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Strategic Study Techniques
Strategic Study Techniques
Strategic Study Techniques
Successful students take time to step back from their studies and examine what they are doing
and how they are doing it. They may not spend any more time or effort on study and
assignments than do their less successful peers, but their strategies help them make better use
of their time and energy. This section introduces you to some ways of making your time as a
student as successful as possible.
Study skills vary between subject areas so if you move from, say, sociology to science you'll
need to give yourself time to develop the particular skills required. Understanding which
skills are needed is important. If you find there is a specific skill that you need to develop -
such as understanding graphs or making notes as you read - then make a decision to improve
that skill and set aside the time to do so.
Active learning
Active learning keeps you involved - it helps to maintain your enthusiasm for your studies,
and you also gain confidence in your ability to cope with new challenges. Active learners
rarely just read their module materials. They find every way they can to interact with what
they are studying. You could try some of their strategies, such as
OU learning consultants Gill and Maggie discuss what an active approach to your learning
feels like. Rather than passively reading your materials, you should think about what you are
trying to achieve at any given point, make choices about what you read and listen to and
engage with the parts that are particularly relevant.
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When you receive feedback, take time to absorb and reflect on it. Don't hesitate to ask for
clarification or further guidance from your tutor if you feel it would be helpful.
OU learning consultants Gill and Maggie explain how your tutor's feedback is one of the
most important aspects of learning with the OU. Make the most of it.
The advice may come as a surprise if it identifies something needing improvement that you
felt was fine. Wait a few days then read the feedback again, as you may find that you can
then be more objective, and think about your reactions.
Ask your tutor or study adviser for more advice if you have any queries about anything in the
feedback or want to know more about improving your study skills.
You might also get useful feedback from other students. For example, an online discussion
forum for a module activity might help you assess your understanding of a topic. Talking to
your tutor or other students can give a boost to your morale and really help when you feel
stuck. Knowing how to stay motivated is an important skill that is worth developing as early
as possible in your study.
Learning outcomes
You'll find that certain study skills are specified in the learning outcomes for your module.
They will be called learning outcomes. Make sure that you develop them - they are the key
intellectual, practical and professional skills you are expected to gain. They are usually
categorised into four groups.
The study materials you receive set out the learning outcomes for that module and explain
how they are measured. For example, assignments might have marks allocated to how well
you demonstrate them. Make sure you know what the specified skills are for your module and
keep them in mind as you work
Revision
Preparation and practice are essential for success in your examination. There is no single best
way to revise for an exam but you do need to adopt an organised approach. For example,
timetable the work according to how much time you have and find out about the format of the
examination. This section will help you figure out how to approach your revision.
Everyone revises differently and the techniques you use depend partly on what it is you are
studying. However, the same principles apply to all subject areas. Rather than simply
throwing yourself in and rereading your materials, try to adopt a strategic approach to your
revision. The main principles are as follows.
Know what to expect - look at the exam format so you know many questions you
have to answer and whether any of them are compulsory. Check the specimen
examination paper.
Check for gaps in your knowledge - Review your own knowledge and understanding.
Decide which topics you might need to revise intensively and which you need to
review only briefly.
Create a timetable - Look at how much time you have available and create a
timetable. Plan ahead to fit your revision around your work and domestic life.
Then do the work! Remember, it's less stressful to actually do some revision than it is to think
about doing it.
Listen to Roger, an OU student, as he shares his thoughts about how to prepare for an exam.
Bear in mind that 'it's never too late to start but, equally, it's never too early'!
Some students collect material for their assignments while they study, which can be an
effective time-management strategy. However, working through the material and then re-
reading it for an assignment is very effective revision.
Reviewing
You tend to remember best the information received at the beginning and end of a learning
session. So when you revise, it is a good idea to
One of your module mailings will include a specimen examination paper, which will be very
similar in structure to the actual exam paper. When you get it
read it through
look at the layout
get to know the way the questions are organised
look at how many marks are allocated to each part.
Some specimen exam papers include answers to give you an idea of the type of content
expected - but accept that your own answers will be less polished than these.
Familiarising yourself with the specimen exam paper is an important part of preparing
yourself for the exam. Mark, an OU tutor, explains.
