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Maintaining Motivation

The most useful thing I have learned in this module was the importance of taking intentional breaks. In my time in college, my study habits are to study for as long as I can, which hurts when it comes to retaining information. Taking breaks and knowing when you are going to take them, is a great way to give yourself time to retain the information, and to help build back up the energy to retain information.

Specific examples of something from this module I already put into practice is some of the recommendations for managing stress. One of the key ones I try to keep as a habit, is exercising every day, and getting 8 hours of sleep each night. This is when I am the least stress and it relieves stress gained during the day. I also pay attention to what causes me stress and change what I can, like bad habits. Knowing how to keep your stress levels low, is key.

An idea I am going to put into practice, is aiming to have a consistent bedtime and wake up schedule. In the module, it explains practicing this will regulate the body to feel alert vs tired. This will also increase energy during the day.

Advice I would give to students, are the summary of approaches given in the module. The most important one I would choose from the list, is staying motivated. If you stay motivated to something such as studying or classwork, you will be able to complete the work and retain information better. Motivation gives people the urge to get things done and it is important especially when it comes to college.

 

 

Searching and Researching

The most useful thing I learned in Module 6: Searching and Researching, is the difference of Searching vs Researching. Most people think there is no difference between the two, but there is a really big difference. Research requires a critical look at quality of information you are finding rather than simply finding information that fits a particular topic. Searching is finding an answer to a research question that either has a right or wrong answer, with research having no right or wrong answer. Knowing the difference helps when it comes to writing a paper or a prompt. If you are searching for right or wrong answers, you are not researching.

An example of something from this module I already put into the practice is using bibliographic websites to help generate correct citations. In almost all of my college papers I have produced and maybe some papers way back in high school, I used EasyBib to assist me in my citations. I have not used the other websites listed in the module, but EasyBib works for any type of citation for a bibliography.

An idea from this module that I can put into practice for the future is using the scholarly searches. Ohio State has an online library that can pull up information about any subject with just a click of a button. I know friends of mine who are also students at Ohio State who use the online library on a daily basis to help with research. This will be a tool I will use in the future.

Advice I would give students is use the bibliography websites given in the module. In a research paper, citing your sources is important to show you did not just make the information up, and give the source you cited, credit for the information. These sites like EasyBib, help with the correct formatting of a bibliography, and also speed up the process of making a bibliography. These sites will correctly make the citation for you every time. I would advise using these sites.

Web-Enhanced Listening and Viewing Strategies

The most useful bit of information from this module that I learned, was the concept of why we take notes, and the 3 things to emphasize when taking notes. We takes notes to clarify what is important when a lot of information is thrown at us all at once. Taking notes of the important material will help us remember in the long-run. While taking notes, we must be conscious of 3 things: 1. use active listening, 2. find the speed, and 3. get the structure. These 3 bits of info pertain to when you are in the lecture-setting. Be sure not to just take notes when in lecture, but to also listen and soak in what is being said. Get to know the speed of the lecture and how fast or slow the professor speaks or goes through topics. Become familiar with the structure of the class in terms of how notes are presented and how much time should be spent taking notes. These are all factors that contribute to good note-taking.

A specific example from the module that I already incorporate into my life is the use of writing notes over typing notes. As said in the module, typing notes can lead to mindless transcription and information might not be maintained as well as it would if you were hand-writing them. I hand-write all of my notes for this very reason, as I feel I remember better when I do so.

I am going to incorporate the 3 things to emphasize when taking notes into all of my upcoming classes. I believe that consciously thinking about these factors will not only help me be a better note-taker, but also increase the amount of information I withhold after each lecture.

Advice I’d give to students based on the information I’ve gone over in this lecture is to make sure when taking notes, you are fully focused and clear from distractions. Notes help when it comes to remembering information, but taking mindless notes as your focus is on something else is a waste of time. Make time to take effective notes and to really concentrate on the task at hand.

