study skills

Let's share some learning strategies | Francesca Michalski | April 11, 2001

Hello co-participants,

I've been thinking for some time that it would be nice to share our learning strategies regarding studying for this MSc. The course, at least for me, is quite a lonely one (last I heard I was the only participant in South America) and I'm curious to know how other people are going about organizing their study. To start the ball rolling, I'll share a few of my own strategies (I've completed four course modules so far in 14 months):

Assignments: I've found that the earlier on I think of an idea for the assignment, the better as it directs my reading and motivates me. Have other CPs also found this to be true? Normally, I'm researching for the assignment while still working through the module. It adds variety to so much reading. Also, the more directly related to my work the assignment is, that is, the more I can see a practical application of the theory to the practice - the more motivated I become.

Proposals: Do you write full proposals? How much does it help? I must admit that mine have been getting shorter and more informal with time.

Study time: I've discovered that several short study periods over a few days of the week are more productive than a few long ones on one or two days. Also, I have more of a sense of continuity and less time to forget the subject matter.

Note taking: I have to stop myself charging through the reading just to get it over with. Taking notes is a good way to slow me down and help me reflect on what I'm doing. How do people take notes? I have a separate notebook for each module and normally mind map articles or units. I'm not very good at keeping track of quotes though. Does anyone have a strategy regarding this?

Reflection: I've found the diary we're encouraged to keep in the FND the best way to reflect on my learning but the entries are getting fewer and farther between - it's hard to keep up with what isn't strictly obligatory, even when knowing it's beneficial. At the moment, I'm using the diary technique to reflect only on research for my assignment rather than after every study period. Is anyone regularly keeping a diary (not including people on the FND) ?

Finally, Motivation: what do you do when you're de-motivated? How do you motivate yourselves? Have CPs who've been doing the course noticed that their motivation is cyclical? What influences this?

If anyone wants to reflect on and share his or her study techniques, I feel it would be beneficial for all CPs, regardless of module, context or phase in the course. The headings above are random; there may well be areas I have entirely overlooked.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Francesca

Study Skills | Francesca Michalski | April 23, 2001

Lori,

Thanks for your e-mail sharing your study skills. Although you sent it to me personally, I'm replying via the discussion list as I thought it was interesting and I'd like to encourage you to start sending things here (it's easy once you get started). You seem to be really organized study wise - I'm impressed. In response to your questions, firstly, 'yes' I do write to the tutors, normally to ask their advice about assignment ideas and I find that the more responsive they are the more encouraged and motivated I feel. I have also found that it works the other way. Like you, I also started making reference cards for the readings, but there are sooo mannyy readings that that seem to have petered out. Interesting that you are collecting terminology, I've made quite a substantial dictionary (A-Z like an address book) of terminology, which I quite often refer back to and have found worthwhile. As for modules, I've completed MET TDA and ME and am half way through CSD.

Why not send your e-mail to this list?

Anyone else got any strategies up their sleeves? Let's share...

Francesca

Learning Strategies | James Hobbs | April 13th, 2001

Dear fellow CPs,

Just thought I'd follow Francesca's lead and chip in a few comments on this topic. I've completed 3 (nearly 4) modules in 15 months and my "strategies" are as follows;

Assignments: I started my last two modules without any idea what I was going to do for an assignment. In both cases (TDA and IIC) my assignment idea jumped out at me towards the end of reading the module, just when I was starting to get into a panic about not having any ideas. I'm actually pleased that it worked out that way, as I know that if I started a module with an assignment already in mind then I probably wouldn't put much time in on units not directly relevant.

Proposals: I write fairly detailed proposals; 500+ words, with clear section headings. I think that writing a detailed proposal is a good way to find out if I'm onto a winner. If I struggle to come up with a well-structured 500-word proposal, then it's probably not wise to try and turn it into a 4000+ word assignment. I also find that having a detailed outline to work with helps to discipline me in my reading; i.e. be aware of which arguments are/ are not relevant.

Study time: I agree that several short periods of study are better than one long one, but my work schedule just doesn't allow it. At busy times I can have 3 months at a time where I manage no more than a couple of hours every Sunday morning actually sitting down with folders/ books, but at other times I can put in several hours a day for a month or more. But I've learned to be realistic with myself; I used to begin a 6-day, 35-class week telling myself "I'm free on Sunday, so I'll put in a full day then", but I never actually managed it. Now I accept that I've got to rest sometimes, and set more realistic targets.

