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UNIT 1

Getting Started and Learning Methods

LearningSupport Materials

Module SS101

Study Skills


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Unit 1

STUDY SK ILLS

GETTING STARTED AND

LEARNING METHODS

AIMS:

to demonstrate that we all learn in different ways and start you on aprocess of reflection that will help you to learn as well as you can.


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Objectives

When you have completed this unit, you should be able to:

identify positive learning experiences,

identify factors that lead to effective learning, both in general and for yourself,

identify benefits of time management, in general and for yourself,

draw up a learning timetable,

discuss the benefits of keeping a learning journal,

describe how communication with tutors and students can support your learning,

describe some of the electronic media that can be used for communication.


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Overview

We use the word learning in many ways without really thinking aboutit. This unit encourages you to think about what you mean by learning

and identifies definitions of learning that successful students take.While you will probably have to do some memorising for exams,memorising is not the best definition of learning. Students who aim forunderstanding will tend to do better.

Learning does not need to be a chore; young children love it, for ex-ample. This unit encourages you to think about the conditions inwhich you learn best. It stresses the role of purpose, being active inyour approach to learning and getting to know yourself. Some peopleprefer to work with words, some with pictures and some like listeningto tapes. If you know what your preferences are, you can try to in-

crease the amount of learning you do, using these preferences.

Similarly, do you know whether you prefer studying early in themorning, late at night or at some other time of day? You may havelittle choice; however, recognising when you are most alert can helpyou to plan your time. The unit considers how time managementmight help you.

You are also encouraged to consider any demands of your own cir-cumstances when planning for learning. Three sets of circumstancesare briefly discussed but all students should consider what particular

needs will influence their learning.

Reflection is the key to this unit - reflecting on what will help youmost. Some people like to do this by themselves in private diaries;others are very dependent on other people. Using both a diary andother people is helpful and the unit explores the reasons why.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. GETTING STARTED 11

1.1 Introduction 11

1.2 Objectives 12

1.3 What Studying is All About 12

1.4 Effective Learning 13

1.4.1 Making Your Learning Meaningful 13

1.4.2 Making Your Learning Relevant to You 14

1.5 Managing Your Time 15

1.6 Studying in Your Own Circumstances 17

1.6.1 Studying by Open and Distance Learning 17

1.6.2 Part-time Students 18

1.6.3 Studying with Special Needs 19

1.6.4 Studying with English as a Foreign Language 20

1.7 Questions 22

1.8 Learning Outcomes 23

1.9 Answers 24

2. LEARNING METHODS 26

2.1 Introduction 26

2.2 Objectives 26

2.3 Identifying Positive Learning Experiences 26

2.4 Learning on Your Own 27

2.5 Learning in Groups 28

2.5.1 Tutorial Groups 29

2.5.2 Benefits of Group-Based Learning 30

2.6 Learning through Different Media 30

2.6.1 Video and Audio Recordings 30

2.6.2 CD-ROMs and on-line Databases 31

2.6.3 The Internet 31

2.6.4 Computer Conferencing 32

2.6.5 Telephone Conferencing 34

2.6.6 Video Conferencing 34

2.7 Self Assessment Questions 34


2.9 Self Assessment Answers 37


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3. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ACADEMIC STAFF 39

3.1 Introduction 39

3.2 Objectives 40

3.3 The Roles of Academic Staff 40

3.4 Asking Questions 41

3.5 Constructive Feedback 43

3.5.1 Principles of Constructive Feedback 43

3.5.2 A Note About Cultural Differences 45

3.6 Self Assessment Questions 46


3.8 Answers to Self Assessment Questions 49


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Point to Ponder

Before you start......

This unit is all about being a reflective learner- that is, someone whothinks about the way he or she learns. So, well start by practisingwhat we preach and ask you to think about the way you learn now and

how a study skills module might help you.

How a study skills module might help me ....


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1. Getting Started

Some of the issues that come up when people answer the question onthe previous page are:

I dont know whats expected of me - I hope it will help me to work this

out!

Im not very confident in studying as it is some time since I last did it.

I want to make sure I approach my essays/notes/exams in the right

way.

One thing that will become clear in the module is that there is not al-ways a right way to do things. However, there will be ways that are

appropriate for you and we want to help you discover what they are.

When you have finished this module, you can look back at this unitand see whether the module has achieved what you hoped it would. Ifit has not, then you will perhaps have to take some further actionyourself.

1.1 Introduction

Why read about study skills? Isnt studying a straightforward activity?Dont you just read modules, read textbooks and write assignments?What could be more straightforward than that?

However, perhaps it isnt as simple as that. Being a student presentsmental, physical and psychological demands. This study skills mod-ule has been prepared to help you cope with all the demands that areabout to be made on you now that you have taken on the role of stu-dent.

This first section introduces you to:

what studying is all about,

developing your study skills,

time management,

identifying positive learning experiences,

adapting your learning to your own circumstances.

Being able to deal with each of these aspects will help you to surviveand succeed as a student.


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1.2 Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to:

give a definition of learning,

identify factors that lead to good learning, both in generaland for yourself,

identify benefits of time management, in general and foryourself,

draw up a learning timetable.

1.3 What Studying is All About

The purpose of studying is to learn. Weve been learning since wewere tiny babies, but not everybody agrees what learning actually is.

Some people think learning means accumulating a lot of facts, so thatyou can answer the kind of obscure questions that you might get ontelevision quiz shows. Others think it is committing something tomemory - and then they worry because they say But Ive got a terri-ble memory. You will often need to learn in these types of ways - forexample, when you learn your friends telephone number to savehaving to look it up. Learning your multiplication tables has the samegood result. If you dont know some facts and figures, then your mindwill have nothing to work with.

However, learning in higher education does not necessarily mean ac-cumulating more facts. It can mean other things too, which are moreconcerned with understanding and finding meaning. Learning in-

volves:

making sense of new ideas, - not simply hearing andmemorising them but fitting them alongside your existingideas in order to build up a greater understanding of thesubject you are studying,

thinking through new ideas, - we sometimes think thatthinking activities only take place when you are readingand writing. However, ideas gained from other opportu-nities, such as talking with other students, odd momentswhen you are able to jot down bits and pieces or fromdoing things other than studying, are also important andshould not be undervalued,

expressing new ideas, ie, talking and writing aboutthem. Expressing ideas is part of learning. Until you canuse ideas to express how you feel about a particular


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subject either by talking or writing about it in your ownway, you have not really mastered them.

