Though all university courses ask students to apply independent learning strategies, online learning requires an even higher level of self-directed learning skills.

Many students have experience in teacher-directed classrooms. In these classrooms, the teacher is the central figure, and the students take direction about what to learn directly from the instructor. In these environments, students might spend time taking notes on an instructor’s lecture and might focus much of their learning time on memorizing concepts in preparation for recalling them on an exam.

Online university courses are different. The instructor is no longer the central figure in the learning environment. You, the student, become the central actor in your own learning journey. As you undertake this journey, you are supported by your community of fellow students. Your instructor serves as your guide, using their knowledge and experience to direct you to learning experiences that will lead you to your learning goals.

Skills for Independent Learning

Image Credit: Rawia Inaim

Independent learning requires the following skills:

• Defining your learning goal for your program, each course, and each assignment you complete.
• Identifying the steps you must take to move towards your goal. What content do you need to know? How will you learn it?
• Choose strategies that will support your own learning.
• Reach out for the support you need from your instructor, classmates, and university support services.

In the next section, you will explore the ways that a skill called metacognition supports you in becoming an independent learner.

As you develop your identity as an online learner, you will want to consider the role of information management in your learning process. Strong independent learners actively read, evaluate, and use information for current course tasks, but more importantly, to 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 for identifying the purpose of your reading.

1. What do you need to learn from this reading?
2. 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).

In the Strategic Reading module, you will discover additional ways to manage the reading process.

Early in your learning journey, you will want to select a system for managing information. As you will frequently work with electronic texts and articles, you should select a system that allows you to store, search for, and retrieve readings and notes from current and past courses.  Online note systems, such as OneNote, Evernote, Dropbox, or cloud-based drives (which can also be helpful for sharing notes with your classmates), are highly effective for this purpose.

Benefits of Using an Online Notebook

Online notebook platforms allow you to do the following:

• 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 Moodle pages when courses 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

Comparison of Notebook Apps

• Apps for Note-Taking

Have you ever wondered what the most successful students do differently from other students? Students who have developed effective ways of learning have mastered a skill called metacognition. In simple terms, metacognition is understanding your own thinking and learning processes.  In other words, it is “thinking about your thinking“. Metacognitive skills include planning your learning, monitoring whether your current learning strategies are successful, and evaluating the results of your learning. Improving your metacognitive skills is associated with increased success in all of your academic life. To learn more about how metacognition applies to student life, watch the video below.

 

Learning Choices: Videos and Text

At several points in this resource, you will have the opportunity to learn key skills by watching a short video. If you prefer reading to watching videos, you will find a video transcript located directly below each video. Scroll past the video to read if this is your learning preference.

 

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/selfdirectedlearning1/?p=24#oembed-1

Plan – Monitor – Evaluation 

How do you gain the skill of metacognition? One way to think about developing metacognition is by gaining the ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate your learning.

The Learning Cycle (Image Credit: Christina Page)

Planning involves two key tasks: deciding what you need to learn and then deciding how you are going to learn that material.

Monitoring requires you to ask, “how am I doing at learning this?”. In monitoring, you are constantly tracking what you have learned, what you don’t yet know, and whether your study strategies are helping you to learn effectively.

Evaluation involves reflection on how well you met your Learning Objectives after completing a unit of study or receiving feedback (such as a test or assignment).

 

Key Questions to Improve Your Learning

Learning in an online environment requires you to move beyond simple memorization of course concepts. To gain knowledge that will support your growth as a lifelong learner and in your future career, you will want to interact with course concepts deeply and in ways that are personally relevant to you.

One way of picturing deeper learning is Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Image Credit: Rawia Inaim

The levels of Bloom’s taxonomy build upon each other. While you need to be able to remember key concepts, your courses will spend more time developing your ability to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create using this knowledge. As you encounter new concepts, you will want to use critical questioning to understand the concepts at all levels, moving from surface to deeper knowledge.

