ASSESSING OR CHANGING STUDY BEHAVIORPRESENTED BY: SANDRA NELSON

SPRING 2014

PART 1INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION

In their study, “A History of Study Skills: Not Hot, But Not Forgotten,” Richardson, Robnolt, and Rhodes draw from three definitions of study skills:

Miriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (2007) – “application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge”

Harris and Hodges (1995) – “techniques and strategies that help a person read or listen for specific purposes with the intent to remember”

Gettinger and Seibert (2002) – “A strategy is an individual's comprehensive approach to a task; it includes how a person thinks and acts when planning and evaluating his or her study behavior”

HISTORY

1900-1969

library skills

note taking

reading widely

subjects of interest

effective studying while reading

Post-1970

motivation and affect

activities described

metacognition

programs described

assessments created

the use of study skills in electronic environments

(Richardson, Robnolt, and Rhodes)

OUR MISSION

Tutor the student, not the subject/assignment

Self-confidence

Active, self-directed learning

Independence

PART IIASSESSMENT

FORMAL ASSESSMENT

Tests and Questionnaires LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory)

(Weinstein, Schulte, and Palmer)

Skill

Will

Self-regulation

SBI (Study Behavior Inventory) (Bliss and Mueller)

Short-term Study Behaviors

Long-term Study Behaviors

Academic Confidence

INFORMAL ASSESSMENT

Observations Strengths and weaknesses

Patterns of behavior

Cognitive strategies

Questions Probing

Direct

Student can express own study habits

(“Assessment Tool Types”)

ASSESSING IN SESSIONS

Observations

Does the student come prepared? Prompt

Assignment

Has the student done prior work on the assignment? Patterns in the work

Process student takes to address assignment

How does the student respond to or record new information? Takes notes

Applies suggestions

Questions

Probing Critical thinking

Applying familiar strategies to new situations

Direct Ex. 1: “When do you start studying for a

test?”

Ex. 2: “Do you typically use flash cards (or other study aid) to help you study?”

“Do you do any prewriting/outlining?”

PART IIICHANGE

PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS

What are some study techniques that you find effective? How to you explain them to students? Discuss.

Brainstorming/Outlining

Study Aids

Meeting with Professor

Study Plan

Extra practice and quizzes

MEETING THE STUDENT

Visual

Make use of charts, graphs, diagrams, etc.

Highlight notes in different colors

Reading/Writing

Encourage student to write down information in their own words

Review written materials together

Aural

Explain suggestions verbally

Encourage student to talk through thought process out loud

Kinesthetic (Tactile)

Provide direct suggestions, and let them try them out right there

Work on the computer if possible

While it can be beneficial to offer personal study suggestions to a student, the tutor must remember to meet the student where they are. This means respecting learning preferences and catering to learning styles.

ATTITUDE AND EXPECTATIONS

High expectations from a teacher significantly improves student learning (Rosenthal and Jacobson 1968).

Pygmalion Effect Video

Climate

Input

Response Opportunity

Feedback

PART IVCONCLUSION: MOVING AHEAD

STUDY BEHAVIOR AND TECHNOLOGY

“The age of multiliteracies is helping to reintroduce study skills…Readers must now be ‘information literate,’ that is, able to find and use information in any form, including paper or electronic forms. ‘New Literacies’ emphasize the importance of media other than the paper-based book as ways to gain knowledge” (Richardson, Robnolt, and Rhodes).

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

According to Goett and Foote’s study, “Cultivating Student Research and Study Skills in Web-based Learning Environment,” there are five essential skills pertaining to study behavior in a “web-based learning environment”

Choose appropriate starting points for research

Use search and query engines

Take notes in digital form

Evaluate the quality of online materials

Cite electronic documents

DEVELOPING WEB-BASED SKILLS IN A TUTORING SESSION

Tutors must become familiar with the technology being used to enhance learning

Tutors can demonstrate proper use of the technology within face-to-face sessions Ex. 1: Provide examples of an appropriate search term while conducting research

Ex. 2: Explain why a website may or may not be valid for academic research/assignments

Ex. 3: Show the student program capabilities that may improve study skills (e.g. making a chart or graph)

Tutors can encourage students to participate in synchronous and asynchronous online tutoring sessions to familiarize them with communicating and learning in an online environment

WORKS CITED

"Assessment Tool Types." Map. Scholastic Literacy Place Assessment Handbook Grades 3–5. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. 1-2. Scholastic.com. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

Fleming, Neil. "VARK -- A Guide to Learning Styles." VARK -- A Guide to Learning Styles. Neil Fleming, 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.

Goett, Jennifer A., and Kenneth E. Foote. "Cultivating Student Research And Study Skills In Web-Based Learning Environments." Journal Of Geography In Higher Education24.1 (2000): 92-99. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.

"LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory)." H & H Publishing. H & H Publishing, 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

Richardson, Judy S., Valerie J. Robnolt, and Joan A. Rhodes. "A History Of Study Skills: Not Hot, But Not Forgotten." Reading Improvement 47.2 (2010): 111-123. OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 16 Dec.

2013.

"Study Behavior Inventory." Glendale Community College. Glendale Community College, 3 Feb. 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.