Chpt. 5 sec. 5.3-5.5 (Week 2)

Seeing

A "seeing" learner learns more effectively through seeing than through reading or listening. Some college courses include demonstrations and physical processes that can be observed. If you are a visual learner, work on developing your reading and listening skills, too, because you will need to learn in these ways as well. Here are some tips to improve learning related to seeing: Pay special attention in class to visual presentations, such as charts, diagrams, and images. Take lecture notes using a visual approach. Do the same when taking notes on class readings. Use diagrams, different colors, lists, and sketches to help you remember. For more information, see Chapter 8 "Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering". Use video podcasts or other visual aids for reviewing lectures. Pay special attention to your textbooks' illustrations and diagrams. If your instructor or textbook uses few visuals to help you understand and recall information and ideas, try to imagine how you would present this information visually to others if you were giving a class presentation. In your notes, create sketches for a PowerPoint slideshow capturing the highlights of the material. Study with other students who may learn better by reading or listening, and watch how they explain the material.

Critical Thinking

is defined by GMC's as an active, self-reflective, and deliberate attempt to utilize cognitive skills to support decision making, problem solving, or mastery of concepts throughout various contexts

Absorb

"Absorbing" refers to the actual taking in of new ideas, information, or experience. This is what happens at the moment a student listens to a class lecture or reads a textbook. In high school, this is sometimes the only learning step taken by some students. They listened to what the instructor said and "regurgitated" it back on the test. But this won't work in college because learning now requires understanding the topic, not just repeating facts or information. In coming chapters you'll get tips for improving in this step.

Capture

"Capturing" refers to taking notes. No matter how good your memory, you need to take good notes in college simply because there is so much to learn. Just hearing something once is seldom enough. You have to go back over the material again, sometimes several times again, thinking about it and seeing how it all fits together. The more effective your note-taking skills, the better your learning abilities. Take notes also when reading your textbooks. You'll learn methods for taking good notes in later chapters.

COMPREHENSION MONITORING

Assessment of one's learning or strategy use

The Learning Cycle: Four Steps to Learning

Adult learning is different from learning in primary and secondary school. In high school, teachers often take much of the responsibility for how students learn—encouraging learning with class discussions, repeating key material, creating study guides, and looking over students' shoulders to make sure no one falls behind. In college, most of the responsibility for learning falls on the student. You're free to fail—or succeed—as you choose. This applies as well to how well you learn. Learning an academic subject means really understanding it, being able to think about it in meaningful ways and to apply that understanding in new situations. This is very different from simply memorizing something and repeating it back on a test. Academic learning occurs most effectively in a cycle of four steps: Preparing Absorbing Capturing Reviewing Think first about the different situations in which you learn. Obviously you learn during class, whether by listening to the instructor speak or in class discussions in which you participate. But you also learn while reading your textbooks and other materials outside of class. You learn when you talk with an instructor during office hours. You learn by talking with other students informally in study groups. You learn when you study your class notes before an exam. All of these different learning situations involve the same four-step process.

EVALUATION

Analysis of performance and strategy effectiveness after a learning episode

EVALUATION

Assess the credibility of sources of information and the claims they make, and determine the strength and weakness or arguments.  Applying evaluation skills can judge the quality of analysis, interpretations, explanations, inferences, options, opinions, beliefs, ideas, proposals, and decisions. Strong explanation skills can support high quality evaluation by providing evidence, reasons, methods, criteria, or assumptions behind the claims made and the conclusions reached.

The Study Cycle and Studying Efficiently

Cycle: 1) Preview 2) Attend 3) Review 4) Study 5) Check Efficiently: 1) Goal 2) Focus 3) Reward Yourself 4) Review

DEDUCTION

Decision making in precisely defined contexts where rules, operating conditions, core beliefs, values, policies, principles, procedures and terminology completely determine the outcome. Deductive reasoning moves with exacting precision from the assumed truth of a set of beliefs to a conclusion which cannot be false if those beliefs are untrue. Deductive validity is rigorously logical and clear-cut. Deductive validity leaves no room for uncertainty, unless one alters the meanings of words or the grammar of the language.

What's Your Learning Style?

