Week 2 Review Home Study including

Skills audit and GAP analysis plus learning styles

Motivation & Time Management Reading & Note Taking Mind Maps Critical & Analytical Thinking

Learning Outcomes On completion of this module students will show

that with support and guidance they are able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge and Understanding: 1i. Of HE study techniques, referencing

conventions and the importance of evidence based research

2. Intellectual / Thinking Skills: 2i. Build on their own research and communicate

their results effectively in writing using academic conventions through the Research and production of written academic work appropriate for HE level 4

Learning outcomes 2ii Reflect upon own learning and academic

strengths and weaknesses, educational aspirations and action plan for future development.

3. Practical / Professional Skills: 3i. Operate successfully at level 4 and above

by using a range of appropriate study skills (including referencing conventions, proof reading, research skills)

4. Transferable Skills 4i. Communicate information effectively via a presentation to a specified audience.

Your Portfolio

Minimum Requirements Presentation500 words Written report on a research project of

the student’s choice 1000 words Mini presentation 250 words (formative) Action plan for future

learning and development 250 words Submission Deadline – we will agree this

Learning Styles EXERCISE Review of the different styles from

members of the group and of your reading on L Styles

MOTIVATION

‘To motivate – to give incentive to’ Gardner and Lambert suggested

that there are two basic types of motivation, integrative and instrumental.

In other words, motivation is either internal or external;

De-motivating factors Temptation towards

other activities Procrastination Solitary working

environment Lethargy “This is going to be

difficult” “I don’t think I

understand this” “I’ve too much to do”

Lack of a sense of direction or purpose

Something else on your mind

You reach a less interesting part of your studies

“I’ll never do all that!” “I’m not as good as the

others on this course!” “I don’t think I’m doing

as well as I should”

Strengthen Your Motivation Establish the right conditions for study –

experiment – REFLECT Focus on why you are doing it Break the task down into mini-goals – short

breaks – long breaks Celebrate Success - treats REFLECT and note successes Challenge yourself – be realistic and flexible Find Support Avoid self sabotage

exercise What motivates you? Produce a list

identifying what motivates you.

Check - are you really sure these things actually motivate you?

Carrot or stick based motivation i.e. reward-based incentive to do something or punishment based to not do something or do something differently.

People are internally or externally motivated.

What motivates one person may not motivate another.

MotivationVroom’s Expectancy Theory Vroom identifies human behaviour as

being a function of two factors:1 The perceived value of the reward that behaviour yields.

2 The expectation in the individual that certain behaviour actually will yield that reward.

Vroom In choosing between alternative

behaviours a person will choose the behaviour which will result in their achieving the more valuable output or reward, provided that they see the reward as being attainable.

Vroom’s Thoery To use the theory to motivate

yourself need to ensure that the desired performance (e.g. a qualification) will be rewarded (e.g. possibility of promotion say) and that the reward will be valued by the individual (and you will value the qualification).

Step 1 Define the expectations.- i.e. be clear what is required in order to receive the ‘reward’.

Step 2 Make the work valuable to the individual. People do things to achieve personal goals (e.g. £money, challenge,

recognition, self worth).

Step 3 Make the work achievable.Fear of failure is often demoralising and leads to stress.

Step 4 Provide regular feedback.

Step 5 Reward people when they meet expectations.External rewards can reinforce internal ones. So e.g. go out for a meal, do something you like to do

Motivation – GOAL theory Basic premise of Goal Theory is

that people’s goals or intentions play an important part in determining their behaviour.

If you can find out what those goals or intentions are then you can help motivate yourself.

Key principles for motivation ? Be motivated yourself You need to be fully committed Set realistic and challenging

targets for yourself – short, medium and longer term

Keep the final goal or detsination in mind

Remember that progress motivates

Time Management How can we sue our time more

effectively?

First we need to know how we currently use our time

Time ManagementKeep a log of your

time the 15 or 20 minute exercise!

Where was my time wasted?

Where could I have saved time?

What changes could I make to make better use of it?

What else does the log tell me?

