ii
Find Your
Way to Succeed
Insights for Learning
College Math
and
Other STEM Subjects
Designed to Accompany Way to Succeed®
Mindful Insights for Learning
Dr. Jane Frazier Reed
© Way to Succeed®, LLC
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Find Your Way to Succeed: Insights for Learning
College Math and Other STEM Subjects
By
Jane Frazier Reed, Ed.D.
waytosucceed.com
© 2022 All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except
as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:
jane.reed@waytosucceed.com
Cover by Stockphoto.com
iv
Dedicated to
students everywhere who did not finish college, believing in the false notion that
they were not as smart as other students simply because they were not aware of
effective learning practices. May this guide eliminate this kind of thinking and
improve success for all students who want to learn.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOTE TO THE STUDENT: ................................................................................................... VII
FOREWORD .................................................................................................................... VIII
CHAPTER 1: LEARNING HOW TO LEARN--YOUR BEST ADVANTAGE FOR SUCCESS ................. 1
PURPOSE: Discover that your approach to learning can determine your success more than any other factor 1
Assignment 1: Quiz: Learning How to Learn .................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 2: ASSESSING YOUR LEARNING PRACTICES--A BASELINE ....................................... 6
PURPOSE: Evaluate your current learning practices and analyze your personal strengths and weaknesses .... 6
Assignment 2: Way to Succeed® Assessment 1 ................................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER 3: YOUR APPROACH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! HOW COLLEGE IS DIFFERENT
FROM HIGH SCHOOL ........................................................................................................ 10
PURPOSE: Understand how learning and being successful in college is different from learning and being
successful in high school ................................................................................................................................. 10
Assignment 3: Quiz: How College is Different from High School ................................................................... 16
CHAPTER 4: ANXIETY IN MATH AND OTHER STEM COURSES AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT. . 18
PURPOSE 1: Understand why you might be anxious about your math or other STEM class………………..……..19
PURPOSE 2: How to reduce your anxiety ....................................................................................................... 18
Top 10 Reasons students have Math Anxiety with Solutions ....................................................................... 19
Assignment 4: Quiz—Matching Causes and Solutions for Math and STEM Anxiety....................................... 26
CHAPTER 5: ASSESSING YOUR LEARNING PRACTICES, PART 2--CHECKING ON PROGRESS .... 28
PURPOSE: Re-evaluate current learning practices to document changes in strengths and weaknesses ........ 28
Assignment Chapter 5: Way to Succeed® Assessment 2 ................................................................................ 30
CHAPTER 6: NOTE-TAKING 101 AND IMPROVING TEST SCORES IN STEM ............................ 31
PURPOSE 1: Understand how to develop quality note-taking skills .............................................................. 31
PURPOSE 2: Know how to prepare effectively for tests ............................................................................... 31
Before the Test: ........................................................................................................................................... 31
Taking Notes 101: ........................................................................................................................................ 32
Studying Before the Test ............................................................................................................................. 37
During the Test: ........................................................................................................................................... 39
Assignment 6: Quiz: Taking Notes, Studying, and Taking Tests ...................................................................... 41
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CHAPTER 7: ERROR ANALYSIS--EVALUATING EACH TEST YIELDS BETTER UNDERSTANDING .. 44
PURPOSE: Recognize the value of analyzing mistakes to improve learning and academic achievement ...... 44
Assignment Chapter 7: Error Analysis ............................................................................................................. 50
CHAPTER 8: ASSESSING YOUR LEARNING PRACTICES, PART 3--YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY. 52
PURPOSE: Re-evaluate current learning practices to document changes in strengths and weaknesses ....... 52
Assignment Chapter 8: Way to Succeed® Assessment 3 ................................................................................ 54
CHAPTER 9: FINISHING STRONG--PREPARING FOR YOUR FINAL EXAMS.............................. 55
PURPOSE: Understand how to best approach studying for comprehensive final exams ............................... 55
Assignment 9: Quiz—Matching Ideas for Preparing for Final Exams with Examples ..................................... 60
CHAPTER 10: ON THE PATH TO SUCCESS--LESSONS LEARNED ............................................ 61
PURPOSE 1: Reflect on changes you have made to your learning practices .................................................. 61
PURPOSE 2: Evaluate the Way to Succeed® program. ................................................................................... 61
Assignment Chapter 10: Final Evaluation of Your Learning Improvements and the Way to Succeed©
Learning Program............................................................................................................................................ 63
GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................ 66
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Note to the student:
When you purchased this eBook, you should
have registered your name, a user name,
password, and the “Class Code” provided to you
by your instructor.
If you have not completed this process, please
take the following steps:
1. Register by clicking HERE.
2. Type in your name and create a username and password.
3. Enter the “Class Code”
• Your instructor should have given you a specific “Class Code”
for use with your current Mathematics or other STEM class.
• The “Class Code” is specific to your course and section for the
class in which you are enrolled.
• The “Class Code” will automatically register you in your
instructor’s gradebook.
• You must use his or her “Class Code” to receive course credit
for this portion of your class.
4. Once you are in the system, you will use your username and
password to access all quizzes, assessments, and surveys that enhance
your learning experience.
5. If you are using this book as an independent student, you should
have received a “Class Code” directly from Way to Succeed®.
6. If you are still experiencing trouble, use this link to contact us.
viii
Foreword
Researchers in the field of Cognitive Psychology have produced thousands of
articles and books on learning theory and the studies of metacognition, motivation,
self-regulation, and academic success.
With the insights derived from these
research sources, informed faculties at many colleges and universities have
changed how they teach and what is taught. The student, unfortunately, often
remains in the dark about how best to learn. However, when students understand
how best to learn, the have the means to be successful in nearly any learning
situation. That is what the “Way to Succeed®” program is all about.
One of the most important group of factors predicting academic success is the
collection of factors students themselves bring to the learning experience.
Knowing how to learn remains the primary way to successfully completing your
degree and is a multi-faceted set of behaviors and ways of thinking that can be
developed and enhanced over time. Success in college is not often about how
smart you are, but is more focused on becoming aware of effective learning
behaviors and thoughts and putting them into practice when you learn. In other
words, you need to move toward becoming a more mature, accomplished learner
to be successful in college. This enhanced new way of learning takes a different
approach than you might have needed in your high school. You will need to
become independent in your pursuit of academic success as an accomplished,
self-regulating learner in college.
This is especially true in math and other STEM classes. Math and STEM require a
deeper understanding along with an ability to recognize a situation and apply
knowledge to solving a problem. Many novice students have skills but isolated
skills are empty and mechanical if they do not come with understanding or
connect to other concepts. Mathematics especially requires an ability to
logically move through a process when solving problems. Your Find Your Way
to Succeed eBook walks you through the process of becoming a more
independent, accomplished kind of learner. We help you become self-aware,
bring to your attention ideas that promote effective learning practices, and
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encourage you to try out specific actions that address learning weaknesses. I
know this method is effective because I devoted years to studying this approach
with students like you. I have found that improving student awareness of quality
learning techniques significantly increased motivation and academic success
mathematics. Even if you are already an accomplished learner, you can still
improve your learning effectiveness using these methods.
One of the greatest ideas you can acquire through your college education is that
you are in control of your own learning and success! I truly believed in the power
of each student to determine his or her own destiny. Knowing and understanding
personal responsibilities, strengths, and weaknesses is essential for personal
growth and achievement. You can accomplish much through connecting
discoveries about yourself with solutions for weaknesses and continuing to
exercise and develop your personal strengths.
Best Wishes for your Future Success!
Dr. Jane Frazier Reed
Co-Founder and CEO, Way to Succeed, LLC
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~Chapter One~
Learning How to Learn:
Your Best Advantage for Success
“Wisdom.... comes not from age, but from education and learning.”
― Anton Chekhov
PURPOSE: Discover that your approach to learning can determine your success
more than any other factor.
Assignment: Multiple Choice Quiz 1: Introduction
Priorities in order? You have signed up for
your classes and signed in on your school’s
learning management system (LMS) that
allows you to access your instructor,
communications, and documents for your
classes. If you are attending classes in
person this semester, undoubtedly you have located all of your classes on the
map of your campus. Have you purchased your textbooks and software required
for the classes you are taking? These are all important tasks to take care of, and all
this is different from what you experienced in high school, right?
Absolutely! However, this is only the beginning of the semester. Other important
differences between high school and college will present themselves as you begin
2
the learning part of your college classes. If you are ready for those differences,
you have an advantage, your best
advantage for being successful in your
classes.
Expectations in your classes will be
different. Some things are more
important in college than they were in
high school. Other things you found
important for success in your high school classes aren’t mentioned much. How
are you supposed to know what to do to be successful if you have never
experienced college-level learning?
More than anything, how you approach learning will determine whether or
not you will be successful. You may have found high school classes to be easy,
or may not have needed to study much. Others of you worked hard to get the
opportunity to go to college, and found you had to study a lot to be successful.
Some of you have taken advanced classes in high school, while others of you are
required to take remedial classes at first. No matter what your background or skill
level, your success depends mostly on what you do to help yourself be the best
learner you can be now that you’re in college.
That’s where Way to Succeed® comes in. This program helps you to
•
Become aware of the learning skills, thoughts, and planning that
goes in to being the best student you can be
•
Identify the areas you personally need to improve or enhance for
maximizing your learning and studying effectiveness through
learning assessments throughout the term, and
•
Select and adopt research-supported actions that can increase your
college-level learning.
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Way to Succeed© helps where you need it most. You probably have obtained
this eBook as a part of your math or other STEM class. Why? As we will see in
later chapters, math, chemistry, and physics tend to have more failures than any
other freshmen course. Estimates range from 30% to 80% of incoming freshmen
fail to receive credit for their first math class! There are reasons for that, but Way
to Succeed® is designed to help you avoid the failure that your peers have
historically experienced in these classes. When used thoughtfully, you will have
the tools you need…not math tools, but learning tools that are used by successful
students everywhere. When you use these learning tools, you greatly improve
your ability to pass and even excel in this STEM course.
Learning is learning. No matter what course you are taking, you need to know
how to learn. Much of what is in these pages is applicable to any learning, from
baking a cake to academics. Keep reading, analyzing, and thinking about what
you are doing to help yourself learn, and you will gain mindful insights about what
works for you to achieve your learning goals.
❶
❶
Assignment Next
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Assignment 1: Quiz: Learning How to Learn—Your Best
Advantage
Preview Quiz 1 below. Then click on this Quiz 1 link to access your
live quiz which will be graded. You will need your username and
password to access the live quiz.