As you study, it is important that you adopt a critical stance towardsnew ideas and take time to reflect critically on what you are learning.

Taking a critical approach to ideas means questioning and challeng-ing them and putting them into context for your own learning needs.Do not be a sponge and try to absorb every new idea without

questioning.

1.4 Effective Learning

You wont learn much if you sit passively waiting for the information tobe given to you. If all you do is read through your material, you willprobably remember about 20 per cent of it. And how much will you

have understood? Studying requires you to establish:

routines - these include factors such as when you willstudy, where you will sit, when you will take a break. Es-tablishing routines will help you to get on with the jobquickly and avoid distractions,

techniques - these can help you accomplish manytasks. Establishing study techniques, such as the wayyou make notes and how you structure essays, will helpimprove your performance,

strategies - strategies include the ways in which you al-

locate your time to study, how you prepare for essays orassignments and how you take advantage of other stu-dents and tutors knowledge to help you with yourstudies. You will, therefore, need to plan ahead andanalyse the resources that you have available in order towork out how they can be best used. Planning makesyou think strategically instead of just drifting.

In essence, all these factors add up to how you manage your time.

1.4.1 Making Your Learning Meaningful

If learning is about meaning and understanding as well as memoris-ing, then it is important that your learning is meaningful to you. Tofind out how meaningful your learning is going to be in a new subject,ask yourself:

what do I know about this already?

what do I think it is going to be about?

how will studying this help me?


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(Notice that these questions relate very closely to what you wereasked to do at the start of the unit in relation to starting thismodule.)

Questions are a useful approach to making your learning moremeaningful. Your questions will become more sophisticated as you

progress in your subject. Asking yourself questions and answeringthem is a proven way of making your learning remain in your memoryas well as ensuring greater understanding. It has been shown thatstudents who make themselves a question bank on their topics cananticipate up to 80% of their exam questions, thus making their revi-sion more effective.

This is why open and distance learning material (like this module)contains so many self-assessment questions (SAQs). These help youto fix your learning.

Feedback on your questions is also important (which is why we sup-ply answers to SAQs) and the feedback you receive from your tutorand possibly from other students will help you to know how you aregetting on.

Meaningful connections actually help memory, so understanding andmemorisation are not too far apart from each other. What is mean-ingful for one person will not necessarily be meaningful for another,however.

1.4.2 Making Your Learning Relevant to You

As well as making connections with what you already know, your self-knowledge will help you to develop techniques for organising yourstudy that will work best for you. For example:

If you like.......... then try........

visual things adding colour and shape to your notes;turning information into graphs or drawings;

making posters of key points you want toremember,

listening tape recording your thoughts or notes;discussing what you have learned with afriend or colleague; finding out whether thereare radio programmes on the topic of inter-

est,

doing or making things writing key ideas on separate pieces of paperand organising them logically on the floor;moving around while youre trying to work outyour ideas - youdonthave to sit still; (somepeople say they get their best ideas whentheyre swimming).


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You will find that when you come to review your work (which is an-

other key to effective learning) if some of it is in a format that suitsyour own personality, it will be easier to remember.

1.5 Managing Your Time

One of the main problems you may experience as a student is man-aging your study time and establishing a routine. With so many otherthings to be done, how do you find time for studying? Many studentswill have work commitments, social commitments and leisure inter-ests.

The first problem to be dealt with, therefore, is how to fit another ac-

tivity into an already busy schedule. One way to achieve this may beto draw up a chart of your typical week and identify time gaps. Figure1.1 is an example of this type of chart.

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

morning 1hr 1hr 1hr 2hrs

afternoon 2hrs 2hrs

evening 1hr 2hrs 3hrs 1hr

Figur e 1.1 Sample Chart of Time Gaps

Completing a chart like this is not easy. Most of us know that life isnot easily organised and very often unexpected events will interferewith our schedules and plans. However, it is still worthwhile to makethe effort because having to change your plans will force you to thinkabout what you are doing and why. Once you have drawn up thechart, work out the total amount of study time you can expect to setaside and where in the week it falls. Remember, you now have tomakespace for studying in your life. But you will also have to build intime to rest and relax.

It may also be a good idea to know how much time you need for par-ticular types of tasks. For instance, some tasks such as writing anessay or reading course material may require more time and be bettertackled when you feel reasonably fresh. Other tasks which do not re-quire a great deal of thought, such as organising your notes, may betackled when you are feeling tired.

The main objective of time management is to get the best out of thetime that you have available and to make you aware of any otherways that you could manage your study time to get better results. In-

deed, the secret of success may often be dependent on how well youorganise your time in order to complete your study tasks.


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For example, once you have set yourself a defined task and you areclear in your mind what you are doing, you will find that it is easier tofocus your attention on it. You may find that a big task, such as writ-ing an essay, is easier if you break it down into a series of smallertasks.

Study tasks that you may set for yourself may include:

reading the next three sections of the text you arestudying,

making notes from an article or book that you have readrecently,

planning your next essay,

gathering information for your next essay,

preparing a first draft of your next essay,

going to the library to look for useful articles and books,

making contact with other students,

checking your study plans,

filing your notes.

Having identified the number of tasks to be accomplished, you thenneed to divide your studying time between these tasks. It is, therefore,not just a case of time management, but also task management.

Time management and task management are closely linked. For ex-ample, putting in the hours is good but it is not enough: you have touse your time wisely. You need to avoid filling up the time with un-important tasks just for the sake of feeling that you have put in thehours. Rather than think of studying in terms of the hours you haveput in, therefore, think of what you have achieved.

Watch out for the following dangers for good time management:

other people - you might need to protect some of yourtime by making an appointment with yourself, or makingsure others know that certain times are your study timesand not available to others. Some students have to learnto be assertive to prevent family and friends from inter-rupting,

being too hard on yourself - some students expect too

much from themselves and drive themselves very hardto no real effect. If you find yourself getting over-tired,ask yourself whether your expectations have been toohigh,


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being disorganised - if you spend half an hour every daylooking for your work, then it would be worth spending anhour or so getting yourself organised. In the long run, youwill save time,

no goals or purposes - not knowing what you should be

doing with your time is one of the biggest obstacles thereis. This is why we keep stressing that time and taskmanagement go together.