Different people have different learning styles. Style refers to a student's specific learning preferences and actions. One student may learn more effectively from listening to the instructor. Another learns more effectively from reading the textbook, while another student benefits most from charts, graphs, and images the instructor presents during a lecture. Learning style is important in college. Each different style, described later in more detail, has certain advantages and disadvantages compared with other styles. None is "right" or "wrong." You can learn to use your own style more effectively. College instructors also have different teaching styles, which may or may not match up well with your learning style. Although you may personally learn best from a certain style of teaching, you cannot expect that your instructors will use exactly the style that is best for you. Therefore it is important to know how to adapt to teaching styles used in college. Another approach to learning styles is called the VARK approach, which focuses on learning through different senses (Visual, Aural, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic): Visual learners prefer images, charts, and the like. Aural learners learn better by listening. Reading/writing learners learn better through written language. Kinesthetic learners learn through doing, practicing, and acting. You can take a free, self-scored online assessment of your VARK learning style at http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/. There are still more systems used by educators to describe the various ways in which people learn. All of these systems can help you learn more about how you as an individual person and college student learn best. Just knowing your style, however, doesn't automatically provide a solution for how to do your best in your college courses. For example, although you may be a kinesthetic learner, you'll likely still have textbook reading assignments (verbal learning) as well as lecture classes (listening). All students need to adapt to other ways of learning. The following sections look at the key ways in which learning occurs in college classes and offer some suggestions about how to adapt your strengths for success.

INFERENCE

Draw conclusions from reasons and evidence. Inference is used when someone offers thoughtful suggestions and hypothesis. Inference skills indicate the necessary or the very probable consequences of a given set of facts and conditions. Conclusions, hypotheses, recommendations or decisions that are based on faulty analysis, misinformation, bad data or biased evaluations can turn out to be mistaken, even if they have reached using excellent inference skills.

ANALYSIS

Identify assumptions, reasons and claims, and examine how they interact in the formation of arguments. Individuals use analytics to gather information from charts, graphs, diagrams, spoken language and documents. People with strong analytical skills attend to patterns and to details. They identify the elements of a situation and determine how those parts interact. Strong interpretations skills can support high quality analysis by providing insights into the significance of what a person is saying or what something means

CONDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge about when and why to use learning procedures Application of declarative and procedural knowledge with certain conditions presented For example: pulling over to allow a funeral procession to pass