Here is a checklist of questions to help you think about the format of your exam (you can also
download a copy of this here: find out about the exam paper (RTF, 3.4MB). Add other
questions to suit your own module.
It is very important to answer the right number of questions. You will lose marks if you
answer too few, and waste time if you answer too many. Read the instructions on the exam
paper carefully.
As I walked out of the exam room, I realised I had missed out a compulsory section! Reading
simple instructions can be hard when you have that knotted-up feeling at the beginning of an
exam.
Unless the question papers are restricted or this is the first year of a module, you can also
order previous exam papers. Use these to practise constructing answers to exam questions. If
you have example answers in your specimen exam paper they will help you see how to
construct answers, but if you find this difficult then discuss it with your tutor or study adviser,
or with other students. Be aware of any differences in the format of previous exams and
remember that the exam questions and topics change each year, so you won't be able to
predict just what you'll find.
Once you understand the structure of the exam, think about the following as you plan your
approach.
In this video Katherine, an OU student, talks about how she organises her notes around the
themes in her subject.
Use the specimen paper and old exam papers, plus your study guide, to help identify which
topics to revise. You may not need to revise all the topics, but don't limit yourself too much
because you may be asked to compare one topic area with another.
You may decide to do some light revision of familiar topics. However, if you think other less
familiar topics might come up in the exam you may want to concentrate your efforts on those.
Use your assignments as a starting point for particular topics and remind yourself of any
feedback that your tutor gave you on the assignment. Also look at the assignment topics you
didn't choose, and their accompanying notes.
Going back over your module materials, you may find it useful to concentrate on summaries,
conclusions and introductions, which can provide a handy, précis of subject areas you might
be less familiar with. Also look at any other relevant texts, if your module has them, such as a
module introduction, module guide, module review or revision unit, any of which will help
you achieve an overview and make connections between themes.
attend any revision sessions and look at exam notes and guidance from the module
team
ask your tutor or study adviser about anything you don't understand.
Above all, be selective and focus on key module resources. Most exams give you some
choice of questions to answer or choice in how you tackle them. There will be topics you
already feel confident about, and you might be able to leave some bits out. There may even
be materials that the module team tells you are not assessed in an exam.
It's a good idea to show your list of revision topics to a tutor or fellow student and ask them
what they think about your revision plans. If you are unsure about the areas you need to
revise, ask your tutor or study adviser.
"I decide what topics are essential to revise, then go back through my margin notes and key
module texts to create mind maps around those topics. Then I practise exam questions a lot! I
even make some up if there aren't many old papers."
Now you have an idea of your overall approach, it's time to make a timetable.
Making a timetable
To work out a revision timetable first broadly plan out the areas of the module that you will
cover. You can make more detailed individual session plans as you get around to each
section.
What you include in your revision plan will depend on the time you have available and your
own style and study habits. Make a note of
A simple grid like the one below might be helpful. Decide how many hours you have for
revision and allocate them accordingly. Don't forget to include time to eat, sleep, relax and
keep other things going in your life!
Be realistic about how much time you have and produce a timetable that spreads the
workload and identifies what and when you should be revising in each session. If you are
unsure about the areas you need to revise, ask your tutor or study adviser for advice.
Download a blank timetable (RTF, 75KB) to fill in, or simply make one of your own.
In this video OU tutor Ruth gives advice on past papers and tips on how to structure your
timetable.
Think about where you are going to revise. Try to do your main work in a place you like to
be, and you'll be more likely to spend time there. However, don't miss opportunities to revise
elsewhere. Check whether your library is a quiet place. It can be helpful to be somewhere
where you will not get distracted and also it will help you to get used to somewhere that is
more like an exam location.
Look for short gaps in your routine that you could use for revision. Ten minutes of revision
each day is much better than none!
Mock exam
Mock exams give you a good idea of what it will be like on the day and how much material
you can expect to write. Develop your skills by using past exam questions and writing out
some complete answers within the set time. If you are more used to typing on a computer this
will be good practice.
Work under exam conditions by finding somewhere quiet where you'll be undisturbed, away
from any module materials or notes, using the time allowed. If you can't do this at home use
the quiet area of a library.