One method for creating study questions or planning active learning activities is to move step-by-step through each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

1. Begin with a few questions at the Remembering level. If you don’t yet know the technical language of the subject and what it means, it will be difficult for you to apply, evaluate, analyze, or be creative.
2. Then, go deeper into your subject as you move through the levels.  Learning at university requires you to learn the basics of your discipline by remembering and understanding; however, you will spend much more of your time applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Here is an example of what this might look like.  What questions can you create for your topic?

Image Credit: Rawia Inaim

Now that you have developed a picture of the role that your professors will have in your online learning journey, how might you develop an effective relationship with them?

Consider the following suggestions:

1. When you look at a course reading, activity, or assignment, try to put yourself inside the mind of your professor. Why do you think they chose this particular learning experience for you? What do you think they intend for you to learn? Understanding the purpose of a learning activity can increase your motivation and help you stay on track with your work.
2. Take advantage of opportunities to connect with your professor, either face-to-face during learning block weeks or during online office hours.
3. Check the course site regularly. Your professor is likely to post announcements and other key messages for the class. This provides another point of frequent contact.
4. Use email effectively to connect. You will learn more about how to construct an effective email in the section on professional communication in this resource – but if you are curious, you may choose to view the chapter on how to email a professor now.

When you join an online course, you become part of what is known as a Community of Inquiry.

In the Community of Inquiry, you will have a Professor, content to process, and a learning community in which to grow.

This is a learning community that fosters your learning (cognitive growth) in a way that allows you to apply new insights to your life and work. Within a Community of Inquiry, learners have two key roles:

1. Maintaining a cognitive presence in the community. This requires a continual process of critical thinking.
2. Developing a social presence in the learning community. This involves creating open and mutual relationships that allow for learning and collaboration to occur.

Image Credit: Rawia Inaim. Adapted from: https://coi.athabascau.ca/coi-model/

Cognitive Presence and Critical Thinking

The best kind of learning involves constructing new knowledge in a learning community.

This requires interacting with new information (for example, from readings, discussions, videos, and lectures). You may receive this information from professors, from fellow students, or by searching for it to solve questions or problems. Then, together with your learning community, you make connections between this new knowledge and your prior experiences. You also determine how this new knowledge will shape your professional practice.

The Community of Inquiry supports this process through the exchange of ideas, supporting one another in exploring connections, and challenging ways of thinking through thoughtful questioning.

Social Presence

If learning occurs in a collaborative community, how does this take place online?

Maintaining a social presence in an online environment involves allowing for open communication. Social presence allows you to risk expressing your ideas online, based on the knowledge that your classmates will be respectful and supportive. All members of the community commit to supporting each other in their learning.

As you have already learned, when you join an online course, you become part of what is known as a Community of Inquiry and you take on an important role in this online learning environment.

Image Credit: Rawia Inaim. Adapted from: https://coi.athabascau.ca/coi-model/

What is the role of your professor in this learning environment?

Your online professor provides the teaching presence to create and design significant learning experiences for you and your fellow students.  Professors also thoughtfully facilitate the content that will support your learning in the class. They also direct you by answering questions and challenging your assumptions to help you grow in your knowledge and skills.

Image credit: Christina Page

In online classrooms, your professor takes on the following roles:

• Designer: In an online learning environment, your professors will guide you toward readings and other learning materials that will serve your learning goals.  Based on their experience in their field, they are able to help you focus your attention on learning resources that are accurate and relevant.
• Facilitator: Your professor carefully creates opportunities for you to learn the skills you need for your future career and designs assignments and learning activities to lead you towards intellectual, personal, and professional growth.  As you review the course presentation, consider each of the learning activities and assignments.  Think about the reasons why your professor may have selected these course components to contribute to your development.
• Director: Online professors are available to answer questions along the way. As you learn, you will inevitably find areas that are unclear to you, either related to the course content or your learning process.  By communicating with your professor effectively, you will take full advantage of their role in guiding you on your journey.

Image Credit: Rawia Inaim 

Effective teams share five key characteristics:

Complete the quiz below to strengthen your knowledge of the five elements of effective teams.

