LibGuides: Study Skills: Being a Learner

Activities for students

6 Powerful Learning Strategies You Must Share with Students
Think - Pair - Share Think-Pair-Share (TPS) is a cooperative learning activity that can work in varied size classrooms and in any subject. Instructors pose a question, students first THINK to themselves prior to being instructed to discuss their response with a person sitting near them (PAIR). Finally, the groups SHARE out what they discussed with their partner to the entire class and discussion continues.
6-3-5 Brainwriting You’ve probably tried brainstorming, but have you tried brainwriting? In this approach, students are given time to come up with their own ideas individually before sharing them out loud or posting them to an online whiteboard or other shared platform. Building in space for individual reflection leads to better ideas and less groupthink.
The one-minute paper How much could you explain in one minute? At the end of class, set a timer and ask students to record their most eye-opening revelation or biggest question. This activity lets students reflect on learning and build writing skills – plus you’ll get a window into their understandings and misunderstandings.
Sketchnoting Instead of taking traditional lecture notes, try getting your students to sketch a picture that represents what they’ve learned during class. Remember, it’s not about the quality of the art – it’s about how drawing prompts students to visualize their understanding and look at their learning from a different perspective.
Chain Notes Chain notes begin with one student responding to a question and passing the note to the next student to add their response. It’s a simple strategy to gauge students’ understanding of the topic.

Video

Ref. Sprouts. (2016, October 3). 13 study tips: The science of better learning [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eVlvxHJdql8

Being a learner

How to Become a More Effective Leaner

Keep learning (and practicing) new things
One sure-fire way to become a more effective learner is to simply keep learning. It is important to keep practicing new things in order to maintain the gains you have achieved. This "use-it-or-lose-it" phenomenon involves a brain process known as "pruning." Certain pathways in the brain are maintained, while others are eliminated. If you want new information you just learned to stay put, keep practicing and rehearsing it.
Learn things in multiple ways
Describe what you learned to a friend, take notes, or draw a mind map. By learning something more than one way, you’re further cementing the knowledge in your mind.
Teach what you've learned to another person
Share your newly learned skills and knowledge with others. Start by translating information into your own words - this process alone helps solidify new knowledge in your brain. Then find some way to share what you’ve learned with your friends and family.
Use Previous Learning to Promote New Learning
Another great way to become a more effective learner is to use relational learning, which involves relating new information to things that you already know. For example, if you are learning about Romeo and Juliet, you might associate what you learn about the play with prior knowledge you have about Shakespeare, the historical period in which the author lived, and other relevant information.
Stop Multitasking
Research suggests that multitasking can actually make learning less effective. People lose significant amounts of time as they switched between multiple tasks, and can lose even more time as the tasks become complex. By switching from one activity to another, you will learn more slowly, become less efficient, and make more errors.

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