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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002:OPEN LEARNING WORKBOOK
APPENDIX 1
STUDY SKILLS
HINTS AND TIPS FOR STUDYING
These notes are aimed at helping those who would welcome advice on how to study most effectively. This should be read before beginning the Workbook and may be referred to for help as you work through the material.
As far as possible this Workbook has been designed to help and support users. Good study skills will help learners use the material to maximum advantage.
Planning
Studying is most successful when completed as part of routine. The Workbook is broken up into modules. You need to think about how long it will take you to complete the course. Will you do two modules each week for example? Then you need to plan the time spent on each module.
How long will it take?
Obviously some pieces of work will take longer than others. Some exercises offer suggestions on how long should be spent completing them. For time spent reading or working through a module, the options are either to set a period of time in which to get as much done as possible or simply to set a section of work to be completed and spend however long as is needed on it.
Assessing how long should be spent on work will come with experience but when deciding which approach to take, it is important to be realistic, for example a long module cannot be completed in ten minutes (or at least not to a very good standard).
How long to work?
Just because a particular module could take some time does not mean that it has to be done all at once. Smaller tasks often need to be broken up by breaks. Regular breaks either to get a cup of tea or have a short walk around can give your mind a break so that when you return to your work you feel refreshed.
Moreover, certain types of work such as assimilating detailed information, are better when broken up into smaller pieces.
When and where to study?
It is sensible to be realistic when planning when and where to work through the modules. Ideally, work should be completed in a place that doesn't distract from concentration. However, each person has a different set of circumstances and can cope with different surroundings so it is best to assess your own situation and decide which environment is best for you to work in.
Assuming that you will carry out the studying during working hours, the following points are worth considering when choosing at which time of day to study.
- People are often tired by the end of the working day.
- When will the office be quieter?
- When are the other commitments that need to be attended to?
When deciding where to study, think about:
- Is it a comfortable working environment?
- Are there many distractions? (i.e. noise, telephones)
- Alone or working in a group?
Other Factors
When embarking on a studying session it is easy to forget various factors that might affect your concentration, frame of mind or performance, either in a positive or negative way. The following are some things to think about.
- Some people need to work in silence whilst others do not mind a certain amount of background noise.
- Similarly, other people in the room you are working can affect your concentration or sometimes help you understand the work (if you are lucky!)
- Lighting is important as while a dark space may be bad for your eyes, bright lights can often be too harsh to work under.
- Though not everybody sits in an office chair to study, it is important to be comfortable and to maintain good posture wherever you are.
Practical Skills
You will not be expected to remember all the details of the material in the Workbook but you should retain the core material from each module as well as understanding the course. Everyone has their own way of learning, but there are some useful methods that everybody should think about.
Written work
Reading: Inevitably, all studying involves reading. In the Workbook we have tried to break the text into manageable sections but there are inevitably some blocks of material to tackle. Possible ways to approach this are:
- Choose a section to read;
- Scan through it to get a general overview of what it is about;
- Read it again or even twice more, but this time much more slowly;
- Put the text away and try to remember what it contained;
- Check if you have covered the main points, if not, re-read it.
Writing Notes: Many people make notes when reading as it provides the opportunity to put the text in different, more understandable, words that can be used for future reference. It is possible to simply choose a piece of text and write brief notes whilst reading. However, to avoid missing important points, it can help to:
- Divide the information into topics and sub-headings;
- Makes notes in a logical order under the headings;
- Underline or highlight those points which seem most relevant;
- Leave space to add more notes.
Visual Methods In the same way pictures or diagrams can work for some people, diagrams and flow charts give ideas a structure whereas certain pictures or images might act as a trigger to things you have read.
Personal Tests If you want to be confident that you have learnt something properly you can do so by testing yourself. This can be done in a number of ways:
- Complete the activities and exercise in the modules;
- Set yourself similar tasks;
- Get a colleague or even a friend or relative to test you;
- Rewrite notes without looking at the originals;
- Write mock answers to questions;
- Discuss areas of the work with people working on the same course/module as you.
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