5.4 What Is College, Really?

Learning Objectives Describe differences between large and small college classes and discuss the implications for learning. Understand courses within your own college program: core courses, electives, and major courses. Describe different skills needed for online courses. Know how to learn your college's policies and understand their importance. Know what resources your college makes available to students and how to access them. Big Classes, Small Classes While most high school classes are fairly small, many college classes are large—up to several hundred students in a large lecture class. Other classes you may take will be as small as high school classes. In large lecture classes you may feel totally anonymous—even invisible—in a very large class. This feeling can get some students in trouble, however. Here are some common mistaken assumptions and attitudes about large classes: The instructor won't notice me sitting there, so I can check e-mail or read for a different class if I get bored. The instructor doesn't know my name or recognize me, so I don't even need to go to class as long as I can borrow someone's notes to find out what happens. I hate listening to lectures, so I might as well think about something else because I'm not going to learn anything this way anyway. These comments all share the same flawed attitude about college: it's up to the instructor to teach in an entertaining way if I am to learn at all—and it's actually the college's or instructor's fault that I'm stuck in this large class, so they're to blame if I think about or do other things. But remember, in college, you take responsibility for your own learning. Sure, a student is free to try to sleep in a lecture class, or not attend the class at all—the same way a student is "free" to fail any class he or she chooses! If you dislike large lecture classes but can't avoid them, the best solution is to learn how to learn in such a situation. Later chapters will give you tips for improving this experience. Just remember that it's up to you to stay actively engaged in your own learning while in college—it's not the instructor's job to entertain you enough to "make" you learn. There is one thing you need to know right away. Even in a lecture hall holding three hundred students, your instructors do know who you are. They may not know your name right away or even by the end of the term, but they see you sitting there, doing whatever you are doing, looking wherever you are looking—and will form a distinct impression of you. Instructors do have academic integrity and won't lower your grade on an exam because you slept once in class, but the impression you make just might affect how far instructors go out of their way to offer a helping hand. Interacting with instructors is a crucial part of education—and the primary way students learn. Successful interaction begins with good communication and mutual respect. If you want your instructors to respect you, then you need to show respect for them and their classes as well. Core Courses, Electives, Majors, and Credits Every college has its own course requirements for different programs and degrees. This information is available in a printed course catalog or online. While academic advisors are generally assigned to students to help them plot their path through college and take the most appropriate courses, you should also take this responsibility yourself to ensure you are registering for courses that fit well into your plan for a program completion or degree. In general there are three types of courses: Core courses, sometimes called "general education requirements," involve a range of courses from which you can choose to meet this general requirement. You may need to take one or more English classes and possibly math or foreign language requirements. You will need a certain number of credits or course hours in certain types of core courses, but you can often choose among various specific courses for how you meet these requirements. Required courses in your major are determined by individual academic departments. Whether you choose to major in English, math, engineering, history, a health field, chemistry, business, or any other field, your individual department sets specific required courses you must take and gives you options for a required additional number of credits in the department. You may not need to declare a major for a while, but this is something you can start thinking about now. Electives are courses you choose freely to complete the total number of college credits needed for your program or degree. How many electives you may take, how they "count" toward your total, and what kinds of courses are acceptable as electives all vary considerably among different schools and programs. Most important is that you understand what courses you need and how each counts. Study the college catalog carefully and be sure to talk things over fully with your advisor. Don't just sign up for courses that sound interesting—you might end up taking courses that don't count toward your degree at all. In addition, each term you may have to choose how many courses or hours to take. Colleges have rules about the maximum number of hours allowed for full-time students, but this maximum may in fact be more than you are prepared to manage—especially if you work or have other responsibilities. Taking a light course load, while allowing more time for studying and other activities, could add up over time and result in an extra full year of college (or more!)—at significant additional expense. Part-time students often face decisions based more on time issues. Everyone's situation is unique, however, and all students should talk this issue over with their advisor each year or term. Online Courses Most colleges now offer some online courses or regular courses with an online component. You experience an online course via a computer rather than a classroom. Many different variations exist, but all online courses share certain characteristics, such as working independently and communicating with the instructor (and sometimes other students) primarily through written computer messages. If you have never taken an online course, carefully consider what's involved to ensure you will succeed in the course. You need to own a recent model of computer with a reliable high-speed Internet connection. Without the set hours of a class, you need to be self-motivating to schedule your time to participate regularly. Without an instructor or other students in the room, you need to be able to pay attention effectively to the computer screen. Learning on a computer is not as simple as passively watching television! Take notes. Without reminders in class and peer pressure from other students, you'll need to take responsibility to complete all assignments and papers on time. Since your instructor will evaluate you primarily through your writing, you need good writing skills for an online course. If you believe you need to improve your writing skills, put off taking an online course until you feel better prepared or ask about tutoring services offered - http://www.gmc.edu/academic-programs/tutoring.cms. You must take the initiative to ask questions if you don't understand something. You may need to be creative to find other ways to interact with other students in the course. You could form a study group and get together regularly in person with other students in the same course. Class Attendance and Promptness In some classes at some colleges, attendance is required and absences can affect one's