ASSESSING OR CHANGING STUDY BEHAVIOR PRESENTED BY: SANDRA NELSON SPRING 2014

PART 1 INTRODUCTION

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  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 II ASSESSMENT

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 III CHANGE

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 IV CONCLUSION: 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., Scholastic.com. Web. 16 Dec Fleming, Neil. "VARK -- A Guide to Learning Styles." VARK -- A Guide to Learning Styles. Neil Fleming, Web. 12 Dec 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): Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Dec "LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory)." H & H Publishing. H & H Publishing, Web. 16 Dec 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): OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 16 Dec "Study Behavior Inventory." Glendale Community College. Glendale Community College, 3 Feb Web. 16 Dec