1. Approximately what percent of students fail to receive credit for their first math
class?
a. 10% - 20%
b. 20% - 30%
c. 30% - 80%
d. 80% - 90%
2. The most important component of school success comes from your
a. Intelligence
b. Course background
c. Correct course placement
d. How you approach learning
3. What subject areas have the highest failure
rates?
a. Math and History
b. Math and other STEM classes
c. History and English
d. Chemistry and English
4. You probably have worked hard to get to college. What can you do to be
academically successful now that you are here?
a. Buy all the recommended textbooks and software
b. Learn how to be the best learner you can be
c. Make sure to get to know lots of people on campus
d. Try to join as many clubs and activities to fill your time
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5. The new experience in learning at the college level requires that you adopt
new behaviors. These might include
a. Studying and doing homework for more hours than you are used to
doing in high school
b. Getting yourself out of bed for classes on your own
c. Keeping track of due dates for yourself, because your professor
probably won’t remind you when things are due
d. Reviewing material before a test on your own because the professor will
probably not review with you
e. All of the above
Quiz: Chapter 1 Score: _____/5 = ___________%
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~Chapter Two~
Assessing your Learning Practices:
A Baseline
“Remember that change happens slowly and progress must be continuously
preserved... The process is just as important as the outcome--sometimes even
more so. And when things get rough, remember how much of a difference a
committed individual can make.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to
Changing the World
PURPOSE: Evaluate your current learning practices and analyze your personal
strengths and weaknesses.
Assignment: Take the Way to Succeed® Assessment #1 and Analyze Results and
Corrective Actions.
Video 1: How to get the most out of your Way to Succeed® Learning
Assessment
Video 2: How to read your Way to Succeed® Learning Assessment Results Report
Different people, same expectations.
Everyone arrives in colleges and
universities with different histories of
previous academic experiences.
Regardless of how selective your
college admissions process was, you
and your current classmates bring a
wide range of learning styles, talents, work ethics, and academic preparation to
your school. For the most part, your professors will teach their courses as though
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you all have the same academic background and already know how to learn
effectively at the college level.
However, history shows that not all students at your school will pass all their firstyear college classes. While there are many reasons for a lack of success, one of
the most common reasons is that first-year students often fail to adjust their
learning practices to ones that will bring success at the college level. In other
words, regardless of your academic preparation and intelligence, the way you
approach learning can either help you succeed or help you fail.
STEM classes, especially mathematics classes, commonly have the highest failure
rate of any first-year classes. This is not intended to scare you, but you should be
aware that math and other STEM classes require you to be more attentive to and
mindful of ways to be successful. Many students find these classes to be more
difficult. Future classes will build on the ideas learned in your current class. How
much you learn in these introductory classes can set a baseline for future success
or failure.
In the previous chapter, you learned that
college classes are different (We will look at
HOW they are different in the next chapter).
It should come as no surprise that what you
do to learn will need to change as well. Do
you know how effective your learning
practices are for your current situation? One
way to find out is to just experience college, and see how you do. However, you
may find out too late to make any meaningful changes that would keep you from
failing, which is costly in time and money. There is a better way.
You now have a great opportunity. You have the chance to analyze and
improve your current learning practices and approaches to learning. Doing so will
make your learning in this college-level class more efficient and you will probably
8
become more successful. The experts at Way to Succeed® have developed a
learning assessment that will help you determine your personal learning strengths
and weak areas. You probably already know a few things that work for you in your
math or STEM class, but you can always improve no matter what your prior level of
success has been.
You are unique. Your learning practices profile will be personalized to you. With
over 1600 possible combinations of learning strengths and weaknesses, you can
be sure the Way to Succeed® assessment can pinpoint your specific learner
characteristics. There are no right or wrong answers. You will not be graded on
your scores, so don’t try to impress anyone with your answers. Your honesty will
make this a more meaningful and useful experience for you to evaluate your
learning practices and explore ways to improve.
You will be taking three assessments during this course. The reason you will
take three assessments is to see improvements in your learning methods over
time. You will see progress if you take the time to recognize areas in which you
need improvement and work on these areas. Way to Succeed® will offer helpful
suggestions at the end of the assessment so you will know
some practical things you can do to make changes.
•
The assessment takes about 10 -15 minutes to
complete and all your answers are scored immediately.
•
Take a few minutes to review Video 1 titled “Taking
Your First Way to Succeed Assessment” (linked here) so
you will understand how to use the assessment tool to your best advantage.
•
After you take your assessment, be sure to view Video 2, how to interpret
and use your Results and Action Plan to improve your learning.
❷
❷
Assignment Next
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Assignment 2: Way to Succeed® Assessment 1
1. View Video 1: How to get the most out of your Way to Succeed® Assessment 1
by clicking the link below
Taking Your First Way to Succeed Assessment
2. Click on the Assessment link below to begin Assessment 1. You will need your
username and password. Take Assessment 1
3. Once you are done, follow the link on the end screen to see your results.
4. Click on the link below to see a video about how to interpret your results.
Understanding Your Results Assessment1
5. Look at all your scores and check out your three top scores (strengths) and
three lowest scores (weaknesses) highlighted at the bottom of the results page.
By clicking on the [ANALYZE] button, you can read about what your experiences
might be with your strengths and weaknesses. Do these descriptions sound
familiar to you?
6. To get a visual of your results, click on the GRAPH button. Here you will see
your score as a dot on a modified box and whisker plot for each category.
7. Look at the ACTIONS on the Results page. Select ONE or TWO associated
actions for each of your three lowest categories you could reasonably try over the
next few weeks in your math or STEM class. These Actions should make sense to
you, so they will be easier to put into practice. Try your selected ACTIONS over
the next several weeks that will help you become a better learner in this class.
8. Click on the ACTION PLAN button at the top of the page. You might want to
print your Action Plan and highlight your selected ACTIONS so you can refer to
your plan often during the next few weeks.
Assignment: Chapter 2 score: Completion of Way to Succeed®
Assessment and Action Plan (100%)
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~Chapter Three~
Your Approach Makes All the Difference!
How College is Different from High School
“The only way you can sustain a permanent change is to create a new way of
thinking, acting, and being.”
―Jennifer Hudson
PURPOSE: Understand how learning and being successful in college is different
from learning and being successful in high school.
Assignment: Multiple Choice Quiz: How College is Different from High School
Living up to new expectations. You most
likely already have an idea about how college
and high school are different, but it isn’t just
the personal freedom, the more open
schedule, and the older student body that you
need to pay attention to. After all, you are
here because you are wanting an education that will allow you to pursue your
career goals (hopefully!). Even if you don’t know what you want to do for a career,
you still need to get those freshmen classes completed successfully so you can
move on once you make a career choice.
Let’s look at the details of the differences between college and high school that
you will need to know about so you will not be surprised by expectations on
campus or in your distance learning class. The following list is a compilation of
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ideas from personal experiences of students. These ideas were important to the
students we interviewed and should be important to you when you are making
decisions about your daily and weekly classes and study sessions as a new
student. Soon you will become accustomed to the way things are in college, but
in the beginning, it’s important that you understand that these ideas will seem
unfamiliar and a little hard to get used to. Becoming aware of these differences
will allow you to use your knowledge to your advantage and stay caught up.
In high school….
In college….
Teachers tell you what assignment is
due every class day, so you don’t have
to keep track of assignments on your
own.
Professors give you a syllabus containing
a list of assignments at the beginning of
the academic term, and you are expected
to complete them according to the
schedule. You should write your
assignments in a calendar.
You will be your own advocate,
managing all aspects of your academic
responsibilities.
Before a test, professors often move to
the next topic in the course, and do not
often review material that will be on the
test. The review is usually entirely up to
you to create and complete.
Professors may include homework
assignments as part of your grade. They
assume you will complete them on your
own without reminders. The list of
assignments and due dates for the
semester is typically part of your syllabus.
Professors assume you will look at your
syllabus to see when tests and quizzes
are scheduled. They should be written in
a calendar.
You will receive one grade for each
course at the end of the term. It is up to
you to keep a running account of your
grade throughout the term to keep track
of how you are doing.
Professors assume you will complete
assignments outside of class. They will
often use class time for instruction only.
Parents and teachers help you with
managing grades and difficult
situations.
Before a test, teachers will spend a day
or two reviewing concepts, and will
often provide a review assignment for
you to complete to help you study.
Teachers check to see that your
assignments are complete, and will
remind you to make sure you turn in
assignments.
Teachers usually give plenty of warning
before tests and quizzes.
You usually receive a lot of feedback
from your teachers through frequent
progress reports and report cards.
Teachers give class time to complete
assignments.
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In high school….
In college….
Your schedule in high school was
structured during specific school hours
with little free time.
Your schedule is more unstructured with
gaps between classes. You must learn to
manage your schedule so you have
sufficient time for studying and
completing assignments, working a job,
and having some time to relax.
Independent homework is required, and
you should expect to spend two to four
hours for studying and completing
assignments for every hour of class time.
Late assignments are usually not
accepted.
Professors often assign readings in math
and other STEM classes, and often ask
you to come to class having read and
studied the lesson ahead of time.
Independent homework, if any, does
not usually last more than 30 minutes
for each class that you attend.
Teachers will often make exceptions for
late assignments.
Teachers rarely assign readings in math
or other STEM textbooks. They usually
explain everything in class.
One of the most important themes of the
table above is that as a college student,
you must become your own manager.
Learning to manage your time, your
learning, and your attendance in classes,
represents meeting your responsibilities.
When you learn to manage yourself in these ways, you are preparing yourself for
life and career responsibilities as well as helping yourself to be successful in the
college classroom.
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Time management. Managing your time is critical for your success, and the
sooner you can gain control over your time, the better. Even if you have never
had to use a calendar before,
you will probably find that a
calendar is essential to
record important
assignments, due dates, and
tests. Obtaining a good
Monthly or Monthly/Weekly
calendar, either paper, on a
mobile device, or online, is a
wise investment to help you manage your time. Time management can help you
to
1. Coordinate all the responsibilities from different classes.
2. Integrate school responsibilities with work schedules and family duties.
3. Identify conflicts in your schedule before they catch you off guard.
4. Recognize when multiple assessments or assignments are due so you
can plan ahead.
5. Reduce stress by having all your responsibilities written down and in one
place.
6. Schedule some down time—time to relax when you have met your
responsibilities for each week.
Self-discipline. Self-discipline and self-control can help you stick to your plan for
all your activities and responsibilities. You have
a lot of freedom in college. Classes don’t meet
every day, and often you have free time
between classes. No one is telling you to study,
and your professors seldom remind you of
14
upcoming assignments and tests. If you are not careful, the freedom of college
and the distractions you find in college will overtake you and leave you little time
to pursue the real reason you are there—to get a degree for the career of your
choice. Persistence and perseverance are critical to succeeding in your studies.
Goals help you to maintain your focus. Students who have goals and stick to them
are more successful than those who have no goals. Two different types of goals,
long-range goals and short-range goals serve very different purposes.
Long-range goals. These are
your aims for your degree or career.
What are you here in college for? What
major have you decided on? Do you
know what your career goals are? Do
you want to make your family proud by
being successful at college? These types of goals remind you of why you are in
college and can help you move through difficult or challenging courses. They also
can help you motivate yourself through difficult times when your studies become
hard to manage. Knowing your long-range goal can help persist so that you can
reach your objectives.
Make a Plan In order to meet those goals, you need to think about what is
required for you to attain your goals. You have enrolled in college and signed up
for the requisite classes, which is a great start. You can also plan for jobshadowing and apprenticeship opportunities which will put you in contact with
those already in your field of choice. Research what steps you need to take to
make your career goals a reality in the future.
Short-range goals. These are your day-to-day or weekly goals. What do
you want to accomplish by the end of the day? What is your plan for the week?
What are your upcoming tests and assignments? How much time to you need to
study and work on these assignments? How can I plan to fit everything in to my
existing schedule? Short-range goals help you stay focused on immediate tasks
15
and schedule time to complete them. These are the “now” tasks that you can’t
really put off for very long if you want to be successful.
Make a Plan every week. The end of one week is a great time to plan the
upcoming week. Look ahead at assignments, classes, job responsibilities, and
don’t forget to include a little down time. Writing down your plan for the week
reduces wasted and thoughtless use of your time and helps focus your attention
on your priorities for meeting your long-range goals.
Make a Plan every day. Just like planning a week, day planning can best
be done at the end of the previous day. What were you not able to accomplish?
What needs more attention that you didn’t expect? While these things are fresh in
your mind, take a few minutes to plan when to do each task on your list.
Start each day knowing what you need to do, and then do it! You’ll be surprised
how much you can accomplish with a reasonable plan!
Few colleges will treat you like you are still in high school and that’s a good thing!
College is different. Whether you are managing your time, disciplining yourself,
planning for your future, or scheduling out your day or week, you must develop
these skills if you are expecting to be successful at the college level. These skills
also transfer to the work place, and you will be wise to make it a point to develop
these habits and grow while you are here in college. Now that you know this, you
can begin to work on being your best self.
❸
❸
Assignment Next
16
Assignment 3: Quiz: How College is Different from High
School
Preview Quiz 3 below. Then click on this Quiz 3 link to access your live
quiz which will be graded. You will need your username and password to
access the live quiz.
1. The outline of a course and upcoming dates, assignments, and assessments is
called a(n)
a. Calendar
b. Agenda
c. Syllabus
d. Program
e. Schema
2. Typically, you will be given time in class to complete assignments and projects.
a. True
b. False
3. A calendar can help you
a. Coordinate your school, work, and family commitments
b. Keep track of your assignments and due dates for multiple classes
c. Reduce your stress level
d. Identify scheduling conflicts and tests and papers from multiple classes
scheduled for the same day.
e. All of the above
4. The amount of time I should expect to spend completing assignments or studying
is
a. One half hour for every hour in class.
b. One hour for every hour in class.
c. Two hours for every hour in class.
d. Two to four hours for every hour in class.
17
5. One of the most important ideas of this section is that in college,
a. …you must be smart to be successful.
b. …you must learn how to manage your own time and be your own
advocate.
c. …students should expect similar requirements as experienced in high
school.
d. …your parents and professors will help you to be successful.
Quiz: Chapter 3 Score: _____/5 = ___________%
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~Chapter Four~
Anxiety in Math and Other STEM Courses
and
How to Overcome It.
“Fear stops a lot of people. Fear of failure, of the unknown, of risk. And it masks
itself as procrastination.”
―Lisa Anderson
“We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action. Fear is Nature’s
way of warning us to get busy”
―Dr. Henry Link
PURPOSE 1: Understand why you might be anxious about your math or other
STEM class.
PURPOSE 2: How to reduce your anxiety.
Assignment: Matching Causes of Math and STEM Anxiety with Possible Solutions
We learned in the Chapter 1 that Mathematics
and other STEM courses such as Chemistry,
Biology, and Physics have higher failure rates
than other freshmen courses in college. Many
people are intimidated by these subjects.
They fear these classes so much that they
change majors to avoid having to take these
classes, even though they are perfectly capable of learning the material. Anxiety
19
can make students forgetful, increase mistakes, and decrease confidence in their
abilities. What makes people so afraid of STEM classes, especially math classes?
Top 10 Reasons students have Math Anxiety. Many of these anxiety-inducing
reasons find their way into other STEM classes. If you recognize yourself in any of
these descriptions, use the suggestions to try to reduce your anxiety: Fortunately,
all of the reasons for anxiety listed below have a solution if you are willing to make
a change in how you approach learning math or other STEM courses.
1. Fear of the Unknown: When new concepts are not understood yet, people
have a fear that the unknown ideas are complicated and difficult to
comprehend. Greek letters and other unfamiliar symbols present a
mysterious and anxiety-inducing quality to advanced mathematics study. In
reality, the symbols are often shortcut notations for simple series of math
steps that when understood, are not so difficult after all. New concepts and
skills become more familiar and easier to understand once you give
yourself time to integrate the ideas into what you already know.
Solution: Have patience with yourself. Realize that your professor will
introduce concepts in a logical order, and that the unfamiliar parts will
become a more common part of your knowledge base as you work through
practice problems and assignments. If you continue to be confused, don’t
hesitate. Instead, obtain help right away, either with a friend, with a tutor, at
your school’s help center, or with your instructor. Practice each unfamiliar
process until it becomes comfortable. Building a strong foundation at the
beginning of a semester can smooth the way towards success for the rest of
your semester.
20
2. Teacher Criticism: Negative comments
from teachers can have a profound effect
on a student’s attitude towards learning
math, contributing to anxiety felt years
later. If you have experienced this, you
know that harmful criticism can severely
damage your perception of your abilities. Realize that the teacher making
such comments has only a limited view of your skills and aptitudes, and
cannot accurately evaluate your actual skills.
Solution: Realize your teacher does not know you now. Keep in mind that
as you grow older and as your mind matures, you are able to do things that
were difficult for you at an earlier age. You are a different person now than
you were when these comments were made, and you most likely have
developed new skills and attitudes since then. The comments are most
likely not valid for you at this time. Make a determined effort to tune out the
negative comments from the past.
3. Prior Negative Encounter in a Math Class: Related to the reason above,
many anxious math students can point to one or more experiences with a
math course or a math teacher that scared them, embarrassed them, or
destroyed any confidence they once had with their abilities. Working
problems on the board, being called on for answers in class, and even math
games are all opportunities to be publicly shamed. You are not alone. We
all want to avoid public humiliation.
Solution: Realize that you are now in a class in which you can put in the
required effort to make the best of your learning situation, and there are
resources at your school and online to help you! College-level learning
does require more independent work. You must acknowledge and act on
that understanding to be successful. Become your own advocate, and
actively seek out assistance when you need it. You are not alone in asking
21
for help. Most college students seek some assistance in their classes,
especially in their math or other STEM classes.
4. Holes or Gaps in Prior Learning:
Some students have missed big
ideas, such as working with
fractions, so they struggle more
with applying those ideas to more
abstract and algebraic processes.
This often happens when a student
has missed school for an extended period of time or when the language of
the classroom is not the primary language of the student. Your high school
may have disregarded important topics you are expected to know. This
does not mean you have a lower ability in math
Solution: Determine to identify weak areas in your background knowledge
and use available resources to freshen up your knowledge and
understanding in these areas. The internet is a great tool to use. The free
website, Khan Academy (khanacademy.org), is great for catching up on
specific areas. For example, type in the key words for the topic you are
interested in, such as “Adding Fractions” or “Graphing Quadratics.” You
can then watch a short instructional video and have a chance to practice the
basic knowledge you can apply to your current math problems. You also
have the option of going to your school’s help center, hiring a tutor, or
enlisting the help of a friend or classmate to assist you. Remember, it is up
to you to be your own advocate to address these shortfalls if they exist. You
are probably more receptive to understanding the concepts now that you
are older.
22
5. Insufficient Course Background: High school coursework and lower-level
demands for learning may not have prepared you for the requirements of
your current college-level course, leaving you feeling inadequate and more
anxious. This may be especially true after the covid lockdowns.
Solution: Despite your background coursework and knowledge, you can
make up ground with the right
time and resources available to
you at your school. The solution to
this problem is two-fold. First,
determine which are the specific
topics you have not studied in
earlier math classes. Use the
techniques in the above solution to the gaps in learning, Reason #4, to fill in
the gaps you have experienced in your earlier studies. Secondly,
determine to meet the increased level and pace of your more rigorous class
with strategies that help you to manage the extra time you need to be
successful. If you are not used to the workload, use your calendar to plan
frequent and short study time around your classes, so that you have
sufficient time to digest new material and review earlier concepts. Make a
concerted effort to stay current with concepts and assignments, because
falling behind the class can be nearly impossible to remedy.
6. Lack of Fluency in Math Facts: Those who have not learned their math
facts well, especially the multiplication tables (in other words, those who are
calculator-dependent), find they are slower than others in their class who
memorized them. You just can’t see the relationships between numbers
easily without the aid of a calculator. Finding common factors of two or
more coefficients is one example of when knowing your math facts helps
you work through problems. Timed tests for math facts such as addition or
multiplication tables have increased anxiety for many people. The pressure
23
to quickly recite math facts have given young students the incorrect idea
that speed is all important, and that math is not their best subject. When
you don’t know your math facts well, your brain is distracted by trying to
remember them and it is harder to focus on the new ideas of the abstract
concepts you are being taught in your class. Even though you will find
math easier to do and understand if you know your multiplication and
addition facts, you still have a capacity to reason, estimate, see patterns,
relate quantities, and problem-solve.
Solution: Take a few minutes every day to run through your multiplication
facts if you are very rusty. You can find many practice programs online. Try
timestables.com for one website. You will find them easier to memorize
now that you are older, and you may even recognize patterns in math that
help you with more complicated calculations. For example, multiplication
facts are especially helpful when factoring larger numbers, algebraic
expressions, and equations. Even if you must depend on a calculator to
work out simple calculations at first, realize that you probably have good
reasoning and problem-solving skills that are not totally dependent on
reciting math facts, but knowing them can make your math work easier and
faster.