grade in the course. But even when attendance is not required, missing classes will inevitably affect your grade as well. You're not learning if you're not there. Reading another student's notes is not the same. Arriving to class promptly is also important. Walking into a class that has already begun is rude to the instructor (remember what we said earlier about the impression you may be making) and to other students. A mature student respects the instructor and other students and in turn receives respect back. College Policies A college campus is almost like a small town—or country—unto itself. The campus has its own police force, its own government, its own stores, its own ID cards, its own parking rules, and so on. Colleges also have their own policies regarding many types of activities and behaviors. Students who do not understand the rules can sometimes find themselves in trouble. The most important academic policy is academic honesty. Cheating is taken very seriously. Some high school students may have only received a slap on the wrist if caught looking at another student's paper during a test or turning in a paper containing sentences or paragraphs found online or purchased from a "term-paper mill." In many colleges, academic dishonesty like this may result in automatic failure of the course—or even expulsion from college. The principle of academic honesty is simple: every student must do his or her own work. If you have any doubt of what this means for a paper you are writing, a project you are doing with other students, or anything else, check the college Web site for its policy statements or talk with your instructor. Colleges also have policies about alcohol and drug use, sexual harassment, hazing, hate crimes, and other potential problems. Residence halls have policies about noise limits, visitors, hours, structural and cosmetic alterations of university property, and so on. The college registrar has policies about course add and drop dates, payment schedules and refunds, and the like. Such policies are designed to ensure that all students have the same right to a quality education—one not unfairly interrupted by the actions of others. You can find these policies on the college Web site or in the catalog. College Resources To be successful in college, you need to be fully informed and make wise decisions about the courses you register for, college policies, and additional resources. Always remember that your college wants you to succeed. That means that if you are having any difficulties or have any questions whose answers you are unsure about, there are college resources available to help you get assistance or find answers. This is true of both academic and personal issues that could potentially disrupt your college experience. Never hesitate to go looking for help or information—but realize that usually you have to take the first step. The college catalog has already been mentioned as a great source of many kinds of information. You should have an updated catalog every year or know where to find it online. The college's Web site is the second place to look for help. Students are often surprised to see how much information is available online, including information about college programs, offices, special assistance programs, and so on, as well as helpful information such as studying tips, personal health, financial help, and other resources. Take some time to explore your college's Web site and learn what is available—this could save you a lot of time in the future if you experience any difficulty. In addition, many colleges have offices or individuals that can help in a variety of ways. Following are some of the resources your college may have. Learn more about your college's resources online or by visiting the office of student services or the dean of students. Academic advising office. This office helps you choose courses and plan your program or degree. You should have a personal meeting at least once every term. Counseling office. This office helps with personal problems, including health, stress management, interpersonal issues, and so on. Financial aid office. If you are presently receiving financial aid or may qualify for assistance, you should know this office well. Tutoring or skill centers. The title of this resource varies among colleges, but most have special places where students can go for additional help for their courses. There may be a separate math center, writing center, or general study skills center. Computer lab. Before almost all students became skilled in computer use and had their own computers, colleges built labs where students could use campus computers and receive training or help resolving technical problems. Many campuses still maintain computer centers to assist students with technical issues. Student health clinic. In addition to providing some basic medical care and making referrals, most college student health centers also help with issues such as diet and exercise counseling, birth control services, and preventive health care. Career guidance or placement office. This center can help you find a student job or internship, plan for your career after graduation, and receive career counseling.Office for students with disabilities. This office may provide various services to help students with disabilities adapt within the college environment. Housing office. This office not only controls campus residential housing but often assists students to find off-campus private accommodations. Diversity office. This office promotes cultural awareness on campus, runs special programs, and assists diverse students with adjusting to campus culture. Office of student affairs or student organizations. Participating in a group of like-minded students often supports academic success. Athletic center. Most colleges have exercise equipment, pools, courts and tracks, and other resources open to all students. Take advantage of this to improve or maintain your personal health, which promotes academic success. Other specialized offices for student populations. These may include an office supporting students who speak English as a second language, adult students returning to college, international students, religious students, students with children (possibly a child-care center), veterans of the armed services, students preparing for certain types of careers, and so on. Your instructors. It never hurts to ask a friendly instructor if he or she knows of any additional college resources you haven't yet discovered. There may be a brand new program on campus, or a certain department may offer a service not widely promoted through the college Web site. Everyone needs help at some time—you should never feel embarrassed or ashamed to seek help. Remember that a part of your tuition and fees are going to these offices, and you have every right to take advantage of them. Key Takeaways Even in large lecture classes, attendance is important, along with forming a good impression and paying attention. Study the college catalog and talk with your advisor to ensure you understand the role of core classes, electives, and major courses in your program or degree requirements. Online courses offer another option in many colleges but require a certain preparedness and a heightened sense of responsibility. To avoid inadvertently finding yourself in trouble, know your college's policies for academic issues and campus behavior. Taking advantage of the many resources your college offers to help you with a wide range of academic and personal matters is essential for success in college.

