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UNIV 1102: Learning to Learn
FALL 2013, FRESHMAN COLLEGE
Instructor:
Office:
Dr. Winfred H. Biddle (Dr. Wendy)
223 Milledge Hall
Faculty Mailbox in 233 Milledge Hall
Office hours: Daily, 11:15AM-12:15 PM, (other times by appointment)
Jittery Joe’s coffeeshop, MLC
E-mail:
sophiae@uga.edu (preferred method of communication); for same day response,
message must be received by 4 PM. All other messages will be answered by the
next day.
Text:
404-797-1887
Texts:
Nist, S. L., & Holschuh, J. P. (2012). College Success Strategies (4TH edition).
New York, NY: Pearson Longman.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York, NY: Little,
Brown, and Company.
NOTE: Bring your text and syllabus to each class.
Supplies:
3-Ring binder; schedule (planner) book; stapler; pocket-folder
** The course syllabus is a general plan for the course, and deviations may be necessary.**
Purpose of the Course
The purpose of Learning to Learn is to teach you how to become a better learner by developing
efficient and effective studying behaviors. Many students begin college armed with study
behaviors that may or may not have been successful for them in high school. Students may
quickly find that what worked in high school fails to work in college. In this course you will
learn basic ideas in learning theory and how these theories inform the practice of learning. We
will also cover how to select and modify learning strategies based on the course, the academic
tasks, and your own characteristics as a learner.
It is important for you to understand that successful completion of the course demands practice,
so that they may become effective habits. As strategies are taught, you are expected to apply
them to college-level materials presented in class as well as to other courses in which you are
enrolled. In addition, you will be expected to engage in a variety of other activities that ask you
to problem-solve what you might be assigned to do in other classes and to respond to scenarios
that ask you to provide advice to fictitious students about learning in college.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course it is expected that you will have developed:
• a greater understanding of yourself and your own personal learning characteristics.
• an awareness of the different types of study strategies to be used in different content areas.
• the ability to select study strategies based on the course and the academic tasks.
• the ability to modify selected study strategies based on the course and the academic tasks.
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Attendance Policy and Assignment Expectations
Class attendance, punctuality, and participation are an important part of managing your time and
becoming a strategic learner. Unlike other courses, in which you can get someone else’s notes if
you are absent, Learning to Learn requires much more interactive class participation. It is
important to be in class to participate in discussions and group activities, to practice strategies
that are modeled, and to receive specific directions for various assignments.
Therefore, in this class, there is no such thing as an “excused” absence. For each absence
beyond THREE, you will lose 5 percentage points on your final grade for that absence and
each subsequent absence. All tardies will count as ONE HALF of an absence. Please come
to class on time (or early, at no penalty)
Students who have no absences will have two (2) percentage points added to their final grade in
the course.
You are responsible for assignments whether or not you are in class the day they are
assigned or the day they are due at the time which they are due. If you are planning to miss
class for any reason and wish to receive credit for an assignment due that day - you must get the
assignment to me before class. Work will not be accepted late unless you have a documented,
rare emergency. In the case of a rare emergency, e-mail me as soon as possible in order for us
to reach an agreement on how and when you will turn in your work.
University Honor Code
All students are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity in
every phase of their academic careers. The penalties for academic dishonesty are severe and
ignorance is not an acceptable defense. “Academic Honesty” means performing all academic
work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, receiving unauthorized or
illegitimate assistance from another person, or using any source of information that is not
common knowledge.
“Academic Dishonesty” means knowingly performing, attempting to perform, or assisting any
other person in performing any academic work that does not meet this standard of academic
honesty. Assistance by another, when authorized by the Faculty Member, will not be considered
academically dishonest, nor will using information that is fairly attributed to the source.
All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” Students are
responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic
work.
UGA GRADING SCALE
A
92-100
4.0
A89-91
3.7
B+
87-88
3.3
B
82-86
3.0
BC+
C
C-
79-81
77-78
72-76
69-71
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
D
F
60-68
<60
1.0
0.0
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GRADING
As with other courses, grades depend primarily on how well students perform on exams and
other course requirements. Exams will consist of objective, essay questions, and scenarios based
on problem-solving activities. Grades will be determined using a point system and will be
weighted as follows:
Daily quizzes, in-class work, and participation
Psychology Unit Test
Outliers Unit Test
Problem/ Solution Project
Internet/ Library Project
Final Exam
Assignment 1
20%
10%
15%
15%
15%
15%
10%
Three major projects will be required (put in a folder to turn in):
1. INTERNET/ LIBRARY PROJECT
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with the UGA on-line library site, as well as
the library itself, to help you successfully complete the assignments that professors across
campus require of you. (More information will be forthcoming)
2. PROBLEM/ SOLUTION PROJECT
This project will provide you the opportunity to reflect upon and seek solutions to an academic
area that concerns you. The possible areas you might select include the following: Concentration;
Motivation; Procrastination; Stress and test anxiety; Test preparation strategies; Time
management and scheduling; Writing skills for papers; Reading rate and fluency; Building a
larger vocabulary. (More information will be forthcoming)
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Other assignments
In-class Assignments: As stated earlier in the syllabus, class attendance and participation are
extremely important. Throughout the semester, you will complete several assignments and
group activities during class. Anticipate a daily quiz over the reading, on the day that reading is
due. If you are absent the day we complete an in-class assignment, you cannot complete this in
advance or make up the assignment later.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (Changes may occur as necessary.)
DATE
Tuesday
8.13
Thursday
8.15
Tuesday
8.20
Thursday
8.22
Tuesday
8.27
Thursday
8.29
Tuesday
9.3
Thursday
9.5
Tuesday
9.10
Thursday
9.12
Tuesday
9.17
Thursday
9.19
Tuesday
9.24
Topics
Introduction/ overview




