Online Learning Center
The Academic Resource Center has developed a variety of self-help alternatives for students or faculty desiring learning strategies information. The Online Learning Center provides access to effective and useful information developed by other university learning centers and educational organizations.
Faculty can reference these resources in their course syllabi and even model some of the learning strategies when helping students prepare for tests. The Online Learning Center is also used within Psy 1730 Strategies for Academic Success, with individual student consultations, for workshops and training, and by students who are interested in independently improving their academic skills.
Study Skills Resources
- Videos: on-line study skills videos
- Study Smarter! On line study skills workshops
- Study Skills
- Multiculturalism & diversity
- Note Taking
- Oral presentations
- On-line courses: effective study strategies
- Reading
- Study guides
- Test Anxiety
- Test Taking
- Time management
- Vocabulary
- Writing
Assessment
Learning Style
VARK Learning Styles Inventory
This questionnaire alerts students and teachers to the variety of different approaches to learning. It is designed to initiate discussion about and reflection upon learning preferences. The acronym VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory modalities that are used for learning.
Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire
The Index of Learning Styles is an on-line instrument used to assess preferences on four dimensions (active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global) of a learning style model formulated by Richard M. Felder and Linda K. Silverman of North Carolina State University.
Hemispheric Dominance Inventory
Are you a right brain or left brain learner? Evaluate yourself using this inventory from Middle Tennessee State University.
Learning Styles
Explanation of learning styles and learning theory, with application to learning.
Coping & Stress Management
Distance Learning Skills
Use any of the following inventories to help you assess if distance learning courses (Web-based, satellite, correspondence) will work for you, given your study strategies and learning preferences.
ELI (extended learning) inventory: Northern Virginia Community College:
Self-test for distance learning: Bristol Community College, Massachusetts
Motivation
Motivating yourself
Causes of low motivation and realistic solutions to help you keep going
Locus of Control and Attributional Style
Determine your sources for motivation and the effects of internal versus external sources
Study Habits
Assess your study skills habits
Determine your strengths and problem areas
Critical Thinking
Strategies for studying to increase comprehension and ability to apply, synthesize, and evaluate course knowledge.
Bloom's Taxonomy
A system for categorizing the types of questions that commonly occur
in college exams. If students understand the knowledge level expected
of them on exams, they can study using appropriate strategies.
Model test questions and key words
Based on Bloom's Taxonomy, provides students with an excellent handout
to prepare test questions for any class.
Examples of test questions at six knowledge levels
Professors create test questions that are meant to evaluate students'
ability to think at different levels - from rote memorization of
facts to the ability to apply and evaluate course knowledge. Students
can compare their course exams with these examples to determine
the level of learning expected from their professor. This information
will help students to then identify more effective study strategies.
Critical Thinking
Longview Community College created this website to help students
understand critical thinking and to provide ideas on how to apply
it to their particular field of study.
Health and Wellness
Go Ask Alice
Health related questions and answers from Columbia University's
Health Center
Wellness Pamphlets
A variety of on-line pamphlets on wellness issues such as stress,
depression, eating disorders, anxiety, sexuality, etc.
Nutrition fact sheets
Published by the American Dietetic Association
Health Oasis
Mayo Clinic Web site containing physician-reviewed articles and
other information on health, fitness, and nutriion topics.
Prevention Magazine
A monthly magazine with articles on health, fitness, food, and many
other health-related topics.
Learning Disabilities
Understanding learning disabilities
Misunderstood Minds
This site is a companion to the PBS special Misunderstood Minds,
and profiles a variety of learning problems and expert opinions. It is
designed to give parents, students, and teachers a better understanding
of learning processes, insights into difficulties, and strategies for
responding.
Study strategy tips for persons with learning disabilities
Tips for parents, teachers, and adults
Learning strategies database
Learning and study strategies:
Excellent site, providing general and subject-specific study strategies.
Developed by Muskingum College.
Library and Internet
Evaluating Web Resources
Excellent tutorial developed by Wolfgram Memorial Library, Widener
State University, Chester, PA. Also provides an evaluation exercise,
as well as links to the previous version of the tutorial with additional
examples and evaluation guidelines.
Math and Science Study Strategies
Algebra help
Lessons on basic concepts such as factoring, simplifying equations,
word problems, as well asworksheets that can be graded or show a
step-by-step solution.
Math.com
Comprehensive sight for pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, geometry,
stats, calculus. Offers tutorials, equations, practice problems
with solutions, hints, and much more.
Math About
A comprehensive site with online tutorials for lower level to high level math,
formulas, math study strategies, homework, practice problems, and more.
Success in Mathematics
From St. Louis University Department of Mathematics: Tips on how
to study mathematics, how to approach problem-solving, how to study
for and take tests, and when and how to get help.
How to study math
A compilation of sites with effective strategies from the Study
Web, created by instructor Lucy MacDonald, Chemeketa Community College,
Salem, OR
Learning math vocabulary and concepts
Excellent site for study strategies to understand reading and understanding
a math textbook.
Study strategies for math and science classes
Includes effective strategies for taking math and science tests
Memory
Developing memory skills
Understanding the what and how of memory skills. Links can be found
at the bottom of the page in the Concentration and Memory section.
