arts exam my notes
Yes. I’m going to turn this into your master memorize sheet and explain each term in three ways:
Like you’re 10
A more detailed version
How to apply it on the exam
Your exam covers learning, memory, writing/research, logical reasoning, and critical thinking. The long answer is the biggest section, and the short answers want you to use course terms and apply them clearly to a scenario.
Section 1 terms: learning, memory, writing, research
Learning is learned
Like you’re 10:
Getting better at something is not magic. You usually improve because you practice, use good strategies, and keep trying.
Detailed:
The course idea is that learning is a skill, not just natural talent. Some people seem to learn more easily because they have interest, motivation, prior success, effective habits, or better strategies.
How to apply it:
If a question asks why some students learn better than others, say it is not only because of intelligence. It also depends on effort, strategy, prior knowledge, and motivation.
Growth mindset
Like you’re 10:
A growth mindset means believing you can get better instead of thinking you are just “bad” forever.
Detailed:
This is the belief that ability can develop over time. It pushes students to keep working, use feedback, and improve instead of giving up.
How to apply it:
If asked how a student could improve, say a growth mindset helps because it encourages effort, strategy changes, and learning from mistakes.
Metacognition
Like you’re 10:
It means thinking about how you think and learn.
Detailed:
Metacognition is monitoring your own learning. The steps are: set a goal, choose a strategy, do the task, monitor how it’s going, then evaluate and adjust.
How to apply it:
If a question gives a struggling student, explain that they need metacognition: notice what is not working, choose a better method, and check progress.
Example sentence:
“Metacognition would help this student because they need to identify their goal, evaluate their current strategy, and adjust it.”
Motivation
Like you’re 10:
Motivation is what makes you actually want to do the work.
Detailed:
Motivation affects attention, effort, persistence, and willingness to use strategies. It is one reason some people seem to learn faster.
How to apply it:
If asked why a student is falling behind, mention that low motivation can reduce effort and make active learning less likely.
Positive academic habits
Like you’re 10:
These are smart school habits that help you do better.
Detailed:
Examples include attending class, reviewing notes, completing assignments, and using supports or campus resources.
How to apply it:
If asked how learning can improve, mention these habits as practical ways to strengthen memory and understanding.
Memory terms
Memory
Like you’re 10:
Memory is how your brain takes in information, keeps it, and finds it later.
Detailed:
The three stages are encoding, storage, and retrieval. This is one of the biggest course concepts.
How to apply it:
If asked how memory works in learning, explain all three stages and then connect them to studying.
Encoding
Like you’re 10:
Encoding is when information first goes into your brain.
Detailed:
Encoding is the process of taking in information and turning it into a form the brain can store. Good encoding needs attention and meaningful engagement. Distractions hurt encoding.
How to apply it:
If a student studies with music, Netflix, and texting at the same time, say encoding is weaker because competing stimuli reduce attention.
Example sentence:
“The student’s encoding is likely weak because distractions interfere with attention to the material.”
Storage
Like you’re 10:
Storage is keeping the information in your brain.
Detailed:
Storage includes sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Some information disappears quickly, while other information is kept longer through rehearsal and connection-making.
How to apply it:
If asked why information disappears quickly, explain that weak storage happens when information is not rehearsed or meaningfully connected.
Retrieval
Like you’re 10:
Retrieval is pulling information back out when you need it.
Detailed:
Retrieval is remembering stored information during tests, discussions, or writing. Practice retrieval strengthens memory.
How to apply it:
If asked why practice quizzes help, say they improve retrieval, which makes recall easier during exams.
Sensory memory
Like you’re 10:
This is super quick memory that lasts only a tiny moment.
Detailed:
Sensory memory briefly holds incoming information. If you do not pay attention, it gets overwritten by new information.
How to apply it:
If asked why students forget things they only glanced at, say it may have stayed only in sensory memory and never moved further.
Short-term memory / working memory
Like you’re 10:
This is your brain’s little desk. It can only hold a few things at once.
Detailed:
Short-term memory, or working memory, is used for immediate tasks like reading, speaking, and problem-solving. It is limited, which is why too much information at once causes overload. The textbook pages you sent also stressed how easy it is for working memory to get overwhelmed.
How to apply it:
If a student tries to learn too much at once, say working memory overload is part of the problem.
Long-term memory
Like you’re 10:
This is where information stays for a long time.
Detailed:
Long-term memory is more stable and lasting. It is strengthened through repetition, meaningful connections, and reorganizing information.
How to apply it:
If asked how to make studying more effective, say students should move information into long-term memory using active strategies.
Rote learning
Like you’re 10:
Rote learning means repeating something again and again to memorize it.
Detailed:
It can help with basic recall, but it is not always the strongest method for deep understanding. The course contrasts it with richer strategies like elaborative rehearsal and recoding.
How to apply it:
If asked about strengths and weaknesses, say it may help memorize facts, but it is weaker for understanding and application.
Elaborative rehearsal
Like you’re 10:
This means making the information make sense by connecting it to other things you know.
Detailed:
Instead of just repeating, you explain, connect, compare, and expand on ideas. This helps long-term memory more than simple repetition.