Being aware of what gets in the way of your time-management helpsyou to stay in control.

1.6 Studying in Your Own Circumstances

This part highlights the needs of specific groups of students. The firstgroup is relevant to all readers of this module, as the module is pri-marily produced for open and distance learning. You might want toskip the other three groups if they are not relevant. The groups are:

distance and open learners,

part-time students,

special needs students,

students studying with English as a foreign language.

In each case, we are just drawing attention to some of the issues. Ifyou feel you need further help, please contact a lecturer, tutor or ad-ministrator.

1.6.1 Studying by Open and Distance Learning

The advantages of studying by distance learning that you can work

at your own pace in your own time can also lead to problems. Ifyour pace is very slow and your own time is always next week, thenyou will need to take control of your studies. Open and distancelearning students tend to be highly motivated; those who are not go-ing to stay the course will often drop out at quite an early stage.

If you have never tried the sort of guided self-study that open anddistance learning offers, see how you get on with this module. Somestudents discover it is their preferred way of learning. If you do haveproblems with it, it will be important for you to think how this mightrelate to the learning you have to do by yourself anyway, such asreading for an essay.

The distinction between open and distance learning is not alwaysclear, but we use both expressions here as there are a variety of ways


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that you can use a set of resources provided by the University. Youmight be a student who is thousands of miles away from the Univer-sity of Paisley, but still a registered student clearly, that is distancelearning. Or you might be a student who comes into the university oc-casionally, doing most of the work at home using a module such asthis one.

Material written for open and distance learning students tries to an-ticipate all the questions you might ask. If lecturers are unclear, theexpressions on students faces can let them know and they can makeadjustments. This cant happen in distance learning, so material ischecked very carefully for ambiguity. You can help by pointing outanything that is puzzling to you and help yourself by using your tutoror fellow students to clear up any misunderstandings.

Open and distance learning students really do have to get to knowthemselves well how and when they like to learn. However, one of

the side-effects of the increase in this kind of material has been a re-alisation that all students should be organising themselves in this way being prepared to be independent learners who will use the varietyof resources open to them.

1.6.2 Part-time Students

Part-time students often combine university life with a full-time joband/or running a household. Not surprisingly, time management willbe one of your main concerns. In addition, if it has been a few years

since you were in the educational system, you may be feeling someconcern about how you will cope.

Here are some comments made by staff about part-time students:

we often find that part-time students are more highly moti-vated than full-time students,

students who have valuable life experience are often unawarejust how much this can contribute to their study; they are theones who can most usefully compare theory and practice,

their time management is so much better because it has to be!

When you are planning your time, it is particularly important that youdont leave your own health and well-being out of the plan. You willneed time to recover, to prepare proper meals and to exercise if youare going to cope with all the demands on your time. This is true forall students, but especially so for part-time students. This may alsoinvolve some negotiation with family and friends to allow you sometime to study and some time to rest. You may even have to build infamily time to your time-table , especially if you are not going to be soreadily available to them as they have been used to.

Heres how one student coped with it.


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I had a busy job and I was out two evenings a week at univer-sity. I had to do at least the same amount of time at home that is, another six hours a week. I found that an hour from 6to 7 each morning was a good time for me to study and I

woke up the rest of the family with a cup of tea afterwards. Ididnt study at all on Saturdays that was our family day

and on Sunday mornings I could get in another couple ofhours. Everything got difficult when an essay was due in andI have to confess to taking a days leave to finish the first one.Looking back, I wonder how I managed it, but one thing I haveto say is that I dont regret a minute of it. It got me the qualifi-

cation I wanted.

If you are realistic about what you want and what you have to do toget it, being a part-time student can make your life very interesting.

1.6.3 Studying with Special Needs

Flexible methods of working can help students who might not be ableto attend classes in traditional ways. Students with special needsneed to find:

viable alternatives to inappropriate traditional methods,

strategies to minimise any difficulties caused by their needs.

Here are some examples of the things that can help you if you have a

special need:

Visual impairment - taped lectures and books; Braille; voicecomputers; large print; readers and scribes; oral assignments.

Dyslexia readers and scribes; spell-checkers; coloured pa-per/screens for reading; computer software with word prediction andvoice; time management strategies.

Hearing impairment loop systems in lecture theatres; copies ofnotes or overheads; more text-based material; sign language expert.

Physical impairment rest breaks; face-to-face sessions organisedin appropriate buildings; opportunities to study at times that suit theirneeds; postal library services.

If you have a life-long special need, the chances are that you havedeveloped strategies to cope with it already. However, you may facesome problems relating to other peoples ignorance about your needs.Some students prefer not to disclose a special need, for fear of dis-

crimination. The University of Paisley has clear guidelines and youshould not fear discrimination. Contact the Special Needs Adviser inconfidence if you do have concerns.


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If you have just become aware of a special need, the Special NeedsAdviser may be able to help you to get additional support in a varietyof ways.

1.6.4 Studying with English as a Foreign Language

Whether you use English often or not, you may still be apprehensiveabout studying in English. It will be useful, therefore, to make a startby analysing your feelings about studying in English.

For instance, do you feel anxious about it? Are there some things youfeel more confident about doing in English than others? Do you feelmore confident about speaking English than reading and writing inEnglish? Do you feel happy to read newspapers and magazines in

English but worried that you may interpret a question in an exam pa-per wrongly?

In this section, we will look at ways in which you can use yourstrengths in the English language and lessen your weaknesses. To

achieve this, it is important to identify what you are most worried

about and be prepared to strengthen these areas as you start to

study.

Some students will feel that they are worried about everything. How-ever, if you look carefully and start to analyse your worries you willfind that there are some aspects of studying in English that are moreworrying to you than others.

What is required now is the following:

a study plan containing the number of hours that you candevote to studying. If you already have an existing studyplan (such as the one in section 1.5 of this unit that dealswith time management) you could use that,

from your study plan calculate the number of hours you

feel you need to spend on studying in English.,

make a list of the areas that you feel most worried aboutand those that you feel least worried about,

decide how much time you need to devote to the areasthat you feel worried about. Take longer for the veryworried areas,

divide up the time that you have left between those ar-eas that you feel least worried about.

You should now have a plan that is similar to the one shown in figure1.2.


