Empower

Let Me Hit You
With My A-Maker
A. Kent Van Cleave, Jr., Ph.D.
Overview
This tutorial is intended to empower you academically. If you will
follow these suggestions, they will start you on that road.
The presentation has two objectives:
• Promote your examination of your metacognitive skills
• Give you some immediately useful academic tools that will help
you be a power student
These suggestions are based on a third of a century of reflective
teaching. The validity and usefulness of the tools presented here
have been empirically validated.
Author is recipient of the 2017 Excellence In Instruction Award from American Intercontinental University, Online.
Metacognition
Metacognition is defined, more or less, as thinking about and
modifying your own thought patterns. It is a potent tool with
which you empower yourself in all areas of your life.
Metacognition is a powerful enemy to prejudice and to
pattern-routinized behavior.
What is pattern-routinized behavior? Next time you put your
shoes on, observe what you are doing as you do it. Chances
are, you put your shoes on the same way every time.
Metacognition
OK, so you tie your shoes the same way most of the time,
but why is that important?
Because much of what you do every day is pattern-
routinized behavior.
You don’t think about it, you just do it. You just do it the
same way, every time, even if the way it is being done is
not effective.
You can build pattern-routinized behavior that will help
you be a stronger student.
Metacognition
Nearly every time you take a break from pattern-
routinized behavior, you find a better way to do what you
were doing.
How you go about learning, and how you go about
demonstrating your learning through assignments can be
markedly improved in this way, and that is what the
second part of this presentation is about – how you build
your ASAP.
Academic Paradigm
A paradigm is a philosophical / theoretical framework.
An academic paradigm is a philosophical / theoretical
framework for how one approaches the process of
education. It includes, among other things, one’s
attitudes, values, motivations, expectations, roles, learning
approach, and performance strategies.
The academic paradigm in large measure shapes one’s
learning approach and performance strategies.
A-Student Academic Paradigm
High performing students exhibit a predictable pattern of
attitudes, motivations, and behaviors.
Students who were regulating their own learning were setting challenging
goals for themselves, reflecting on their plans and adapting them when
needed. They submitted completed tasks and did extra work to learn more.
When they encountered difficult tasks, they used automated regulation
processes so they could be successful. When they became distracted, they
found ways to refocus. These students valued learning in and of itself and
understood their own approaches to learning in ways that allowed them to
take advantage of the learning experience. (Harding, 2018)
High performing students conform pretty closely to the
A-Student Academic Paradigm (ASAP).
ASAP starts with attitude.
The A student is in the educational process for learning as
much as possible, not for simply meeting assignment
requirements and receiving a grade. While grades are
important, they are not the focus. Learning is the focus.
ASAP includes self-reflection and metacognition.
The A student thinks about the tasks of the educational

process before beginning them,
• so as to choose the most effective response approach,
• fully scope out the requirements of the assignment,
• and optimize the process of completing it.
There are two major bodies of knowledge which one may employ in
executing an assignment. One of these is experiential, which relies heavily
on personal experience and common sense. The other is academic, which
relies heavily on what scholars have had to say on the subject matter.
The usual purpose of a written assignment is to elicit from the student a
knowledge of the academic concepts and an ability to demonstrate them in
a real-world context.
Typically, an assignment will present a real-world situation or scenario, and
ask the student to analyze it, using a particular body of academic
knowledge.
Often, students will encounter a task in an assignment for which they do
have excellent experience and common sense, and they will base their
assignment work almost exclusively on that experience and common sense.
An effective strategy defines and discusses relevant academic terms and
concepts in order to demonstrate basic concept mastery, and then applies
them in experiential context in order to demonstrate contextual
competency.
These orientations actually are not diametrically opposed. Depending on
the characteristics of the tasks to be performed, balance is needed between
the two approaches.
A practical/intuitive approach may well suggest an effective solution or
analysis, but that solution or analysis should be validated through appeals to
the academic literature on the relevant concepts.
The A student is an active builder of her/his own structure.
The A student makes inferences about assignment
requirements, elaborating on the requirements as needed to
assure that the requirements are well met.
Although the correct approach to an assignment might be
readily apparent, the A student will suspend choice in favor of
researching what might be the best approach.
For example, if asked to evaluate the information credibility of
a website, the student will avoid taking an intuitive approach in
favor of finding a credible set of formal evaluation criteria to
use.
The A student would rather err on the side of doing more
than is required than on the side of not having done
enough.
The A student learns from her/his successes and mistakes,
modifying the academic paradigm and task processes to
make them stronger.
Introducing the Tools
This presentation will help you build your A-
Student Academic Paradigm. The toolkit has
three sections:
• Process Management Strategies
• Learning skills
• Assignment Performance Strategies
Almost anyone can be an A student!
Process Management
Process Management: Optimum Sequence
Process management strategies are listed first because
they are overarching.
They determine an optimum sequence of activities.
Process management determines how we can combine
the use of learning skills and assignment performance
strategies for maximum advantage, so we get the most
out of our efforts.
They are about working smarter, rather than harder.
Process Management: ASAP
I have been recommending that students follow an optimum
sequence. This sequence leverages your early efforts to
maximize your later outcomes:
First, read the assignment instructions. This will help you
know what to attend to in the reading assignment.
Next, use the SQ3R study method as you do the reading
assignment. As you read the assigned text, keep in mind
what you will need to do on the written assignment.
Next, access any supplemental content provided in your
course.
With your learning complete for the concepts required by
the assignment, then outline the assignment. Make sure
the assignment outline includes all of the assignment
requirements and that you correctly interpret the
signal words.
Your thorough learning in the reading and supplemental
materials should facilitate outlining, because you will
know the material well enough to understand intuitively
which information is most important.
The A student typically makes some inferences about assignment
instructions:
• You should start by defining and discussing key terms, even if the
instructions do not request this.
• List and discuss any assumptions made in approaching the assignment.
• If an assignment requirement is not fully understood, ask the instructor
for further clarification. It is best to state what your understanding of
the instructions is, and ask if that is correct, because that appears
proactive, rather than passive.
• If the assignment instructions ask you to take an assessment of some
sort, its results should be discussed, even if the instructions do not ask
for this.
After the assignment is outlined, if you see a need to do
further research, do it right away.
Compose all of your papers and discussion board posts in
Word, and submit the file to Originality Verification (such
as Turnitin) before you turn it in for grading.
Learning Skills
Learning Skills
The second tool is your learning skills.

