Effective Study Skills
Marcus Simmons
Coordinator –
Office of Supportive and Disability Services
Itawamba Community College
Basic Rationale
Many students entering post-secondary
education seem to lack the study skills
needed to be successful. The research
I conducted through this project
demonstrated a need for postsecondary
study skills courses. Most telling was a
survey I conducted at Itawamba
Community College. A survey was given
to teachers and students to see what
their feelings were concerning students
study skill abilities and the need for an
effective study skills course.
71 Instructors at Itawamba Community College
responded to the Survey and these are some of the
results:
Question: Do you feel that students come to college knowing
how to study appropriately?
Instructors answering
70 instructors or 98.6%
“NO”
Question: Do you feel students come to college prepared to
take good and useful notes?
Instructors answering
54 instructors or 76.1%
“NO”
Question: Do you feel students can read for content material
in their textbooks?
Instructors answering
52 instructors or 74.3%
“NO”
Question: Do you think students would benefit from a
seminar or class on effective study skills?
Instructors answering
67 instructors or 94.4%
“YES”
254 Students at Itawamba Community College responded
to the survey concerning Effective Study Skills. These are
some of the results and responses:
Question: I think students would benefit greatly by having an
effective study skills class.
I strongly
agree
89 or 35%
I agree
Not sure
Disagree
112 or
44%
44 or 17%
9 or 4%
Strongly
Disagree
0 or 0%
Question: I think a study skills course should be offered at
community colleges.
I strongly
Agree
103 or
41%
I agree
Not sure
I Disagree
114 or
45%
32 or 13%
3 or 1.2%
I strongly
Disagree
0 or 0%
Question: How would you rate you study skills or ability to
study effectively?
I know how to
study very well
54 or 22%
I know how to
study somewhat
well
147 or 58%
I know my study
skills are not good
46 or 18%
Contents
• Note taking
• Time Management & Organizational
Skills
• Effective Study Skills
• Taking Exams or Tests
COMPLETE LIST OF ALL OBJECTIVES:
Lesson – Note taking
1.
The student will demonstrate their ability to identify the five types of note
taking techniques discussed in class.
2.
The students will exhibit their understanding of the note taking techniques
by completing notes in one of their other classes.
3.
The students will demonstrate their understanding of the differences in the
five methods of note taking by distinguishing when they should use the
different types of note taking.
Lesson – Time Management/ Organizational Skills
1.
The student will be able to explain the importance of time management,
factors affecting time management, and how to prioritize their activities by
completing written assignments.
2.
The students will be able to demonstrate his ability to manage their time
and activities by completing a Time Analyzer and estimate what amount
of time they will have to devote to studying and other required activities.
3.
The student will be able to demonstrate his ability to recognize ways to
organize their time schedules, learning environment, and life style by
completing a written assignment.
4.
The student will be able to describe and implement the Plan, Gather,
Draft, and Produce (PGDP) model for organizing written assignments by
completely explaining the process through a written assignment.
Lesson – Effectively Studying
1. The students will exhibit their understanding and ability to use the SQ3R
study technique by completing written assignments.
2. The students will be able to identify the steps of the SQ3R method of
studying by completing written tests.
Lesson – Taking Tests and Exams
1. The students will show their ability to identify general test taking tips by
completing a written test.
2. The students will be able to describe valuable test taking tips and
suggestions for taking different modes of tests including; essay tests, true
& false tests, matching tests, multiple choice tests, and math and science
tests by completing a written test.
3. The students will describe “Do’s and Don’ts” suggestion for taking test by
completing a written test.
Title:
Note Taking
Objectives:
1a.
The students will demonstrate their ability to identify the five types of note taking techniques
discussed in class.
1b.
The students will exhibit their understanding of the note taking techniques by completing
notes in one of their courses.
1c.
The students will demonstrate their understanding of the differences in the five types of note
taking by distinguishing when they should use the different types of note taking techniques.
Materials:
1a, 1b, 1c
Power point presentation slides (teacher made) providing an overview and example of each
type of note taking technique.
1a & 1c
Written examination (teacher made) to check for understanding when to best use each type
of note taking technique and understanding of the differences between the five type of note
taking techniques.
Procedures:
1a & 1c
The teacher will provide an overview of the five types of note taking techniques by
discussing the five types utilizing the power point slides. The teacher will also explain which
type of note taking technique would be best for what type of class presentation.