Now that you understand the characteristics of effective teams, move to the next section to discover how good teams develop and grow through their life cycle.

Tuckman suggested that teams move through stages in their life cycle: forming, storming, norming, and performing. At each stage, the group will work through a series of interpersonal tasks as well as a series of project-related tasks.

Image Credit: Alice Macpherson and Rawia Inaim

In the first section of this module, you explored the components of a Community of Inquiry. Both cognitive presence and social presence are required in the online learning community. Tuckman’s model of team development also indicates that both components are needed. In a class-based team, it may be easy to focus only on the cognitive output of the group – the creation of the project, paper, or presentation. However, as you can observe from Tuckman’s model, a well-functioning team requires its members to exhibit social presence throughout, communicating well in interpersonal interactions.

Consider the strategies you plan to use to demonstrate social presence and form a strong interpersonal foundation for your newly forming team.

Online courses often provide you with a great deal of flexibility in organizing your time. This can be a tremendous asset, particularly if you are balancing study with work, family, or other commitments. However, this also requires you to accurately determine how much work you must complete over the semester and to develop a plan that allows you to complete this work effectively.

Many students find it helpful to develop a semester schedule that provides an “overview at a glance” of what will be required. You will find the information you need for this in your course presentations.

A semester schedule gives you a visual picture of the assignments, projects, tests, exams, presentations, and practicum requirements that will happen during the semester. If you are taking several classes, this is a tool to be able to see what is coming up next.

By having the “big picture” in view, you will be able to proactively manage busy periods in your semester.  If you have flexible due dates, you will be able to schedule your assignments for the optimal time in the semester. For example, you may notice that you have a larger than typical number of major assignments due in week 6. This allows you to schedule work on some of these projects earlier in the semester.

The following video will help you better understand how to read your course presentation and how to plan for the semester ahead.

__________________________________________________________________________

Your next step is to create a weekly schedule.

This will include your work, class, and study commitments, volunteer roles, as well as any other regular events in your week. A weekly schedule is a good tool to evaluate whether your time use allows you to meet your overall goals. Do you have enough time to study? Is there time to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

1. Record your regular weekly commitments first (work, classes, organized activities).
2. Designate regular study blocks for each of your classes.  Remember that it is more effective to study for multiple, shorter blocks of time during the week than to plan for one extended study block. Shorter study periods will allow for greater focus. Regular review will help you retain information well.
3. Schedule a weekly review (WR) for each course. Do it at the end of the week, if possible. This weekly review gives you an opportunity to go over the past week’s notes along with the reading assignments to see what you have been learning in the past week during class and study time for each course. You can also look ahead to plan the next week and determine how much reading you need to do, what projects are due, and if any tests are scheduled.
4. Keep some time open for daily physical activity. Remember, research indicates that regular exercise will not only give you a general sense of well-being but can also reduce tension and help you accomplish a tough class, study, and work schedule.
5. Label some empty blocks of time as OPEN for academic or personal needs.
6. Schedule some time on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for you to play, relax, or do whatever you want to do. This is your reward for sticking to your schedule. In addition, you’ll enjoy your free time more. Because it is scheduled, you do not need to feel guilty.

By using smaller blocks of time, you can cover material in chunks and not have to worry about the larger whole. A mistake that many people make is that they try to cram information into their minds in one large session. This isn’t a successful strategy for most students.

Look for smaller blocks of time to study. If you are a public transit user, you can likely spend 20 minutes on your bus ride reading or reviewing for your upcoming class or exam. You could even listen to an audio recording of your notes. In the evening, instead of watching three episodes of your favourite TV show, you could watch one and spend the remaining time preparing for your studies. Going out to eat often? Consider making something simple at home that you could put in the oven to cook without needing to tend to; that time could be used doing some work for class and still leave you time for other activities once dinner is done.

Now that you can see the big picture of your semester and weekly priorities, the next step is to create a daily to-do list to prioritize your tasks. The video below introduces you to some principles for creating daily task lists. When you are finished, move to the next section to choose strategies for managing your tasks.

