Sheila Hodges
MGE/SEC 444
  Electronic Research

But the years of searching in the dark for a truth that one feels, but cannot express; the intense desire and the alternations of confidence and misgiving, until one breaks through to clarity and understanding, are only known to him who has himself experienced them.

Albert Einstein (recalling his development of the general theory of relativity)

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Shifting the responsibility for learning from the teacher to the student and improving the capabilities of students for engaging in self-directed learning might be expected to have benefits for both students and teachers. First, with respect to teachers and schools, these changes might produce an economical way to increase total learning without the need to allocate additional teaching or instructional time.... Giving students more responsibility for their learning might also be expected to reduce somewhat the burden that teachers bear for effecting student’s achievement. Having students share in this responsibility might be expected to reduce teacher’s anxiety that they alone are the cause of students’ successes and failures.

Thomas, J. W., Starge, A., Curley, R. (1988). Improving student’s self-directed learning: Issues and guidelines. Elementary School Journal, 88, 313-326

Students that are strategic learners perform better academically. The use of study strategies is positively related to their academic performance. In general, students that use strategies that demand their critical thinking and elaboration are more likely to perform better on their assignments, exams, and papers (Nist, Simpson, Olejnik, & Mealey, 1991; Pintrich & Garcia, 1994; Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Study strategies are deliberate, planned, and conscious activities that students select to achieve a particular goal. Students typically employ study strategies when they need to retain materials for the purpose of taking a test, writing a paper, participating in class discussion, or any other demonstration of their learning. When does the need for strategy training begin? As soon as students are required to retain information for a later purpose, typically, when they encounter their first expository textbook-around fourth grade.

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

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The following is a list of online resources that have been compiled to help assist teachers, parents, and students with the task of improving the student’s study skills in content area reading.

Learning Opportunities on the Net

Study Strategies Homepage

http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/acad/strat/index.html

Knowing how to study is like knowing how to fish. It's a set of learning skills that lasts a lifetime and brings many rewards. Just as there are ways to know that you are a competent fisherman, there are also ways to develop study skills competency.

LOON'S Homepage! The LOON is an interactive World Wide Web guide to educational resources at UMD and on the Internet. Using sounds (click on the loon), graphics, and text you may use this guide to gain direct access to multiple resources for assessing, developing, and documenting skills, many of which will be invaluable for future employment and/or advanced study. This site offers many tools to develop, manage, evaluate, and improve study skills and habits.

ASSESSMENT

Ø      Take the Study Skills Survey

Ø      Do a Time Audit for one Week

Ø      Answer the Study Skills Checklist

Ø      Take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Ø      Take the Keirsey Temperment Sorter from Sunsite

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Ø      Learning about study skills

Ø      Practicing effective study strategies

Ø      Teaching and/or managing study skills

Ø      Read about Time Management 

Ø      Read about Memory Techniques and Mnemonics from Mind Tools

Ø      Print and use the Planned Weekly Schedule 

Ø      Read about Motivation

Ø      Learn about Test Taking Strategies

Ø      Develop a Note Taking System

Ø      Attend a Study Strategies Workshop

Ø      Read about Learning Styles

Ø      Become a Study Strategies Teaching Assistant

Ø      Read about Metacognition from Valdosta University

Ø      Read one of the books in the Annotated Bibliography 

Ø      Print and use the Time Use Chart

Ø      Ask a peer tutor for assistance 

Ø      Become a peer tutor

KEEPING A RECORD

Ø      Create Your Own Study Skills Profile

Ø      Evaluating skills.   