Note taking: I tend to just go through with a highlighter picking out the key arguments or most quotable lines, and copy them down after reading. But I often find that when I check back over my notes I just have a few disjointed quotes that don't reflect the structure of the article- definitely an area in which I can improve.

Reflection: Gave up long ago on diary writing. "Just set aside 10 minutes a day for diary writing," sounds easy enough, but I just can't keep a routine. I have nothing but admiration for people who manage to keep this up.

Motivation: I find the email list is a great source of motivation. I also exchange email at least once a week with one fellow CP. I think we manage to help each other through our slumps, and keeping up the weekly exchanges puts the pressure on to have some progress to report each week. I strongly recommend finding such a "study partner" if you can.

Look forward to reading more postings on this topic. Thanks Francesca for starting this interesting thread.

James Hobbs

Japan

Learning Strategies | Andy | April 14th, 2001

Assignments:

Some ideas for assignments come from the deep dark recesses of my mind!!! My TDA came from a song I was listening to at the time!!!! My methodology idea came from a classroom incident. I think the more you read the more ideas are generated and it is useful to have someone to bounce the ideas off. As Julian Edge says in Teacher Development, are ideas become directed and start to take ground from voicing them.

Proposals:

I wrote a full proposal for MET and an informal proposal for TDA. It kind of helps but assignments tend to take complete shape in the writing stage.

Study Time:

I am lucky to work in a situation that when a class is canceled I have spare time. I study before work and when I am writing an assignment (as opposed to reading the module or researching for it) I really put the hours in.

Note taking:

Yes I do! Lots of it. I read the module and take notes on the whole subject. Once I've decided on my focus I begin to write more notes. I can then check through these constantly during the writing stage of assignments. I find it best to key code the quotes I want to use to where I want to use them. During Met I used post it notes between the pages to reference specific tape scripts.

Reflection:

I spend my life in a constant state of reflection!!!!!!!!!!

If ideas come to me on a train, or wherever, I try to write them down. I recommend taking pen and paper to wherever you go!

Motivation:

It comes from the pleasure of completing a module. The feeling of when the assignment is finished and the printer is finishing off those last pages..........

It comes from career pretensions......

It comes from those big files staring me in the face every morning and SCREAMING READ ME!!!!!!!!

It comes from the e-mail discussion group

It comes from colleagues and friends who say...."How are you doing on the course?"

It comes from a time schedule that is on the wall in my classroom.......

and finally from my students who have a constant voice in my assignments...........

Hope this helps.......

Andy

Key Coding | Andy | April 16th, 2001

The reference to key coding involves labeling each article with a letter A-Z. In each section of the assignment plan it is then possible to key code quotes by using a code such as A-27 where the number refers to the corresponding page number of the article.

Also, a friend of mine suggested writing the quotes that you want to use onto separate individual cards and spreading them out on your floor when writing. It is then also possible to key code these quotes with a letter and page number.

I find there is nothing worse than during the writing stage of an assignment remembering the perfect quote to use but not being able to find it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope it helps

Andy

Study Strategies: Quotes | Francesca | April 15th, 2001

Andy (and others who are interested!),

Thanks for the explanation on how you key code quotes. The last few days I've been noting quotes down at the back of my notebook (I've got a separate one for CSD) together with a heading to summarize the topic of the quote, for example: IMPORTANCE OF NEGOTIATION and the full reference. It's time consuming but should save me time in the long run because I won't have to look back to find the original article at the time of writing.

You mention referencing quotes to parts of your assignment plan. How detailed a plan do you make before writing? Do you flesh out the proposal or do more than this? I tend to plan each section just before I come to writing it (and the more thorough the plan, the easier I've found the writing to be) but I don't plan the whole thing in advance in any more detail than the proposal.

Francesca

Study Skills | Pinkie | April 16th, 2001

Brief contrib to Francesca's interesting thread on study strategies...

1) Assignments - In general, I skim through the module, and over the subsequent few days try to come up with at least 3 different assignment ideas. I then e-mail these ideas to my tutor, with a paragraph or so of explanation for each. I think this conscious effort to come up with SEVERAL assignment ideas is particularly useful for me. Like Francesca, I prefer to have ideas for my assignment before I start on the module in earnest, to focus my reading, and just to give me time to do the research (including finding and obtaining references).