7. Language and Reading Issues: Word problems have been misery for
many a math student, even ones without language or reading difficulties.
Language or reading can create a lot more anxiety about the math
involved. Students with these problems are not sure they understand the
situation, making it difficult to know what they should do to solve the
problem. Language barriers can make class time more confusing and
complicated. Math textbook explanations and computer interfaces may
use unfamiliar math-specific vocabulary and a reading or language
problem can make this worse.
24
8. Solution: Current technologies can help with reading comprehension and
translation into first languages. Keep a
running glossary of commonly used terms
so you can quickly find definitions and
translations. You also might partner with a
friend who speaks the same language as
you so you can piece together the meaning
behind explanations for solving problems and understanding and solving
word problems.
8. No Fakery Allowed: The requirement to “show your work” can more
easily expose students’ lack of understanding and makes students feel
vulnerable and anxious. You might
have been in a situation where you
have no idea where to begin when
solving a problem, and this leads to
thinking that you might have to leave
the problem blank. However,
practice gives you the opportunity to
see that the first step will seem to
present itself if you can practice. Each step will lead to more simple ones as
you work through the process.
Solution: Warning: You cannot claim to KNOW how to work a math
problem simply by watching someone else do it. There is no substitute for
your own personal practice. You will be expected to work problems on a
test or quiz, so it is imperative that you are able to work assignment
problems on your own. Your assignments are your best opportunity to
practice how to approach a problem. Your effort and time spent positively
influences your ability to become proficient, lowering your stress level.
25
9. Studying for Math and Other STEM Classes is Different: The way you
study for math is different than studying for other classes. Math and other
STEM courses requires practicing your skills. The time required to
understand a concept is different for each individual and idea being
learned. In other words, students must make the necessary time to work at
understanding. Sometimes learning and understanding is not a neat or
consistent process, and varies from one person to the next, and from one
concept to another. Knowing that you need more time now and then
should help with reducing your anxiety.
Solution: Math and other STEM classes are performance-based subjects.
Other performance-based areas of study are music and athletics. We draw
conclusions about how to become better skilled at music and athletics
through spending time practicing. The same is true for math and other
STEM subject skills. They need to be practiced and then applied.
10. Process is Emphasized over Memorization: Math is a process-based
subject, and memorization is usually not emphasized. Chemistry and
Physics are similar in that there are problems to work. You have to
understand the process to be able to apply it to new situations. Often, you
must use prior knowledge to work your way through a difficult, multi-step
problem. Your instructor emphasizes the importance of the process when
he or she gives credit for the steps you use
Solution: Recognition of when and how to use algebraic processes
becomes easier with practice. The more you familiarize yourself with the
processes used in the math or STEM subject you are studying, the easier
those processes become. You will also more readily be able to determine
when these processes apply to what situations.
❹
❹
Assignment Next
26
Assignment 4: Quiz—Matching Causes and Solutions for Math and
STEM Anxiety
Preview Quiz 4 below. Then click on this Quiz 4 link to access your
live quiz which will be graded. You will need your username and
password to access the live quiz.
Matching Causes with Solutions: For each of the reasons in the left column that
contribute to Math and STEM Anxiety, find a matching solution in the right
column.
_____ 1.
Holes or gaps in
prior learning
a. Math and STEM courses use the learning
principles of practice and rehearsal. Math and
STEM require applications of ideas in new
situations. This is different from other courses
that require more rote memorization.
_____ 2.
Past teacher
criticism
b. You will be given problems you haven’t seen
before on tests. Understanding the processes
used to solve these problems is essential. Time
and effort spent with the steps you need to
learn makes them easier to use and apply.
_____ 3.
Lack of fluency
in math facts
c. First, determine what holes or gaps you have.
Secondly, plan for extra time to catch up. Make
use of the learning support systems on your
campus or use internet or on-campus resources
to fill in the learning gaps you may have.
_____ 4.
Understanding a
process is
necessary
d. If your earlier coursework was less rigorous
or if you didn’t do well in your prior classes, now
is the time to increase your pace and learning
strategies that will help you manage the extra
time and effort you need to be successful.
_____ 5.
Language and
reading issues
e. You can’t get by with just being able to
recognize good problem-solving (like in your
class). You must be able to problem-solve for
yourself. You will know how to problem-solve
when you practice independently.
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_____ 6.
Fear of the
unknown
f. Find a good translator, or work with another
student who does not have language or reading
issues. Also create a glossary of commonly
used terms.
_____ 7.
Insufficient
course
background
g. Realize that the teacher making such
comments has only a limited view of your
situation, skills, and aptitudes in the past.
_____ 8.
Earlier negative
experience in
math
h. Begin each study session reviewing
multiplication and addition facts, especially
ones with which you are rusty.
_____ 9.
You can’t easily
fake math
knowledge
i. “Scary-looking” symbols are introduced in a
logical order. You will become more
comfortable and familiar as you use them.
_____10. Learning math
and STEM is
different
j. Your prior bad experience is in the past.
Realize that today, you are in control of your
learning. You are a different person now and
can actively seek school resources whenever
you need help. Most college students do this.
Quiz: Chapter 4 Score: _____/10 = ___________%
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~Chapter Five~
Assessing Your Learning Practices, Part 2
Checking on Progress
“Our progress, the realization of our dreams, and the quality of our life depend
directly on the level of our commitment to the process.”
― Dr. Prem Jagyasi
PURPOSE: Re-evaluate current learning practices to document changes in
strengths and weaknesses.
Assignment: Take the Way to Succeed® Assessment #2 and analyze Results and
corrective Actions.
Video: Taking your second Way to Succeed® Learning Assessment
Video: Understanding Your Learning Assessment 2 Results Report
Now that you have been in your classes for a few weeks, you probably have
developed some strategies that have helped you to learn better. Your learning
strategies have most likely improved, but there is always room to grow. Learning
how to learn is a process that will continue to develop over time.
The Way to Succeed® method works in two distinct ways. First, when reading the
statements, you are exposed to and think about learning in ways you may not
have thought about before. Just contemplating new ideas and self-reflecting on
your own current practices can bring about changes in the way you approach
learning for this class.
Second, Way to Succeed® analyzes your unique set of answers and can identify
inefficient learning practices that may be holding you back. The survey results
also detect those practices that are beneficial to your learning. The personalized
recommendations for actions are tailored for your specific results. They give you
practical ways you can adjust what you are doing so you can be more successful.
29
By acting on these recommendations, you can avoid the struggle and lack of
success many students have encountered with the content in your current class.
These recommendations can be used to help you to be successful in any of your
classes, whether online or in person.
The purpose of this second learning assessment is to
1. See if you have improved in any of the nine areas Way to Succeed®
measures that have been shown by research to maximize learning.
2. Fine tune your learning practices so you can continue to improve your
level of achievement in this class.
3. Determine if you have any new strengths to celebrate or new
weaknesses to work on.
Some of the questions you will encounter will be the same, but some will be
different, based on the answers you gave for Assessment 1. Please remember:
•
•
•
Be as honest as you can when evaluating yourself and your learning
practices. You will not be graded on your score, only that you completed
the assessment on time. Your results will be of no value to you if they don’t
reflect your real and current learning behaviors.
It is a good thing that you don’t remember how you answered your
questions from a few weeks ago. You are a different learner now, and your
current learning practices are probably different too.
Think of the new assessment as a “snapshot” of your current approach to
learning. Then use the “Compare” graph in the results page to see how
you have changed over the last few weeks.
❺
❺
Assignment Next
30
Assignment Chapter 5: Way to Succeed® Assessment 2
Assignment:
1. View the Video “Taking Your Second Way to Succeed® Learning Assessment.”
2. Click on the Assessment link below to begin Assessment 2. You will need your
username and password.
Take Assessment 2
3. Once you are done, follow the link on the end screen to see your results. You
can use the video “Understanding Your Learning Assessment 2 Results Report” to
help you interpret your scores.
4. Look at all your scores and check out your three top scores (strengths) and
three lowest scores (weaknesses) highlighted at the bottom of the results page.
By clicking on the [ANALYZE] button, you can read about what your experiences
might be with your strengths and weaknesses. Do these descriptions sound
familiar to you?
5. To get a visual of your results, click on the GRAPH button. Here you will see
your score as a dot on a modified box and whisker plot for each category. Since
this is your second assessment, you can now click on the GRAPH, and then GRAPH
OVER TIME button. This shows both sets of scores. You might see that you have
improved in several areas since your first assessment.
6. Look at the ACTIONS on the Results page. Select ONE or TWO associated
actions for each of your three lowest categories you could reasonably try over the
next few weeks in your math or STEM class. These Actions should make sense to
you, so they will be easier to put into practice. Try your selected ACTIONS over
the next several weeks that will help you become a better learner in this class.
7. Click on the ACTION PLAN button at the top of the page. You can print your
Action Plan and highlight your selected ACTIONS so you can refer to your plan
often during the next few weeks.
Assignment: Chapter 5 Score: Completion of Way to Succeed®
Assessment and Action Plan (100%)
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~Chapter Six~
Note-Taking 101 and
Improving Test Scores in STEM
(Online & In-Person Classes)
“I’ll write down little lines, I always say, ‘K.T.N.’ and I say that to my receivers and
running backs and that means ‘keep taking notes.’ That keeps me alert. That
keeps me going. That keeps my drive there, even when you’re taking notes on
something that you’ve already taken notes on a million times – keep taking notes.”
--Russel Wilson
PURPOSE 1: Understand how to develop quality note-taking skills.
PURPOSE 2: Know how to prepare effectively for tests.
Assignment: Multiple Choice Quiz: Taking Notes, Studying, and Taking Tests
You will face many tests in your college career. What are some ways to maximize
your scores? If you have been keeping up with lessons or classes and have
completed your outside assignments, you are on your way to doing well. Here are
a few suggestions that should build on your ability to get a great grade on your
next assessment.
Before the Test:
Preparation for tests begins long before you deliberately begin studying for it.
The background experiences in your course, such as class lectures,
demonstrations, labs, readings, practice assignments, projects, and the like, all
32
contribute to your knowledge of the material that is to be covered on the test or
other assessment. Typically, your professor wants you to experience what he or
she knows will help you learn the material best.
Your best preparation begins here, when
you attend every class and complete all
readings and written assignments and
projects. Class time is best used for
listening to and recording your instructor
or the online lecture. Digital recording is
one way to make a record of your class, but
there are many advantages to writing down
a record of what went on in class. Let’s look at a few of these, and why these are
more beneficial to your learning than merely video- or audio-recording the
lecture.
