Learning Skills

(Keterampilan Belajar)
dr. Tridjoko Hadianto, DTM&H, M.Kes.

Skill/Competencies of the Learners

What skills do students need to survive?
Personal skills

Are students ready to learn?

Self-discipline, self-motivation/engagement,
responsibility

Learning skills
Learning skills

Learning strategies (e.g., self-regulation,

Self-regulation, e.g., time-management, self-assessment,
technological skills, critical thinking)
concentration, anxiety
Technological skills, e.g., application of new media like fora
Critical thinking, e.g., questioning, constructive
contributions

Social
Social skills
skills

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

Team competencies, e.g., group

moderation,
Communication/presentation
skills,
team
collaboration, arrange
group skills
work
competencies,
organizational
Communication/presentation skills, e.g., communication
via email, fora, chat, group presentation, peer review

Harnessing your mind

Know your learning style.

Seeing -- Do you need to see the concepts being presented, or make mental pictures of them?
If visual is your learning style:

Hearing -- Do you need to hear the material being presented? If auditory is your style:

Use your sense of sight by imagining what your subject looks like.
Use charts, maps, notes, and flashcards as you study.
Writing answers and questions will enhance your memory, as will the practice of picturing words/concepts
in your mind.

Tape yourself as you read the course material out loud. Then listen to it with your full attention.
Talk with your coursemates, instructor (and mentor, if applicable) as often as you can.
Take advantage of any opportunity for sound that your course may offer.

Feeling -- Do you need to do things physically to understand the concepts being presented? If
kinesthetic is your style:

Trace words as you are saying them or point to them as you read.
Writing material repeatedly will help you retain the information, as the hand motion helps to translate
concepts to your mind.
Add any form of movement, such as role-playing, to the learning of your course material.

Don't think of one style as better than another. But do become aware of your particular
learning style. That way, you can help yourself learn when information is not presented as
you prefer or when you have difficulty understanding certain concepts.

Harnessing your mind

Pay attention to one task at a time. You can lose your focus by clicking links or surfing the
Internet while attempting to understand new information in a course activity.

Set specific times for studying. One well-focused hour is worth more than several hours of
interruptions.

Tip: Inform your family, friends, or roommates of this set period of time, and ask them to respect it.

Take it slow in the beginning. You're setting yourself up for disaster if you expect to grasp
all of the course information immediately. Learning -- getting the information, maintaining it in
your memory, and retrieving it at will -- takes time and effort.

Ask for help immediately. No one will know you need help unless you ask for it. When
you've made a mistake or do not understand something, call your coursemates or, if
applicable, your mentor.

Test yourself first. Before you take an exam or participate with others, go over the material
to be covered. Since you'll feel more comfortable during the test or chat, you'll perform better.

Tip: If you don't want to interrupt your flow, make a list of "need-to-know" items. Later, when you're
ready, use the list to ask your questions.

Tip: If your course offers practice quizzes, take advantage of them to determine your mastery of the
content.

Reward yourself. This is a time-honored method to reinforce yourself and your goals -because it works. Each time you've succeeded at something, treat yourself to something that
uplifts you.

Body-Mind connection

Take care of yourself. Being healthy and learning effectively are connected. Eating well,
exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep affect your ability to concentrate, to
memorize, and how you handle stress. This is especially true for online-learning students
because of the amount of time spent sitting in front of a computer.

Find a quiet place to study. If possible, claim a separate space for yourself. Move your
computer to a room that is away from distractions such as the TV, stereo, or children. If
you are sharing your workstation, schedule its use with others.

Tip: If sound is constant (white noise), you're not as likely to be distracted. Turn on a fan or
background music that does not stimulate thought or emotions.

Create a comfortable studying environment. When setting up your computer

workstation, consider the comfort of your neck, back, wrists, as well as coping with glare
and eyestrain from your monitor.

Tip: Drinking water, not caffeine, increases your stamina.

Tip: The top of the monitor screen should be at or below eye level.

Prepare for your next study session beforehand. If you find it hard to pick up where
you left off, use Ernest Hemingway's method of stopping in the middle of a paragraph to
avoid facing a blank page when he returned to his work.

Cornell Method of Note-Taking in Class

(PQ5R)
BEFORE CLASS
1. Prepare
2. Question (s)

DURING CLASS
1. Record (write)

AFTER CLASS

1. Reduce
2. Recite
3. Reflect
4. Review

BEFORE CLASS
Prepare
Complete assignments for the class.
Bring the necessary materials: pen, binder, textbook,
assigned articles and so on.
Sit front and centre.
Conduct a short preclass review of your notes from the
previous session.

Question (s)
What questions do you have about what you do not
understand?
What questions do you have that will extend your
understanding beyond the basic? or
What purpose(s) do you have for attending the class?

DURING CLASS
Record
Classroom Activities

Sit front and centre.

Postpone debate (silent or aloud) if you disagree with the professor.
Let go of judgements about teaching quality.
Participate in class.
Watch for clues as to what the professor thinks is important.

Page Set Up

Two-inch margin on left.

Blank back of sheet for later comments.

Note Taking

It does not matter which method you use to record notes: Outline,
Paragraphs, Key Words, or Mindmaps.
Use pictures and diagrams where possible.
Keep your comments separate from the professors.
Use your own short hand abbreviations and symbols.
Shorthand (Add your own to these lists.)
Abbreviate terms you use often, e.g.: Use symbols:

AFTER CLASS
Reduce

Put keywords or phrases in the left margin.

While doing the Reduce step, add anything missing from your notes.

Recite

Cover up the right hand side of your notes, and, using the key words in
the left column, try to recite the important content to yourself.