Memory and the information processing model
CCR: Concentrate, Comprehend, Remember
"You must get something before you can forget it. Top students
use the strategies of effective learning: concentrating, comprehending,
and remembering." Learning Support Center, Paradise Valley
Community College
Memory techniques and mnemonics
Remembering
Exercise and example for creating a concept map; list of mnemonic
study aids
17 hints to help college students remember
Note Taking
Step-by-step to effective notes
Ohio University tutorial to recording, editing, and reviewing notes
for effective comprehension.
5 Methods of Note taking: Explanations and examples of five note taking systems, by California Polytechnic State University Student Academic Services.
Organizing notes: Examples of visual organizers (study guides) for organizing lecture notes for better comprehension.
Notetaking formats and reviewing notes: Explanation and examples of Cornell and mind mapping formats, followed by specific review strategies, by York University.
Practice activities for organizing and understanding information:
Exercises and examples for creating outlines, summaries, charts,
concept maps
Online Learning and Study Skills
Online teaching and learning
A list of links for tips for studying in online courses,
assessments to determine if you would be a successful online learner,
do's/don'ts for online learning, and more. Compiled by Learning
Supports Centers in Higher Education (LSCHE).
More tips for online learning study strategies
From University of West Florida
Online notes, tests, tutorials
Links from Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis. Online
notes, tests, and tutorials in many subjects from Accounting and
Algebra to Visual Basic and Windows from colleges all over the world!
Distance learning assessment
Created by Peterson's, part of the Lifelong Learning group within
Thomson Learning, a division of the Thomson Corporation.
Use any of the following inventories to help you assess if distance learning courses (Web-based, satellite, correspondence) will work for you, given your study strategies and learning preferences.
ELI (extended
learning) inventory: Northern
Virginia Community College:
Self-test for
distance learning: Bristol
Community College, Massachusetts
Is
an online course right for you? Montgomery College, Maryland
Oral Presentations
Oral class presentations
Tips for managing nervousness
Reading
Assess your reading habits
Click on "Reading" in the left menu to access a reading
assessment and active reading strategies
Six Reading Myths
Realities of college reading skills
Text book marking skills
Provides a clear example of how to effectively mark and annotate
a textbook.
Effective text reading and comprehension strategies
Reading text or journal articles
Creating Study Guides
Information organizers:
Examples and explanations of a variety of visual organizers for text and lecture notes,
such as concept maps, matrices, topic grids, comparison/contrast charts, etc.
Study guides for test preparation:
From the Utah State University Academic Resource Center: examples
of six study guides to help visually organize study material.
Study Skills Websites
Study Web
Created by instructor Lucy MacDonald, Chemeketa Community College,
Salem, OR.
Contains a categorized list of effective study strategies, including "How to study" and "How to write" in
specific subjects such as math, accounting, biology, etc.
Study Guides and Strategies
A comprehensive site created by the Director of the Learning Center, University
of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. Includes guides on "Studying with ADHD", "Thinking
like a genius", math/science study strategies, and many guides on writing
skills. This site provides the guides in English and 14 other languages.
Virtual Pamphlet Collection
From the University of Chicago Counseling Center, this site contains
information about study skills as well as related issues such as
anxiety, stress, depression, etc.
Test Anxiety
P.A.S.S. Test Anxiety Management Program
Click on "Test Anxiety Management", located in the table
of contents.
Virtual Pamphlet Collection
From the University of Chicago Counseling Center, this site contains
information about related issues such as anxiety, stress, and test
taking.
Test Taking
Preparing for tests
Selecting information to study, strategies for self-testing,
preparing for essay exams, reducing test anxiety
The Six Hour D: and how to avoid it
Test questions: levels of learning
Examples of test questions that demonstrate the different levels
of learning required of students for objective and essay tests
Strategies for multiple choice tests
Practice multiple choice test: another practice test with discussion follow the example questions.
General test-taking strategies
Strategies for what to do before, during, and after a test
Analyzing returned tests
Analyzying returned tests worksheet
Understanding essay exam cue words
Time Management
Psy 1730 (Findlay) Time management exercise
Conduct
a time audit and planning exercise
Find out where your time is going and then complete exercises to develop a
more effective schedule.
Time management for university students
Comprehensive site that provides unique perspectives regarding goal
setting and time managment to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
It's About Time
A time management system
Tips for more effective personal time management
Procrastination Management Plan
Vocabulary
Building a better vocabulary
Part of a comprehensive writing site. Provides additional links
to excellent vocabulary building sites.
Common Errors in English
Developed by an English professor at Washington State University.
Presents lists of errors and explanations. Example: definitions
and explanations of affect and effect. Contains
links to other useful English/writing Web sites and resources.
Latin and Greek prefixes and suffixes: Useful site for helping to learn and understand terms in science and health-related classes.
Writing
USU Writing Center: describes the available writing tutor services available through the Department of English Writing Center.
Writing resources: Excellent! from Purdue University, including handouts, online writing labs, indexes, style guides, reference resources, and more.
Editing and Proofreading
Part of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Writing Center
Web site.
Improving Sentence Clarity: Purdue's writing lab has put together an excellent site that has many strategies for improving writing strategies, from brainstorming to the final copy. The above sites are just two o f may that are available.
Strunk's Elements of Style Handbook - online
Writing Services: This quality site from University of Guelph provides links to information on strategies for essay writing, scientific writing, and writing skills such as sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation.