Study skills are the skills and strategies you need to learn efficiently, demonstrate your learning, and achieve academic and professional goals. Study skills include time management and organizational skills, reading and note-taking skills, studying and test-taking skills, and more. Many of the study skills you developed in secondary school will support your post-secondary learning. However, you likely will need to refine and expand your current repertoire of study skills to be successful in the post-secondary context. In online, hybrid, and HyFlex courses, effective study skills are particularly important because much of the learning is self-directed (e.g., asynchronous online learning on your own schedule and at your own pace) and flexible (e.g., you can choose to participate in optional, synchronous sessions with your instructor). 

In Module 2, you explored digital time management and organizational skills as part of Digital Productivity. This section will focus on the reading and note-taking skills and studying and test-taking skills you will need to support your success as a post-secondary learner, with a particular emphasis on these study skills in online learning.

Reading and Note-Taking

As you develop your identity as an online learner, you will want to consider the role of information management in your learning process. Strong, self-directed learners actively read, evaluate, and use information for current course tasks and, more importantly, develop a resource file of information that will support professional growth.

Many online learners feel overwhelmed by the volume of reading and the wealth of online resources available to them. Managing information well requires you to develop skills in identifying the purpose for your reading (What do you need to learn from this reading? Why is it important to you personally and professionally?) and the strategy that will help you achieve your purpose (skimming, reading key portions, a close reading) (Kwantlen Polytechnic University Learning Centres et al, 2018).  

Note-taking is an essential study skill that goes hand in hand with purposeful reading. Intentionally annotating the texts that you read requires you to critically engage with the material. You are doing the work of identifying the important content and considering its implications for your course and your professional practice. This practice facilitates deep learning and ensures that you remember key material (Kwantlen Polytechnic University Learning Centres et al, 2018).

You may choose to make notes about course readings in traditional notebooks. However, as you will frequently work with digital texts and articles, it will be important to select a system that allows you to store, search, and retrieve readings and notes from current and past courses. Online note-taking systems, such as OneNote or Evernote, are highly effective for this purpose.

Benefits of Using an Online Notebook

Online notebook platforms allow you to do the following (Kwantlen Polytechnic University Learning Centres et al, 2018):

• Create individual notebooks for courses or assignments, creating additional sections or pages for weekly module topics
• Create flexible notes that include text, images, audio, and video files
• Store PDFs and other course documents for your own records (note: you will eventually lose access to online courses after they are complete)
• Clip and store relevant information from the web
• Search stored content to quickly find relevant information, making connections between courses and your previous learning
• Sync notes across all of your devices

Take a moment to explore the features of Google Keep, OneNote, and Evernote. 

Image 3.16
Source: eCampus Ontario
Description: A text-based infographic titled Benefits of Using an Online Notebook. Google Keep, OneNote, and Evernote are listed with Pros and Cons for Each. Google Keep pros are free with Google account and simple interface that is integrated with Google apps, and the con is that it lacks advanced features. OneNote pros are free with Microsoft 365 subscription and advanced features, and the con is that it has a complex interface. Evernote pros are simple interface is easy to learn and use and advanced features, and the con is that the basic version is free, but additional features require an annual subscription.

---

Try It!

Let’s try using an online notebook!

• Choose one of the online notebooks above and enter some notes in it (real or fictional).
• Try some of the features of the online notebook.
• Exchange digital note-taking tips with some of your classmates.

---

Studying and Tests-Taking Skills

Tests and exams are common assessments in the post-secondary context. In your courses, you may need to write tests or exams in person or online. You can do several things before, during, and after the test or exam to enhance your performance and manage any text anxiety you may be experiencing.

Learn more about preparing for tests and exams, including online and open-book exams (University of Waterloo, n.d.).

Activity

---

---

---