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In an online learning environment, communicating by email is an important part of getting things done.

The video below, which includes an interactive quiz, will provide you with some tools for sending a clear and professional email.  You will use many of these same principles for your communication with classmates and in other work settings.

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Many online courses include forums, either as a required assignment or to support your learning process. How can you use forums to support your learning in the best way possible?

Forums are a tool for creating collaborative learning relationships.  They can also be a low-stakes way to express your developing ideas and to get feedback on how you are learning the course material as you work towards larger assignments.

What Makes a Good Forum Post?

The rubric below outlines what distinguishes stronger online posts from those that are less successful. Review the chart below.  What do you notice?  If your professor has provided a rubric for online posts, read the rubric and identify your instructor’s criteria for success.

Image Credit: Christina Page

Good communication and learning within your online environment as well as at your workplace require giving and receiving feedback.

You might give feedback to classmates in a group project or receive feedback from your professors and workplace supervisors.

Image credit: Rawia Inaim

Effective feedback must include the following:

What is being done correctly and well?

How it can be improved?

What the next steps might be?

Receiving Feedback

If another person offers you feedback, it may sound like criticism. It may be that they intend to be positive but they may not know how to say something positively. It may also be that their self-esteem is low and they are being defensive or aggressive towards you. Most importantly, you may become defensive or aggressive if you see their feedback as critical or negative, no matter what was meant.

Attempt to suspend your reaction until you understand the information that is being given. Paraphrase what you hear. If it seems unclear, ask for clarification. Having it presented in other words or from another point of view may increase your understanding about what is being said.

Explore and discover the reasons for the comments.

• Is a change by you indicated?
• Is it an evaluation of the past or an indication of the future?

Think about and cope with your possible defensive reaction.

• Do you see wants as demands?
• Do you feel guilty or obligated?
• Are you hearing more than what is being said?

Ideally, listen to comments and find the positive side of them. Then, explain your position or point of view without feeling that you must justify yourself. Determine the importance of the message to you. You may choose not to change.

Any discussion will profit from more information. You can wall yourself away from information and change by being defensive. You may open new lines of communication by being open.

Giving Positive Feedback

It is easy to criticize and to think that we are helping a person deal with a situation. To give the right commentary, at the right time, to the right person, with the right reasons, in the right way, and to the right degree, is very difficult.

You first need an agreement to interact. If the other person is not ready to hear your comments, you set up a negative interaction that will cause them to block you and your opinions out. If you do not have permission to comment, you may be seen as aggressive, and the other person may respond by being aggressive or defensive towards you.

Ask if the other person wants your feedback. If they say no, then you will have to discuss or problem-solve that before you say anything more, or you will say nothing at all.

Search out all the facts you can before giving your feedback. Ask the people involved about what they feel is happening and how they see the situation. This may solve or help solve the problem.

Time the discussion so that you are all reasonably unstressed. Leave time so there is another chance to talk before parting ways. This will help to avoid or clear up misunderstandings or confusion.

Be Positive. Try to begin and end your feedback with comments about what is working, correct, or right about the situation. No matter how bad you perceive things to be, there will be good points to comment on.

Avoid using absolutes or negative words, like always or never or don’t. Each situation tends to be many shades of grey rather than black and white. Actions taken are seen by each person in the light of their own experiences and perceptions. Use alternative, positive words and phrases. Avoid comparing the person involved to other people in other situations. The where, when, what, and who of each situation are different. Comparisons tend to produce resentment and frustration.

Be Specific in your description of the problem. Avoid vague or misleading statements. If attitude seems to be a problem, show specific instances and then take one point at a time so as not to overload or overwhelm the other person. Make sure that it is something that can be changed.

When you tell someone that you feel they could improve or change, then also make suggestions on how you think they might go about making those changes and what behaviour would be observed if the changes were made. Be prepared for no change.

Feedback can be positive if it:

• is offered at the right time and place,
• is offered with comments on good points as well as possible changes,
• is connected to facts and not rumours,
• is directed to behaviour that can be changed,
• is specific and one point at a time, and
• gives information and possible solutions to change the situation.

