Studying with multiple sources

Stahl, et al (1998) found that using multiple-text sources can only be effective if we are taught to use them properly. As beginners, we tend to be more consistent in what information we select from short, well-constructed texts. Longer, less structured documents tend to be more confusing.

Text books

• provide a foundation of facts and viewpoints to provide an overview
• sequence information and facts to understand issues
• create a context for comparing and understanding other sources
• are written in a neutral, objective tone

Problems with a single text
for a subject or course include:

• information is often "academic"
  lacking the drama of real life experience, adventure, and experimentation
• bias is hidden or concealed
  ignoring competing facts, priorities, minority viewpoints
• a single interpretation limits how reported facts are prioritized/sequenced
  restricting viewpoint (Euro/Caucasian) or subject testing (white male)
• original/eyewitness sources of information are secondary to interpretative accounts

Additional readings and alternative sources
of information can assist you to

• create a richer understanding
  with additional information and perspective
• interact or engage with facts, actors, circumstances
  of the material
• practice and familiarize
  yourself with new subject vocabulary and concepts
• process opposing, even conflicting,
  points of view in order to assess, evaluate, defend

Conflicting information however can impede your learning,
unless you can

• analyze it for commonalties
• reorganize or synthesize
  your model for understanding it
• consider the impact of, and evaluate, conflicts
• filter it with athe context presented in the basic text

Some Recommendations:

• Read your text
  to provide the factual framework from which to begin
  (see also Taking notes from a text book)
• Proceed to shorter, more focused sources
  of information expecially if you are inexpereinced in the subject
• Practice with multiple texts to improve your evaluative skills:
  • compare and contrast your sources
  • analyze them for bias or viewpoint
  • note when and where they were written, and how that affects the viewpoint
• Understand the connections
  between events, actors, and circumstances rather than learn a series of "facts" which can be easily be forgotten
• Use in-class or on-line discussion time
  to test your understanding and ask questions!

Concentrating

Concentration: the ability to direct your thinking

The art or practice of concentration,
no matter if studying biology or playing pool,
is to focus on the task at hand and eliminate distraction

We all have the ability to concentrate -- sometimes. Think of the times when you were "lost" in something you enjoy: a sport, playing music, a good game, a movie. Total concentration.

But at other times,

• Your mind wanders from one thing to another
• Your worries distract you
• Outside distractions take you away before you know it
• The material is boring, difficult, and/or not interesting to you.
• See the Flash distraction (needs high speed connection)

These tips may help: They involve

1. What you can control in your studies
2. Best practices

What you can control in your studies:

• "Here I study"
  Get a dedicated space, chair, table, lighting and environment
  Avoid your cellphone or telephone
  Put up a sign to avoid being disturbed or interrupted
  If you like music in the background, OK, but don't let it be a distraction. (Research on productivity with music versus without music is inconclusive)
• Stick to a routine, efficient study schedule
  Accommodate your day/nighttime energy levels
  See our Guide on Setting goals and making a scheduling
• Focus
  Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to summarize a few objectives, gather what you will need, and think of a general strategy of accomplishment
• Incentives
  Create an incentive if necessary for successfully completing a task,
  such as calling a friend, a food treat, a walk, etc.
  For special projects such as term papers, design projects, long book reviews, set up a special incentive
• Change topics
  Changing the subject you study every one to two hours for variety
• Vary your study activities
  Alternate reading with more active learning exercises
  If you have a lot of reading, try the SQ3R method
  Ask yourself how you could increase your activity level while studying? Perhaps a group will be best? Creating study questions?
  Ask your teacher for alternative strategies for learning. The more active your learning, the better.
• Take regular, scheduled breaks that fit you
  Do something different from what you've been doing (e.g., walk around if you've been sitting), and in a different area
• Rewards
  Give yourself a reward when you've completed a task

Best Practices:

• You should notice improvement in a few days
  But like any practice, there will be ups, levels, and downs:

• It will benefit other activities you do!