Differences between high school
and college
Where do you stand?
Active Learning
How You Learn
Reading & Assignments
CSS 1 pp. 1-10
“Multiple Intelligences and Career
Counseling” on eLC site
CSS 2 pp. 12-23
CSS 3 pp. 24-33
Professors, Tasks, and You
CSS 4 pp. 35-44
Time Management
CSS 5 pp. 45-56
ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE
Academic Energy (Motivation)
CSS 6
pp. 57-71

Internet/library project
description
 Problem/solution project
description
OFFSITE CLASS MEETING
Psychology Unit
Cognition and Intelligence
Psychology Unit
Cognition and Intelligence
Psychology Unit
Cognition and Intelligence
OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE REVIEW
Psychology Unit
Cognition and Intelligence


Just what do you believe, anyway?
Stress management
INTERNET/LIBRARY
PROJECT TOPICS DUE
CSS – Appendix A
CSS – Appendix A
CSS – Appendix A
PSYCHOLOGY OTS
CSS 7 pp. 73-83
CSS 8 pp. 84-95
5
Thursday
9.26


Strategic Reading—Annotation
Lecture Notes – 4 Methods of Note
Taking
Tuesday
10.1



Rehearsal & Review Strategies
Strategies for Social Science
Strategies for the Humanities
Thursday
10.3
Tuesday
10.8
Thursday
10.10
Tuesday
10.15
Thursday
10.17
Tuesday
10.22
Thursday
10.24
Tuesday
10.29
Thursday
10.31
Tuesday
11.5
Thursday
11.7
Tuesday
11.12
Thursday
11.14
Tuesday
11.19
Thursday
11.21

Strategies for Science &
Mathematics
 Using technology to learn
 Objective exam preparation
 Essay & Specialty exam preparation
Individual Conferences — MLC
Jittery Joe’s
Individual Conferences — MLC
Jittery Joe’s
Individual Conferences — MLC
Jittery Joe’s
Outliers
CSS 9 pp. 97-111
CSS 10 PP. 113-131
INTERNET/LIBRARY
PROJECTS DUE
CSS 11 pp. 133-152
CSS 12 pp. 153-165
CSS 13 pp. 166-180
PROBLEM/SOLUTION
TOPICS DUE
CSS 14 pp. 182-194
CSS 15 pp. 195-202
CSS 16 pp. 203-212
CSS 17 pp. 214-227
NO CLASS for UNIV 1102
NO CLASS for UNIV 1102
NO CLASS for UNIV 1102
Introduction; Chapters 1, 2
Outliers
Chapters 3, 4
Outliers
Chapters 6,7
Outliers
Chapters 8, 9; Epilogue
Outliers OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE
EXAM PREPARATION
REFLECTIVE ESSAY DUE
PROBLEM/SOLUTION
PROJECTS DUE
Problem/Solution Presentations
Problem/Solution Presentations
Problem/Solution Presentations
Problem/Solution Presentations
UNIV 1102 Course Evaluation
FOS review
Exams: (all exams take place in regular classroom unless otherwise announced)
12:30 -- Tues., Dec. 10, 12:00 - 3:00 pm
2:00 -- Thurs., Dec. 5, 3:30 - 6:30 pm
3:30 -- Tues., Dec. 10, 3:30 - 6:30 pm