These skills are not static, but can be developed.
The more effectively you learn, the more
effectively you will do the written assignments.
Learning Skills
Many people approach reading assignments using
pattern-routinized behavior.
A common pattern is to just start reading, then read until
the reading assignment is done.
Cognitive psychology gives us some valuable learning
principles, and they can be incorporated into your
learning routine to boost your power.
Author has been promoting the use of the SQ3R study
method for more than 25 years.
SQ3R: Survey Question Read Recite Review
SQ3R embodies several important learning principles.
The Survey step provides a broad overview of what is to be
learned, providing the structure of the information to be
learned.
That structure is not readily available to the pattern-
routinized behavior learner.
The pattern-routinized behavior learner must create that
structure as s/he reads.
This requires divided attention, which is inefficient and
causes information to get lost.
SQ3R: Survey
Cognitive psychologists have found that we learn
knowledge-based material best…
most efficiently and effectively…
when we first build a cognitive framework (outline), then
fill in all the details.
The Survey step structures our learning experiences so
that we do this.
SQ3R – Textbook Survey
We typically will use this method on two levels.
We will survey the entire text the first time we use it.
We do this to learn how the authors have structured the
content…
…and to discover the author’s “strategies” for letting us
know what is important.
Important clues can be found in the table of contents, in
the preface / introduction, in chapter summaries, in
glossaries, in appendices, and in the index.
SQ3R – Assignment Survey
At the start of a study session, we survey in more detail
the material we will be reading. This is the assignment
survey.
As we survey, we will be forming Questions (sQ3r) we
will be trying to answer as we read.
We also want to build an outline of the content in our
heads.
This helps us relate what we are learning now to things
we already know.
The outline also serves as an organizer while we are
reading the material…
…so we can see where what we are reading now fits in
with the rest of the content.
Start at the detailed table of contents. This gives you the
broad topic outline.
Next, look at chapter learning objectives
Then the chapter introduction for
• The purpose of the chapter
• How it fits with the rest of the material
• Suggestions from the author on how to learn more
effectively
• A broad overview of the content
Next, page through the chapter and look for tables and
figures…
…and other features that help you organize and learn
more effectively.
Look for things to turn into Questions!
Read the chapter summary, if there is one. Read this
before you read the chapter…
…then return to it afterwards.
SQ3R: Question
Why do we want to have questions to answer as we read?
Questions create interest…
…and make us active learners.
They also facilitate long term memory formation.
When you spot the answer to one of your Questions, this
tells the hippocampus to form new memories.
SQ3R: Question
Where to get questions…
• Table of contents
• Chapter learning objectives
• Topic headings
• Chapter summary
• Questions the author provides
• Your curiosity
• Assignment instructions!
SQ3R: Question
Write the questions down. Then write the answers as you
read.
Writing these down sends a signal to the brain that this
must be remembered.
SQ3R: Read
OK. We have surveyed, and we have compiled a list of
questions we want to answer…
…Now we Read.
But we do not just read straight through.
We read a section at a time, and after each section we
recite.
SQ3R: Read
A “section” is a naturally formed unit of the assignment.
Often, these are formed by the way a chapter is broken
into parts.
Other times, you will stop because your brain feels full.
One develops a feel for when to pause through practice of
the method. If too much seems to be dropping out, the
section is too long, and you should pause more often.
SQ3R: Recite
At the end of each section, you pause in reading…
…to Recite - say in your own words what you just read.
If you can’t say it in your own words, you did not
understand what you read adequately.
Inadequate understanding is one of the leading causes of
plagiarism.
SQ3R: Recite
If you did not understand, go back and read again.
If you still don’t understand, then it is time to use other
sources of information.
When you can accurately recite what you just read and
you know you understand that section, then move on to
the next section.
SQ3R: Review
After you have read and recited through the entire
assignment, or you are just stopping for now, take the
time to do a quick review.
The Review is at least as valuable to you as the initial
read.
The review is valuable because it takes you back out to
the big picture view…
…while sorting the facts into place on the grand outline.
This assists the brain in consolidating the information to
long term memory.
SQ3R
SQ3R is useful for more…
You can use it to structure any self study.
Or to structure work problems and the information you
gather in order to solve them.
At a still broader level, we can learn from using SQ3R to