You will not use all of these items in all circumstances, but all of them can be used in some situations.

You need a clear understanding of what the professor wants before starting on any assignment or project. Then you will want to translate assignment terms and requirements into details as to what your professor expects.

When you are not sure, remember to ask your professor.

Interpreting the Assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

• What is the task you need to do for this assignment?
• Why did your professor ask you to do this particular task?
• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?
• What kind of writing style is acceptable?
• What kind of referencing style must be used?
• What guidelines must you follow?

Terms that might be used to determine the task

• Identification Terms: cite, define, enumerate, give, identify, indicate, list, mention, name, state.
• Description Terms: describe, discuss, review, summarize, diagram, illustrate, sketch, develop, outline, trace.
• Relation Terms: analyze, compare, contrast, differentiate, distinguish, relate.
• Demonstration Terms: demonstrate, explain why, justify, prove, show, support.
• Evaluation Terms: assess, comment, criticize, evaluate, interpret, propose.

Begin with Background Content

Most assignments will be related to the materials you have studied in the course up to the point of the assignment. As you read the assignment or project requirements, start by identifying which theories, formulas, and graphics relate. Consider what research you will need to do to complete the project.

What is a Rubric?

When you receive many of your course assignments, you may also receive a copy of the rubric the professor will use to grade your work.

• The rubric provides information on what criteria shape a highly successful assignment.

How to Use Rubrics

Your assignment instructions and rubric are two of your key tools throughout the process of completing the assignment. These provide an outline of the criteria that the instructor has set out for a successful assignment.

There are two key times to use the rubric and assignment instructions:

1. Before you start writing: Unfortunately, time may be lost writing something that does not meet the key guidelines you must follow. To avoid this problem, take time to read both the assignment instructions and the rubric carefully before beginning. Clarify any areas of confusion with your instructor.
2. After you have written a draft, but before you submit the assignment: At this point, grade your work according to the rubric. Think carefully and critically. Are there areas where you may not have met the criteria well? If so, edit your work accordingly, making the needed revisions before submitting the assignment.

The video below provides additional strategies for using rubrics.

Now that you have a clear idea of what you need to do, the next step is to break down the assignment into manageable “chunks”. The idea of completing a major research paper may seem overwhelming, but if you can divide the task into achievable steps, you will be on your way to success.

Use the chart below to break your assignment into smaller steps. You will want to create steps that can be done easily in one day, and preferably in a single work period.

Consider the following example breakdown for a research paper:.

In the above example, the assignment is divided into smaller pieces, with a manageable amount to complete each day. It is also clear when each task has been completed.  A daily work goal like “work on research paper” is not well-defined, and can seem overwhelming.  This can make it easy to procrastinate.  By choosing specific and achievable goals, you may become more motivated to get started, and you will be able to measure your progress each day.

Remember to reward yourself for meeting your goals along the way.

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” – Bill Gates

During the learning process, we have many opportunities to receive feedback about the quality of our learning and work. In the university environment, this often comes in the form of grades and professor comments on assignments and exams. By using this feedback to evaluate your learning strategies in light of your goals, you will be able to make adjustments to move you towards your goals in current and future courses.

Consider the Purpose of Feedback

Many people find feedback difficult to receive, particularly when it indicates areas for improvement. Shifting your mindset as you receive feedback can be a catalyst for personal growth. View feedback as a gift that is intended to allow personal growth, stronger future academic performance, and professional development. When you receive feedback, take time to reflect on the comments given. Direct the feedback towards future assignments; rather than considering what you might do differently on the current assignment, use the feedback to inform your future goals and work on subsequent projects.

Reflecting Mid-Course

An excellent time for self-evaluation is after you have received feedback on your first midterm exam or major assignment. Consider the following reflection questions at this stage in your course:

• What grade do I hope to achieve in this course? ________
• To what extent am I meeting my goal for the course at this point?
• What about my exam/assignment preparation worked well?
• What about my exam or assignment preparation did not work well? What do I want to change?
• How will what I have learned help me in the second half of the course?