Reflect

Think about the material, and write your thoughts on the back of the page.
Did I meet my purpose or answer my questions in this lecture with these
notes?
How does this material connect with my previous learning in the area?
How does this material apply to my personal experience?
What conclusions can I draw?
Is the material accurate? Relevant?
Do I agree with what the professor said?

Review

Use your well-worked notes for studying for tests.

Better ways to think, read, question, and write

Don't consider thinking, reading, questioning, and writing as talents some students have and
others don't. These are skills you can learn and build on.

Thinking -- A useful technique is to put things into groups as you encounter new ideas.
Grouping ideas or items helps you organize your thinking by building a framework outward
from the central idea.

Tip: Sometimes called "clustering," associating new ideas to familiar concepts will help you
remember them.

Reading -- Students have a lot to read. Begin with any weekly course objectives offered.
Then use them as a guide as what to look for in particular readings. Skim any material that is
not listed. Then highlight the sentences that do apply.

Tip: When you print any text, reinforce your reading by writing summaries of the salient points in the
margins.

Questioning -- Most students find asking questions difficult. Yet, asking is the essence of
learning. Generally, what you want is clarification. Use your discussion boards to ask
questions of your mentor, teaching assistant, instructor, or coursemates. Ask them to
paraphrase what you don't understand. Or ask for examples.

Writing -- Most students' thinking is not linear. But, if you used the strategies of highlighting,
taking notes, and clustering ideas, you are now ready to write. Organize your clustered ideas
into an outline as well as a short summary. Follow the outline as you write.

Tip: Your outline can also serve as a list of the articles you researched for your paper.

How To Read University Texts or Journal Articles

Choose a section preferrably not longer than 25 or 30 pages perhaps one chapter,
or a section of a chapter that you can handle at one sitting.
Step 1. Read the title, the introduction, and the conclusion (5 minutes).
Step 2. Read the title, the introduction again, all sub-headings, and the conclusion,
again. (5-10 minutes).
Step 3. Read the title, the introduction one more time, sub-headings, the Topic
Sentence of each paragraph usually the first or second sentence, (you may
read the last sentence as well, if you have time), any italicized or boldfaced
words, lists (you can skim these), and the conclusion (10 minutes).
(Force yourself to do steps 1 to 3 in less than 25 minutes.)
Step 4. Close your textbook.
Step 5. Make a Mind-Map of all you can remember in the chapter. Do not stop until
at least half an hour is up, even if you feel that you can't possibly remember
any more--more will surface if you give yourself the time. Give yourself a lot
of time to do this, and you will probably be surprised at how much you
actually can recall, and at how you can use all sorts of different strategies for
remembering. You should also be noting down questions about things you
have forgotten, so you can look them up.
Step 6. Check through the text and fill in any important information that you missed.
Use a different colour of ink or some other way to mark this material that you
forgot, so you can study it later. At this point, you may wish to read through
the entire chapter as you normally would, to make sure you did not miss
anything. Then do another Map, from memory, to check whether you have
learned the new material.

Managing your time wisely

These tips can help you manage the demands of your life more effectively.

Create a "To Do" list. Set your priorities and record them on a list. Writing them down adds
importance.

Create and follow a calendar. A long-term planner helps you see the big picture. Map out
a semester schedule that shows study, work, and family commitments, as well as leisure
activities; that is, items from lists A, B, and C.

List all of the things you have to do in a given period of time, say for one semester.
Sort these tasks by level of importance. All tasks that have consequences if left undone, list "A."
Tasks that help you meet goals but don't carry a penalty for not doing, list under "B." Tasks that no
one would notice whether you do or not, list under "C."

Enter your entire "A" list on your calendar. Include the due dates of all tests and assignments.
Give yourself plenty of time to complete reading assignments or papers. You'll be less likely to
panic when the deadlines arrive.
Always do "A" items first. It may seem productive to do many of the quick and easy tasks from your
"B" or "C" list, but it's a false productivity, as the critical tasks are still waiting. Reduce stress by
completing the more ominous tasks first.
Take one day to monitor your time. Note how long it takes to get dressed, eat, run errands or do
chores, items on your "B" and "C" lists. Allow enough time to accomplish necessary tasks when
you are creating your calendar.

Set a compelling goal. Dreams are unspecified desires: "I want my degree." Goals are
specific and leave no room for confusion: "I intend to receive my bachelor's degree in four
years." Find a compelling reason to finish each course each semester, and your degree
program will naturally come to completion.

Learning Skills
1. Set goals. If you dont know what you want to achieve as a student, you wont
know how to get there or if youve accomplished things.
2. Use an appointment book. If you keep all your appointments, due dates, test
dates in your head, you wont have any room left for the new information you are
learning about in classes.
3. Know your learning style. Develop techniques and strategies for compensating
for possible differences between your learning style and your instructors
teaching style.
4. Be an active reader. Be a text detective: ask your text good questions and it will
yield good answers.
5. Participate in study groups. Share the load of reading and studying with other
students you will learn better by teaching them, and you will be exposed to
ideas you didnt come up with on your own.
6. Take notes. Use the Cornell, outline, mapping or charting method to condense
and synthesize reading, lectures and discussions.
7. Organize your study materials. If you organize your materials as you proceed
through a course, you will retrieve information with greater ease later.
8. Draft papers. Never turn in the first draft of a paper always leave time to rework it before your professor sees it.
9. Slow down on tests. Anxiety makes you skip over parts of questions. Read
every word carefully.
10. Dont replace protein with caffeine. Protein and complex carbohydrates are
an energy source that wont leave you jittery.