2) Motivation/Scheduling - I find the workshops with tutors extremely motivating. Also this e-mail list (though I've been contributing to it less recently) and e-mail correspondence with other CPs and with tutors. As for scheduling: like James, I have periods when I can dedicate only small amounts of time to the MSc, and other periods when I can dedicate 3 or 4 hours a day. For me, the key is to plan what I'm going to do during these periods with lots of time.

3) Diary/Recordings - Don't keep up either, I'm afraid: but then my main interests are things like TDA and CSD, as opposed to IIC and MET.

4) Note-keeping: I write penciled comments on the module itself. I keep a folded sheet of A4 in each of my books, and write notes (in tiny writing) on that sheet. I also tend to keep notes on my computer: anything relevant to the assignment in a single word-processor file.

Hope this is of interest!

Best wishes,

Pinkie
Spain

REPLY TO JERRY | Francesca Michalski | April 16th, 2001

Jerry,

Thanks SO MUCH for your lovely e-mail on study strategies. I WISH you had sent it to this list though as I think it's just the kind of contribution everyone would like to read - straight from the heart - anyway, I understand that you are just starting the course and might not be ready to expose yourself in public...yet...but I am...

It's quite natural that you're confused about things as you've just started the course. The FND is an excellent module and I'm sure that, as you work through it, things will become clearer. As for how to research, have you got Teachers Investigate Their Work by Altrichter et al? It's on the FND reading list and explains how to do action research clearly. I found it to be very useful.

BOOKS

You asked me how I get books ' way out there' in South America and indeed you've hit on a problem as I don't have access to a university library and imported books are hard to get hold of and vastly expensive. This has led to a few criticisms in feedback on my assignments regarding lack of references and old quotes, but it hasn't affected my grades so far, which have been good. I try to buy three of the set books suggested for each module from England (the bookshop recommended by Aston) and then use the ELT CD ROM and other books I have in my own library (built up through 12 years of teaching and quite substantial) with, of course, the readings in the articles' file. I wonder how other CPs deal with books (getting hold of them and how much to read) do you read widely outside of the course materials or read a few texts more thoroughly?

STUDY TIME

You said ' if I don't study, I feel overwhelmed with this heavy, guilty feeling, like a stone on my back. The only way to make that stone lighter is to have a good study session.' Well expressed, I could almost feel that stone! Generally speaking I would say that guilt is a negative emotion, but sometimes it has its purposes, especially for distance learning students. Have you tried making a study timetable? I write down at the beginning of the week the days and times I'll be studying. I can't say that I always stick to it, but at least the time's available. I also have a longer-term timetable regarding how many months I give myself to complete a module (at the moment four months for a double module). I then divide the contents of the module up noting, what's to be covered by when.

MOTIVATION

You said ' last month I was so psyched. Now I'm dreading the whole thing but I'm committed to see it through'. I loved your WHY technique which involves asking why you're doing the course until you can't answer any more. You've gone much further than I have by relating your motivation to your spirituality, I'm sure it's a link that will pull you through the hardest of times.

OUR DISCUSSION LIST

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion so far. Since joining the course I've noticed that contributions to this list have been quite formal in style and tend to focus on academic and theoretical discussions with references etc, which is fair enough considering we're studying for a masters. However, I've also noticed that very often it's the same, relatively small number of people contributing, which has made me think that perhaps some CPs are intimidated by this and feel afraid to contribute. Personally, I find it refreshing to read less academic, anecdotal and more personal contributions. What do the rest of you think?

Francesca

Study Skills | Keith Richards | April 17th, 2001

Hi

Just back from an Easter break to find the Learning Strategies thread on the list. First off, I'd like to thank the contributors - it made excellent reading.

Next a favour: Would any of the contributors mind if, when the thread is finished, I collate the contributions and publish these on the list, with a list of the names of contributors at the bottom? I'd then like to include this on our website and/or the Study Companion because it seems to me that it would be invaluable for new participants.

Finally, my contribution: If I'm anything to go by, reading and note-taking strategies are probably fairly idiosyncratic and continue to evolve over time. For what it's worth, though, I'm happy to pass on some of my strategies.

First, time:

1. Identify the reading spaces in your day and make sure you use them, otherwise the time just disappears. I'm fortunate enough to have a50-minute train journey to work, so all my reading (including first reading assignments) takes place then.