1b
The teacher will model and demonstrate how each type of note taking technique should be
used and correctly performed.
Evaluations:
1a & 1c
The students will complete a written test based on the information on note taking techniques
provided in class. (Appendix 1ac)
1b
The students will complete an assignment of taking notes in one of their general classes and
using one of the techniques learned in class. The students will also write a paragraph
explaining why they chose the note taking technique they used. (Appendix 1b)
Note Taking
•
•
•
•
•
The Cornell Method
The Outline Method
The Mapping Method
The Charting Method
The Sentence Method
The Cornell Method
Jackson Mississippi
The capital of Mississippi.
The US Senate
Serves for 6 years before
having to run again.
Each state has 2
senators
The Cornell Method
• Advantages
–
–
–
–
Organized and easy to review
Good format for major concepts and ideas
Simples and efficient
Saves time
• Disadvantages
– None
• When to Use
– In any lecture type situation
The Outline Method
• Extrasensory Perception
– Definition: means of perceiving without use of
organs
• Three kinds
– Telepathy: sending messages
– Clairvoyance: forecasting
– Psychokinesis: perceiving events external to a situation
• Current Status
– No current research to support or refute
– Few psychologists say impossible
The Outline Method
•
Advantages
•
Disadvantages
•
When to Use
– Well organized if done correctly
– Reduces editing
– Easy to review
– Requires more in class thought
– May not show good sequence relationships
– Cannot use if the lecture is too fast
– Great to use when the lecture is presented in outline format
– Best when there is enough time during the lecture to really organize
your thoughts well
– Best when you have mastered the note taking skills and are a better
note taker than most people
The Mapping Method
Extrasensory Perception
3 types
Telepathy –
Sending messages
Psychokinesis –
Perceiving events
Clairvoyance –
Forecasting
The Mapping Method
• Advantages
–
–
–
–
–
Can visually track lectures easily
Little thinking required and relationship can be tracked easily
Easy to edit later
Reviewing easy conducted
Easy to transfer to other means of studying like flashcards
• Disadvantages
– Hard to hear changes in content from major points to facts
• When to Use
– When the lecture is well organized
– Can be useful with guest lecturers when you are not familiar
with what the lecture will be about
The Charting Method
Period
Important People
Events
1941-1945
FDR
WW II
The Charting Method
• Advantages
– Helps to track conversational style lectures better
– Reduces the amount of writing
– Easy to review facts and relationships
• Disadvantages
– Learning the system and being able to distinguish good
categories or headings
– Must be able to understand the lecture well
• When to Use
–
–
–
–
When tests focus on facts and relationships
Content is heavy and presented very fast
When you need to reduce editing time
When you want to get a large overview of all of the material
The Sentence Method
Example Lecture: A revolution is any occurrence that
Affects other aspects of life, and so forth. Therefore
Revolutions cause change. (see pages 29-30 in your
Textbook about this).
Sample of Notes: Revolution – occurrence that affects
Aspects of life…eg… econ, soc, etc… text pp. 29-30
*Develop your own set of abbreviations and symbols.
The Sentence Method
• Advantages
– Slightly more organized than paragraphs
– Gets most all of the information
• Disadvantages
– Hard to determine the major and minor points
– Difficult to edit without re-writing
– Difficult to review unless edited or re-written
• When to Use
– Lecture has to be organized well
– When you can hear the points but are unsure of their
relationship during the lecture
– The instructor present points, but points are not grouped
together well
Student:
_____________________________ Date ______________
Complete the following essay type and short answer questions. (worth 7 points
each)
1. Name one disadvantage and one advantage with the Cornell Method of
note taking as described in our class discussions.
2. What type of lectures are the best suited for the Cornell Method of note
taking as discussed in our class lessons?
3. Name one disadvantage and one advantage with the Charting Method of
note taking as described in our class discussions.
4. When is it best to consider using the Charting Method of note taking
according to our class discussion?
5. Name one disadvantage and one advantage with the Mapping Method of
note taking as described in our class discussions.
6. Name one disadvantage and one advantage with the Sentence Method of
note taking as described in our class discussions.
1.
Name one disadvantage and one advantage with the Outline Method of
note taking as described in our class discussions.
Answer the following fill in the blank short answer questions: (worth 5 points
each)
2.
