The Main Takeaways from this module:
In an online learning environment, effective communication is crucial for success. One important aspect of communication is providing and receiving feedback. Feedback should include specific information on what is being done correctly, areas for improvement, and suggestions for next steps. It is important to remember to use positive language, avoid absolutes and negative words, and be specific when providing feedback.
For example, instead of saying "You did a terrible job," one could say "There are some areas for improvement, such as XYZ, but overall your work shows effort and understanding of the material."
When receiving feedback, it is important to remember that the person providing the feedback may not intend for it to sound critical. It is important to listen to the comments and try to find the positive aspects of the feedback. Additionally, it is important to express your own perspective or point of view without feeling the need to justify yourself.
For example, when receiving feedback on a written assignment, you can thank the person providing the feedback and ask for elaboration on their comments. And then you can express your own perspective on the assignment and how you feel about it.
When completing assignments related to a course, it is important to first identify the relevant theories, formulas, and graphics that are related to the materials studied in the course up to that point. The assignment may include specific language such as "cite," "define," "analyze," or "evaluate," which can help guide your approach to the task. Additionally, many assignments include a rubric or checklist provided by the instructor, which outlines the criteria for how the work will be evaluated.
When breaking down the assignment into manageable tasks, it is important to focus your efforts on the key elements that will be evaluated. This will help you to prioritize and organize your work effectively.
As you progress through the course and receive feedback on your work, it may be helpful to consider new learning strategies if you have identified areas for improvement. There are many resources available to you such as online learning, workshops, tutoring, and support from classmates and instructors.
Finally, at the end of the course, it is important to take time for reflection and evaluation. This can help you to identify areas of growth and improvement, and to plan for future learning.
For example, if you are given an assignment to evaluate a case study, you can start by identifying the key terms used in the assignment such as "evaluate" and "comment" which will give you an idea of what the instructor is looking for. You can then breakdown the assignment into manageable tasks such as researching the case study, analyzing the data, and writing the report. And also you can use the rubric provided by the instructor to make sure you are covering all the important points and to align your work with the expectations. And then you can ask for feedback from peers or instructor and use it to improve your work and learning.
The SQ3R strategy is a method designed to assist students in reading more efficiently and effectively. This strategy involves five steps: surveying, questioning, reading, reciting, and reviewing.
Surveying: This step allows you to get a general overview of the chapter as a whole.
Questioning: This step is critical in reading with a purpose. You need to know what you hope to learn by reading each part of the chapter. Use questions such as "who," "what," "where," "when," and "why" to guide your reading.
Reading: Once you have created your questions, you will read to answer them. This will help you stay focused on your purpose for reading.
Reciting: After reading each section, say the answer out loud and write it down in your notes. This step helps you to summarize the material in your own words.
Reviewing: Look at your notes from the entire chapter. Think about how different concepts fit together and fill in any gaps.
Additionally, when reading journal articles, it is important to be familiar with the common elements such as the abstract, keywords, literature review, research methodology, results, discussion, and references.
Taking notes can also be an effective learning strategy. It helps you to quickly review the key points in the material you have read. There are different note-taking methods that may work better for different people. Some readers prefer underlining, highlighting, and putting key notes in the margins of their books. Others may prefer to create typewritten notes and store them electronically. One tool that can assist in this process is Hypothesis.
For example, if you are reading a chapter of a textbook, you can start by surveying the chapter to get an idea of what it is about. Then, you can use question words such as "what" and "why" to form questions to guide your reading. While reading, you can take notes on the key points and summarize the information in your own words. After finishing the chapter, you can review your notes and think about how the different concepts fit together. This process will help you to retain the information better and understand it more clearly.