2. Set targets. I aim to get through a book or a paper on a journey. I know that sounds odd because of the discrepancy in size, but it works because I'm basically skimming with the aim of digging out the guts to decide what I'm going to do with them. Sometimes I don't make the target, but having it there helps me get through much more than I otherwise would.

Next, strategies:

1. Books: As soon as I get a book I slip a piece of paper in to serve as a bookmark and notepad (the back of a used A4 sheet folded into three is usually much more than I need).

Papers: I use a pencil and sometimes a yellow highlighter (yellow is good because if you need to photocopy the photocopy it doesn't show) to work directly onto a photocopy of a paper.

2. My aim with a book is to decide what I'm going to do with it. Sometimes it's pretty useless (it may be an excellent book but my choice has been bad), so I end up with no more than a note or two and maybe a quote. Usually I end up with a set of page and paragraph references (e.g."159 penultimate para "When approaching a new informant..." or "170-189")) which I can then use as the basis for notes and/or photocopies. As soon as possible I photocopy the title page (and sometimes contents page) and relevant pages before slipping them into a transparent pocket (one of those you can put into a ring binder). The contents of this I then treat as a paper...

3. The aim with a paper is to make sure I understand the argument and identify what's interesting / new / contentious etc. Often the abstract is enough by way of a summary and all I need is to pick out relevant quotes summarizing key arguments or positions. A highlighter or marginal pencil mark sorts that out, and I add my own comments in pencil in the margins. Any additional notes can be kept in the transparent pocket. On the top right hand side of the page above the title I tick to show that I've read the paper and add any notes that might help me later (e.g. "Notes in research notebook", "Notes on computer" or "Marginal comments", or perhaps even more specific details such as "Good for gaining entry, see p.16")

Finally, notes:

1. I wish I could sort this one out to my own satisfaction. I can't decide between the computer and the notebook. At the moment I'm using the latter, with page reference for the papers listed at the back so that I can access the notes easily. However, if I end up using a quote, I then have to type it out from my notebook, which seems uneconomical. On the other hand, I find I interact less well with computer files, even if printed out.

2. A lot depends on whether it's a paper I'm reading for general purposes (e.g. I think it will be useful to know about it for IIC) or with regard to a specific project. In general, for the former I rely on marginal comments on the photocopy itself and for the latter I use my research notebook.

My only golden rule:

Never ever separate a quote from its source, including page references.

The only thing I'd really want to underline in all this is the value of those transparent pockets for holding papers/chapters and notes.

Cheers

Keith

Strategies Discussion | Raymond | April 17th, 2001

Two interesting things have emerged for me from the strategies discussion so far:

1. I find it inspiring that people really can forge ahead at a fast and efficient pace through the modules, getting the business done at a high-energy organized level within an impressive amount of time. As a relative novice on the course, I find that's encouraging.

2. I wondered why diary keeping had fallen by the wayside? (Mentioned by a few participants). I found this habit really useful during the FND, but have used it considerably less during my next module (MET) which I'm just wrapping up. I know it's useful and I feel guilty that I am lazy about it (once a week, to summarize what I've done and make a 'To Do' list for the week ahead--that's my limit). Do you think it might be useful for each module-writer to have inbuilt reminders about diary keeping (without getting too preachy about it)? Is it usual, or exceptional, for CPs to drop diary keeping? And why?

As regards study habits, the only thing I adhere to is setting aside the same time every day. Other times that get snatched from the day are a bonus. Other than that, I can only admire other people's habits and aim to incorporate them. My desk is a mess, my note taking system/s haphazard (apart from being serious about referencing everything) and I've even stopped saying "But I know where everything is," because I don't.). It does drive me to do radical housekeeping every once in a while, but that's not the same as establishing an efficient system. However, I do much prefer keeping notes on computer. That way, I can cut and paste stuff into the body of a text from my quotations files, see how it works and easily remove it if it's a mistake. I also find it helps to write a short reaction to many quotations, which may be the kernel of a future argument.

Raymond/UAE

Motivation | Kay Hammond | April 23rd, 2001

Greetings module munchers,

I have been inspired to add my 2-yen's worth to the study strategies list.

This for those of you who know how to (or as a result of reading the recent fine suggestions, now know how to) take notes, sit exams, write assignments, plan study schedules etc. - BUT WHO JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE IT!

Try this:

You will need - 6 pretty pieces of paper and one die. When you have about four tasks that can be completed in any order write one task on each piece of paper and fold them up so you can't see which task is on what paper. Add two procrastination tasks you would rather do (such as clean the toilet - you know all those domestic things that take on an irresistible appeal when there is study to be done) to the other two pieces of paper. Then number the pieces 1 to 6. Roll the die and DO whichever task is on the paper corresponding to the number thrown.

Another suggestion is - know your clock! When studying there are tasks you really have to think about (e.g. finding your focus, or narrowing it, again!) and some that you don't (e.g. making tables look pretty).

Schedule your hard thinking for the hours of the day that you are most awake and the easier things for when your brain turns to mush.

Well, it's after 9pm, so it's mush time for me.

Keep munching everyone

Kay

Japan

Motivation, exams, strats | Raymond Sheehan | April 23rd, 2001

I'm glad we've got back to the subject of motivation. I think Francesca raised it a while back in response to another message.

I really do believe that a positive attitude, enthusiasm, energy, curiosity, reminding oneself of one's original purpose in doing this, assessing what one has got from the experience so far--all count for a lot more than any study strats in getting one through the course. If I don't make it into the study some evening or weekend, it's not because my study strats have let me down, but something much more important has failed. If people drop out of the course, or get bogged down in the middle of a module, it's not because of failed strats, is it? Or is it?

I think the argument in favour of exams was very strong. In the end, however, the greatest value for me lies not in preparing for an exam, nor even in reading voraciously into and around a topic, but in planning, writing, rewriting, shaping and twisting to try and get a sentence or an argument right. An exam wouldn't allow that. I found the FND constraint of 500 words one of the best challenges. It's so much more difficult to write 500 than 5.000 in response to such assignments!

I have also found, working through the MET, that I did most of my reading before the module arrived or in the first few weeks after it arrived, and that a very hefty chunk of my time since then has been spent on the actual piecing together of the assignment itself; so much so that my reading during the writing stage is just to follow up odd leads that I'd missed earlier on, and I'm now beginning to build up a resource bank for the next module and dipping into articles on that.

Of course we all get different angles on the value we are deriving from an experience such as this course. For me, the experience represents most of all a rigorous training in the process of academic writing in order to participate in the various debates that are going on in our field. By priming myself for an exam, I think I would miss out on that aspect.

I'm grateful for the discussion on strats. It's pushed me into going out and buying several magazine folders and sorting out lots of articles and stray bits into TDA, IIC, etc. since very often I come across references to something that will be of future interest in the middle of doing research into something entirely different. So this is one way of building up a file of reading materials long before coming to the module itself. I've also decided (piously) to pick up the practice of keeping a diary again, since I'm going LEX as a web-based module and that novel experience will give me a reason for recording difficulties and opportunities.

Raymond (wishing himself in Switzerland to see things bloom) in the UAE

Study Strats | Barry Walford | May 3rd, 2001

I'm on the FND module (Hi, fellow strugglers!) so do not claim great experience of recent study, nor of motoring through modules, but I am trying to practise what I teach (in-sessional EAP). I hope not too much of this is redundant in that others have sent in their contributions, and I've sort of hedged for a while about jumping in and left my thoughts safely on file only...(low-risk strategy)...

Files:

I fully concur with the A4 plastic sheet-protector philosophy: I've used this as the basis of my teaching files for years and have found it adapts readily to study.

So far I have set up a separate working file for each unit of the FND that needs one, with a photocopy of the unit itself at the front (so if the file gets lost I still have the original unit in the FND module).

I look ahead a few units and gradually build up the readings in the allocated file. This seems particularly important for articles that have to be ordered in via document delivery as they may take a while to arrive.

As I get hold of articles I write on the first page the unit(s) it is for (eg FND4). I highlight in the unit's reading list the texts that I've already obtained or that I can source locally, with a note of where each is available - eg its library catalogue number - if it's a book I might want it again later. Similarly, I note the date of any document delivery requests - so I have an idea how soon I may expect them, but also so I don't get confused and ask for the same item again. I place a small tick against the listed texts once they are in the file (and note in later units, if the same article is needed again, which file it is in - eg. "see FND3"). I use a large tick to indicate the texts I have read, so I can see from the reading list what I have left to do. Unavailable texts I deem not worth ordering in specially I just put a cross against.