Tackle your mock exam in the same way as a real one, which is to
You may be able to find someone to read your answers and check that your writing is legible
and your work makes good sense. However, don't ask for criticism of the content from
anyone who has not taught or studied the module.
A mock exam is one good way to get in some handwriting practice before the day - you'll
need to write quickly while keeping your work legible. Don't use small writing, especially as
it may be a bit messy: larger writing should be easier for the examiner to read. You may need
to compromise presentation standards in order to complete the required number of reasonably
full answers. Do some handwriting regularly as you come up to the exam, to build up the
muscles in your hand and wrist.
Examiners are fully aware of the constraints exams place on the writer, and do not expect the
same kind of answers as in assignments.
Be prepared to speak aloud to yourself as often as you can about the topics required.
Learn ready-made expressions that will help you to interact spontaneously, such as
phrases that help you to agree or disagree, intervene politely or invite others to speak.
Your module should provide suitable examples. Also prepare some 'holding
expressions', such as 'in my opinion' or 'let me see', to allow you to take the time to
plan a little more in your head.
Make and listen to a recording of yourself practising.
As with all forms of revision, practising little and often produces good
results.Intensive, focused revision will help you to absorb new language structures.
Stella and Linda's book expands on all these ideas, especially in Chapter 9, 'Assessment'.
Hurd, S. and Murphy, L. (2005) Success with Languages, Oxford, Routledge/The Open
University.
If you suffer from stress, listen to this Revision Stress audio track
Whatever effort you put into revision will pay off, and it's never to late to start - but do pause
and think about your strategy before launching in. A little preparation before you practise will
help enormously. Use the revision checklist you encountered at the start of this section to
help you prepare.
And have a look at the other examinations and revision areas of this website.
Examinations
Revision techniques
Assignments
Revision techniques
There are lots of different ways of revising; this section will allow you to try some different
techniques and see which suit you.
There are many revision techniques to choose from. You may feel that one technique may be
more suitable to your natural learning style but using a variety of techniques helps your brain
learn in different ways. In addition, some techniques may match the subject matter you are
learning better than others (for example, line diagrams are useful to display complex
processes). However, it's probably better to avoid new techniques too close to the exam.
In this video, two OU students explain their different approaches to revision. Katharine
describes how the physical act of notetaking and underlining directs her attention and helps
her memory. For Matthew the act of condensing his notes is particularly useful.
Learning Consultant, Anna, describes some notetaking techniques and encourages students to
choose one that suits their particular module.
Here's a summary list of revision techniques (RTF, 97KB) - print it out and hang it on your
wall near your study area. There's more detail about these techniques within this section.
For specific advice and support relating to your current study please contact your tutor, or go
to your module website or study guide.
Finding a strategy
Your study guide tells you know how many hours you need to find each week for your study,
and it would be easy if it was just a matter of, say, allocating two hours a day to your module
and your time management was done. But most OU students have busy lives which
sometimes conflict with their study plans, and everyone suffers from a lack of motivation on
occasion, whether they are busy or not.
You will probably find that during your studies you'll use several different approaches to time
management, depending on other demands and the experience you gain of what works best
for you.
"I'm really a morning person, but I might think about doing a bit before dinner though if I'm
home at a reasonable time. It's worth studying for half an hour or so at a time - over a week it
adds up."
Remember
To set priorities use this foursquare grid (DOC, 29KB). It helps you to classify everything
according to importance and urgency, so you identify and work on the tasks that are
important and urgent first.
Use this useful time calculator to identify how you spend your time
Do it
Dump it
Delegate it, or
Do it less well.
Being organised is not necessarily about being tidy - it's about having a system in place that
works for you. You need somewhere to study and somewhere to keep your study materials,
files and books. You'll also need access to a computer.
If you don't have a room to yourself then you might want to work at the kitchen or dining
room table. You'll also no doubt find other places to study - you may find you can listen to an
audio recording in your car, or study on the train, for example.
Boxes or bags can be used to transport materials you are currently using, say to prepare for an
assignment. A bag can even have its own filing system and you can take it wherever you need
to work - on the train, in the garden, or to the local library.