 Skills Associated with Study Strategies

Ø      Time Management

Ø      Goal Setting

Ø      Concentration

Ø      Listening Skills

Ø      Note taking

Ø      Reading a Textbook

Ø      Metacognition

Ø      Understanding of Learning Styles

Ø      Memorization techniques

Ø      Motivation

Ø      Test Taking

Ø      Helping skills

Ø      Cooperative learning skills (Group studying)

Ø      Problem-solving skills

Ø      Reference skills

Ø      Decision-making

Ø      Stress Management

Ø      Concept Mapping

Ø       Critical Thinking

Getting Good Grades

http://www.campuslife.utoronto.ca/handbook/02-GettingGoodGrades.html

  The Student Affairs office at the University of Toronto’s web site offers strategies to help students achieve their goals of academic success. As students proceed through their years of study, they will likely find themselves under increasing pressure in terms of what is expected of them in their courses. Students find that study strategies employed in grade school don’t work in high school and those in high school don't work at the university level; the reading lists in upper level courses are more rigorous; and that the research process for an academic paper are learning experience in themselves. It is never too late to acquire better study habits. Whether you are in your first, middle, or final year of study, these tips will help you manage and meet your responsibilities.

  Strategies for Academic Success

Ø      Managing Your Time

Ø      Study Skills

Ø      Writing Exams

Ø      Conducting Research

Ø      Glossary of Library Terms

Ø      Academic Writing

Ø      Academic Success

Ø       Getting Help

 Instant Study Skills

http://uac-server.stanford.edu/general/study_skills.html

The Undergraduate Advising Center Internet site at Stanford University offers tips and techniques you can use to improve your study skills without adding any extra work to your already busy schedule.

 Topics covered on this site include:

Ø      In The Classroom

Ø      How To Read Faster and Retain More

Ø      Underlining

Ø      Tips On Taking Exams

The University of Texas Learning center

http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/

The UT Learning Center (UTLC) is a UT student academic service that helps students maximize their potential. It offers both group and individualized programs to help increase efficiency in college-level math, science, writing, reading, and learning strategies. The UTLC is a component of Counseling, Learning & Career Services.

The UT Learning Center offers:

Ø      Tutoring

Ø      Classes

Ø      Reading/Writing/Study Skills Lab 

Ø      Math/Science Lab

Ø      Supplemental Instruction

Ø      Campus Services

Ø      Academic Counseling

Ø       Tex Talk

Apple Computer

Homework & Studying at Home

http://henson.austin.apple.com/edres/parents/pfet/hwrkmenu.shtml

This section of Apple’s site contains ideas to help you help your children with homework and studying at home. We hope you'll find them useful.

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Topics Include:

Ø      Setting Standards

Ø      Watching What You Say

Ø      Setting the Best Times for Studying & Homework

Ø      How Much Time Should My Children Spend on Homework and Studying

Ø      How Do I Know If My Children Are Really Studying?

Ø      How Do I Know If My Children Are Doing the Homework They Should Be Doing?

Ø     What Settings Are Best

Ø      Knowing What Teachers Expect

Ø      Curve of Forgetting and Computers

Ø      Do "Study for a Test" and "Work on a Long-Term Project" Mean No Homework?

Ø      Learning and Study Aids

Ø      Homework Help WWW Sites

Ø      How Much Help Should Come from Parents?

Ø      Do My Children Need a Tutor?

Ø      Reading for Pleasure

How to Be a Student

http://www.ee.calpoly.edu/~jbreiten/htbas.html

Overall, there is one basic trait that distinguishes successful students from those that are not:

Successful students force themselves to understand.

They do not merely go through the motions of attending class, reading the text(s), and doing the homework, expecting these actions to necessarily suffice. Rather, they are continually asking, "Do I really understand what's going on here?" They ask this question of themselves honestly, applying an internal barometer formed from experience to detect the slightest lack of understanding, be it ignorance or confusion. And, if the answer is "No", then the situation is viewed as unacceptable, and more effort is the response.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

The Division of Student Affairs At Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University offers a large list of self-help topics to help improve study skills for the motivated learner. Click on a link to check out all the great ideas this site has to offer.

Study Skills Self-help Information

Ø       Time Scheduling Suggestions

Ø       Where Does Time Go?

