B121 Chapter 3 Learning Skills

Reading and note taking Identify your own reading strategies A reading strategy is an operation you put into action according to your purposes for reading and according to your progress when you are reading. Effective readers – decide the purpose for reading before you start to read, and keep them in mind as they read. Read through the text once to get the general idea. Pay attention to the structure of the text. Ask questions Re-read Speak the words in your head Try to understand Read critically.

Skim reading Skimming helps decide quickly on its relevance to your informational needs. Hunt for pieces of information where close reading of the text would not be an efficient use of your time. Help you to organize your reading once you have decided that a text is relevant and warrants close reading.

Making notes Notes serves number of purposes : Understanding. Making connections. Aiding recall

Understanding assignment questions Describe – give a detail. Explain – provide reasons for something. Illuminate – using concrete examples. Evaluate – make an appraisal of the worth of something. Interpret – expound the meaning of a thing. Discuss – investigate by arguments. Define – give precise meaning.

Understanding assignment questions Criticize – give your judgment. Compare – look for similarities and differences. Contrast – Set two or more options with the aim of revealing the differences. Analyze – separate out thing into component parts to identify underlying principles. Present – how to convey information.

Tackling assignment and reports Gathering your thoughts. Consolidation and thinking. Pulling your thoughts together. The first draft.

Writing reports The structure of a report A chronological order to show how things happen. A statement of problem, analysis of options and recommendations. A proposal stating the strengths and weaknesses.

Writing reports Features of report: A cover page with a clear title, names of addresses, the authors name and the date of production. An executive summary. Content list. A brief introduction stating purpose of the report. The main text with topics covered in separate paragraphs. Conclusions Recommendations Reference section Appendices Numbering system.

Plagiarism and how to avoid it Acknowledge others. Express it in your own way. Quotation marks. Referring to management models.

Citing and referencing In-text citation. Bibliographies Organizing the references.

Logical reasoning and critical thinking Formal logic Deductive reasoning Inductive reasoning Critical thinking Rhetoric Tradition Authority Objectivity

Building sound arguments The foundation The inferences The conclusion

Critical dialogue and inquiry A dialogue is an exchange between two or more people.

Strategy to improve your critical thinking Use wasted time. Work on problems. Internalize intellectual standards. Develop your intellectual traits.

Methods for solving problems I - Identify the problem D – define the problem E – explore alternative approaches. A – act on a plan. L – look at effect. Called the IDEAL method.

The problem-solver’s checklist Check the factual accuracy of any information. Check your own and others reasoning. Explore assumptions. Put pen to paper. Seek feedback.

Improve your problem solving Something out of nothing. Too much from too little. Seeing what we expect to see. Believing what we are told. The imagined experience of others.