Taking Notes 101:
Many students leave high school with few skills in taking notes. Perhaps this is
because notetaking is not always necessary in high school. Many high school
students can be successful without taking notes. However, as we have seen in
Chapter 3, college and high school are different. The pace is quicker, and
students typically are expected to know more content for each test or quiz.
Without notes from class or while studying, you may find that you can’t remember
everything you need to perform well on your class tests.
Preparing for your tests begins in your classroom or in your online lesson. That’s
where good notetaking can help you remember what you need to know.
Here is what quality notetaking is NOT:
•
Quality notetaking is NOT taking photos with your phone of the example
problems worked by the instructor
33
Why? You are not following the procedure line by line as your instructor
explains it. Looking at your pictures later is a little like reading a textbook,
but without the sidebar notes. It also is hard to find the relevant picture in
your phone at a later time.
•
Quality notetaking is NOT waiting to write notes only when you see a
problem you don’t know
Why? You probably won’t know if you understand how to do an example
problem ahead of time. Take notes on ALL the problems presented in
class. These are the ones your instructor is emphasizing, and similar ones
will most likely be on tests.
•
Quality notetaking is NOT skipping writing steps that you already
understand in examples worked in class
Why? Having incomplete steps in your notes can be confusing if you forget
how you got from one step to the next, and researching that missing step
can be difficult. With complete steps, you can smoothly follow the logic of
the process long after your class is over.
•
Quality notetaking is NOT just listening to instead of writing down the
explanation of a problem worked by your instructor
Why? The instructor will often point out places where students typically
have trouble in a given problem. More importantly, the explanation he or
she gives is a way to think about how to approach a problem. Your
instructor is an expert in solving problems you are supposed to learn, and
the thought processes behind starting and completing a problem can be
invaluable to someone just learning these processes. Writing the steps and
the explanation if you have time, is a way to provide you with three different
ways information moves into your long-term memory; auditory, visual, and
34
kinesthetic modalities. The more modalities you can use when learning, the
easier it will be for you to retain and remember information or processes.
•
Quality notetaking is NOT depending on another’s notes so you don’t have
to write anything in class (or even go to class).
Why? There is no substitute for paying attention in class while you attend
your class. Someone else’s random notes are not the same as an expert’s
(your instructor’s) planned lesson for the day, which probably includes
examples with explanations, questions from other students,
announcements, and suggestions for what to do for tricky problems. Your
instructor might also remind you of upcoming tests, quizzes, or other
assignments.
Notes completed in class, even your own, are often hastily written, and can
be incomplete or hard to read. Furthermore, if you are not there, you have
not listened to the explanation by the instructor. Your best bet is to attend
class for yourself, taking your own notes, listening to the instructor, and
rewriting your own notes right after class if your notes are disorganized or
messy.
Rewriting and reorganizing notes can help you process the new information
better, helping you remember in the future. Studies have shown that
students who take the time to rewrite notes from class remember the
information better than students who don’t. Better notes also mean that
you have a better resource to use later when completing assignments and
when studying for tests and final exams.
•
Quality notetaking is NOT ignoring the definitions and explanations in your
textbook, online, or elsewhere.
Why? The terms used by the author of your text or E-text are part of the
common language of the subject you are studying. You need to be familiar
with this vocabulary so that the explanations given in class or in your
35
readings will not be confusing to you. You also can be more efficient when
you use the correct terminology in speaking and writing.
Why is notetaking important? Research has shown that the students who take
few or no notes at all while in class score lower on tests and have a lower final
grade than those students who take
quality notes. Non-note takers are
also more likely to drop out than
note-takers. Several factors explain
why this happens.
First: You are developing a
good resource. Note-taking is
a good way to recall what was covered in class or in your online lesson and
can become an important resource for you. No one can remember
everything from class, but good, sequential notes can help you remember
more. You can use these notes to review for tests and final exams.
Second: You will know what is important. The instructor and online
demonstrations usually demonstrate example problems that are either
involve good, foundational processes, areas in which students typically
have trouble, or both. Quality notes coming from class or online problems
are typically important processes to know and understand.
Third: Taking notes helps you focus. The notetaking process itself helps
you pay close attention to the sequences and progression of thoughts and
logic within a particular example. This will help you better understand the
ideas used to find solutions. You will be less likely to daydream or miss
important ideas when you actively focus on and record what is going on in
class. When working online, the tendency is to read over examples, without
really thinking about the process. By rewriting notes and examples and
thinking deeply about the problem-solving methods involved, you are
36
helping your brain process the new information, making it easier to
remember later.
Fourth: Notetaking improves engagement and motivation. Your active
participation in class and the effort you put forth to write a record of class
can be motivational for you when you find you have created quality
resources for yourself. You will be more positive towards your learning
when you know what is going on in your class and note-taking helps that
happen. When you become pro-active
in your learning, you generate your
own energy, motivation, and control
over your learning situation.
Should I take notes in my notebook or on
my laptop? Hand-written notes are the clear
winner in this case. Laptop notes are better
than no notes at all. However, you should
consider four things.
1. Math and other STEM classes use a lot of symbols and ask you to work a
lot of problems. These are difficult and slow to accurately type on a computer.
Students using this note-taking model tend to spend more time figuring out how
to type the problems than paying attention to the process of solving the example
problems worked in class. Using a pencil and paper for taking notes in STEM
classes is the most efficient method.
2. The temptation to check email or watch a video during class can be
strong, especially when your instructor can’t see what’s on your screen. You are
not really “getting away” with anything, since you will not be using your time in
class to your advantage. The distractions on your computer are not beneficial to
your learning, and you can miss important content and other information.
3. Research has demonstrated that hand-written notes result in greater
recall than typed notes. Because writing is often slower than typing, students must
37
sift through a lot of information during class, forcing them to be more selective in
what is written in their notes. The thought processes of summarizing and decisionmaking when writing notes is associated with a greater ability to remember what
was covered in class.
4. Typing everything an instructor says word for word draws your attention
away from the meaning of the words, forcing you to focus on transcribing the
lecture. This reduces your understanding and recall, especially when working with
abstract concepts or applications of ideas. You probably won’t read a word-forword transcript of the class later anyway.
For more ideas, check out the Note-Taking Guide for Math and STEM classes at
the top of the Results page of any of your Way to Succeed© Assessments. Select
a couple of new ideas to think about or try during your next class.
Studying Before the Test (…and how do you “study” for math and
STEM anyway?)
Studying involves (A) improving your knowledge (terminology, understanding
new concepts, and finding relationships between old and new material) and (B)
improving your skill (applying your knowledge to solving problems, fluency with
the problem-solving process, applying strategies and logical thinking to solve
unfamiliar problems)
1. Study early. Start studying for your upcoming test at least a week before your
scheduled test so you have time for extra
help if you need it and you have time for
re-learning of important concepts. Write
or type in your tests in your calendar and
then back up a week or so and add times
specifically for studying for each test.
38
You may have other continuing assignments for your class that you need to
complete as well.
2. Take practice tests. The number one way to improve your test score is to take
practice tests. Research has shown that the number of practice tests a student
takes positively correlates with their test score. Practice tests, when done enough
in advance, give you the opportunity to address weak areas and get extra help in
specific skills. Aim to take two or three, available online, in a test bank at your
math help center, or in your online or print textbook. Programs like Khan
Academy have short quizzes on specific content. Select several of these if your
test covers more than one topic.
3. Rework difficult homework problems. If you haven’t done so yet, complete
any unfinished homework assignments. The assigned problems give you a good
idea of what you are supposed to know and provide the necessary practice to
become part of your working knowledge.
4. Get together with others. You can help each other with tough concepts, and
make sure you are covering all the important concepts that you will see on the test
and perhaps share helpful resources.
5. Work independently. Even though
it is great to get together with others, it
is not a substitute for studying
independently. After all, you will be
working independently on your test.
You need to make sure that you can
complete answers to your practice
problems without hints or assistance.
6. Visit the math help center. Your campus has resources, including people
who can explain solutions and usually, a library of practice tests you should be
trying. The tutors there can help you find and correct mistakes and assist you with
making sense of what will be on the test.
39
7. Schedule time for sleep. Rearrange your calendar for your work for other
classes so that you have plenty of sleep the night before the test. You will perform
much better when you are well-rested.
During the Test:
1. Inspect. Look through the test to find the most difficult question. It will usually be
at the end of the test. Read it and think about how to solve. Then go back to the
beginning and work through the rest of the test. Commonly, your subconscious will
be thinking about and working through that difficult problem allowing you to solve it
easier than if you came upon it for the first time at the end of your test.
2. Skip the tough problems. Come back to them later. You may recall a strategy
or method for solving that you had forgotten about at first while working other
problems.
3. Don’t try to rush through., Work at a steady, even pace.
4. Show your work. Write down information and show how you set up and worked
through each problem. Some instructors give partial credit for incomplete or wrong
answers if the work shown was on the right track.
5. Don’t spend too much time on one problem. It is better to skip a problem you
don’t know how to do and come back to it later. You often will remember a strategy
when working on other problems you know how to do.
6. Never leave a blank for an answer. If you have no idea how to solve a
problem, read through and write down important information, draw a sketch of the
situation, or come up with a similar problem with simpler numbers. Sometimes these
strategies will get you moving toward a solution and may earn you partial credit for
open-ended problems. If the problem is multiple choice, select a reasonable answer
if you have to guess.
40
7. Ask if your solution is reasonable. Check to see that your answer is a realistic
one. Use decimal conversions for fractions, trig functions, or radians and check those
against the initial situation. Often you can plug your answer back in to the problem to
see that your solution “works.”
❻
❻
Assignment Next
41
Assignment 6: Quiz: Taking Notes, Studying, and Taking
Tests
Preview Quiz 6 below. Then click on this Quiz 6 link to access your
live quiz which will be graded. You will need your username and
password to access the live quiz.
Select the best answer for each item.