Draw up a plan to use your time more efficiently and include time for:

social and leisure commitments

sleeping, eating, shopping and preparing

family commitments Lessons, home study,

research and reading etc…

The 15 or 20 minute exercise 1 Think about what you spend most of your

working day doing – estimate the time spent e.g. 1 hour on emails, 30 minutes on phone calls etc

2 For 3 full days EVERY 15 or 20 minutes STOP what you are doing and write down in 1 -3 sentences what it is.

3 If you miss 3 consecutive 15/20 minute periods then you must do a full day again.

4 At the end of 3 days or more compare where you spent your time and what you were doing with what you predicted. Complete a learning log on the experience.

To Do lists Prioritized To Do Lists - Remembering To Do All Essential

Tasks, In The Right Order   A 'To Do List' is a list of all the tasks that

you need to carry out. It consolidates all the jobs that you have to do into one place. You can then prioritize these tasks into order of importance. This allows you to tackle the most important ones first.

See http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_05.htm

Urgency Vs Importancy grid 4 grids – categorise tasks by: URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT URGENT AND IMPORTANT NEITHER IMPORTANT NOR URGENT IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT

Time Management web sites http://ww.psych-web.com/mtsite/tmintro.html http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/homemgt/nf172.htm http://www.potsdam.edu/COUN/brochures/

time.html http://www.cs.mdx.ac.uk/staffpages/mattjones/

1000cs6.htm http://www.infoworth.com/time.htm http://www.rose-bulman.edu/~byeka/

timeman.htm http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/

leadtime.html http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/acad/strat/

time_man_princ.html

Reading – issues ? Having to do a lot of reading Reading difficult material Trying to remember what you have

read

Reading for any subject

1. Be selective. 2. Change strategy. 3. Use the index pages at the end of a book.

Find the exact pages for what you need. 4. Read from paper. 5. Set targets. 6. Focus.

Reading for different purposes Browsing Checking Focusing in Fact-finding Background

Reading Speed Exercise

Read for ten minutes at a speed where you can understand what you read

Divide by ten to work out number of words per minute – only approximate.

May be easier with a subject or book you like?

Speed Reading You CAN improve your reading

speed considerably Initially you may think you are “not

taking it in” – but you are!

Strategies for Speeding Up Your Reading Read more

advanced texts Finger-tracking Know when to read

aloud, and when not

Read selectively and actively

Force yourself to read faster & faster

Read larger chunks Build up to difficult

texts Keep your eyes

moving forward Jumping and

glaring text Avoid backskipping

Take notes whilst you are reading

Why Take Notes Useful record Helps writing Helps understanding Helps memory Helps exam revision

Useful Strategies for Note Taking Leave some space

between sections Be selective in what

you write down. Write the date at the

top of lecture notes Use a colour-coding

system for different topics or a contents page

Use abbreviations Emphasise main

points

Use a tape-recorder or mobile phone

Use mind-maps or visual diagrams

Aim to have only one set of notes

Try and write on only one side of the paper.

Use Post-it notes Use your own words Use index-cards to

note down references.

Linear Notes You may use a numerical system for

paragraphing, or an alphabetical system. Always leave space for adding information

or your own comments later.

Patterned Notes Such notes are also termed nuclear,

spider-grams, diagrammatic, mind-maps and organic.

Patterned Notes Start from a central point and

“grow”. It is claimed that they mirror the

way the brain organises information and their very visual nature means that for visual learners they are easier to recall than linear notes.

Mind Maps – developed by Tony Buzan

Sample Essay Mind Map

Sample mind map http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/assets/examples/MM---Accel-Lrng.gif

Example from tony buzanthe brain

7 Steps to Making a Mind Map Tony Buzanhttp://www.buzanworld.com/Mind_Maps.htm

Start in the CENTRE of a blank page turned sideways. Why? Because starting in the centre gives your Brain freedom to spread out in all directions and to express itself more freely and naturally. 

Use an IMAGE or PICTURE for your central idea. Why? Because an image is worth a thousand words and helps you use your Imagination. A central image is more interesting, keeps you focussed, helps you concentrate, and gives your Brain more of a buzz!

