Study Skills, Fys, Spring 2008

GRAHAM GARNERFIRST-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 attentionTwo 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

Stages in Learning: Retrieval

“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 verbal (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 behaviorPosture: Check yourself to see if you’re listening

Upright and leaning forward

Taking Notes

Get organized: Each idea gets its own paragraphMake them yours: Don’t rely on others’ notesDon’t stop: If you don’t understand, keep goingCompare: Consult syllabus to see where you areArrive early: Review your notes and assignmentsMissing links: Check for gaps, incomplete thoughtsReflect: 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

Study Strategies

Minimize distractions: Don’t multitaskFind meaning in terms: Do vocabularyCompare and contrast: What do you already know? Integrate information: Organize it togetherDivide and conquer: Distributed practice methodPart-to-whole method: Break it up, then put it togetherBegin with review: Start new study with review of previous

studyChange things up: Study different things in different placesUse all your senses: Diversify your “memory traces”Emotional learning: Intensity strengthens memoryStudy groups: Learn through social interaction

Memorization Strategies: Mnemonic Devices

Meaningful association: “Spring forward, fall back”Organization: 208-282-4407 vs. 2-0-8-2-8-2-4-4-0-7Visualization: > means “greater than,” eats smaller

itemsRhythm 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 eachLoci 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 sleepAdjust 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 equippedEat to learn

Eat breakfast Make it a light meal Eat fruit instead of candy for energy Avoid caffeine

Arrive earlySit 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 perspectiveMultiple choice

Look for qualifying words, longest answers, middle answersDon’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

Test-taking Strategies: After the Test

Troubleshoot errors and lost pointsSeek 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?