How to apply it:
If asked why explaining a concept to a friend helps, say it uses elaborative rehearsal.
Recoding
Like you’re 10:
Recoding means reorganizing information into a better shape.
Detailed:
You take information and group, label, or restructure it so it becomes more meaningful. For example, turning random details into categories or themes.
How to apply it:
If a student makes charts, themes, or grouped notes, say they are using recoding.
Interference
Like you’re 10:
Interference means memories get in each other’s way.
Detailed:
Old information can block new information, or new information can block old information. Your textbook screenshots covered this as part of forgetting.
How to apply it:
If asked why two similar topics get mixed up, say interference may be happening.
Retrieval cues
Like you’re 10:
These are little clues that help your brain remember.
Detailed:
Retrieval is easier when you have multiple pathways or hints connected to the memory.
How to apply it:
If asked why examples and summaries help, say they create more retrieval cues.
Active learning and study strategy terms
Active learning
Like you’re 10:
Active learning means doing something with the information instead of just staring at it.
Detailed:
It includes summarizing, questioning, explaining, note-taking, reviewing, and applying ideas. The course treats active learning as mostly what students do outside class to make learning stick.
How to apply it:
If asked why active learning is better, say it improves encoding, storage, and retrieval because the student is mentally engaged.
Passive learning
Like you’re 10:
Passive learning is when information just hits you and you don’t really work with it.
Detailed:
Examples are only listening, only rereading, or highlighting without thinking much. It often feels productive but is weaker for retention.
How to apply it:
If a scenario shows someone rereading notes for hours without testing themselves, call that passive learning.
Cornell method
Like you’re 10:
This is a note-taking system where you split your page into parts so your notes are easier to review.
Detailed:
It includes a main notes section, a cue column for questions or key words, and a summary area. It supports recoding and elaborative rehearsal because it forces you to reorganize and summarize.
How to apply it:
If a question asks how note-taking can become more active, use Cornell as an example.
Parallel note-taking
Like you’re 10:
This is when some notes are already there and you add your own thoughts, questions, and summaries.
Detailed:
It is similar to Cornell, but the structure may already be partly built for you. The important part is still active review and summary.
How to apply it:
If asked how to make lecture slides more useful, say students can use parallel notes and add cues, themes, and summaries.
SQ3R
Like you’re 10:
This is a smart reading plan so you do not just stare at pages and forget everything.
Detailed:
Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. It turns reading into active learning by making you look for answers and explain ideas in your own words.
How to apply it:
If asked how a student should read a chapter, say SQ3R helps because it organizes reading into active steps.
Colour coding
Like you’re 10:
This means using colours in a smart way, not highlighting everything.
Detailed:
One colour can be used for main ideas and another for supporting details. It only works when used selectively and thoughtfully.
How to apply it:
If asked why highlighting sometimes fails, say it becomes passive if everything is highlighted.
Writing and research terms
Academic integrity
Like you’re 10:
Academic integrity means being honest in school work.
Detailed:
It includes using sources properly, citing borrowed ideas, paraphrasing correctly, and not presenting someone else’s work as your own.
How to apply it:
If asked why citations matter, say they give credit and prevent plagiarism.
Plagiarism
Like you’re 10:
Plagiarism is stealing someone’s ideas or words and pretending they are yours.
Detailed:
It happens when a writer copies or uses ideas without proper acknowledgement.
How to apply it:
If a question asks what a student did wrong by using a source without citing it, say it is plagiarism.
In-text citation
Like you’re 10:
This is the little credit you put in your writing to show where an idea came from.
Detailed:
It tells the reader that specific information, words, or ideas came from a source.
How to apply it:
If asked when you need citations, say whenever the idea is not originally yours.
Paraphrase
Like you’re 10:
Paraphrasing means saying the same idea in your own words.
Detailed:
A paraphrase keeps the original meaning but changes the wording and structure. It still needs citation because the idea came from someone else.
How to apply it:
If asked why paraphrasing exists, say it helps explain a source clearly for your audience while still giving credit.
Peer-reviewed source
Like you’re 10:
This is a source that other experts checked first.
Detailed:
Peer review increases reliability because specialists in the field evaluate the work before publication.
How to apply it:
If asked why peer-reviewed sources are better for academic writing, say they are more reliable and authoritative.
Annotated bibliography
Like you’re 10:
This is a source list where you also write little notes explaining each source.
Detailed:
It summarizes the source, shows its relevance, and demonstrates your understanding of how it might be used in your writing.
How to apply it:
If asked why annotated bibliographies help writers, say they organize research and make source usefulness clearer.
Bloom’s taxonomy terms
Bloom’s taxonomy
Like you’re 10:
This is a ladder of thinking. The higher you go, the more complex your thinking gets.
Detailed:
The six levels are knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Each level builds on the earlier ones.
How to apply it:
If asked what kind of thinking an exam question needs, identify the level. Your final especially emphasizes analysis and evaluation.
Knowledge
Like you’re 10:
Just remembering facts.
Detailed:
Recognizing and recalling information accurately.
How to apply it:
If a question says define or list, that is usually knowledge.
Understanding
Like you’re 10:
You can explain the idea, not just repeat it.