If you have identified an area for growth that requires change, consider new learning strategies. Consider the resources available to you: online learning, workshops, tutoring, support from classmates, and your professor. Identify the people on your “team” that can help you respond to feedback and move towards your new goals.

Reflecting at the End of a Course

The completion of a course is also an excellent time for reflection and evaluation. In addition to the questions in the midterm evaluation, consider the following:

1. How will what I have learned help me in my next courses?
2. How will I use what I have learned in my future career and other aspects of my life?

By reflecting on feedback and evaluating your learning regularly, you will avoid getting stuck in unproductive patterns. You will contribute to your own ongoing personal growth and development, supporting your success in future courses and other life endeavours.

Photo credit: Emily Tan

Online learning typically requires you to interact with a larger amount of written material than traditional in-class courses. This can benefit your growth as a lifelong learner by developing your skills in selecting relevant reading material, approaching it purposefully, and managing the information you read. Consider the following principles as a guide as you approach reading:

1. Not all reading material requires equal time or attention. Unlike a novel, where you give most pages equal time in order to understand the story, much of your professional reading is focused on finding and using relevant information. This means that you may not read every word in the available readings. Some information may require close and careful reading, while other information may be skimmed to find key points.
2. Before you begin reading, identify your purpose for reading. What do you need to learn from this reading? This will determine how you approach the reading material.
3. Use questions to guide your reading. In the next sections of this module, you will learn a strategy called SQ3R that can guide you through the process of using questions to guide your reading.
4. Develop a system for identifying important information and taking notes. You have already explored systems for online information management. Consider how you will mark key learning in the texts that you read, and organize this information in a form where you can easily access it again.

Why take notes on online content? After all, you can easily search for it and read it again. However, re-reading is not always the most effective use of time. Taking good notes helps you quickly review the key points in the material that you have read.

Taking notes is also an effective learning strategy. 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.

Choose the note-taking method that is most effective for you. You may prefer traditional notebooks. Many readers underline, highlight, and put keynotes in the margins of their books.  You may prefer to create typewritten notes and store these notes using your electronic notebook or information management system. Another tool for engaging with digital texts is Hypothesis.

Watch the video below, and consider how this tool might work for you. If you prefer reading to watching videos, scroll to the bottom of the page for a transcript.

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Throughout your academic career, you will read a variety of journal articles as you complete coursework and conduct research for assignments. Journal articles may seem daunting, but by understanding how journal articles are organized and written, you will be able to choose relevant articles and find the information you need.

Parts of a Journal Article

In this chapter, you will watch a short video that describes a method called SQ3R that provides a way to read efficiently and purposefully. After the video, you will complete a quiz that tests your knowledge of the content you learned. If you prefer reading to watching a video, scroll below the video to find a transcript.

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Now that you are familiar with the steps of the SQ3R Method, you may want to apply them to a text you are reading this week. To see how the steps are applied to an actual reading activity, watch the video below. At several points in the video, you will have the opportunity to pause and try the steps in the method. When you are finished the video or reading, go to the next chapter to move on in the workshop.

Now that you have identified the place of reading in your online learning journey, the next step is to explore your current reading strategies. What do you do now?

Complete the quiz below. You will receive feedback about the effectiveness of your current preferred strategy.

Self-reflection within a learning context means examining the way we learn and the work we have accomplished and using the insights we gather to inform our future actions. Taking the time to consider how an activity, learning strategy, or assignment has helped you learn can enable you to identify what’s working, what’s not, and opportunities for improvement. The following video will explain the importance of self-reflection and how you can develop reflection skills. It will review a framework that you can use to become a reflective learner.

What is Self-Reflection, and Why Does it Matter? Video Transcript (.pdf)

Three Steps to Self-Reflection Infographic (.pdf)

Six Steps to Self-Reflection Infographic (.pdf)

Self-reflection can help facilitate the transition to university, which requires more self-directed, independent learning. By reflecting on your learning habits and experiences, you can gain a deeper understanding and reach a higher-order learning stage where you start to critically evaluate experiences, relate new concepts to previous knowledge, and connect concepts to experiences beyond the classroom.