Effective study habits

You can prepare yourself to succeed in your studies.
Try to develop and appreciate the following habits:

• Take responsibility for yourself
  Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities,
  your time, and your resources

• Center yourself around your values and principles
  Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important

• Put first things first
  Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals

• Discover your key productivity periods and places
  Morning, afternoon, or evening?
  Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.
  Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges

• Consider yourself in a win-win situation
  When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students,
  and even your teacher will benefit.
  Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance

• First understand others, then attempt to be understood
  When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor's place.
  Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation

• Look for better solutions to problems
  For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it.
  Try something else! Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or your school's study skills center

• Look to continually challenge yourself

Constructive use of feedback

Modeling non-defensive behavior in the classroom
can be critical to demonstrating effective use of feedback.

Being non-defensive, open to listening, and delaying response are critical.

A classroom exercise:

Before the teacher leaves the classroom, students are instructed to form a line with one end being "This is the worst class I've ever taken; I should have stayed in bed" and the other "This is the best class I've ever taken; I hope it never ends" with degrees between the two extremes.

Once they have distributed themselves in that line, and the teacher has given them the following instructions and exited, they form small groups (of four) with those who are closest to them in the line. They then make one composite list of the reasons they put themselves where they did in the line.

When they have completed their lists,
they share their lists with then other groups,
then jointly prepare three lists:

stop doing, start doing, continue doing

put these three lists on the board.

They are given 45 minutes to an hour to complete the task.

When done,
the teacher is invited back to the classroom and presented the three lists.

The teacher takes the lists home, reflects upon them, and responds in the next class:

• What will change and
  how the changes should impact classroom "organization" and learning

• what won't change
  with those reasons why

Conflict resolution

One way to peacefully resolve conflict is for each side

• to come together voluntarily
• to work cooperatively on the issues
• under the guidance of a trained facilitator

The following process should be under the guidance of a trained facilitator.
Bring your conflicted parties together in a private location, and:

• Gather information: identify key issues without making accusations
  Focus on what the issues are, not who did what
  Do not accuse, find fault, call names
  
• Each party states their position and how it has affected them;
  Others listen attentively and respectfully without interruption
• Each party, in turn, repeats or describes as best they can
  the other's position to the listener's satisfaction
  (c.f. Franklin Covey's fifth habit "Seek first to understand, then to be understood")
  
• Parties try to view the issue from other points of view beside the two conflicting ones
• Parties brain storm to find the middle ground, a point of balance, creative solutions, etc.
• Each side volunteers what he or she can do to resolve the conflict or solve the problem
  
• A formal agreement is drawn with agreed-upon actions for both parties;
• A procedure is identified should disagreement arise
• Progress is monitored
• Progress rewarded or celebrated

Conflict resolution should be a voluntary process that

• reflects the school's values if applied throughout the school
• is also modeled and followed by teachers, administrators, and staff
• will fail if perceived as a process for students only

Each party in collaborative conflict resolution
should feel empowered to speak their mind, feel listened to, and feel they are a critical part of the solution. So also, each is obligated to respect and listen to others, try to understand their point of view; and actively work toward a mutual decision.

Collaborative/cooperative learning

Cooperative or collaborative learning is a team process where members support and rely on each other to achieve an agreed-upon goal. The classroom is an excellent place to develop team-building skills you will need later in life.

Cooperative/collaborative learning is interactive;
as a team member, you:

• develop and share a common goal

• contribute your understanding of the problem:
  questions; insights and solutions

• respond to, and work to understand, others' questions, insights and solutions.
  Each member empowers the other to speak and contribute,
  and to consider their contributions

• are accountable to others, and they are accountable to you

• are dependent on others, and they depend on you

What makes for a good learning team?