5.5 Let's Talk about Success

Learning Objectives Understand that success in college means much more in the long term than simply passing or getting good grades. Describe situations in which grades do matter—and why it's important to do as well as you can. Describe why it is so important to be successful in your first year of college. List steps you can begin taking immediately to ensure your success. Success in college is the theme of this book—and you'll be learning more about everything involved in success in the following chapters. Let's first define what success really means so that you can get started, right now, on the right foot. Understand first that no book can "make" you be successful—it can only offer the tools for you to use if you want. What are you thinking right now as you read these words? Are you reading this right now only because you have to, because it is assigned reading in a course you have to take—and your mind keeps drifting to other things because you're feeling bored? Or are you interested because you've decided you want to succeed in college? We hope it's the latter, that you're feeling motivated—and excited, too—to do a great job in college. But even if you aren't much concerned at present about these issues, we hope you'll keep reading and do some thinking about why you're in college and how to get motivated to do well. "Success" and "Failure" So what does "success" actually mean in college? Good grades? That's what many students would say—at least toward the beginning of their time in college. When you ask people about their college experience a few years later, grades are seldom one of the first things mentioned. College graduates reflecting back typically emphasize the following: The complete college experience (often described as "the best years of my life") Exploring many different subjects and discovering one's own interests Meeting a lot of interesting people, learning about different ways to live Learning how to make decisions and solve problems that are now related to a career Gaining the skills needed to get the job—and life—one desires When you are achieving what you want in life and when you are happy and challenged and feel you are living life to its fullest and contributing to the world, then you likely feel successful. When you reach this point, your grades in college are about the last thing you'll think of. This is not to say that grades don't matter—just that getting good grades is not the ultimate goal of college or the best way to define personal success while in college. Five or ten years from now, no one is going to care much about what grade you got in freshman English or Biology 101. A successful college experience does include acceptable grades, of course, but in the end—in your long-range goals—grades are only one component of a larger picture. How Much Do Grades Matter? As you begin your college experience, it's good to think about your attitude toward grades, since grades often motivate students to study and do well on assignments. Valuing grades too highly, or not highly enough, can cause problems. A student who is determined to get only the highest grades can easily be frustrated by difficult college classes. Expectations that are too high may lead to disappointment—possibly depression or anxiety—and may become counterproductive. At the other extreme, a student who is too relaxed about grades, who is content simply with passing courses, may not be motivated to study enough even to pass—and may be at risk for failing courses. What is a good attitude to have toward grades? The answer to that depends in part on how grades do matter generally—and specifically in your own situation. Here are some ways grades clearly do matter: At most colleges, all students must maintain a certain grade point average (GPA) to be allowed to continue taking courses and to graduate. Financial aid and scholarship recipients must maintain a certain grade in all courses, or a minimum GPA overall, to continue receiving their financial award. In some programs, the grade in certain courses must be higher than simply passing in order to count toward the program or major. After graduation, it may be enough in some careers just to have completed the program or degree. But in most situations, how well one did in college may still affect one's life. Employers often ask how well you did in college (new graduates at least—this becomes less important after one has gained more job experience). Students who are proud of their grades usually include their GPA on their résumés. Students with a low GPA may avoid including it on their resume, but employers may ask on the company's application form or in an interview (and being caught in a lie can lead to being fired). An employer who asks for a college transcript will see all your grades, not just the overall GPA. In addition to the importance for jobs, grades matter if you plan to continue to graduate school, professional school, or other educational programs—all of which require your transcript. Certainly grades are not the only way people are judged, but along with all forms of experience (work, volunteer, internship, hobbies) and personal qualities and the recommendations of others, they are an important consideration. After all, an employer may think, if this person goofed off so much in college that he got low grades, how can I expect him not to goof off on the job? How to Calculate Your GPA Consult the GMC Student Handbook for policies regarding the numeric weighting of + and − grades. These are also found in the Course Syllabus. The best attitude to take toward grades in college is simply to do the best you can do. You don't need to kill yourself, but if you're not going to make an effort then there's not much reason to be there in the first place. Almost everything in this book—from time management to study skills to social skills and staying healthy—will contribute to your overall success and, yes, to getting better grades. If you have special concerns about grades, such as feeling unprepared in certain classes and at risk of failing, talk with your academic advisor. If a class requires more preparation than you have from past courses and experience, you might be urged to drop that class and take another—or to seek extra help. Your advisor can help you work through any individual issues related to doing well and getting the best grade