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Very Worried grammar

Worried writing

assignments

Not As Worried reading

OK vocabulary

Confident note-taking

Monday early am.

Monday, pm.

grammar

grammar

1 hour

1 hour

Tuesday pm. writing assignments 1 hour

Wednesday, pm. reading

grammar

30 mins

30 minsThursday, am writing assignments 1 hour

Friday, pm. note-taking

vocabulary

15 mins.

30 mins.

Saturday, am grammar

writing assignments

vocabulary

1 hour

1 hour

30 mins

Sunday reading

note-taking

30 mins

15 mins

Figure 1.2Studying in English Study Plan

Use your plan for a week to see whether it works; if not, revise it.Other revisions may be necessary; for instance, you may discoverthat you are better at reading than you thought you were. On the otherhand, you may discover that you are not as confident at note-takingas you thought you were. The more you practise your English, theeasier and more automatic it will become.

You will find it extremely useful if you think in English, particularlywhen you are writing. Writing your assignments in English will alsoavoid the problem of having to translate sentences from your firstlanguage into English.

Unit 4, English Language, looks at grammar, punctuation, vocabularyand tenses, (past, present and future). You may find it very useful tohave a look at this unit. It will help you with your writing.


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1.7 Questions

1) What is learning?

2) List some factors that lead to effective learning.

3) What are the benefits of managing your time?

Now look at your answers. For each one, can you say:

whether your own view about this has changed becauseof reading the unit,

what your answer might mean for the way you learn infuture.


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1.8 Learning Outcomes

Having completed this section, you should be able to:

identify your own learning preferences,

produce a plan to help you learn.


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1.9 Answers

Note: Many of the answers to these and other questions in this

module are deliberately written in slightly different ways from themain text, though most of the ideas are similar. It is important for youto realise that the same ideas can be expressed in a variety of waysand to find your own ways of expressing ideas.

1) What is learning?

Answer

Here are some possible answers to this question:

memorising,

increasing knowledge,

acquiring facts to use in essays, at work, etc,

making something meaningful,

understanding reality.

The question is not as simple as it appears. Learning might well meanmemorising or increasing knowledge on some occasions. However,research shows that students who think of learning in terms of ab-stracting the meaning or understanding will get on better in highereducation, which is why the last two definitions have been highlighted.

2) List some factors that lead to effective learning.

Answer

Effective learning comes from:

a questioning attitude,

meaningful activities,

connections made with existing knowledge,


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active rather than passive approaches,

using feedback to let you know how you are getting on,

using appropriate senses: visual, auditory, physical,

frequent review,

establishing routines, techniques and strategies that workfor you.

What works for you is most likely to tie in with how you like to dothings. For example, if you are a very visual person, then you mightlearn most effectively from drawings, graphs, the shape of your notes,colour coding, etc. Maybe it is harder to understand an idea until youhave drawn it or listened to someone talking about it. Effective learn-ers often use a mixture of methods to increase their ability to learn.

As a distance learner, you use a lot of written text. If words are notyour favourite medium, what can you do to supplement them?

3) What are the benefits of time management?

Answer

Here are some benefits people have said time management hasbrought them:

you feel in control,

you know you have got the most you can from the timeavailable,

you can find out what interferes with your studies,

you accept the need to rest and relax without feelingguilty,

you dont feel so anxious all the time,

it is easier to see what you have achieved.

People are different in the benefits they get from managing their time.


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2. Learning Methods

2.1 Introduction

Most students learn in a variety of ways on their own or with otherpeople. In this section, we look at how to get the most from eachmethod and consider the role of electronic media which combine thetwo.

2.2 Objectives


discuss the benefits of keeping a learning journal,

describe how communication with tutors can supportyour learning,

describe the electronic media that can be used forlearning.

2.3 Identifying Positive Learning Experiences

Sources of learning such as text, audio-visual aids, tutorials and otherpeople will all affect your enjoyment of a learning experience. How-ever, there are other factors that can affect how you learn. Forinstance, do you learn better if:

you have a quiet room with no distractions?

you are alone?

you are with a group of people?

you have music to listen to while you study?

You may at this point find it useful to think about two learning experi-ences which you felt were particularly good, one of which took placewhen you were on your own and the other as part of a group. Theymay have taken place at work, at university or anywhere else.

Now try to identify what it was that made you feel these learning ex-periences were particularly good. What was it about them thatencouraged you to learn? Your answer, of course, will be specific toyour own experience but you may have included some of the follow-ing elements shown in figures 2.1 and 2.2.


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Learning On Your Own

peace and quiet - no distractions, which encouraged concentration,

the subject matter - interesting and relevant to your needs,

the learning materials - well-structured and easy to read,

the feeling of achievement,

time to reflect on what you were studying.

Figure 2.1Learning from Your Own Experience

Learning As Part of a Group

being part of a group with similar interests and commitment,

being in a friendly, non-threatening environment,

gaining the benefit of others experiences and knowledge,

receiving feedback from others and learning from others ideas,

being able to reflect on what the group was learning as they wentalong.

Figure 2.2 Learning from Group Experiences

From your answers you should be able to identify your preferred styleof learning. For instance, you may have realised that for you, learningon your own is much more productive. On the other hand, you mayhave discovered that you learned more when you worked in a group.

Perhaps there were some aspects you liked about studying on yourown and some you liked about group studying? If this is the case, itwould be beneficial to you to try and combine both.

However, whether you learn individually or in groups, one of the mostimportant factors in any learning experience is the ability to fit whatyou have learned with what you already know, thereby building onyour knowledge and ideas of the subject.

2.4 Learning on Your Own

In section 1, we saw that self-knowledge is a major key to effectivelearning. One way of finding out about yourself - your learning stylesand preferences, what time of day suits you - is to keep a journal.


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This will appeal particularly to people who enjoy reading and writing,but others may find it helpful too. Heres what one student says aboutkeeping a journal.

Case Study - one students experience of using a journal

I use a little notebook that I can carry around with me easily so that ifan idea or question occurs to me during the day I can quickly jot itdown. My main use of it, though, is at the beginning and end of anylearning session.

At the beginning, I write down what I hope to achieve from readingthe unit or chapter and any questions I might have about it.

After Ive done my reading (I make my notes in a different notebook) Icome back to my journal and write down anything that strikes me asimportant also see if Ive been able to answer the questions I set atthe start.

