Learning and Study Skills
Learning Styles
Everybody has different ways of learning. Not everyone agrees on just how many different learning styles there are but it is thought that students can learn better if they tailor their study habits to their learning style. Use the following tests to find out how you learn and get study tips for your particular style.
- Quickest and most cursory of the assessments presented here
- Provides brief but key recommendations for each style of learning
Felder’s Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire
- Use this test to find out your learning style with results falling along four spectrums
- Overview of learning styles and strategies as measured by this questionnaire
- Gain better understanding of your results from this test with this explanation from Mind Tools
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
- Take the What is Your Learning Style? Quiz
- Provides overviews and recommended study habits for your style on the Digging Deeper page
- Read the Edutopia special report on multiple intelligences
- Watch this video from Howard Gardner, who originally came up with the theory multiple intelligences.
Study Skills
General Study Habits
- From Big Future by the College Board a site dedicated to helping students gain the skills they need to be effective students in college
- Tips for establishing good study habits and help you deal with homework wore efficiently and effectively
- Another video from the WellCast series
- Certainly not a comprehensive list of all the tools you might use to study for a test, but gives three approaches for different kinds of tests including essay questions
Time Management
- From Big Future by the College Board a site dedicated to helping students gain the skills they need to be effective students in college
- 8 simple habits to help you better manage your time
How to Manage Your Time Better
- General video from WellCast primarily directed at managing your time at work but still provides a useful if broad approach to time management
- Recommends a 3-step approach to time management
- Another great video from WellCast
- Provides a 3-step process for avoiding procrastination
How to Read a Textbook
Dartmouth Academic Skills Center – Active Reading: Comprehension and Rate
- A solid overview of how to gain active reading skills to improve your comprehension and reading rate
- Includes a variety of resources which address reading myths, how to use your textbook and how ensure you are in an environment conducive to reading
- Resources included feature both documents and videos
- PDF from Carnegie Mellon University
- Lays out 4 stages of effective active reading
- In depth descriptions of and step-by-step instructions to help you read your textbook better
- A short 10 minute video about how to approach reading your textbooks
- Focuses on college textbooks
Effective Note Taking
Cornell Notes
- Cornell notes are one popular way of taking notes on lectures and readings
- To get an idea of how to create Cornell notes, take look at this overview and example (PDF) or watch this how-to video
- This template provides a visual overview of how to take Cornell notes
- Use this template generator to print out Cornell note template pages so you don’t have to draw them out as you go
- Another video from the WellCast series
- General tips for taking notes for those who do not want to use something as formal as Cornell Notes
Critical Thinking Strategies
Criticalthinking.net for Students
- Includes a good definition of critical thinking
- Also provides a list of resources for self-directed learners though resources tend to be more geared towards teachers than students
- Includes a definition of critical thinking
- Quizzes and puzzles to help understand and practice critical thinking
- Website of a companion textbook but provides access to a free mini guide as well as links to other resources including things like book recommendations, critical thinking assessments and critical thinking exercises
Explore the Elements of Critical Thinking
- Use this wheel to explore the factors that should be examined when we think critically
- Mouse over each wedge of the wheel for more information
- From the foundation for critical thinking