you can. Can You Challenge a Grade? Yes and no. College instructors are very careful about how they assign grades, which are based on clear-cut standards often stated in the course syllabus. The likelihood of an instructor changing your grade if you challenge it is very low. On the other hand, we're all human—mistakes can occur, and if you truly feel a test or other score was miscalculated, you can ask your instructor to review the grade. Just be sure to be polite and respectful. Most situations in which students want to challenge a grade, however, result from a misunderstanding regarding the expectations of the grading scale or standards used. Students may simply feel they deserve a higher grade because they think they understand the material well or spent a lot of time studying or doing the assignment. The instructor's grade, however, is based on your actual responses on a test, a paper or other assignment. The instructor is grading not what he or she thinks is in your head, but what you actually wrote down. If you are concerned that your grade does not accurately reflect your understanding or effort, you should still talk with your instructor—but your goal should be not to argue for a grade change but to gain a better understanding of the course's expectations so that you'll do better next time. Instructors do respect students who want to improve. Visit the instructor during office hours or ask for an appointment and prepare questions ahead of time to help you better understand how your performance can improve and better indicate how well you understand the material. A major aspect of college for some students is learning how to accept criticism. Your college instructors hold you to high standards and expect you to have the maturity to understand that a lower grade is not a personal attack on you and not a statement that you're not smart enough to do the work. Since none of us is perfect, we all can improve in almost everything we do—and the first step in that direction is accepting evaluation of our work. If you receive a grade lower than you think you have earned, take the responsibility to learn what you need to do to earn a higher grade next time. Do not ask for bonus work or extra credit to increase your grades. Also, do not 'beg' for a a grade! Succeeding in Your First Year The first year of college is almost every student's most crucial time. Statistics show a much higher drop-out rate in the first year than thereafter. Why? Because for many students, adjusting to college is not easy. Students wrestle with managing their time, their freedom, and their other commitments to family, friends, and work. It's important to recognize that it may not be easy for you. On the other hand, when you do succeed in your first year, the odds are very good that you'll continue to succeed and will complete your program or degree. Are you ready? Remember that everything in this book will help you succeed in your first year. Motivation and a positive attitude are the keys to getting off to a running start. The next section lists some things you can do to start right now, today, to ensure your success. Getting Started on the Right Foot Right Now Make an appointment to talk with your academic advisor if you have any doubt about the courses you have already enrolled in or about the direction you're taking. Start examining how you spend your time and ensure you make enough time to keep up with your courses. Check for tutoring assistance if you feel you may need it and make an appointment or schedule time to visit tutoring centers on your college campus to see what help you can get if needed. Like yourself. You've come a long way to reach this point, you have succeeded in taking this first step toward meeting your college goal, and you are fully capable of succeeding the rest of the way. Avoid the trap of feeling down on yourself if you're struggling with any classes. Pay attention to your learning style and your instructors' teaching styles. Begin immediately applying the guidelines discussed earlier for situations in which you do not feel you are learning effectively. Plan ahead. Check your syllabus for each class and highlight the dates of major assignments and tests. Write on your calendar the important dates coming up. Look around your classroom and plan to introduce yourself right away to one or two other students. Talking with other students is the first step in forming study groups that will help you succeed.Introduce yourself to your instructors, if you haven't already. In a large lecture, go up to the instructor after class and ask a question about anything in the lecture or about an upcoming assignment. Participate in your classes. If you're normally a quiet person who prefers to observe others asking questions or joining class discussions, you need to take the first step toward becoming a participating student—another characteristic of the successful student. Find something of particular interest to you and write down a question for the instructor. Then raise your hand at the right time and ask. You'll find it a lot easier than you may think! Vow to pay more attention to how you spend your money. Some students have to drop out because they get into debt. Take good care of your body. Good health makes you a better student. Vow to avoid junk food, to get enough sleep, and to move around more. When you're done reading this chapter, take a walk! Excellent! Start doing these few things, and already you'll be a step or two ahead—and on your way to a successful first year! Key Takeaways While success in college involves many benefits and experiences, grades remain one important measure of success. Acceptable grades are important for continuing your college program and financial aid, for graduate school or other future educational opportunities, and for obtaining a good job in most careers. Succeeding is especially important in one's first year of college because this is the most critical period to avoid the factors that lead to many students dropping out. You can launch yourself on a path of success immediately by taking the first steps for help with studies, developing a positive attitude, taking advantage of your personal learning style, starting to practice time management, meeting your instructors and other students, participating actively in your classes, and taking control of your personal health and finances.