I also use my journal for making to do lists which I put in the marginso I dont forget them. Then I tick them off as I go.

One important result of keeping this notebook was that I discovered Iwas trying to learn at the wrong time of day! I had set aside 6 to 8each evening to study, but often found I was too tired after a dayswork. I then discovered I could do twice as much in less time - if itwas first thing in the morning. Keeping a note of how I worked helpedme to see patterns in my studying.

I also deliberately tried some new techniques for revision - makingtapes of key points and turning my notes into diagrams. I found thetapes didnt work as well as I thought they would so I concentrated on

the diagrams. (My friend was exactly the opposite - so Im glad Ithought about what would work for me instead of just taking someoneelses advice.)

To anyone else who is thinking of doing this, I would say dont worrywhat it looks like. No-one else needs to see it (mines very private).The important thing is to keep looking back over it. Its amazing whatyou find in it sometimes! I often say Oh, Id forgotten all about thatwhen I look at something I wrote a few weeks earlier.

2.5 Learning in Groups

Learning in groups has many advantages; for example, it can:

give you access to the ideas of others,

stimulate thought,

help you to clarify your own thoughts,


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provide you with the opportunity to share experienceswith others.

All the above points are major factors in the motivation to study.Without access to other students, for example, distance learners can

feel isolated. You will see later in this unit how learning from elec-tronic media, in particular, the Electronic Campus at the University ofPaisley enables students and tutors from different geographic regionsto communicate directly with one another and share learning experi-ences through group activities.

2.5.1 Tutorial Groups

Whether you usually attend lectures or study by distance learning,tutorials are normally a very important part of the course. When at-tending a tutorial, you should expect to become actively involved.

The tutor in a group tutorial, having explained the main ideas of theparticular topic to be discussed, should encourage you and other stu-dents to participate and share your experiences with the rest of thegroup. This way, the tutorial becomes a learning opportunity.

Tutors are a valuable resource and are there to provide help and ad-vice. But they cannot provide it unless you ask for it. Anxietyabout contacting your tutor over something which you may feel istrivial will only cause frustration and interfere with your concentration.

Remember, tutors are used to being asked for help and advice; youwill not be the first student to ask for help or have a problem.

Tutors, therefore:

can facilitate learning,

can provide essential feedback,

can offer advice and help,

are a source of knowledge and experience,

can be contacted if you have a problem.

Learning from tutorials will involve some input from you. To preparefor the tutorial you may have to read specific parts of text or completea particular part of the coursework. This is important if everyone inthe group is to be at the same stage and ready to discuss the subjectmatter.


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2.5.2 Benefits of Group-Based Learning

One of the main benefits to be gained from group-based learning isthe feeling that you are not alone. Being able to talk with others onthe same study programme can often help put your worries into per-spective and make you realise that you are not the only one who is

experiencing difficulties. Other benefits include:

social contact- tutorial groups often include people witha wide range of backgrounds, making tutorials a signifi-cant social experience,

supportiveness - the support and encouragement re-ceived from the tutorial group can help keep up yourmorale and increase your motivation,

collective progress - tutorial groups build on theachievements of previous meetings. This means that as

the groups shared understanding of the subject matterbecomes more sophisticated, discussions become morepowerful and your own thoughts become more devel-oped.

2.6 Learning through Different Media

Open and distance learning of which this module is an example have demonstrated that there are many possible ways in which stu-dents can learn. No longer do students have to be in the same room

as their teacher or other students.

It is not just distance learning students who are benefiting from theseadditional media they are increasingly affecting all students and it isimportant that you are aware of them. Here we examine the possi-bilities offered by:

video and audio recordings,

CD-ROMs,

the Internet,

computer conferencing,

telephone conferencing,

video conferencing.

2.6.1 Video and Audio RecordingsTapes of lectures mean that students dont have to be in the sameroom as the lecturer. However, it is important to realise that there is adifferent dimension when you are actually present in the room. For in-


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stance, many students report that some lecturers come over betterwhen they (the lecturers) are actually in the room and that listening toa taped lecture is perhaps not as good or as convincing as beingphysically present at the lecture.

Advantages of recordings, however, are that you can watch themwhen and where it suits youand play them back if there was anything

you did not understand.

Recordings may be used in a variety of ways. Some lecturers arestarting to produce case studies on video tape, for instance. Studentsthen have to make an analysis of the situation portrayed on the tape.Others are using videos as material to start off a discussion in a tuto-rial. Video and audio recordings can also be used to supplementdistance learning material by bringing the written text to life.

2.6.2 CD-ROMs and on-line Databases

As the amount of information available for students and researchershas increased, there has also been an increase in the number of waysof storing this information. A few years ago, miniaturisation seemedto be the answer and many pieces of information were stored on mi-cro-fiche, to be read by a special viewer. You might still see thesearound sometimes, but they have largely been superseded by CD-ROMs and on-line databases.

CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) proved invaluableas storage devices for memory-hungry documents or just largenumbers of documents and a whole years newspapers could bestored on one CD-ROM. If you want to find an article in last yearsTimes, for instance, you can make a search of the CD-ROM based onany information you have available, such as key words or the date.

The Library at the University of Paisley subscribes to a wide range ofdatabases that could be useful to you. Some of these are availableon-line (ie, through a computer) on what is known as the BIDS system(Bath Information and Data Service).

Dont be put off by all these initials. The purpose at the moment issimply to make you aware of the existence of the range of mediaavailable to you. If you get the opportunity, you will find it useful toexplore what is available. Then when you are looking for somethingspecific, you will have a rough idea of where to look.

2.6.3 The Internet

The Internet began as a network for military applications in America,

but was quickly adopted by academics who saw the value of beingable to link large amounts of data on each others computers. From afew exciting links, the Internet has expanded to the extent that no-onereally knows everything that it contains. Access to the Internet gives


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you not only the World Wide Web, but also electronic mail (e-mail),newsgroups and bulletin boards.

The World Wide Web is a huge resource. It contains a lot of rubbishas well as some useful academic articles. The problem students

sometimes face is knowing how to tell the difference, especially whenyou are new to a subject. It is still worth exploring it for information.Some students are surprised when they realise that it can be used forthings other than finding out about music, games or other entertain-ments!