"I learn mostly by listening. I tape myself reading passages in my book, or my online journals or
whatever, and I record pertinent points on my digital recorder then I can play them back on my iPod.
It's really good for on the move as well as when I'm at home."
Study goals
Part of your learning strategy should be to identify your long-term goals relating to your
studies and then plan accordingly. But even on a short-term basis you can plan effective
study.
What shall I do with the study time I've put aside today?
What is important today for this week's goals?
Would I be better off if I studied a section of my module, or worked out the tasks I
need to do to complete my assignment?
Think about your short-term goals, such as completing an assignment. Try to divide your
work for an assignment into manageable chunks that you can schedule into to the study
sessions you have available. Breaking up a large task like this helps your motivation, so you
really do get started on a particular study task. By setting goals and getting used to working to
a plan you'll find it easier to stick to your study schedule.
Weekly schedules can help you to see how much time you have available to study, as you can
also write in those times when you'll be working, or spending time with the family, for
example. You may need to reorganise how you use your time in order to fit sufficient study
hours into your week.
"I was amazed when I did my time log. Did I really need to spend so much time on household
shopping? So I tried supermarket home delivery services, freeing up more time to study."
Use daily or weekly 'to do' lists to help you to plan and prioritise. These can help to clear
your mind and clarify what is really important for your studies, but they can also result in you
making a commitment to yourself that you will do what you have planned and listed. It can
be satisfying to tick-off the tasks you've completed on a list.
Planning is no guarantee everything will get done or that deadlines will be met, but the
process of making a plan helps you focus on what the task entails and gives direction and
purpose to your study.
Action plans
An action plan can help you to identify what you want to achieve in the long term, and think
through the steps you need to take in the short term to achieve this. This can make it easier to
help you realise your goals. Your action plan could include these elements.
My goal
What do I need to do to achieve it?
How can I achieve it?
What resources will I need?
When can I take action?
An action plan can be just a list of things to do, a chart giving deadlines, a diagram showing
how the various parts of your plan interact, or a set of sticky notes on a sheet of card that you
move around when each task is done. If you break down the overall task into a series of
smaller targets, you can chart your progress in more detail. It's useful to have a way of
recording your progress as well as a list of any sources of help that you need.
Action plan
My goal a degree within four years
need to do 60 points per year
What do I need
to do?
allocate realistic time for study (i.e. 12 hours per week)
do breakdown of typical week
When can I take talk to Clare next weekend while children are at swimming lessons and do
action? timetable
Completing an assignment or receiving good feedback and marks can be a real buzz, but if
things don't go to plan don't get discouraged. Instead, consider ways of using your limited
time to the best advantage.
Pareto's Principle, or the 80/20 rule, says that 80% of the result can usually be gained
by concentrating on the most important 20% of the task.
Regularly check your study calendar - be aware of approaching deadlines so there are
no surprises.
Mark or highlight parts of your reading which are holding you up and move on past
them - return to them when you have read more, because generally it will make more
sense.
Attend tutorials or visit your online forum if at all possible - learning with fellow
students and being guided by the tutor adds depth to your study, and it helps you to
see that you are not alone.
Write out the next assignment question - use it as a bookmark and keep it in front of
you while you're reading, so your notes are focused and relevant.
Learn new terminology as it appears - try to use it in assignments to demonstrate your
comprehension of concepts and ideas.
Highlight and make a note of references you'll need in an assignment as you go along
- this can really save time later.
Check the rules for your assessment - substitution of an assignment may be an option
if your marks fall below your usual level.
Tell your tutor or Student Support Team of any difficulties you are experiencing -
they will be pleased to offer help and guidance.
"I had read the chapter and studied the pictures ready for the tutorial, but when we discussed
them in depth I discovered nuances I had not even imagined - it was like turning on a light!"
Listen to how these OU students balance the demands of work, study and life.
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Talk to your family and friends. Perhaps they can help with child care, walking the dog - or to
read your drafts and listen to your ideas.
Eulina talks about how tutors can help students who fall behind and Emma talks about what
staff at the Student Support Team do to help.