Listening

Listening skills are as important in college as reading skills. College students are expected to listen to their instructors in class and remember and understand what is said. In discussion classes, listening is important also for participating well in discussions. If your personal learning style favors listening, then you may already be good at understanding class lectures. Chapter 8 "Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering" provides tips to help you pay close attention, take good notes, and recall the information and ideas you have heard. Here are some more tips: Sit where you can best hear the instructor, away from other distractions. Study with other students and listen to what they say about the course material. Hearing them talk from their class notes may be more helpful than reviewing your own written notes. Record lectures and listen to them again later when reviewing material before a test. When studying, read your notes aloud. Review previous tests by reading the questions aloud and speaking your answers. If a section in your textbook seems confusing, read it aloud. Talk with your instructor if you feel you are not understanding course readings. Use rhymes or acronyms to recall verbal information. For more information, see Chapter 8 "Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering". Explore supplemental learning aids, such as audio and video podcasts (even from other colleges and universities) on the course's subject matter. Seeing

Your Style, Your Instructor's Style

Many college classes tend to focus on certain learning styles. Instructors in large lecture classes, for example, generally emphasize listening carefully and reading well. Don't worry, however, if these are not your particular strengths, for much of this book focuses on learning study skills and other college skills related to these activities. Take responsibility for your own learning, rather than expecting the instructor to help you through the subject in your own personal way. For example, if you are a visual learner but your instructor simply stands at a podium and lectures, then provide your own visual stimulation by sketching concept maps in your notes or by visualizing how information being presented might look in a pie chart or graph. For more information, see Chapter 8 "Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering". As you move further into your college curriculum, you will likely have more small classes with class discussions, demonstrations, group presentations, and other learning activities. Once you are in classes closely related to a career path that interests you, you will find your personal style more relevant to the kinds of material you will be learning. Much learning in college also comes from interactions with others, who often have different learning styles. Be open to interacting with other students and instructors who are different from you, and you will find yourself learning in ways that may be new to you. Finally, if a genuine mismatch is occurring between your learning style and your instructor's teaching style to the extent that you may not succeed in a course, talk to your instructor privately during office hours. You can explain how you best learn and ask for suggestions about other resources that may help you. Key Takeaways People learn through a four-step process, and you can maximize your learning by conscientiously applying all steps throughout college. The first step of the learning cycle is to prepare in advance for classes, reading, tests, and other learning. The second step is to absorb information and ideas effectively during classes, reading, and other learning experiences. The third step, capturing, typically involves taking notes on the learning experience to increase understanding and retention. The fourth step is to review your notes, to help solidify the learning and to prepare for repeating the cycle in the next class or reading assignment. People have natural learning preferences, affecting how they learn best, such as learning by reading, by listening, by seeing, by doing, and by feeling. Students should learn how to use their own learning style to their best advantage while also becoming flexible and working to develop other learning styles. Because your learning style may not match your instructor's teaching style, you need to be flexible and work to develop new learning strategies essential for college success.

Prepare

One student rolls out of bed a few minutes before class and dashes across campus and grabs the last seat in the hall just as the instructor begins a lecture; it takes him a few minutes to find the right notebook in his backpack, and then he can't find a pencil. He's thinking about how he should've set his alarm a little earlier so he'd have had time to grab a cup of coffee, since he's having trouble waking up. Finally he settles in his seat and starts listening, but now he can't figure out what the instructor is talking about. He starts jotting down phrases in his notes anyway, thinking he'll figure it out later. Another student looks over his notes from the previous class and quickly glances back at passages he'd highlighted in the textbook reading. He arrives at class a few minutes early, sits up front where he can hear well, and has his notebook open and pencil out. While waiting for the instructor to arrive, he talks to another student about her ideas for the paper due next week in this class. It's obvious which of these students will learn more during today's class lecture. One has prepared and the other has not, and they will experience a huge difference in their understanding of today's topic. Preparing to learn is the first step for learning. The same is true when you sit down to read your textbook, to study for an exam, or to work on an out-of-class project. Partly you are putting yourself in the right mind-set to learn. But when you review yesterday's notes to prepare for today's class, you are also solidifying yesterday's learning.