To surf the net, you need to be aware of how to use search engines.(Look for the word search on the screen and try clicking on it.)These offer you a space to key in words that you want to look up. Forexample, I typed Paisley in the Lycos search engine and it came upwith nearly 5000 websites on a very wide range of topics. To findwhat you are looking for, you may need to refine your search, by

adding more words for example.

Students at the University of Paisley also have access to the studentIntranet. The Intranet is like the Internet, but only available to aclosed group. Here you can quickly find out whats happening in theUniversity, what modules you can take and some departments haveadditional information for their students.

One of the most significant benefits of the Internet has been e-mail(electronic mail). It is an excellent communication tool which cansave you valuable time. If you are looking for a tutor or fellow stu-dent, it can sometimes be difficult to get hold of him or her by phoneand a letter can take too long. E-mail can mean that you can get holdof each other quickly and conveniently. University of Paisley studentscan all have their own e-mail address, whether you own a computeror not. Once you get into the habit of checking your e-mail, you willfind it a very useful way to keep in touch.

It can also save you valuable time. You can send a message simul-taneously to a large group of people with a single computercommand, thereby saving the laborious task of sending the messageby hand to each individual.

2.6.4 Computer Conferencing

Wide-area networks connected through the public telephone systemwill allow you to participate in computer-conferencing. You can dothis via the Internet, but some organisations have their own servers.For example, distance learning students at the University of Paisleyhave their own system.

Here, the computer acts like a notice board on which you can have

active conversations. Messages are sent to the notice board whichyou can read, and if you wish, comment on.


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Electronic conferences are organised so that there are areas whichfocus on particular topics or interest groups. You can browse elec-tronically around these areas looking at the various issues beingdiscussed and join in on any conversations that interest you or whereyou feel you may have a contribution to make.

Computer conferencing gives you entry into a vast resource of otherstudents and tutors who will have differing backgrounds, experiences,jobs and geographical locations from yours. Being able to discussyour own views and ideas with those of other students and tutors willprovide you with an excellent learning opportunity that should not bemissed. Figure 2.3 shows this process.

Figure 2.3 The Electronic Campus

Many students undertaking distance learning courses do not have theopportunity to make contact with fellow students and tutors. You do

use it! If this is a new medium for you, get to know it. As with anynew piece of software, you will need to put aside some time to learnwhat it can offer you and how to use it effectively. Here are someuseful points to bear in mind:

let other people know who you are and what your interests are,

dont use essay style writing; try to write as if you were chat-ting to someone on the telephone; this will help to keep theconversation lively and lead to further discussion,

keep your messages or comments to one topic area; too

many topics will only confuse readers; try not to use morethan one screenful of text as too much text will put other peo-ple off reading it.


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2.6.5 Telephone Conferencing

Some students may have the opportunity to have telephone confer-ences with tutors and/or other students. This happens when severalpeople are unable to meet but can speak to each other through thephone system. It can take a while to get used to using the telephone

in this way; at first, there might be awkward pauses or everyone try-ing to speak at once. Not all students are comfortable on thetelephone anyway, but as with everything, practice leads to great im-provements.

2.6.6 Video Conferencing

A video conference allows classes or discussions to be held anywherein the world with the appropriate facilities. Some students have had avideo conferenced viva (oral exam) or interview. There are variousways video conferences can be set up; some people have a small

camera attached to their computer, for instance. The main provisionat the University of Paisley involves two screens one where you cansee what is happening at the other end of the conference and onewhich shows what they see at your end. These screens can be usedto show overhead transparencies, videos, etc, as well as the people inthe conference and, thus, a virtual lecture theatre can be created.

As with the other media, there are differences between videoconferencing and normal face-to-face contact and it is worth practis-ing before your first serious use. With some systems, there might bean echo on the line or a slight delay in hearing the people at the otherend. Body language can be important if you wave your armsaround it can create a distortion. Eye contact is not quite the same aswhen people are in the same room, but it helps if you try to reproducenatural eye contact.

2.7 Self Assessment Questions


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1) How does a learning journal help some students?

2) Why do you need to communicate with others when you learn?

3) Give a brief description of how the following can support your learning:

electronic mail,


electronic sources of information.

Now look at your answers. For each one, can you say:

whether your own view about this has changed becauseof reading the unit,

what your answer might mean for the way you learn infuture.


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2.9 Self Assessment Answers

1) How does a learning journal help some students?

Answer

A learning journal helps some students because:

it forces students to think about what they have beenlearning,

it provides a record of the days work, questions and dis-coveries,

a record of how you feel can be used to identify goodtimes to work,

frequent review of the journal helps the revision process.

Not all students like to do this. Some might make a tape recording oftheir thoughts at the end of a study period. Some would prefer moresocial approaches. For example, a record of your e-mail discussionsmight fulfil many of the same functions.

2) Why do you need to communicate with others when you learn?

Answer

Very few scholars can work entirely on their own, and even those whodo seem to have someone in mind with whom they are having a dia-logue. Here are some of the benefits of communicating with others:

a tutor or another student can help you to the next stageof your learning when you are ready to move on,

if you have made a wrong assumption, discussion withsomeone else can help you to find out about this,

you feel less isolated when you know other people areworking on the same problems,


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having a range of minds working on the same issue canproduce much richer results,

feedback from tutors and even other students is an es-sential part of the learning process.

If you are a very sociable person, then it will be natural to you to wantto communicate with others. More introverted people might welcomethe fact that there are now a number of ways to communicate - whichdo not all involve being in a crowded room!

3) Give a brief description of how the following can support your learning:

electronic mail,


electronic sources of information.

Answer

Electronic mail enables you to stay in contact with a wide range ofpeople at a time that suits both you and them. A message can besent to everyone on your list with a single command, so you dont

have to keep repeating yourself. You can choose when to open yourmessages, so that you dont need to interrupt what you are doing.Thus, you get the vital communication you need without having tointerfere with your own time management.

Computer Conferencing provides an electronic version of a semi-nar, again allowing the flexibility of communicating at a time that suitsyou. You can find a discussion group that suits your own needs or ar-range to create one with others doing the same course as you.

Sometimes shy students lurk in a conference - that is, they wait until

they are confident enough before contributing. It is much easier to dothis electronically than in a room where everyone is looking at you. Itis well worth while participating, because of all the advantages ofcommunicating your ideas and getting feedback on them.