You can practise your maths reading techniques using the following process
The booklet 'Working with charts, graphs and tables' will help you develop strategies for
extracting numerical information. It is particularly relevant for modules with little
mathematical, scientific or technical content that, nevertheless, require students to work with
charts, graphs and tables. It has range of activities for you to work on. Look through the
contents and select an activity that is relevant to your studies. Try to spend no more than
about 15 minutes on this.
Writing maths
Writing good mathematics helps to clarify your thoughts, as well as helping other people to
understand your ideas (including yourself, six months later!).
The booklet 'More charts, graphs and tables' is designed to develop your skills in presenting
numerical data. It also covers tables, line graphs, bar charts, histograms, pie charts, and
simple descriptive statistics. It provides a step-by-step guide for each form of presentation,
and describes when it is appropriate to use them. Spend a few minutes reviewing its contents
and complete some of the more relevant activities.
Look up any mathematical words or notation that you don't understand or have
forgotten
Can you explain what you have to find or do in your own words?
Do you need to make any assumptions or simplifications?
Try looking at particular or simpler examples of the problem. Using examples with
numbers can sometimes help you to see a way forward
If none of these strategies work, stop and ask your tutor for help. It is important to keep on
target with the module as well as developing your problem solving skills.
make sure you know why you are reading - what are you going to get out of this text?
quickly scan the material for an overview of what it contains
then settle down to read it thoroughly.
Keep a dictionary or your module glossary to hand and look up any terms you don't
understand. Accept that sometimes you need to re-read in order to check your understanding,
reconsider particular points of interest and to add to your notes.
Be prepared to read in different ways depending on your purpose. Sometimes you might
quickly skim and then you can slow down and grapple with the detail to improve your
understanding of the topic.
If you find the material boring or frustrating the reading task becomes harder. The best way
to handle this is to be actively critical. Ask yourself what makes it unsatisfactory. Consider
why you've been asked to read it. See if others are having the same problems with that
particular text.
Fast reading techniques help you to browse text and extract the key points. Once you have the
hang of them you can get through a substantial amount of reading in quite a short time.
Scanning - handy when you're looking for a particular word or phrase within a text or when
you want to get an idea of the layout of the text (how many sections, where certain topics are
covered).
Skimming - a useful first step before reading more deeply. Here you are reading the words
quickly to get a feel for how something is discussed. If you think that the text will be useful
to you, you can slow down and read in a more focused way.
Try using coloured overlays or tracking rulers to reduce the glare from white pages (suppliers
include Crossbow Education and Cerium.)
Scanning Skimming
Run your eye quickly over the text to Read quickly to get an overview prior to in-depth
locate specific words or phrases that reading. Although you may still need to read the entire
are of interest. You can scan text, by scanning first you can decide where you want
to concentrate your time. Skim the text quickly to
headings and subheadings
images and artwork get an indication of the scope and content of the
the body text for authors' names text
the contents page itself read the first and last paragraphs to get the main
the index for specific words. points
look at the first sentence of each paragraph to see
This will help you decide whether you where the content of the paragraph will lead
should read further, and how useful note the key points in summaries.
the document might be for your study.
Active reading
Active reading simply means reading something with a determination to understand and
evaluate it for its relevance to your needs.
Simply reading and re-reading the material isn't an effective way to understand and learn.
Actively and critically engaging with the content can save you time. Most OU study books
and websites include in-text questions and self-assessed questions. Use these as built-in cues
to make your study active.
In video 1, Lynn describes how she actively reads her module materials with a view to
eventually writing her assignments. In video 2, Matthew and Katherine describe their active
reading and notetaking strategies.
Underline or highlight key words and phrases as you read. When you return to it later
on, you can easily see which points you identified as important. Be selective - too
much highlighting won't help.
Make annotations in the margin to summarise points, raise questions, challenge what
you've read, jot down examples and so on. You can do this in printed books or etexts.
This takes more thought than highlighting, so you'll probably remember the content
better. (Use sticky notes if you don't want to mark the text.)
Read critically by asking questions of the text. Who wrote it? When? Who is the
intended audience? Does it link with other material you've studied in the module?
Why do you think it was written? Is it an excerpt from a longer piece of text?
Test yourself by reading for half an hour, putting the text away and jotting down the
key points from memory. Go back to the text to fill in gaps.