1. Some ways to review for a test include which of the following:
a. Make sure you can complete all problems in your homework
assignments.
b. Create your own review assignment and complete it.
c. Review your class notes.
d. Complete the chapter summary in your textbook or online program.
e. All of the above
2. Note-taking helps you…
a. …remember what your instructor covered in class.
b. …make a reference for subsequent study sessions.
c. …know what the most important concepts are to learn.
d. …collect an orderly and representative assortment of sample of
problems from which you can refer to when working assignments
and studying for tests.
e. All of the above
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3. Online classes note-taking is something some students don’t think is
necessary because most students want to get working on the homework problems
in the section right away. You can benefit from taking notes in online classes
because note-taking in online classes…
a. …allows you to set your own pace for your instruction
b. …makes your learning more efficient by writing down and working
through example problems before working on homework problems on
your own.
c. …provides you with a written record of example problems and solutions
to refer to without having to back out of your assignment every time you
are unsure.
d. …is more efficient when you have “pre-learned” the expectations in the
chapter.
e. All of the above
4. A good idea is to put a heading at the top of your notes for each day. You
should include these heading topics EXCEPT:
a. Your name
b. The date
c. The chapter and unit from the curriculum
d. The topic
5. When you actively take quality notes for each class, you are taking control of
your own learning.
a. True
b. False
6. A laptop is the preferred method for writing notes in math and problembased STEM classes because it’s so much faster than writing notes by hand.
a. True
b. False
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7. Research has shown that students who write notes by hand remember more
than students who type their notes in a computer.
a. True
b. False
8. Good reasons for taking notes in your class include all of these below
EXCEPT:
a. Active participation by taking notes promotes control over your
learning.
b. Taking notes help you pay attention in class.
c. You can remember things better when you take notes in class.
d. Typing everything the instructor says helps you remember the
content better.
e. You can use your notes as a reference when working on
assignments and when studying for tests and final exams.
9. Quality preparation for tests should involve:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Taking practice tests and correcting mistakes
Re-working homework examples and problems
Working with peers and/or with the campus tutoring center
All of the above
a and c only
10. The benefits of beginning to study for a test at least a week before the test
include:
a. It prepares you to stay up late and cram the night before the test
b. It allows you time to take practice tests and additional time to
analyze, and correct mistakes.
c. It allows you to skip current homework assigned right before the test for
other classes.
d. all of the above
Quiz: Chapter 6 Score: _____/10 = ___________%
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~Chapter Seven~
Error Analysis
Evaluating Each Test Yields
Better Understanding
“Mistakes are their own instructors.”
―Horace
“Even mistakes can be wonderful.”
―Robin Williams
PURPOSE: Recognize the value of analyzing mistakes to improve learning and
academic achievement.
Assignment: Multiple Choice Quiz: Analyzing Your Mistakes
When you get your first test back, the temptation is to either file it in the trash, or
shove it in your backpack, never to be seen again. But your tests, mistakes and all,
hold critical and personally relevant information
that can be beneficial to your understanding of
the current and future content in your course.
By clarifying your knowledge of past content,
you can correct misconceptions, give yourself a
solid foundation for upcoming new material,
and maximize your final exam score at the end
of the term.
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Error Analysis.
One of the most valuable things you can do to improve your performance in this
class is to analyze your mistakes on each test. Even though you are now most
likely working through this eBook in the middle of the college term, your future
success will depend on how well you know previous content. After all, you will be
using early concepts as a foundation for upcoming content and will have a final
exam that covers the whole course. By correcting mistakes on early material, you
will positively affect your performance throughout the rest of your course and
beyond.
The next page shows how one
student thought through mistakes on
her most recent test. You can see
that she does not write a lot, but
thinks carefully about each error
using the possible reason (or
reasons) in the list below.
Reasons for Mistake (there may be more than one).
Use the letter or letters of the reasons in the last column.
P = PROCEDURE. I didn’t follow the correct procedure to solve the
problem.
F = FORGOT. I forgot specific facts or formulas required to solve this
problem.
U = UNDERSTAND. I did not fully understand the concept or big idea of
the problem.
M = MISREAD. I misunderstood or misread the question.
S = SENSIBLE. I did not check to see if my answer made sense.
R = RUSH. I rushed through the test and made a careless mistake.
T = TIRED. I was too tired and didn’t try as hard.
B = BLANK. I left the answer blank.
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What do I do with this information? When you have discovered why you missed
problems on the test, you should come up with solutions so that you can avoid the
same kind of mistakes on the next test. Below are some ideas, but perhaps you
could come up with other, more personal solutions that make more sense to you
and your present situation.
If your reasons (last column) were a lot of the letter…
P = PROCEDURE (I didn’t follow the correct procedure to solve the problem).
Your best bet is to review how to work basic procedural problems so that you can
perform the algorithms necessary for a correct answer. Algorithms is a fancy word
for mathematical procedures, fluently and correctly. If you are having trouble
47
identifying your errors, you might have another student, your instructor, or tutor
help you to decide what exactly you are doing that is incorrect. Then you can fix
the issue with a little practice.
F = FORGOT (I forgot specific facts or formulas required to solve this
problem). You may need to better memorize commonly used formulas or brush
up on your multiplication or addition tables. You might buy or create a set of flash
cards for your math facts or play some math fact games on your computer. For
the formulas you needed, practice writing them at the top of each of your
homework pages. These formulas will work as a reference and will also help you
memorize them when writing them often.
U = UNDERSTAND (I did not fully understand the concept or big idea of the
problem). This indicates that your learning was superficial. Understanding the
“why” behind procedures and how to apply concepts help to deepen your
learning. Try to focus on the rationale behind each step, and not just the
memorization of what to do next. Word problems can show you how the concepts
can be applied. Seeing the usefulness and real-world meaning of concepts can
help you learn these concepts better.
M = MISREAD (I misunderstood or misread the question). It’s possible you
were not familiar with the vocabulary or skipped over directions altogether. Before
a test, make sure you have reviewed the new vocabulary for the unit, and are
familiar with the language common to the subject. For example, knowing what it
means to “factor,” “find a common denominator,” or “derive” is important for
choosing the correct procedure needed to arrive at the right answer.
Another simple correction is carefully read each question or set of directions so
you answer the question that is being asked. Many students skim over directions
or read incomplete directions and can get questions wrong even though they had
the knowledge and skills to answer the question correctly. They just didn’t read
carefully. Don’t fall into that trap!
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S = SENSIBLE (I did not check to see if my answer made sense or was
sensible) This is something that is difficult to do in some math courses. You
should be able to make a reasonable guess for a potential answer. If that is
difficult, you should be able to “plug” your answer in the given problem to see if it
makes sense.
R = RUSH (I rushed through the test and made a careless mistake) Pacing your
work may have been the problem here. There is little benefit to hurrying to finish
a test well before the time allowed is up. One solution to pacing issues is to count
out the number of problems and divide the time you have by that number, giving
you a rough idea of how long you should spend on each problem. Then, work
steadily and carefully without breaks for daydreaming. If you do finish a test
before time is up, use the extra time allowed to check answers and to determine if
your answers are reasonable.
T = TIRED (I was too tired and didn’t try as hard) Perhaps this category is a
collection of issues from many of the above. “Tired and confused” can result from
not preparing for the test adequately and not getting enough sleep. Make an
effort to control your study time for all your classes using the [Actions] in your
student results page so that one class doesn’t overtake all the time for your other
classes, leaving you with poor test preparation and no sleep.
B = BLANK (I left the answer blank) This could be the other end of the pacing
problem of rushing. You might have been working too slowly through throughout
the test so you couldn’t finish the whole test in the time allowed. This can be an
issue of “fluency,” the smooth command of the algorithms needed, a readiness
and assurance of the procedures used to answer the questions on the test.
Another possible reason for blanks is that too much time was spent on one or two
difficult problems and you didn’t have adequate time to complete everything else.
If this situation was yours, you need to remind yourself to skip over difficult
questions so you can complete the ones with which you are more comfortable
and come back to the more challenging problems at the end of the test.
49
Perhaps you didn’t know how to start a problem, and left the answer blank for that
reason. How do you fix that? Prepare yourself better before the next test for by
practicing each kind of problem until you are comfortable and confident in your
ability to solve it. This takes time and effort, but it is well worth it.
You may find that re-reading the test-taking portion of Chapter 6 would be a
valuable exercise because you have now become aware of specific reasons for
your mistakes. Modifying how you approach test-taking will lead to improved
scores on future tests.
❼
❼
Assignment Next
50
Assignment Chapter 7: Error Analysis
Preview Quiz 7 below. Then click on this Quiz 7 link to access your
live quiz which will be graded. You will need your username and
password to access the live quiz.
1. Select the most common source of error on your most recent test. If you have two
sources tied for the most common, select the one you think is most important.
P = PROCEDURE. I didn’t follow the correct procedure.
F = FORGOT. I forgot specific facts or formulas required.
U = UNDERSTAND. I did not fully understand the concept or big idea of the
problem.
M = MISREAD. I misunderstood or misread the question.
S = SENSIBLE. I did not check to see if my answers made sense.
R = RUSH. I rushed through the test and made a careless mistake.
T = TIRED. I was too tired and didn’t try as hard.
B = BLANK. I left the answer blank.
2. Awareness of the source of your mistakes can benefit you, because
a) it can guide your future studying to avoid this source of error
b) you will have the opportunity to re-learn past material for which you are still
responsible on future assessments and on the final exam.
c) you may understand better how your instructor creates tests and how he or she
grades your work.
d) All of the above.
3. Three sources of errors that might be related to each other are RUSH, SENSIBLE, and
MISREAD. What is the main conclusion, if these are your sources of error?
a) I needed to practice more problems to get faster.
b) I rushed through my test.
c) I needed to be able to work problems on my own.
d) I stayed up too late the night before the test.
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4. Three sources of errors PROCEDURE, FORGOT, and UNDERSTAND might relate to ….
a) Not getting a good night’s sleep the night before the test.
b) Taking too much time on each problem.
c) Rushing through the test.
d) Insufficient learning and studying.
5. The sources of errors FORGOT, MISREAD, and TIRED can relate to…
a) Not getting a good night’s sleep the night before the test.
b) Taking too much time on each problem.
c) Rushing through the test.
d) Insufficient learning and studying.
Quiz: Chapter 7 Score: _____/5 = ___________%
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~Chapter Eight~
Assessing Your Learning Practices, Part 3
“People applaud for success but find it hard to applaud for the process that goes
behind success. Learn to applaud for your own process. Create your own
Success.”
― Purvi Raniga
PURPOSE: Re-evaluate current learning practices to document changes in
strengths and weaknesses.
Assignment: Take the Way to Succeed® Assessment #3 and Analyze Results and
Corrective Actions.
Video: Taking Your Third Way to Succeed® Learning Assessment
Video: Understanding Your Third Way to Succeed® Results Report
You have come a long way since the beginning of this class! You have
undoubtedly learned a lot in this course and have discovered ways that are more
efficient for making sense of the material in this class. The learning strategies you
are developing can also be applied to all your classes, not just this one.