Reading

Reading skills are critically important in college. Most classes involve reading assignments. Although many instructors may cover some of the textbook's content in lectures or class discussions, students cannot skip the reading assignments and expect to do well. If your personal learning style is verbal and independent—that is, if you learn well by sitting alone and reading—then you will likely not have difficulty with your college reading. Here are some tips to help maximize your learning: Underline and highlight key ideas when reading. Take good notes on your reading, using your own words. Write descriptions that summarize information presented in nonverbal modes, such as through charts and graphs. Do all optional and supplemental readings. Take good notes in class, as you may remember more from your written words than from the instructor's spoken words. If a class involves significant nonreading learning, such as learning hands-on physical processes, study with other students who are kinesthetic or "doing" learners. If you have a different learning style, then you may need to give more attention to your reading skills. Always allow plenty of time for reading assignments—rushing makes it harder to understand what you are reading. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Find a quiet, comfortable place conducive to reading. Try also to maximize your learning through your personal style. If you learn better by listening, for example, sit up front in lecture classes where you can see and hear the instructor better. If needed, ask if you can tape-record an instructor's lectures and then listen again at a convenient time, such as when commuting to class or work. If you are more of a visual learner, sit in class where you can see PowerPoint slides and other visual presentations most clearly. Use a visual approach in your class notes, as described in Chapter 8 "Listening, Taking Notes, and Remembering". Check out whether video podcasts may be available for reviewing lectures. Try to relate all of these visual images to the textbook's content when you're reading an assignment. In addition, pay special attention to illustrations and diagrams in the book, which will further help you understand the written ideas and information. If you are more of an interpersonal learner, form a study group with other students and talk with others about the course topics. Take advantage of your instructors' office hours to help clarify your understanding after reading assignments.

DEBUGGING STRATEGIES

Strategies used to correct comprehension and performance errors

metacognition

The application of enable individual's to analyze one's own thinking skills and processes through strategies such as planning, monitoring, and revising the progress of cognitive skills. It enables individuals to better manage their cognitive skills by: determining weaknesses that can be corrected constructing new cognitive skills becoming more strategic planning, sequencing, and monitoring their learning in a way that directly improves performance

PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE

The application of knowledge for the purposes of completing a procedure or process Knowledge about how to implement learning procedures (e.g. strategies) For example: passing the road test for your drivers license

DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE

The factual knowledge the learner needs before being able to process or use critical thinking related to the topic Knowledge of one's skills, intellectual resources, and abilities as a learner For example: learning the rules of driving in order to get your Learners Permit, i.e. red means stop, green means go.

Review

The step of reviewing—your class notes, your textbook reading and notes, and any other course materials possibly including recordings, online media, podcasts, and so on—is the next step for solidifying your learning and reaching a real understanding of the topic. Reviewing is also a way to prepare for new information and ideas. That's why this is a learning cycle: the end of the process loops back to the beginning as you prepare for additional learning. Reviewing is also the step in which you discover whether you really understand the material. If you do not understand something fully, you may need to reread a section of the book, talk it over with a friend in the class, or go see your instructor.

Different systems have been used to describe the different ways in which people learn. Some describe the differences between how extroverts (outgoing, gregarious, social people) and introverts (quiet, private, contemplative people) learn. Some divide people into "thinkers" and "feelers." A popular theory of different learning styles is Howard Gardner's "multiple intelligences," based on eight different types of intelligence: (V.I.V.I K.R.N.L)

Verbal (prefers words) Logical (prefers math and logical problem solving) Visual (prefers images and spatial relationships) Kinesthetic (prefers body movements and doing) Rhythmic (prefers music, rhymes) Interpersonal (prefers group work) Intrapersonal (prefers introspection and independence) Naturalist (prefers nature, natural categories) The multiple intelligences approach recognizes that different people have different ways, or combinations of ways, of relating to the world.

INDUCTION Decision making in contexts of uncertainty.

We use inductive reasoning skills when we draw inferences about what we think is probably true based on analogies, case studies, prior experience, statistical analysis, simulations, hypotheticals, and patterns recognized in familiar objects, events, experiences and behaviors. As long as there is the possibility, however remote, that a highly probable conclusion might be mistaken even though the evidence at hand is unchanged, the reasoning is inductive. Although it does not yield certainty, inductive reasoning can provide a confidence basis for solid belief in our conclusions and a reasonable basis for action