When using the Mapping Method of note taking, the lecture should be
well _______________________________.
3.
When tests focus on facts and relationships, which note taking method
would be the best to use?
____________________________________________.
4.
This technique is note taking works best when the lecture is presented in
an outline format. ________________________________________.
5.
This type of note taking technique works very well with any type of
lecture format. _____________________________________.
6.
This is an example of which note taking technique?
____________________________________________.
Washington, D.C.
Southern States
7.
The capital of the USA
MS, AK, AL, FL, GA, TN
LA
This is an example of which note taking technique?
______________________________________________.
RED
Orange
YELLOW
Student:
_____________________________ Date ______________
1. This is an example of which note taking technique?
_________________________________________________.
The state of MS – Considered rural state, largest city of Jackson (pop.
About 200,000). 3 level 1 state colleges; UM, USM, MSU
2. This is an example of which note taking technique?
_______________________________________________.
Dates
1950’s
Events
Civil Rights movement
1960’s
Vietnam crisis
Effects USA?
yes
yes
The Civil War
-South
-States of the South
-North
-States of the North
-Neutral
-States
were
neutral
during
the War
3. This is an example
ofthat
which
note
taking
technique?
_________________________________________________.
Evaluation standards for Assignment Lesson Objective 1b. (Notes)
Standards
The student should demonstrate that: [1]
The notes in the correct format to match
the note taking technique chosen. [2] The
notes should look complete and pertinent to
the lesson or lecture. [3] The notes should
be legible and easily read.
The student should demonstrate that: [1]
The notes in the correct format to match
the note taking technique chosen. [2] The
notes should look complete and pertinent to
the
The student should demonstrate that: [1]
The notes in the correct format to match
the note taking technique chosen.
The student did not meet any of the criteria
above.
Letter Grade
A
B
C
The teacher will review the material
with the students and the student should
re-do the assignment or take a failing
grade.
Evaluation standards for Assignment Lesson Objective 1b. (Paragraph of Justification)
Standards
The student should show evidence that: [1]
Their choice of note taking technique
matches their reason for the choice. [2] The
student recognizes some of the advantages
and disadvantages of the technique chosen.
[3] The student can identify what type of
class or lecture is best for the note taking
type they chose.
The student should show evidence that: [1]
Their choice of note taking technique
matches their reason for the choice. [2] The
student recognizes some of the advantages
and disadvantages of the technique chosen.
The student should show evidence that: [1]
Their choice of note taking technique
matches their reason for the choice.
The student did not meet any of the criteria
above.
Letter Grade
A
B
C
The teacher will review the material
with the students and the student should
re-do the assignment or take a failing
grade.
The Effective Study Skills class open to all
students has been accepted and I will be
teaching one of the classes this fall semester.
Also – An article from the paper I wrote in favor
of Effective Study Skills class was published and
can be viewed at:
Articles for Educators
http://articlesforeducators.com/dir/general/study_skills/college
_study_skills.asp
References
Developing your studying method. (n.d.) Certification Crazy. Retrieved January
6, 2006 from, http://www.certification-crazy.net/studyadvice%20method.htm
Doyle, B. (2004). Effective study techniques.
Retrieved January 6, 2006 from Arkansas State University web site:
http://www.clt.astate.edu/bdoyle/effective_studytechniques.htm
Ellis, D. (2006). Becoming a master student. (11th ed.). New York: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Landsberger, J. (2005). The SQ3R reading method. Study Guides and Strategies.
Retrieved February 10, 2006 from, http://www.studygs.net/texred2/htm
Lorphevre, T. (2005). Core Skills Survival Guide. Retrieved February 10, 2006
from London South Bank University Core Skills Survival Guide web site:
www.lsbu.ac.uk/caxton
Note taking system. (n.d). Retrieved February 10, 2006 from California
Polytechnic State University web site:
http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/html
Richards, R. (2002). Memory strategies for students. LDOnLine. Retrieved
October 4, 2005 from,
www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/memory_strategies.htm
Seidman, A. (2005). Program justification. Learning Support Centers in Higher
Education. Retrieved February 2, 2006 from,
http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/~lsche/resources/program_just.htm
Test taking and anxiety. (2001). Retrieved January 6, 2006 from Pennsylvania
State University Learning Center web site:
http://www.ulrc.psu.edu/studyskills/test_taking.html