take organized, systematic approach to almost anything.
With SQ3R we are attending to the process before we go
after the content.
Assignment Performance Strategies
The sequence outlined in the first section contains the
essential elements for executing an assignment.
This section outlines some additional considerations for
when one is doing the written assignment.
Again, for emphasis, be sure you understand what the
assignment is asking you to do. Be sure that you
correctly interpret the signal words, and do what they
tell you to do.
Effective performance strategies start with determining
assignment requirements, then acquiring the knowledge
to do the assignment (SQ3R).
The next step is to Outline the assignment
requirements. This serves both as anchors for writing
and as a checklist, to be used to determine whether all
assignment requirements have been met.
The outline integrates the relevant unit academic
concepts into the outline of requirements.
Assignment Performance Strategies: APA
Even if the assignment requirements do not include
doing the assignment in APA format, use the APA
formatting guidelines.
APA format is a mental discipline; taking a systematic
approach to the written assignment reinforces a
systematic approach to learning the relevant concepts.
A paper done in APA format makes a good first
impression on the reader (your instructor), which can
translate to a better grade.
Assignment Performance Strategies: APA
I recommend use of an APA template file. A template
file is available, along with other APA resources, at
http://careered.libguides.com/aiuapa
Please see also
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
for a comprehensive guide to APA format.
There is a video tutorial on setting up a paper in APA
format at https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=sjGyP89quho.
Assignment Performance Strategies: Structuring
Use the structuring of the paper to organize the content for
the reader.
Provide an overview in the abstract and in an introduction.
In APA format, there should not be a section header titled
Introduction. The first text after the abstract is assumed to
be an introduction.
Use headers to organize your content.
There is an excellent tutorial on APA headers at
If you are presenting a lot of data, use tables and figures to
organize the data and provide a quick visual summarization.
Assignment Performance Strategies: Structuring
Always open by defining and briefly discussing the
concepts you will be writing about.
If there are closely related terms that are not in play in
the assignment, you might differentiate between the
relevant and those that are not relevant.
Do not assume that the reader already knows the
definitions.
Assignment Performance Strategies: IMRAD
Most research reports use an IMRAD structure:
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• And Discussion
It is the standard format for academic journals.
The IMRAD structure helps the reader stay oriented within
the report.
Being aware of this structure can help you interpret research
reports that you read.
Introduction: Provide a very brief overview of the
phenomenon that is the subject of the research, including
a synopsis of how it has been studied in the past.
You can find information for this by consulting a recent text
for the relevant course, through researching the topic in
the library, and by using Google or other search engine.
Also include your purpose and, if there is one, hypothesis.
Method: Discuss what variables were studied, and how they
were measured.
Discuss who the study participants were, if any.
Discuss any apparatus or other materials, such as surveys,
software used for data collection, and scripts used by the
researchers.
Measures that were taken to control for threats to validity
also should be reported.
The method section also discusses the procedure – a step by
step account of how it was conducted.
Results: Present the results of the study in narrative form,
accompanied by an account of statistical analyses and
findings.
• Restate the hypotheses
• Summarize what was measured or manipulated
• Report findings in clear language
Discussion: This is where you get at what the results mean.
• Interpret the results in context with what was learned from
the research.
• Provide an expanded discussion of results for each
research question.
• Discuss how these results compare with previous research.
• Discuss the study’s limitations.
• Discuss implications of the findings for real-world
application.
• Discuss future research directions.
Assignment Performance Strategies: Content
Papers should paraphrase the information they
contain.
It is best to never copy and paste from your sources
into your outline.
Instead, learn the concepts well, and create only a
bare-bones outline that will remind you what to write.
Then write from your memory, in your own words,
citing the relevant sources as you write.
Assignment Performance Strategies: Content
Quotes should be used very sparingly, and only for
particularly significant passages of text.
Excessive use of quotes demonstrates a lack of subject
matter mastery, which will lower your grade.
When you are done writing, go back over the
document, checking for errors of grammar,
punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and
paragraph structure.
Check the clarity of your writing!
If you can, get someone else to read your work. Text
that might seem clear to you, because you wrote it,
may not be so clear to others.
Compose all of your work in Microsoft Word,
including work intended to be posted on discussion
boards.
Submit that work to Originalit Verification (Turnitin)
prior to turning it in for grading, then correct any
areas of high content similarity to sources.
Assignment Performance Strategies: Feedback
Everyone makes mistakes.
If your instructor is doing a good job, you will be
provided with detailed feedback that tells you what
you did well, and where there are opportunities for
improvement.
You need to really dig deep into the feedback, not to
argue the grade, but to discover patterns in your
performance strategies that you can correct for future
work.
And NEVER, EVER give up!
Mistakes tend to be repeated.