Use COLOURS throughout. Why? Because colours are as exciting to your Brain as are images. Colour adds extra vibrancy and life to your Mind Map, adds tremendous energy to your Creative Thinking, and is fun!

7 Steps to Making a Mind Map Tony Buzan

CONNECT your MAIN BRANCHES to the central image and connect your second- and third-level branches to the first and second levels, etc. Why? Because your Brain works by association. It likes to link two (or three, or four) things together. If you connect the branches, you will understand and remember a lot more easily.

Make your branches CURVED rather than straight-lined. Why? Because having nothing but straight lines is boring to your Brain.

7 Steps to Making a Mind Map Tony Buzan

Use ONE KEY WORD PER LINE. Why Because single key words give your Mind Map more power and flexibility.

Use IMAGES throughout. Why Because each image, like the central image, is also worth a thousand words. So if you have only 10 images in your Mind Map, it's already the equal of 10,000 words of notes!

Example from tony buzanthe queen mum

Webs resources http://www.mindtools.com/pages/a

rticle/newISS_01.htm http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/mi

nd-maps-examples.htm http://www.buzanworld.com/

Mind_Maps.htm

Example from tony buzanteam roles

Self study – produce a mind map on motivation

Should include what motivates you Should include some theory –

evidence of reading or research

According to Cottrell (1999:188), critical thinking means “weighing

up the arguments and evidence for and against”.

Critical thinking is a skill that you need in all areas of your study: reading, listening and writing

It involves:

Considering an issue carefully and more than once

Evaluating the evidence put forward in support of the belief or viewpoint

Considering where the belief or viewpoint leads – what conclusions would follow; are thesesuitable and rational; and if not, should the belief or viewpoint be reconsidered?

•For Cottrell (1999:188) analyticalthinking involves the following additionalprocesses:1. Standing back from the information given.

2. Examining it in detail from many angles.

3. Checking closely whether it is completely accurate.

Contd. Checking for logic Looking for possible flaws Comparing the same issue from the point of view of

other theorists or writers Being able to see and explain why different people

arrived at different conclusions Being able to argue a preference Being on guard for literary or statistical devices Checking for hidden assumptions Checking for attempts to lure the reader into

agreement

Critical and Analytical ThinkingBeing critical involves two things: A sceptical attitude which encourages you

to question and challenge any information presented to you.

The technique which allows you to ask the right questions and evaluate the outcomes.Remember that being critical is not about being negative or derogatory. It is about looking at the positive and negative aspects, identifying the strengths and weaknesses in order to provide an objective account of the situation.

Questions to ask yourself whilst reading – from Moran (1997:89)

What exactly is the claim or conclusion that I am asked to believe?

Who/what is the source of the claim(s)?

What evidence is used to support the main argument or central claim (s)?

How valid is the evidence cited?

Are there alternative explanations for the evidence provided? If so, how plausible are

these rival theories? The crucial final step

is to check your assumptions before drawing conclusions.

Critical & Analytical Thinking Checklist Author? Source? Credibility? What is the main idea or general message?

What specifically am I asked to believe/accept?

Specific evidence? Validity? Convincing? Are there any alternative explanations

warranted by the evidence available? What are the main ideas that I have learned

from this book/article? How do these ideas/findings fit in with what I

already know?

Critical Thinking When Writing Be clear about your conclusions. Have a clear line of reasoning. Use evidence to support your

reasoning. Evaluate your own writing through

critical reading. Take multiple perspectives.

References Moran, A. P. (1997) Managing your own

learning at university: a practical guide, Dublin: University

College Dublin Press Cottrell, S. (1999) The Study Skills

Handbook, London: Macmillan Press Ltd. The latest version is an update to this

www.hull.ac.uk – search for study advice centre or SAS !

Self study Time keeping exercise – 15 20 minute stop what

you are doing and record it. But before make sure you have tried to predict what you would spend most of your time doing.

Look at materials on study advice service website. Start to think about what you might do a

presentation on as part of the assessed work. Bring some ideas back with you to the next session.

Learning log Practice mind mapping. A mind map on

motivation