, but fail to retrieve it?

Did you know the answer, but make a careless mistake?