Effective Learning Strategies

Effective Learning: Reading, Note-taking, and Listening

• At the end of the week, students will be able to identify preferred learning styles and associated study habits, and demonstrate study skills and strategies appropriate for all their courses at a university level.

Reading Business English

• 88% of financially successful people read at least 90 minutes per day.
• Reading allows you to:
  • Discover what is happening in the world
  • Discover new ideas and motivation
  • Make informed decisions
  • Gain power by not relying on others to translate for you

Active Reading

• University courses require writing, and reading supports the writing process.
• Active reading means reading with a determination to understand and evaluate the material for its relevance to your needs.
• Reading and re-reading is not an effective way to understand and learn.

Reading for Comprehension

• Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it, and understand its meaning.
• It relies on two interconnected abilities:
  • Word reading (being able to decode the symbols on the page)
  • Language comprehension (ability to understand the meaning of the words and sentences)

Tips for Active Reading

• Ask yourself pre-reading questions
• Find and define any new vocabulary
• Bracket the main idea or thesis
• Highlight text and make notes
• Create mind maps or flow charts
• Read each paragraph and determine "what it says" and "what it does"
• Write a summary in your own words
• Write your own exam questions based on the reading

Reading Challenges for Today's Student

• E-books and digital publications can lead to:
  • Eye strain (sore eyes)
  • Distractions (easy access to social media and the internet)
  • Lower comprehension scores

Rule to Reduce Eye Strain

• Follow the 20/20/20 rule: for every 20 minutes of computer viewing, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Other Ways to Reduce Eye Strain

• Keep eyes moist by blinking more often and using artificial tears
• Use proper lighting (side lighting, not in front or behind the computer)
• Minimize glare (from windows, mirrors, and computer screens)
• Adjust computer display settings (brightness, text size, and contrast)

Reading Speed Test

• Click on the link http://www.readingsoft.com/ and follow the instructions.

Improving Your Reading Speed

• Click on the link https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/concordia/offices/cdev/docs/reading/improve_reading_speed.pdf for tips.

Note-taking

• If you do not revise or review lecture information within 24 hours, you may forget 33% of the information.
• Use FANBOY acronym to remember coordinating conjunctions: F, A, N, B, O, Y, and S.
• Mnemonics can be used as a memory device for recalling patterns of letters or ideas.
• Initials can be used to represent the first letter of a name or word.

Highly Rated Note-taking Apps for Students

• Evernote, Notability, Flexcil 2, Note & PDF Reader, Zoho Notebook, Bear, Simplenote, MS OneNote, Apple or Samsung Notes, and Google Keep.

How to Use a Textbook

• For online textbooks, follow the introduction guide to learn how to use textbook features.
• Flip through the chapter, remember what you already know about the topic, and question the headings.
• Highlight, mark, or underline important information.
• Use note-taking templates or the SQ4R techniques.

Active Listening

• Listening is an essential part of communication, but often the weakest link.
• Active listening means fully concentrating on what is being said, rather than just passively 'hearing' the message.

Goals of Active Listening

• Listen for understanding
• Convey to the speaker that you are really listening

Five Key Elements of Active Listening

• Pay attention
• Show that you are listening
• Provide feedback
• Respond appropriately
• Defer judgment

Active Listening – How to

• Wait for the speaker to finish speaking before responding; do not interrupt.
• Pay attention to the speaker, show that you are listening, and provide feedback.
• Respond appropriately and defer judgment.

Learn how to identify your preferred learning style and develop effective study habits and strategies for university-level courses.