Look for 'signposts' that help you understand the text - phrases like 'most importantly',
'in contrast', 'on the other hand'.
Explain what you've read to someone else.
Record yourself reading the module material or your notes, and listen to the recording
while you're travelling or doing household chores.
Taking notes is a skill that you develop with practice. There is no right or wrong way, just
find a method that suits you (for example, bullet points, mind maps and diagrams,
highlighting, annotating or underlining significant words).
OU student, Cynthia, explains how she uses visual methods of notetaking to help her
understand her subject.
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In general, your notes should be brief and to the point. Take time to think about
what is expected of you, by reviewing the learning outcomes listed in your module
materials
what each assignment requires you to do
how you learn best, so you can choose the most effective some techniques.
If you are given a handout before or during a face-to-face session, use this as the framework
for taking notes.
Revisiting your notes helps you learn the material and prepare for assignments. It helps you
'pull together' all the different ideas you have recorded, so you can make cross-links with
earlier study.
You will need to develop reasoned arguments based on a logical interpretation of reliable
sources information. These skills are essential if you want to obtain high grades in your
university study and, like other skills, they improve with practice.
1. Analyse - Examine how key components within your module materials fit together
and relate to each other.
2. Compare - Explore the similarities and differences between the ideas you are reading
about. Do some ideas conflict with or complement each other?
3. Synthesise - Bring together different sources of information to serve an argument or
idea you are constructing. Make logical connections between the different sources that
help you shape and support your ideas. Are there any inferences you can draw from
the material and apply to an assignment question?
The OU booklet 'Thinking critically' gives you further information on this subject.
Finding material
The OU Library gives you access to over 5000 electronic journal titles, databases of journal
abstracts, newspapers, etexts and other library catalogues. It also offers resources that can
help you identify and evaluate material. Visit the OU Library website , which includes the
interactive SAFARI (skills in accessing, finding and reviewing information).
Jo Parker, from the Open University library, talks about using online information resources
during your studies.
If you are new to finding your own web resources you may find it difficult to select
trustworthy sites. For example, there is a mass of information on nutrition and diet, but much
of it is sponsored commercially or potentially biased. You need to critically evaluate the
resource. To help you think critically, here are some questions you could ask.
Aspect of
Questions
text
Does the information match your needs? Look at the introduction or overview
Relevance
to check what it’s about.
Is it clear where the information has come from? Can you identify the authors
Provenance or organisations responsible? How was it published? Has it been peer
reviewed?
Is the author's position or interest made clear? Look for an introduction or
overview. Does the author declare any connections that might compromise
Objectivity
their independence? Is the language emotive? Are there hidden vested
interests?
Is it clear when the information was produced? Does the date of the
Timeliness
information meet your requirements? Is it obsolete?
Is the information clearly communicated? Look at language, layout, and
Presentation
structure.
What research methods were used, and how are results reported? Do you need
Method
to reassure yourself about their importance?
Some module activities and assignment questions ask you to read and do a critical review of
the various resources provided. Here are some more detailed questions that you might ask.
Set some time aside when you can work without interruptions.
Take a step back and look through headings and sub-headings that might signpost the
direction the content is taking. Also look for summaries and conclusions that could
restate the material in a way you find understandable.
Use a dictionary or subject-specific glossary to look up any unknown words.
Photocopy the text or print out the article so you can scribble on it.
If you have a question to answer, note it down and keep asking yourself how it relates
to the piece.
If the text contains several specific themes use a key and write in the margin, e.g. p
for politics or g for gender.
Try to write a few points in your own words about what you do understand.
Use a forum to ask for help from a fellow student - but always check that you do
understand and agree with their interpretation.
Look online to see if the article or book has been reviewedby other people. Or look
for overview books on the same subject - they might summarise the author's point of
view. Once you can understand the basics, go back and look at the detail.
Don't assume the content is always correct. There might be a hidden agenda leading to
bias - check the funding behind the article or find out why the article has been written.
Try saying the words in your head or aloud as a way of unravelling the meaning.
Imagine that you are trying to explain it to someone.
You can also draw sketches or diagrams as a way of understanding.
If all else fails, leave it for a few days then come back to it