The primary purpose of a third assessment is to take a picture of how you have
improved over the academic term. This assessment is your opportunity to
1. Obtain a “snapshot” of your current learning practices and to see how
you have changed in your approach to learning over the last several
weeks.
2. Continue to improve your learning practices as you move forward as a
college learner.
53
3. Recognize new areas of strength that can make your learning easier for
the rest of the term and your remaining years as a college student.
4. Identify any weak areas that still need improvement so you can continue
to develop new learning practices that enhance academic success.
Some of the statements you will encounter in the assessment will be the same, but
some will be different, based on your strengths and weaknesses for Assessments
1 and 2. You should recall some important ideas from when you took your
previous assessments:
•
Be as honest as you can when evaluating yourself and your learning
practices. You will still not be graded on your score, only that you
completed the assessment and analysis assignment on time. Your results
will be of no value to you if they don’t reflect your real learning behaviors.
•
It is a good thing that you don’t remember how you answered your
questions from two weeks ago. You are a different learner now, and your
learning practices are probably different than they were earlier in the
academic term.
•
Think of the new assessment as a picture of your approach to learning after
you have experienced this college-level class for seven weeks and applying
the principles discovered in the analyses of your learning using the Way to
Succeed© system.
•
Use the “Compare” graph in the Results page to see how your results have
changed since the first assessment.
❽
❽
Assignment Next
54
Assignment Chapter 8: Way to Succeed® Assessment 3
Assignment:
1. View the Video “Taking Your Third Way to Succeed® Learning Assessment.”
2. Click on the Assessment link below to begin Assessment 3. You will need your
username and password.
Take Assessment 3
3. Once you are done, follow the link on the end screen to see your results. View
the video “Understanding Your Third Way to Succeed® Assessment Results
Report” to know how to interpret your scores.
4. Look at all your scores and check out your three top scores (strengths) and
three lowest scores (weaknesses) highlighted at the bottom of the results page.
By clicking on the [ANALYZE] button, you can read about what your experiences
might be with your strengths and weaknesses. Do these descriptions sound
familiar to you?
5. To get a visual of your results, click on the GRAPH button. Here you will see
your score as a dot on a modified box and whisker plot for each category. Since
this is your third assessment, you can now click on the GRAPH, and then GRAPH
OVER TIME button. This shows all three sets of scores. You might see that you
have improved in several areas since your first and second assessments.
6. Look at the ACTIONS on the Results page. Select ONE or TWO associated
actions for each of your three lowest categories you could reasonably try over the
next few weeks in your math or STEM class. These Actions should make sense to
you, so they will be easier to put into practice. Try your selected ACTIONS over
the next several weeks that will help you become a better learner in this class.
7. Click on the ACTION PLAN button at the top of the page. You can print your
Action Plan and highlight your selected ACTIONS so you can refer to your plan
often during the next few weeks.
Assignment: Chapter 8 Score: Completion of Way to Succeed®
Assessment and Action Plan (100%)
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~Chapter Nine~
Finishing Strong
Preparing for your Final Exams
Self-discipline has a bigger effect on academic performance than does intellectual
talent.
― Charles Duhigg
Success is the sum of small efforts—repeated day in and day out.
―Robert Collier
PURPOSE: Understand how to best approach studying for comprehensive final
exams.
Assignment: Quiz: Matching Quality Exam Preparation Behaviors with Practical
Examples
How to Prepare for your Final Exam: Most courses require you take a final
exam. Usually, the exam is comprehensive. In other words, the exam covers all
the material from the entire course, from the beginning of the class up until the
last topic covered. Sometimes, the more current material is emphasized, but not
always. Preparing for your final exam should begin about three weeks before you
are scheduled to take it. Be sure to write the dates and times of your exams,
materials needed, and locations of all your final exams on your calendar, and then
count back about three weeks. Plan for extra study time for your exams starting
that week in addition to your regular assignments and tests.
Crunch time is upon you! You should expect to put in more time in your studies
during the last few weeks of the term. Your best bet is to make sure you have
56
reacquainted yourself with all the content covered in your course so far, pacing
your time and reviewing in short, concentrated sessions.
Avoid cramming at the last minute. Procrastination and cramming adds to your
anxiety and lowers your ability to maximize your performance on your exams. The
organization with which you began the academic term will really start to pay off at
the end of the term. You should be able to easily access and use
d) Your notes
e) Your assignments you already completed
f) Your tests and quizzes
g) Some sample finals from test banks, if available
h) Any handouts, projects, or other paperwork for this class
Here is a list of quality final exam preparation techniques to keep in mind as your
exams get closer.
1. Collect. Gather all your tests, quizzes, and projects in one place and evaluate
how well you know each component of the course. You are wise to look over
everything your instructor has handed out or presented in this class, especially if
there is an exam study guide. Create a section of your notebook or a special
place on your computer for your tests and quizzes for each of your classes. If
these are not available to you, use the end of chapter or unit section at the end of
each chapter in your textbook or at the end of each unit in your online class. You
might want to photocopy end-of-chapter tests from your text so that they are all in
one place.
2. Don’t Cram. Decide to begin studying early so you don’t have to cram.
Students who wait until the last minute to study are more stressed, remember less,
and perform worse on their exams than those students who begin preparation
early.
3. Plan Your Study Sessions. Divide your review into chapters or sections and
schedule as many practice sessions so you can cover the whole course before the
57
scheduled exam. Plan more time to cover the more difficult topics. Stick to your
plan by writing it in your calendar and following it every day.
4. Get With Others. If you haven’t
already, find a group with which to
study. This doesn’t mean you have to
study only with this group, but a few
sessions with others in the class can help
answer questions you might have, and
can remind you of things you may have
forgotten.
5. Work Independently. Find time to study on your own as well. Group study
sessions can devolve into social events. These sessions can be inefficient, and
may focus on things on which you do not need to focus. Don’t depend solely on
others for studying for your exam, but plan quality time to concentrate
independently on what you need to be successful. Research supports the idea
that putting in study time on your own improves exam scores.
6. Check Out Your Resources. Take advantage of resources on and off campus
such as tutoring centers, test banks, and online instructional websites to help you
through material you have forgotten. Make an appointment with your instructor
for some help if you have a specific topic in mind. Your textbook (online or hard
copy) is usually a great resource that you can utilize as well.
58
7. Push Yourself. Even with the best planning, the end of any term can be
especially demanding and stressful. You must remember to keep up with your
regular tests and assignments that are due before the exam while you are
preparing for your exam.
Your extra time,
preparation, and effort will
pay off. When you plan
ahead, you reduce your
stress level while
maximizing your learning
and recall.
8. Keep Going to Class! Continue to attend your classes regularly and keep up
with your assignments. Regular attendance helps you stay involved with the
current coursework and may provide important information only available in class
you would otherwise miss. By keeping up with your assignments, you are making
your review for the exam easier.
9. Take Practice Exams. Try to schedule a practice exam so you have a few days
to focus your attention on problem areas. Studies have shown that those students
who take practice exams and evaluate their results perform significantly better on
their real exam. To find a practice exam, you might try your library or campus
tutoring center where test banks are often housed. If a practice exam is not
available, create your own using your old tests and quizzes or chapter reviews in
your online or hard copy text. Your study group could also produce a common
practice test for your group to use.
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10. Get Plenty of Sleep. Your efforts will be more efficient when your mind is
well-rested. Pulling all-nighters is tempting, but can actually backfire. Your brain
needs time and rest to synthesize and digest what you are learning. Lack of sleep
can result in poor decision-making, and can make your brain sluggish and
forgetful. Do your best to stick to a sufficient and consistent sleep schedule.
❾
❾
Assignment Next
60
Assignment 9: Quiz—Matching Ideas for Preparing for Final
Exams with Examples
Preview Quiz 9 below. Then
click on this Quiz 9 link to
access your live quiz which will
be graded. You will need your
username and password to
access the live quiz.
Quiz 9: Match the title of the
top 10 ways to prepare for
your exam with a practical
application or example of that
idea.
Idea:
1. Collect Old Tests
1. _____
2. Don’t Cram
2. _____
3. Plan your Study Sessions 3. _____
4. Get with Others
4. _____
5. Work Independently Too 5. _____
6. Check out Resources
6. _____
7. Make an Extra Effort
7. _____
8. Keep Going to Class
8. _____
9. Take Practice Exams
9. _____
10. Get Plenty of Sleep
10. _____
Quiz: Chapter 9 Score:
_____/10 = _______%
A. Adrienne noticed a couple of other students
who attended class regularly, and decided to ask
them about joining her for study sessions.
B. Bob realized that with just a few weeks left in the
academic term, he should work to schedule extra
time and effort to preparing for his exams and cut
back on other less important activities.
C. Carmen set her alarm to remind her to go to bed
at a regular time. Then, she was able to wake up
more refreshed for her classes and had extra time
during the day to study because she didn’t need a
nap.
D. D’Shawn gathered all the tests and quizzes he
took during the academic term, hole-punched
them, and put them in the back of his binder. He
reviewed all the problems from these prior tests.
E. Eric used his online textbook to copy and paste a
practice final exam. He printed it to be able to write
out his work on paper. He also found practice final
exams at the tutoring center on campus.
F. Francine studies by herself to make sure she can
complete all the problems independently without
help or hints from others.
G. Gerald scheduled time to visit the on-campus
tutoring center and made an appointment with his
instructor to go over specific problems.
H. Harriett decided to start studying for her exams
early, so she didn’t have to wait until the last minute
to remember everything.
I. Isaac didn’t always feel like it, but he went to
every class to make sure he didn’t miss any
instruction or announcements about the end of the
semester.
J. Juana took out her calendar and wrote down a
30-minute study session every day for each class to
prepare for her final exams. She knew that many
short sessions were much more beneficial than one
or two longer sessions.
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~TEN~
On the Path to Success
Lessons Learned
“Okay, you've got to do something very difficult. Don't focus on that. Instead
break it down into pieces. Simply do what you need to do right now. And do it
well. And then move on to the next thing. Follow the process and not the prize.”
― Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials
into Triumph
PURPOSE 1: Reflect on changes you have made to your learning practices.
PURPOSE 2: Evaluate the Way to Succeed® program.
Assignment: Complete the Survey: Evaluating learning progress and the
Way to Succeed® program.
The final chapter of the Way to Succeed© eBook gives you the opportunity to
evaluate your personal learning progress, revisit your goals, and provide feedback
on the Way to Succeed© program. Now that you have completed three learning
assessments, you have a better idea where you began in your learning practices,
what your strengths and weaknesses were, and how you have grown in these
areas. Your best advantage in school and in life is still your thoughtful and
conscientious approach to how you manage yourself and your learning.