Information Sources provide electronic versions of stores of infor-mation that might once have been kept in books, reports andmicrofiches , for example. The most prolific source of information isthe World Wide Web, where networked pages of data in computersaround the world can be accessed with the use of search engines.


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3. Your Relationship with Academic Staff

3.1 Introduction

Although students in higher education are encouraged to be inde-pendent, how you work with academic staff will be critical to yoursuccess. Even if you are a distance learning student in fact, espe-cially if you are a distance learning student - your relationship withyour tutor will be vital for the essential feedback you need on yourwork.

LearningShowingyou know

Feedback

Figure 3.1 The Cycle of Learning

Without feedback, the cycle of learning is incomplete and you cannotgo on to the next phase of learning. We talk about feedback insteadof criticism, partly because of the negative ideas associated with criti-cism and partly because feedback contains the notion of a dialoguerather than one-way communication.

Feedback from tutors might be provided through:

answers to your questions,

clarification of your misunderstandings,

comments on your work,

grades or marks that indicate you have reached a certain

standard.

Throughout this section, we will refer to a member of academic staffyou might encounter at university as a tutor. They may have an offi-


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cial title of lecturer (see the glossary in the Appendix) but tutor is auseful word to describe someone who is engaged in communicationwith you (rather than just lecturing atyou, for instance).

3.2 Objectives


explain how tutors can help someone who is learning inde-pendently,

distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate questionsfor staff,

describe the principles of constructive feedback.

3.3 The Roles of Academic Staff

In Higher Education, students are expected to become more inde-pendent in their learning. Nevertheless, you are becoming a memberof an academic community and the tutors are there to help you to jointhat community. They do this by:

providing information you need to engage with the ideas of thecommunity,

asking you questions that should make you think about theideas,

answering your questions,

clarifying areas you have problems understanding,

giving feedback on work you produce,

giving you a grade or mark that indicates your progress withthe work.

Open and distance learning students and part-time students are justas much members of this community as full-time on-campus stu-dents. However, there may be fewer opportunities for interaction withtutors and it will be important to make sure these interactions actuallyprovide what you need.

Different tutors will respond to these duties in different ways. It is im-portant to remember that they are all human beings. Some will berather shy; others will be very extravert. Some are much more com-


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fortable simply providing information and you may have to find waysof encouraging them to engage in dialogue with you. One-way com-munication does not get you the feedback you need, so you mustensure that tutors have something appropriate to respond to. Ques-tions can be a useful device, but you must be sure they are properlyfocused.

3.4 Asking Questions

Consider these two students. Both of them cause their lecturers andtutors some problems, though they dont intend to.

a) Kim doesnt understand very much of what is going on at all

but is frightened to say anything because the lecturers are sobusy. She also believes that it is up to her to work things out.When the lecturer says: Did you all follow that? Kim doesntsay anything at all.

b) Ali asks questions all the time, but some of them are notreally related to the course. Sometimes, the student asksquestions that have already been answered and lecturers getvery irritated. Ali thinks that lecturers are impressed by stu-dents who ask a lot of questions. (They are, usually, but onlyif the students show some willingness to attempt to answerthe questions themselves.)

In neither case is the student really thinking about what he or sheneeds from the lecturer. Both students need to be able to identify thestages at which they have gaps in their knowledge. The more precisetheir questions are, the better the lecturer will be able to answer them.If their questions indicate what they do know as well as what theydont, then they are more likely to be successful.

Exercise

Read the following dialogues and see whether you can say why thetutor was able to help Jo more than Ali.

Ali What exactly do you want for this essay?

Tutor As it says. Leaders are born, not made. Discuss.


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Ali But what do you want?

Tutor You have to interpret the question and come up withyour answer to it. I cant really tell you any more thanthat.

Ali thought that the tutor had not been very helpful and was veryupset to hear that Jo had seemed to have more success.

Jo I have found books on leadership styles, but nothingabout leaders being born. Can you help me?

Tutor What sort of words have you looked up in the librarycatalogue?

Jo I looked up leader and born.

Tutor Yes, I can see why youre having some difficulties.Lets think about the books you have found; what doyou think about styles of leadership? Are you bornwith a certain style or can you be trained?

Jo Well, one of the styles was authoritarian and I thinksome people are naturally authoritarian.

and the discussion continued for several more minutes.

Why was Jo more successful than Ali?

If you can demonstrate to your tutor, as Jo did, that you have tried togive some thought to the problem, it will be easier for them to helpyou. If the tutor has no idea about what is in your mind or if you

have not tried at all to think about the problem then there is no wayin. The tutor should perhaps have tried to find out whether Ali haddone any work or not, but the question what exactly do you want? isa very difficult one to answer and does not encourage tutors to thinkabout what is going on in the students mind.

The main advice, therefore, is to:

remember your tutors are human,

make your questions as precise as you can,

show what you already know.


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3.5 Constructive Feedback

If you are going to learn from your tutors, you will need feedback fromthem. This is a two-way process; they will also need feedback fromyou.

Often, students dont bother to read the comments a tutor makes on apiece of writing. Theyll say things like: Im never going to write thatessay again, so why should I bother. In fact, proper attention to thefeedback may help ensure that the next essay they write is a betterone.

Students will be expected to give feedback to tutors too. Sometimesthis will be formal, for example, an evaluation form at the end of acourse. (Often students are unaware of how seriously tutors takethese and sometimes they can be very unkind and flippant.) Feed-

back can also be more informal; students body language in a classgives the tutor quite a lot of feedback.

So the principles identified below should help you both to give and toreceive feedback. It is one of the most important parts of your aca-demic life.

3.5.1 Principles of Constructive Feedback

1. Comment on the activity, not the person.

2. Say what worked as well as what didnt work.

3. Only comment on what can be changed.

4. Be precise.

5. Make suggestions for improvement.

6. Be prepared to receive feedback as well as give it.

It is worth expanding these points a little.

1. Comment on the activity, not the person

Feedback should help you to improve something you are doing. Itshould not be regarded as a personal attack. When a tutor says: Thisis a weak essay it does not mean that you are a weak person! It justmeans that something you have done could have been done better,and you hope the tutor will also go on to explain why and how.

2. Say what worked as well as what didnt work

Sometimes students get very good marks for their essays and are

told well done. But if they dont know why it was well done, theycannot ensure that they will do it well again. If someone gives a par-ticularly good lecture one day, it is worth saying something like: Iparticularly enjoyed your lecture today because the structure was very


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clear. If you did this, it would encourage the lecturer alwaysto struc-ture lectures in a way that students find helpful.