Self-reflection is a skill that requires practice for proficiency, so consider the five tips shared in the following video as you practice this important skill and prepare to complete reflection-based assignments in class.

Five Tips for Students on Self-Reflection

Five Tips for Self-Reflection Video Transcript (.pdf)

Three-Step Self-Reflection Guided Writing Activity

To download the activity in an Alternative Format (.docx) click  

What is Self-Regulation in a Learning Context? Video Transcript (.pdf)

Five Steps to Self-Regulated Learning (.pdf)

Monitor Your Learning

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Five Ways to Develop Metacognitive Skills Infographic (.pdf)

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Three Ways to Spot a False Growth Mindset Video Transcript (.pdf)

To download the activity in an Alternative Format (.docx) click 

How to Develop a Growth Mindset Infographic (.pdf)

Transfer of knowledge is the process of constructing new knowledge by applying your prior learning to a new context. The process involves making connections between course concepts and how the topics and issues relate to a variety of sectors, organizations, and occupations.

Envision YU resources focused on the transfer capacity will support you in identifying relevance by guiding you through the process of making connections between your coursework and your interest, competencies, and the Canadian world of work. As you work through the different Envision YU resources, you will have opportunities to engage in three methods of self-directed research:

1. Online career-focused research
2. Informational gathering through networking
3. Organizational research and analysis

Introduction to Transfer Video Transcript (.pdf)

Networking is an essential skill for success in any industry. Through building a professional network, you will gain valuable insights and advice from industry experts and increase your opportunities for growth and advancement. The following activity will guide you through the process of identifying and researching potential networking contacts, engaging in meaningful conversations, following up and maintaining professional relationships, and lastly, reflecting on the learning experience and the impact of your networking efforts. 

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Informational interviewing is a great way for you and other early career professionals to network and gain insights into a profession and develop a deeper understanding of an industry or specific organization. Conducting informational interviews is also a great opportunity for you to practice and/or further advance your interpersonal skills. The following activity will guide you through the process of planning and conducting an effective informational interview.

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Creating a plan of action will help you prioritize and focus your efforts when connecting with collaborators and partners. The plan typically outlines the steps required, including a list of people you would like to reach out to, how to connect with them, and what questions to ask when engaging in conversation. Approaching the process prepared with a plan of action can help you feel confident and build stronger relationships.

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Click the image below for a larger view.  3 Steps to Creating a Plan of Action Infographic (.pdf)

Digital storytelling offers a creative alternative to traditional presentations, whereby information is shared in an engaging manner, such as videos, podcasts, vlogs, and social media posts. Digital storytelling is done using relevant and engaging multimedia content along with a compelling narrative structure (i.e., a story with a hook) that captures and retains the attention of your audience.

Tips for Digital Storytelling Video Transcript (.pdf)

8 Tips for Digital Storytelling (.pdf))

Critical Thinking and Tests

The Secrets of the Q and A’s

Your professors will likely use various conventional types of questions. Here are some tips for handling the most common types. You can gain even more confidence in your test-taking abilities by understanding the different kinds of questions a professor may ask and applying the following proven strategies for answering them:

Multiple-Choice Questions

Read the instructions carefully to determine if there may be more than one right answer. If there are multiple right answers, does the professor expect you to choose just one, or do you need to mark all the correct options?

• Read each question carefully and try to answer it in your head before reading the answer options. Then consider all the options.
• Eliminate first the options that are clearly incorrect.
• Read the questions and one of the options as a sentence and turn it into a True/False question.
• Look for clue words that hint that certain option answers might be correct or incorrect.
• Ensure the option you choose best matches what the question is asking.

True-or-False Questions

Answer the questions that are obvious to you first. Then go back to statements that require more thought. If the question is stated in the positive, restate it to yourself in the negative by adding the word “not” or “never.” Does the new statement sound truer or falser?