If a book IS available in the library (I am blessed with access to a university library), I may photocopy a particular chapter I need in case it gets borrowed before I get to that unit. It could go on loan for months just when I need it. I've also ordered a number of books from EBC Oxford, but obtained a couple on interlibrary loan first for a preview.

I have a separate file on computer with passwords to online journals, library databases document delivery service etc, and other information (journal titles, ISSN numbers etc) so that I can copy and paste this information in on access instead of typing it. I encrypt this file for security reasons, but keep it open when working online. As Julian advises in FND1, I'm building up a list of journals and holdings in my uni library and what I've found available full-text online: this saves having to search again for the journal and tells me quickly whether I need to request an article or not.

All photocopied articles related to each unit are in the unit file alphabetically by author for easier retrieval, with any supplementary (unlisted) items at the back. If I've made separate notes on A4, I place these in the plastic sleeve with the relevant text.

Notes:

I make extensive use of highlighters (including different colours as I don't expect to be photocopying these texts again) and also write brief marginal notes. Sometimes I take notes as I read; more often now, I work through the article highlighting key points, quotable utterances and important secondary sources cited in-text, and then type up brief notes, quotes etc afterwards, paraphrasing and summarising on the fly. In fact, highlighting main arguments is an effective summary technique, so typing up later becomes a lot easier. I find paraphrasing and summarising to be a good test of whether I'm clear on the ideas, particularly complex ones (or those merely impenetrably expressed). If I have to think about it, I didn't really get it. Of course, some of the articles just give background or add to what others have covered. Then I just highlight a bit here and there for new perspectives.

With textbooks I tend to write notes as I go, and type them up later, but if I am dealing with a particular chapter I photocopy it so I can highlight and annotate it as for a journal article, as I prefer to "engage with the text" physically!

Authors' prefaces, introductions and conclusions are useful "reality checkpoints" before and after reading (what is/was important). Some books, such as Holliday's "Appropriate methodology..." offer a summary at the end of each chapter. I prefer to make my own summary, though, and then cross-check! Eg I do not always concur fully on what Holliday says he was saying; then I go back and have another look. One could read the summary etc instead of the whole thing, but I find that isn't sufficiently informative as to justifications, making connections etc. Too abstract!

I find it especially motivating when I see a link to my own current practice or past experience: theory suddenly becomes concrete. I find myself placing [italicised reflections in brackets] in the notes wherever I see a strong link of this kind. The italics & brackets make clear the distinction between my reporting of the author's arguments (including parenthetical remarks) and my own subjective responses.

Typing up notes seems for me to formalise and perhaps objectify the information. Also it helps me to recall what was said. Sometimes I type up notes later, after completing other readings: it's amazing how much one forgets, however crystal it seemed at the time, and I find that this helps consolidate the information. Also, the other readings likely being on the same subject, I make more connections between the arguments this way. By numbering and listing concepts under headings I also hope to gain a more organised sense of the concepts.

I am quite fast with 2 fingers (!) but still a slow typer (as opposed to typist, which implies expertise). However, this slowness allows some reflection as I go, so I tend to have further insights while typing (These I scribble down on paper, though, before they vanish again!).

A further advantage of typing notes is that later one can search for keywords, eg. using Windows Explorer--Tools--Find--Files or Folders--Advanced. I'm looking out for a good freeform database that will index the notes as they expand. This might be a way to finding key words, quotations etc, particularly if linked, as Andy suggests, to key coding (though I didn't receive the details of the system)

Finally, as with articles and notes, files aren't much good if I can't locate them, so I am developing a structure of folders and sub-folders to organise them, as I have with my teaching materials, and I back up modified files regularly off the computer. My preferred backup is on CD-RW now, since over the last two years I have suffered the failure not only of a hard drive but also of a 1GB Iomega Jaz drive cartridge. Fortunately, I practise safe computing ;-)

Referencing:

I type any notes and quotations under the headings of specific readings (Author, date, title) for now, broadly keeping reading notes on related topics grouped together. This helps in that all the information relates to that particular source, so I just add page numbers as I go. Full references I keep at the end of the document covering that unit, APA style. Time-consuming, but I may need to type them later anyway...

With secondary references I indicate the source (p.12, citing Author, 1995) so I can attribute it later if necessary, or track the source down if interested. A particular problem occurs with a chapter photocopied from a book (eg Welker, 1992) that uses numbered notes. I neglected to photocopy the notes themselves from the back of the book but needed the date, not just the author cited. I was lucky the book had not yet gone back to the source library. Similarly, references for signed chapters in edited books may be at the end of the book - if I spot a promising citation I'll note the source (blundered over this lately, found the book had gone...).