3. Only comment on what can be changed

If a lecturer has a bad stutter, it is probably not very helpful to point itout. However, you could say something like: We think it could beeasier to follow your lecture if you told us the topics in advance andwe could do some reading beforehand. Similarly, if you feel some-thing might be unchangeable about your work for example, yourhandwriting you would not expect to be criticised for it.

Dyslexic students sometimes feel that this should mean that theirspelling errors should be ignored. In some subjects, this will be thecase but if spelling is being assessed as part of the presentation, thetutor may not be able to treat the student differently. There are thingsthat can be done to change this situation, however. In an exam, the

student might be allowed a scribe or for an essay the student woulduse a word-processor and spell checker and probably get a friend toproof-read it too.

4. Be precise

As we saw with asking questions, being precise is one of the keycommunication skills you need at university. What exactly is right orwrong with what the person did? How did it seem to you? A tutorwho writes: Rubbish! is not only being very destructive but is notoffering any help to you at all. It takes longer and more thought towrite You have not demonstrated the relationship between X and Y.

5. Make suggestions for improvement

The feedback that will help you the most will not tell you exactly howto get the information you need, but will help you to do it for yourself.It is more useful, for example, if the tutor says: You will find informa-tion about the causes in Chapter 6. instead of the causes you shouldhave mentioned were poverty, bad housing and disease.

It is only more useful, of course, if you follow up the tutors guidelinesfor improvement. If you dont read Chapter 6, then the tutors moredetailed answer wouldbe more helpful and some tutors will assume

that students wont be prepared to do the work and end up doing toomuch for them. Youhave to take the responsibility.

6. Be prepared to receive feedback in return

When staff and students (or students and students) are comfortabletalking to one another, it can help to clear up misunderstandings. Forexample, in the following dialogue the student gives feedback to thetutor then the tutor to the student:

Student I found this problem particularly difficult as I didnt

know where to begin. It would have been very helpfulto have a model to follow it wouldnt have taken meas long.


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Tutor Im glad it took you a long time as it probably meansyou now see where the answer has come from. If Ihad given you a model, you would just have copied itwithout thinking about it. You wont have a model inthe exam. It was good that you were prepared totake the trouble to work through it you will be

pleased that you did in the end.

This is a constructive discussion that both people should feel com-fortable with. If the student had said: You should have given us amodel, this would not have been constructive, because it did not saywhat the problem was and give the tutor the opportunity to put it right.Similarly, if the tutor had said: Youre always looking for the easyway, it would not have been constructive because it was a personalattack on the student, rather than on a particular piece of behaviour.

3.5.2 A Note About Cultural Differences

There will be some cultural differences in relation to communicationin general and this could have an impact on feedback. If English isnot your first language or your tutor or fellow students come from adifferent cultural background from yours, this may need to be takeninto account. For example, in some cultures, it is usual for studentsto challenge their tutors if they do not agree with them. In other cul-tures, the tutor would never be questioned or challenged at all.

You may, therefore, feel uncomfortable with the advice about con-

structive feedback given above. Some tutors might also feeluncomfortable with it, especially the idea that it is a two-way process.It will help if you are sensitive to other peoples difficulties, but keepasking yourself what precise information you need to help you to im-prove with your studies.

If you feel there is insufficient feedback from your tutor, can you thinkof questions that would help you to get more?


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3.6 Self Assessment Questions

1) What kinds of support can you expect from university staff?

2) Which of the following pairs of questions would be more likely to receive a helpful answer?

(a) I didnt understand your lecture at all. Can you tell me whatyou meant? (1)

You talked about photosynthesis in the lecture. Can you goover the mechanism for me again? I didnt understand whatsome of the words meant. (2)

(b) What exactly do you want for this essay? (1)

If I wrote an account of Taylors ideas on scientific manage-ment and then related it to current practices in industry, wouldthis be on the right lines? (2)

(c) I thought I had answered the question. Can you explain whatI missed? (1)

Why did you give me such a low mark? I thought it was agood essay. (2)

(d) Will the exam just be on this semesters work or might we beasked questions from last year? (1)

What will the exam cover? (2)


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3) A distance learning tutor writes the following comment on a students paper: OK 43%. Whatquestions might the student ask in order to get more feedback from the lecturer?


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3.7 Learning Outcomes

Having completed this section, you should be able to:

approach tutors and lecturers with confidence,

use feedback to help you improve your performance,

seek constructive feedback if it is not given.


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3.8 Answers to Self Assessment Questions

1) What kinds of support can you expect from university staff?

Answer

Broadly speaking, tutors should help you to join an academic com-munity. They should be able to:

help you to find the answers to specific questions (note thatthey wont necessarilyknow the answers themselves),

clarify points from lectures, tutorials or reading material,

give you constructive feedback on your work to help you to

improve.

2) Which of the following pairs of questions would be more likely to receive a helpful answer?

(a) I didnt understand your lecture at all. Can you tell me whatyou meant? (1)

You talked about photosynthesis in the lecture. Can you goover the mechanism for me again? I didnt understand whatsome of the words meant. (2)

(b) What exactly do you want for this essay? (1)

If I wrote an account of Taylors ideas on scientific manage-

ment and then related it to current practices in industry, wouldthis be on the right lines? (2)


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(c) I thought I had answered the question. Can you explain whatI missed? (1)

Why did you give me such a low mark? I thought it was agood essay. (2)

(d) Will the exam just be on this semesters work or might we beasked questions from last year? (1)

What will the exam cover? (2)

Answer

(a) 2

(b) 2

(c) 1

(d) 1

In each case, the more specific question is more appropriate. Thismight be harder to see in the third example, but good is a veryvague concept. If the student takes a comment made by the lecturerand asks for clarification it is easier for the lecturer to give an appro-priate explanation.

3) A distance learning tutor writes the following comment on a students paper: OK 43%. Whatquestions might the student ask in order to get more feedback from the lecturer?

Answer

This was certainly not a constructive comment. The student wouldfind it very difficult to improve and needs answers to such questionsas:

Why was it OK? Was it because I answered the question asked?

Was there anything I did not do that I should have done?

Was there anything I did that I should not have done?

How could I have got a higher mark?

studyskills_unit1

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