Short Answer Questions

Short answer questions are designed for you to recall and provide some very specific information: When you read the question, ask yourself what exactly the professor wants to know. Keep your answers short and specific.

Essay Questions

Essay questions are used by professors to evaluate your thinking and reasoning applied to the material covered in a course. Good essay answers are based on your thoughts, supported by examples from classes and reading assignments.

• Careful planning is critical to answering essay questions effectively. Note how many essay questions you have to answer and how difficult each question seems. Then allocate your time accordingly.
• Read the question carefully and underline or circle keywords. Watch for words that describe the professor’s expectations for your response.
• If time allows, organize your thoughts by creating a quick outline for your essay. This helps ensure that you don’t leave out key points, and if you run out of time, it may pick up a few points for your grade. Jot down specific information you might want to use, such as names, dates, and places.
• Introduce your essay answer, but get right to the point. Remember that the professor will be grading dozens of papers and avoid “filler” text that does not add value to your answer.
• Write direct and concise statements.
• Write neatly and watch your grammar and spelling. Allow time to proofread your essay. You want your professor to want to read your essay, not dread it. Remember that grading essays is largely subjective, and a favourable impression can lead to more favourable grading.
• Be sure to answer all parts of the question. Essay questions often have more than one part. Remember, too, that essay questions often have multiple acceptable answers.

Test Taking Tips

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Before the test:

• Learn as much as you can about the test.
• Try to foresee the questions likely to be on the test.
• Don’t be tempted to stay up late cramming.
• The night before, get some exercise, watch what you eat and get a good night’s rest.
• Get to the test site early with all your tools

During the test:

• When you receive your test, scan the entire test first. Evaluate the importance of each section. Then create a time allocation plan.
• Write it down. Take a couple minutes to write down key facts, dates, principles, statistics, and formulas on a piece of scratch paper or in the margin of the test paper.
• Read the directions carefully.
• Do the easy questions first.
• Keep an eye on the time. Keep as close to your plan as possible.
• Check your work. Ensure that you have complete answers according to the directions; then look for other common mistakes.

Testing Your Test Anxiety

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It is normal to feel stressed before an exam. Stress motivates you to study and review, generates adrenaline to help sharpen your reflexes and focus while taking the exam, and may even help you remember some of the material you need. But suffering too many stress symptoms or suffering any of them severely will impede your ability to show what you have learned. Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which a person feels distress before, during, or after a test or exam to the point where stress causes poor performance. Anxiety during a test interferes with your ability to recall knowledge from memory as well as your ability to use higher-level thinking skills effectively.

There are steps you should take if you find that stress is getting in your way:

• Be prepared. A primary cause of test anxiety is not knowing the material. If you take good classes, read notes, and review them regularly, this stressor should be greatly reduced, if not eliminated. You should be confident going into your exam (but not overconfident).
• Make sure you eat well and get a good night’s sleep before the exam. Hunger, poor eating habits, energy drinks, and lack of sleep all contribute to test anxiety.
• Bounce bad vibes. Your own negative thoughts—”I’ll never pass this exam” or “I can’t figure this out, may move you into a spiraling stress cycle that in itself causes enough anxiety to block your best efforts. When you feel you are brewing a storm of negative thoughts, stop what you are doing and clear your mind. Once your mind is clear, repeat a reasonable affirmation to yourself — “I know this stuff” — before continuing your work.
• It’s all about you! Don’t waste your time comparing yourself to other students in the class, especially during the exam. Keep focused on your own work and your own plan. Exams are not a race, so it doesn’t matter who turns in their paper first.
• You perform best when you are relaxed, so learn some relaxation exercises you can use during an exam. Before you begin your work, take a moment to listen to your body. Which muscles are tense? Move them slowly to relax them. Tense them and relax them. Exhale, then continue to exhale for a few more seconds until you feel that your lungs are empty. Inhale slowly through your nose and feel your rib cage expand as you do. This will help oxygenate your blood and reenergize your mind.

Simple Relaxation Exercises for Everyone