Motivation etc

I remain highly motivated to fill in the gaps (how little I know, after so many years teaching) in whole areas of theory! Probably this is why I am going very systematically and slowly at this point. I feel that later, when I hit the other modules, I should have a reasonable grasp of the major issues. However, I become panicked sometimes, realising the sheer volume of what is to be done and how little tangible progress I appear to be making. As Raymond puts it, I feel "bogged down" in a module (not failed strats but excessive diligence?) And as Kay says, "Know your clock". I put these two comments together and the answer is to set targets and deadlines, not just hours of perseverance.

It is also all too easy for personal matters to interrupt study (so far, illness, recurrent dentistry due to chronic neglect and cowardice, my daughter's school holidays, crises with car, house etc, and all the other endless demands of daily life). My best solution is to spend a specified number of hours each day that IS available locked up in the office with the work and nothing but the work. I've a break from teaching to get going, and for that I'm enormously grateful, but it encourages me to spend longer on the units. I have a huge respect for those who are managing with a full teaching load, and can only hope that when I get back to all that all-too familiar external pressure, the practical focus of the course will help me integrate my own learning with helping others learn.

Hey, if anyone's still there/awake, thanks for the generous gift of your time and minds you contributors continue to make to the discussions, keeping things going however pressed you are. That too helps enormously and is why I felt prompted to answer (else I'm taking all and contributing nought). The MSc seems quite a lonely business sometimes, but for the sense of a network of other diverse spirits all around the planet in different time-zones working in the same general direction!

Sorry I'm so prolix. Francesca's topic woke me up. Especially as we also share a continent!

Barry, heading into what passes for "winter" on the Gold Coast of Australia.

Re: To dig or not to dig- that is the question | Andy | May 5th, 2001

To answer Sheehan's question:

Since the beginning of the course I have used the tactic of ordering and keeping 3 modules. If I lose inspiration with one module or need a break from it, it means there are others to read and I am not sat there staring out of the window. Also all roads lead to the same destination - as in all the modules have links to one another. I also find it useful and possible to plan ahead with my work schedule and begin to think of focuses to each of the modules........YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN INSPIRATION MAY STRIKE!!!!!!!!

On the other hand, living with 5 - 6 Folders can be stressful and I do focus on researching and writing one assignment at a time....

I hope that helps..........

Andy (Surrounded by blue and white folders in Japan)

Re: Feedback and Study Strategies | Jake Kimball | May 26th, 2001

Hi everyone!

Regarding last month's topic of study strategies: having just received feedback from my first module I feel some comments on feedback are in order. I listened to the audiotape of constructive criticism two times (several days apart) and then spent almost 2 hours going back through my portfolio tasks and editing them accordingly. By reviewing and further editing the papers I'm hoping I will clarify my ideas and then, just maybe, the concepts will stay with me longer in the future.

I also made a mini checklist from the study companion (page 65-73) and printed it up as a writing guideline. I can then easily refer to it while drafting future papers.

So, what do you do with the post-module feedback you get from course tutors? How do you make the feedback process more meaningful?

Jake

Feedback & Study Strategies | Robert Salter | May 27th, 2001

Jake,

I put my checklist on the wall behind my computer and used it for each assignment, though some might say that it makes for a rather mechanical presentation of research findings it did help keep a decent focus.

I re-read each post-module feedback form (and the notes I made from the tape if there was one) each time I was ready to start writing the next assignment. Sure it took some more time, but I found that it helped me avoid making the same types of mistakes on each assignment. Better to make new mistakes I reckon. Seriously though, hang on to those double feedback packages. They are addressed only to us so they really do help with each assignment when you take the time to look over your work with what a tutor's perspective might be on it. That is how I made the feedback process more meaningful than just looking back at the feedback and saying, "if only I had known that before I wrote the assignment." Julian's feedback on that impossible FND module guided me through the rest of the course. His feedback and Steve's feedback were the lenses through which I read the feedback from each new assignment. I tried to see where I was improving and where I was still not making the grade so to speak. I hope this bit of personal information helps a bit, because I can remember feeling as though I was fumbling in the dark for a while there.

Best,

Rob

 

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