Ø       More Information on Time Scheduling

Ø       Acronyms

Ø       Study Skill Checklist

Ø       Concentration - Some Basic Guidelines

Ø       Control of the Study Environment

Ø       Note Taking - The Cornell System

Ø       Editing Lecture Notes

Ø       How to Read Essays You Must Analyze

Ø       Constructive Suggestions Regarding Motivation

Ø       Note Taking and In - Class Skills

Ø       Priority Setting

Ø       Procrastination: Ten Ways to DO IT NOW

Ø       Proofreading

Ø       How to Read a Difficult Book

Ø       Remembering

Ø       Skimming and Scanning Scientific Material

Ø       SQ3R - A Reading/Study System

Ø       Strategies to Use with Difficult Questions

Ø       Stress Management: Ten Self - Care Techniques

Ø       Study Environment Analysis

Ø       Suggestions for Improving Reading Speed

Ø       Survey Reading Techniques

Ø       Procedure for Writing a Term Paper

Ø       Vocabulary: An On Going Process

Ø       Writing Papers

Five characteristics of effect strategy instruction

Ø      A description of the strategy and its characteristics.

Ø      An explanation of why the strategy is important.

Ø      Think-alouds about how the strategy is used, including the processes involved.

Ø      Explanations as to when and where it is appropriate to apply the strategies.

Ø      Guidelines for evaluating whether the strategy is working and what to do if it is not. (Teachers should provide students with strategy examples from their content area textbooks or materials, guided practice during class, and qualitative feedback on their strategy attempts).

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Guidelines for teaching study strategies

Ø      Emphasize the importance of task knowledge.

Ø      Remember the when, why, and how of strategy use.

Ø      Take the time to develop students’ strategic expertise.

Ø      Know the study strategies you teach.

Ø      Create situations where students can transfer strategies to realistic content area task.

Ø      Acknowledge the importance of students’ motivation and belief System.

Ø      Encourage students to modify strategies to meet personal needs and styles.

Ø      Use homework and other assignments to reinforce study strategies.

Ø      Previewing

Ø      Summarizing

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Strategies for taking class notes

Ø      Paraphrase and summarize.

Ø      Select key ideas and discard irrelevant details.

Ø      Establish a purpose for listening or observing.

Ø      Identify organizational patterns such as problem-solution or cause-effect.

Ø      Record information quickly using abbreviations and symbols.

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Six guidelines for assigning strategy homework

Ø      Study strategy homework assignments should be made as a result of careful initial planning of a unit’s themes and concepts.

Ø      Homework should be related to the amount of instruction given and the time spent teaching a study strategy.

Ø      If study strategy homework is given, it should be given to all students, and adjustments should be made for various ability levels.

Ø      Homework should be used as feedback on students’ progress toward strategy mastery.

Ø      Study strategy homework should be meaningful and functional.

Ø      Specific feedback should be provided on students’ homework assignments in a timely fashion.

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Basic processes important to the active learner

Ø      Knowing the format and organization of a textbook.

Ø      Recording and interpreting assignments correctly and completely.

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Questions students should ask themselves about an assignment

Ø      What is the assignment? What am I to produce? What is the purpose of the assignment?

Ø      What resources should I use? Textbook? Class discussion notes? Computer databases? Outside reading? Videos? Class demonstrations or laboratory experiments?

Ø      What are the requirements for format, length, or size? Must the assignment be typed? In ink? Stapled?

Ø      When is the assignment due? Are there any penalties for late work?

Ø      How will this assignment be evaluated? How much does it count in the total evaluation process?

Ø      Do I understand all the words that the teacher used to explain the assignment?

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Steps for summarizing

Ø      Delete unimportant and redundant information.

Ø      Categorize information.

Ø      Select or create key idea statements.

Ø      Synthesize ideas across paragraphs.  

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Essential Processes in content areas

Ø      Select important ideas and restate them in your own words.

Ø      Recognize and elaborate on these ideas.

Ø      Ask questions concerning the significance of targeted information and ideas.

Ø      Monitor when you know and when you do not understand.

Ø      Establish goals and define your tasks.

Ø      Evaluate plans and the usefulness of the strategies you selected.

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy

across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

References

Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (1999). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas (3^rd Edition). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Simpson, M. L., & Nist, S. L. (1990). Textbook annotation: an effect an efficient study strategy for college students. Journal of Reading, 34122-131

Thomas, J. W., Starge, A., Curley, R. (1988). Improving student’s self-directed learning: Issues and guidelines. Elementary School Journal, 88, 313-326