Web-Enhanced Reading and Study Strategies

The most useful thing I learned in this module was seeing and viewing all the links to online tools to aid with studying/learning. All of these tools such as Quizlet, Chegg, and Khan Academy serve to assist students with learning, studying, and extra help such as tutoring. Knowing the specifics of these tools can also help get right to the point of what you as a student want to accomplish outside of the classroom.

An example of something I already incorporate in my study habits that was discussed in this module, was the use of highlighting material within the textbook/power point slides that would be of future importance of the class. When going through my notes, I highlight important words or phrases of the notes to basically summarize the subject learned that day. Highlighting/underlining notes helps the brain remember as the words highlighted are standing out.

An idea from this module I am definitely going to start incorporating in my life is working out after or between study sessions. The module explains that exercising delivers vital nutrients to the brain which increases performance and allows for smoother information processing of the brain. It has been scientifically proven that working out after studying helps retain information better.

Advice that I’d give students based on what I’ve read in this module is to study hard for a short amount of time and be sure to take breaks studying at least once per hour. Studying for a long amount of time without breaks makes it harder for your brain to retain information.

Efficiency in the Digital Age

The most useful piece of information I obtained from Module 3 pertains to the tools one can use to reduce procrastination. The two I find very useful and will incorporate in the near future are the 10-minute rule, and the Ultimate Goal vs Immediate Desire technique. The 10-minute rule breaks down a goal into mini manageable tasks. This makes each task short and easy, but with all the tasks adding up to the 1 goal. Ultimate Goal vs Immediate Desire technique compares the goal you are striving for and the desire of wanting to do something else instead of going for that goal. An example from the module is a video of a person wanting to quit smoking, but have the desire to just turn around and light up a cigarette. If you break it down to asking yourself “do you want nice teeth”, “do you want healthier lungs”, do you want better breathe”, these questions can take your ultimate goal, and make it your immediate desire thus, making it easier to obtain that goal.

Another piece of information I received from this module would be the tips to reducing distractions, more specifically, technology. I already incorporate some of the tips brought up by the module such as turning off my notifications on my phone while doing work, and putting my phone in a different room while working. I plug my phone into the charger while working too so I have no desire to have it by me. This works out great as I have zero distraction from my phone and keep it out of sight, out of mind.

The ideas I will put into practice from module 3 will be the tools I described above when it comes to reducing procrastination. I will use both the 10-minute rule and the ultimate goal v immediate desire technique as a guideline to possibly get rid of my procrastination habits

Advice I would give to students would be to keep your focus on the tasks at hand, but make it less complicated to focus with some of the tips provided. Turn your big goal into a set of little goals to keep yourself motivated, make sure distractions are limited, and always give yourself enough time to complete the tasks at hand.

Communicating and Collaborating

The most useful bit of information I learned in Module 2 was not just the aspects of a blog, but the tools that can come with the blogging world as well. These tools are Trello, OneNote, and Slack, with each having a specific job that can be incorporated in many ways. Trello helps manage projects by assigning tasks to keep group-work as well as individual work on track. OneNote helps gather ideas with the ability to share these ideas across groups of users. Lastly, Slack is strictly a communication tool helping groups quickly communicate between each other.

An example of something from this module I already incorporate in my life is Cloud Computing. I have used Google Docs a lot throughout my college career and it is a great way to complete group assignments as everyone can edit the document all at once, plus the ability to view what each person has edited since the last time I logged in. The autosave feature on Google Docs is convenient as well.

Ideas students could use from this module to put into practice is the mindset to assume you are in a face-to-face conversation when you are communicating with someone in any online situation, whether it’d be email or writing a post on Twitter. Having this type of mindset that you are physically with the person improves your online communication in ways such as grammar and respect. This is an idea to put into practice the next time you send an email or interact with someone on social media.

Advice I’d give to students based on what I’ve read in this module, is to be aware of your Netiquette. This goes hand-in-hand with the idea of having the mindset of talking to someone face-to-face in online interactions. Netiquette is internet etiquette, and having netiquette protects a person’s digital reputation. Avoiding confrontation/arguments online is one way to keep your internet etiquette respected. Just think about your netiquette next time you log onto social media and remember that anything you post online, is there forever.