This is most likely the tenth week of your academic term, and a good time to
reflect on your journey since the beginning early in the semester. It’s also wise to
look ahead to what you still have to accomplish in this course so you can finish
strong.
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This is not the end of your improvements in learning how to learn, however. As
you continue in your education, you will discover new ways to learn that increase
your efficiency and your ability to understand the new material you will encounter.
The important thing to remember is to keep thinking about how you can improve
in your approach to learning so you can maximize your experience in college and
prepare yourself well for you next phase after graduation. The following three
ideas sum up what you have experienced in the past few weeks:
1. Actions change things. You have probably never worked harder or more
independently in school than for your college classes. You probably have found
that in order to be successful, you have to actively participate in your own
learning. You cannot be only a passive observer of what goes on in class.
2. Self-initiative is key. You are your own best motivator. If you want to reach
your goals, you can more easily decide what actions you need take to get there.
Then take those actions!
3. Goals and planning work together. Goals and planning give you a purpose
and pathway for you to follow. The goals are the end result you want, and
planning will give you the day-to-day or semester-by-semester way to get there. It
is up to you to set your own personal goals and to chart your steps needed to
achieve your goals.
❿
❿
Assignment Next
63
Assignment Chapter 10: Final Evaluation of Your Learning
Improvements and the Way to Succeed© Learning Program
You now have a chance to evaluate how you have changed as a
student since beginning this class.
Preview Assignment 10 below. Then click on this Assignment 10
link to access your live assignment which will be scored 100% when
completed. You will need your username and password to access the
live assignment. All your answers, however, will be anonymous.
1. Look at your Results page for your third assessment and click on the “Graph”
button. Then select “Graph Over Time.” What is the single most improved
learning practice category according to your scores in the Way to Succeed ©
Results page?
a) Short-Term Goals
b) Long-Term Goals
c) Metacognition and Strategy Awareness
d) Self-Awareness
e) Effort and Self-Regulation of Learning
f) Use of Strategies
g) Obtaining Outside Help
h) Planning and Organizing Study Space
i) Pacing and Organizing Time
2. What evidence do you see of this in your in your studies? Select all that apply.
a) I now set learning goals for each study session.
b) I now think about whether or not I am learning as I am studying.
c) I now organize my time so I can study more than before.
d) I now set goals for my week.
e) I am more aware of my learning strengths and weaknesses.
(…more choices on the next page)
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f)
My skills in organizing my study materials and work space have
improved.
g) I know which learning strategy is most effective for any given situation.
h) I consistently use learning strategies to make my learning more efficient.
i) I take advantage of outside help when I need it.
j) I know what I want to do for my career, and that helps motivate me to be
successful.
k) I have not seen any evidence of improvement in how I study.
3. Do you think your achievement in this class was improved because of the Way
to Succeed® program?
a) A great deal
b) A lot
c) A moderate amount
d) A little
e) Not at all
4. Did your strengths and weaknesses in your personalized Results Report
accurately reflect your true learning characteristics?
a) A great deal
b) A lot
c) A moderate amount
d) A little
e) Not at all
5. Did you find that the “Actions” and “Action Plan” in the Student Results Report
were helpful for improving your approach to learning?
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a) Yes, extremely helpful
b) Yes, very helpful
c) Yes, moderately helpful
d) Yes, a little bit helpful
e) No, it was not helpful
6. Were you able to use some of the learning practices and strategies you
acquired in this class in your other classes?
a) A great deal
b) A lot
c) A moderate amount
d) A little
e) Not at all
7. How likely are you to recommend the Way to Succeed® program to other
students, especially first-year students?
a) Extremely likely
b) Moderately likely
c) Not likely
Assignment: Chapter 10 Score: Completion Grade
100% (7 out of 7)
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Glossary
The following glossary is specific to the use of these terms as related to college-level
learning and the Way to Succeed learning program. These are not considered to be
complete, formal definitions, but should help you understand the concept as used in this
book.
Academics: Formal study and learning performance under the direction of an
educational institution, such as a high school, college, or university
Actions: Things a person does or accomplishes over time. Behaviors.
Action Plan: A formal written list of possible activities to improve learning
behaviors on your Results Report for Way to Succeed®
Algorithm: A logical and orderly series of steps to accomplish solving a problem
Anxiety, Math: An apprehension, nervousness, and fear of learning math and
math problem-solving, especially on tests.
Assessment: Any test, quiz, or survey that measures understanding, knowledge,
or skills
Awareness: The state of understanding and knowledge about existing
characteristics of a person or current situation.
Background: What you bring to your class in terms of prior or prerequisite
knowledge and skills
Calendar: A document in which to compile all assignments, tests, quizzes, paper
due dates, work schedules, and final exam times and places. An essential part of
keeping track of your time when in school
Cognition: Thoughts and thought processes
Cognitive Psychology: The study of perception, learning, thinking, memory, and
reasoning
College-level Learning: The more independent, self-initiated, and intentional
learning expected at the college level
“Compare” Graph: A graph that shows changes between Way to Succeed®
Learning Assessment scores for the second and third Learning Assessments
Cramming: An inefficient method for studying involving last-minute, intense, and
often late night studying immediately before a test.
Distractions: Attention-getting object or amusement that can derail your
intentions for studying
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Effort: How hard you exert yourself or try to complete a task.
Error Analysis: A way to study patterns of mistakes in order to identify and
correct causes to prevent or minimize future errors.
Face-to-Face Class: A class where students and teachers meet in the same
classroom for instructional purposes, with little or no internet component
Final Exam: An exam at the end of the academic term that covers all the content
of the class. A final exam usually counts for more than a regular test.
Fluency: Smooth, flowing, and effortless recall of math facts and step-by-step
algorithms
Focus: The center of your attention and concentration
Formulas: A statement or equation that represents a fact, principle, or
relationship
Goals, Short Term: A purposeful list of tasks that a person intends to achieve or
complete over a relatively brief period of time such as a day, week, or month
Goals, Long Term: The future end result such as a desired skill, degree, career, or
other achievement in which time and effort will be necessary to achieve
Independent Learning: Self-directed learning that can be accomplished with
minimal motivation and direction provided by the instructor or professor
Insight: The intuitive understanding of essential truths, especially about sources
of personal difficulty and understanding of one’s own behaviors and thoughts
Late Work: Assignments turned in beyond the posted due date
Learner Characteristics: The way a learner operates in a classroom or other
learning situation. Characteristics might include attitudes, behaviors, motivations,
skill sets, self-discipline, and work ethic
Learning: The act of acquiring information, knowledge, skills, and experiences
Learning Behaviors: The actions you could take to acquire the knowledge and
information required during a learning situation.
Learning Gaps: Certain concepts missed during earlier learning situations,
perhaps due to absences or inadequate educational preparation or background.
Learning Practices: The actions, cognitions, planning, and self-reflection used
when acquiring information, knowledge, and skills
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Learning Strategies: Specific planned methods of directing actions and
cognitions that result in efficient and thorough learning
LMS: Learning Management System, used as a professor-student interface for
course communication
Math Anxiety: see Anxiety, Math
Math Facts: Basic multiplication products for the factors 0 – 12, and basic sums 1 –
20.
Math Aptitude: An innate ability to perform well in math. This is not a fixed
aptitude but one that can be increased.
Metacognition: Thinking about your thinking, strategy use, understanding, and
learning
Motivation: Impetus, desire, or drive to complete a task, course, or degree.
Objective: The exact concept or skill you are supposed to learn in a specific
lesson or chapter. The objectives are typically found at the beginning of each
lesson or chapter.
Organizing Space: Keeping track of your notebook, backpack, study area, and
room to be able to find things and to keep up productivity
Organizing Time: Structuring your use of time during a day or week, so that you
can complete all your assignments and study sessions.
Pace: The rate of progress or progress on a task or the rate of problem
completion on a test
Partial Credit: Points awarded for correct procedures (written work) shown
despite an incorrect final answer
Planning: The act of setting up a schedule to complete a long-range project or
goal. Setting up a series of work or study sessions over time to prepare for a
major project or exam.
Practice: Working through problems, math facts, or any skills needed for
successful understanding and fluency of learning objectives.
Process: A step-by-step sequence through which a goal is attained
Resources: Any book, technology, website, organization, or person that can help
you learn your course content.
Responsibility: Ownership and accountability for your own education and life
direction
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Self-awareness: Understanding and acknowledgement of your own strengths,
weaknesses, behaviors, and cognitions.
Self-discipline: The ability to control and regulate your own actions and thoughts
to improve performance or well-being
Self-Initiative: Motivating oneself from within to do what you need to do without
being told or forced
Self-Regulation: A state of self-management of time, money, or responsibilities
without the control of exterior forces
Showing work: Writing the initial and intermediate steps used to come to an
answer. Often receives credit if correct, even if the final answer is incorrect.
Skills: An ability to use one’s knowledge and understanding to perform a task or
complete a problem
STEM: Acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Stress: Pressure or force felt when intense demands for quality learning and
assignments must be met with effort and exertion. Stress in college can be
emotional and physical
Study: Spending time and effort reading, writing, memorizing, practicing, and
learning a subject
Success: A satisfactory or desired grade for a test, exam, or course.
Support System: Your support system at college consists of your family,
classmates, professors, advisors, tutors, information specialists, and deans.
Syllabus: The schedule of readings, assignments, quizzes, tests, and exams
prepared for you by your professor. This important document should be kept in a
safe and accessible place.
Strategies, Learning: Methods by which you enhance your learning. Examples
include mnemonics, targeted practice of processes, asking questions, writing
down steps, discussing strategies with others, using internet resources, to name a
few.
Strategies, Problem-solving: Methods that can help your ability to solve
problems. These include, but are not limited to writing out your work, recalling
earlier problem-solving strategies, defining what you are to find, working
backwards, solving a simpler but similar problem, reaching out to on-campus or
online resources.
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Strategies, Test-taking: Approaching testing with a set of priorities to achieve
the best score possible. See Chapter 6 for some ideas for these.
Test: See “Assessment”
Test Banks: A collection of previously given tests. Test banks are useful for
knowing what to expect on an upcoming test, provide a good, realistic practice
test, and help you know what you need to work on to maximize your test score.
Time Management: Planning and organizing your schedule, and implementing
your plan so that all your tasks and responsibilities fit into your day.
Tutor: A personal teacher to help you understand class objectives. Free tutors
can be found at the math help center on your campus. Online tutors often charge
an hourly rate to help you.