• Team activities begin with training in, and understanding group processes.
  An instructor begins by facilitating discussion and suggesting alternatives
  but does not impose solutions on the team, especially those having difficulty working together

• Three to five people
  Larger teams have difficulty in keeping everyone involved

• Teacher-assigned groups
  They function better than self-assigned groups

• Diverse skill levels, backgrounds, experience

  • Each individual brings strengths to a group

  • Each member of the group is responsible to not only contribute his/her strengths, but also to help others understand the source of their strengths

  • Any member who is at a disadvantage or not comfortable with the majority should be encouraged and proactively empowered to contribute

  • Learning is positively influenced with a diversity of perspective and experience
    increasing options for problem solving
    expanding the range of details to consider
    

• Commitment of each member to a goal that is defined and understood by the group

  • Confidential peer ratings are a good way to to assess who is and who is not contributing

  • Groups have the right to fire a non-cooperative or non-participating member if all remedies have failed.
    (The person fired then has to find another group to accept him/her)

  • Individuals can quit if they believe they are doing most of the work with little assistance from the others.
    (This person can often easily find another group to welcome his/her contributions)
    

• Shared operating principles and responsibilities, defined and agreed to by each member. These include:
  

  1. Commitment to attend, prepare and be on time for meetings

  2. Have discussions and disagreements focus on issues, avoiding personal criticism

  3. Take responsibility for a share of the tasks and carry them out on time
     You may need to perform tasks that you have little experience, feel ill-prepared for, or even think others would do better. Accept the challenge, but be comfortable in stating that you may need help, training, a mentor, or have to resign and take on different task.

Process:

Refer to the Group Project Guide

• Set up goals, define how often and with what means you will communicate, evaluate progress, make decisions, and resolve conflict

• Define resources, especially someone who can provide direction, supervision, counsel, and even arbitrate

• Schedule review of your progress and communication
  to discuss what is working and what is not working

Scheduling with your school calender

• Pick up a copy of your school's term/semester calendar

• Develop a calendar of important dates for your classes:
  Tests, papers, projects, readings, mid-term and final exams, holidays, breaks, study days, etc.

• Enter important dates for your social and family life

• Each week develop a daily schedule that includes routines and important dates

• Post this schedule in your study area
  for referral and review, and to mark your progress

• Each evening develop a schedule
  to help you organize the next day, include routines, errands and important appointments

• Review each day's schedule that morning

Motivating yourself

As young children, we have a great ability to learn and to see past setbacks.

As we begin to meet expectations created by our families, schools, and environment, the motivation of our early years shifts from our goals to pleasing others, and often our desire to learn suffers.

How can you motivate yourself?

With this exercise, try to

• recognize your sense of discovery
• take responsibility for your learning
• accept the risks inherent in learning with confidence, competence, and autonomy
• recognize that "failure" is success:
  learning what doesn't work is on the same path
  as learning what does work
• celebrate your achievement in meeting your goals

Time Management

Developing time management skills is a journey
that may begin with this Guide, but needs practice and other guidance along the way.

One goal is to help yourself become aware of how you use your time
as one resource in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in your studies
in the context of competing activities of friends, work, family, etc.

First: try our exercise in time management

Strategies on using time:

• Develop blocks of study time
  About 50 minutes? How long does it take for you to become restless?
  Some learners need more frequent breaks
for a variety of reasons
More difficult material may also require more frequent breaks
• Schedule weekly reviews and updates
• Prioritize assignments
  When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task
• Develop alternative study places free from distractions
  to maximize concentration
• Use your time wisely
  Think of times when you can study "bits" as when walking, riding the bus, etc.
• Review studies and readings just before class
• Review lecture material immediately after class
  (Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review)
• Schedule time for critical course events
  Papers, presentations, tests, etc.

Try the University of Minnesota's Assignment Calculator

Develop criteria for adjusting your schedule
to meet both your academic and non-academic needs

Effective aids:

• Create a simple "To Do" list
  This simple program will help you identify a few items, the reason for doing them, a timeline for getting them done, and then printing this simple list and posting it for reminders.
• Daily/weekly planner
  Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart.
  If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule
  First thing in the morning, check what's ahead for the day
  always go to sleep knowing you're prepared for tomorrow
• Long term planner
  Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead.
  Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to constructively plan time for yourself