Effective Learning
Effective learning depends upon good study
habits. Efficient study skills do not
simply occur; they must first be
learned and then applied consistently. Good
study strategies include a preset
time for study, a desirable place to study,
and a well-designed study plan. A
Time to study All of us think we have more
things to do than we have time to
do, and studying gets shortchanged. It is
important to prepare a schedule of
daily activities that includes time slots for
doing the studying we have to
do. Within each study slot, write in the specific
study activity; for
example, "Read Unit 6 of accounting; do Problems 1-5."
Keep the schedule
flexible so that it can be modified after you assess your
success in meeting
your study goals within each time slot. A Place to study
Choose the best
place to study and use the same one every day. Doing so will
help to put you
in a study mood when you enter that place. According to Usova
(1989, 37), "
The library is not always a desirable place to study." Choose
a place that
has the fewest distractions such as people traffic, conversation,
telephone,
TV, and outside noises. Study is usually best done alone and in the
absence
of sights and sounds that distract the eye and ear. In your chosen
quite
place, force the mind to concentrate on the task at hand. A Plan for
Study
Research on the effects of specific study skills on student
performance (Dansereau,
1985, 39) suggests that the following study
tactics help to improve academic
performance. 1. Skim a unit or a chapter,
noting headings, topic sentences, key
words, and definitions. This overview
will clue you to what you are about to
study. 2. As you read a unit or
chapter, convert the headings into questions;
then seek answers to those
questions as you read. 3. If you own the book, use
the color marking pens to
highlight important ideas: headings, topic sentences,
special terms,
definitions, and supporting facts. If you don’t own the book,
make notes of
these important ideas and facts. 4. After you have completed a
unit or
chapter, review the highlighted item (or your notes which contain
them.)
5. Using the headings stated as questions, see if you can answer
those questions
based on your reading. 6. Test yourself to see if you can
recall definitions of
important terms and list of supporting facts or ideas.
A high correlation exists
between good study habits and good grades for the
courses taken in school.
Bibliography
Dansereau, D. F. "Learning
Strategy Research." Thinking and Learning
Skills. Vol.1. Hillsdale, NJ:
Lawrence E Erlbaum 1985, 21-40. Usova, George M.
Efficient Study
Strategies. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company,
1989.