Keep all of your feedback, collected into one
document, and analyze it collectively.
This reveals process errors that can be corrected in
future work.
Here are the most common causes for people to lose
points on assignments:
Left out a requirement, or content does not meet
requirements
Not extensive enough
Factual errors or did not “get it”
Citing and Referencing, writing issues, etc.
Color code the feedback related to errors, using the
color scheme in the previous slide.
This facilitates quick recognition of patterns in your
performance strategies.
As you add to that feedback, assignment by
assignment, you will be able to see trends in your
improvement.
What they mean:
requirements
Leaving out requirements means the performance
strategies need to be revised.
Was the requirement overlooked? Were the signal
words misinterpreted? Did you intend to include it,
but fail to check before you turned in the assignment?
What they mean:
requirements
Content not meeting requirements may indicate a
learning failure.
Often, assignments require you to discriminate between
two similar concepts and choose the correct concept to
include in the assignment.
If the concepts have not been well-learned, you may
choose the wrong concept to write about.
What they mean:
Left out a requirement, or content does not meet requirements
If the concepts have not been well-learned…
For example, an assignment may ask you to discuss the process
of memory from sensory reception to long term memory.
There are several memory models in psychology, but only one of
them is traceable from sensory reception to long term memory.
This highlights the importance of doing the entire reading
assignment, not just what is directly relevant to the written
assignment.
What they mean:
requirements
What they mean:
This is often caused by inadequate learning.
If one has learned a set of concepts well, one understands
intuitively what needs to be included.
Correction:
Check whether the cause was inadequate learning. Adjust
learning processes accordingly.
What they mean:
This may also be due to the writer making assumptions
about the knowledge state of the reader.
Correction:
Never assume that the reader knows what you know. Take
pains to explain as if the reader knows nothing about the
content.
What they mean:
Most often, factual errors are due to inadequate learning
of the concepts.
Only rarely is this caused by a paraphrasing error.
Correction:
After you write, recheck for factual accuracy.
Examine your learning strategies. Did you use SQ3R?
Were you able to Recite the information?
What they mean:
It’s easy to make APA format errors.
Correction:
Attend to the feedback on APA, point by point. Look up the
correct way to do what was done incorrectly, and correct
the work in your copy of the assignment as practice.
Note the errors in your collected feedback, and check that
new work does not repeat those errors.
What they mean:
Writing issues include errors of grammar, spelling, and
punctuation, as well as a lack of clarity.
It is critical to correct every writing error for which
you get feedback…
…but also important that you look for patterns in the
writing errors. Do you have several subject verb
agreement errors? Do you use sentence fragments, or
run-on sentences?
What they mean:
Writing issues include errors of grammar, spelling, and punctuation, as
well as a lack of clarity.
Correction:
Write in plain English. Don’t use a big word where a small word will
suffice.
Correct the individual errors in your copy of the paper.
Use the assistance of the College Writing Learning Laboratory.
Find online tutorials for the errors you make most often.
For example, if there are errors in your construction of paragraphs see
Summary
The toolkit has three sections:
• Process Management Strategies
• Learning skills
• Assignment Performance Strategies
These are used together to shape your performance as a
student.
By maintaining a constant process awareness, one may
continually uncover ways to perform more effectively.
By these means, you empower yourself as an effective
learner and performer.

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Let Me Hit You

The A student thinks about the tasks of the educational

The second tool is your learning skills.

At a still broader level, we can learn from using SQ3R to

Mistakes tend to be repeated.

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