Detailed:
This means showing that you grasp what the concept means.
How to apply it:
If a question says explain, describe, or show meaning, that is understanding.
Application
Like you’re 10:
You take what you know and use it in a new situation.
Detailed:
Application means moving beyond definition and showing the concept working in context.
How to apply it:
Most short answers want application. If asked about a scenario, do not stop at definition.
Analysis
Like you’re 10:
You break something apart and look at how the pieces work.
Detailed:
Analysis looks for patterns, relationships, similarities, and differences.
How to apply it:
Section 3 is heavily analysis. You identify the claim, reasons, flaws, and relationships.
Synthesis
Like you’re 10:
You put ideas together to make something new.
Detailed:
This could be designing, creating, combining, or generating new structures or arguments.
How to apply it:
If asked how an argument could be improved, you are partly synthesizing a better version.
Evaluation
Like you’re 10:
You judge how good something is and explain why.
Detailed:
Evaluation means making an evidence-based judgment about effectiveness, quality, strength, or weakness.
How to apply it:
The long answer needs evaluation because you must judge whether the passage is convincing and why.
Logical reasoning and critical thinking terms
Critical thinking
Like you’re 10:
Critical thinking means not just believing something because it sounds good. You check if it actually makes sense.
Detailed:
The course defines critical thinking as investigating whether a proposition is reasonable based on relevant evidence. It is about justifying conclusions using logic and evidence.
How to apply it:
If asked to analyze an argument, always ask: what is the conclusion, what are the reasons, and do the reasons really support it?
Proposition / arguable proposition
Like you’re 10:
This is the main point the writer wants you to believe.
Detailed:
The arguable proposition is the central claim or conclusion of the passage. It is what the rest of the paragraph is trying to prove. Your exam instructions make this one of the first things you need to identify in Section 3.
How to apply it:
Start your long answer by stating it clearly: “The arguable proposition of this passage is that…”
Reason
Like you’re 10:
A reason is why the writer thinks you should believe the main point.
Detailed:
Reasons are the support offered for the conclusion. In arguments, reasons must actually connect to the claim.
How to apply it:
In Section 3, list the reasons before attacking the flaws.
Evidence
Like you’re 10:
Evidence is the stuff used to support a point.
Detailed:
Good evidence is relevant, reliable, and appropriately used. Bad evidence may be subjective, weak, emotional, or too limited.
How to apply it:
When reading a passage, ask whether the evidence is expert, broad enough, current, and actually related.
Deductive reasoning
Like you’re 10:
This is reasoning where, if the starting facts are true, the conclusion has to be true.
Detailed:
Deductive reasoning moves from premises to a logically necessary conclusion. The course example was: all students passed, I am a student, therefore I passed.
How to apply it:
If a question asks the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning, say deductive aims for certainty.
Inductive reasoning
Like you’re 10:
This is reasoning that makes a good guess based on patterns, but it is not guaranteed.
Detailed:
Inductive reasoning moves from evidence or examples to a probable conclusion. It is common in everyday reasoning.
How to apply it:
If a writer uses examples, trends, or likelihood language, that is often inductive reasoning.
Rival causes
Like you’re 10:
A rival cause is another possible reason something happened.
Detailed:
A good argument should consider alternative explanations. The slides linked rival causes to confusion of cause and effect, common causes, oversimplification, and post hoc reasoning.
How to apply it:
If a passage says one thing caused another, ask whether something else could explain it.
Heuristics
Like you’re 10:
Heuristics are brain shortcuts. They help you decide fast, but they can make mistakes.
Detailed:
They simplify decisions but can reinforce bias, especially when people rely on habit, culture, or incomplete information.
How to apply it:
If asked why people accept weak arguments, mention that heuristics and biases can make flawed reasoning feel convincing.
Ambiguity
Like you’re 10:
Ambiguity means a word or phrase could mean more than one thing.
Detailed:
Ambiguity weakens arguments because readers may interpret the same word differently, which damages the relationship between evidence and conclusion. The slides used examples like “liberal,” “this,” and “it.”
How to apply it:
If a passage uses vague words, point out that the meaning is unclear and this makes the argument weaker.
Loaded language
Like you’re 10:
Loaded language is when someone chooses dramatic words to make you feel something.
Detailed:
Loaded language pushes the reader toward one emotional interpretation rather than neutral reasoning. It often persuades by emotion instead of logic. The slides gave examples like “fake news,” “patriot,” and “terrorist.”
How to apply it:
If a passage sounds dramatic, polarizing, or emotionally slanted, call it loaded language and explain that it biases the audience.
Cultural assumptions
Like you’re 10:
These are ideas people think are normal because of how they were raised.
Detailed:
Cultural assumptions are unstated beliefs based on one’s own culture, values, and experiences. They can produce unconscious bias and distort arguments.
How to apply it:
If a passage treats one culture’s values as universal, identify that as a cultural assumption.
Universalism
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone assumes everyone thinks the same way.
Detailed:
Universalism treats one set of beliefs or behaviors as if they apply to all people everywhere.
How to apply it:
If a writer says “everyone naturally values X,” that may be universalism.
Othering
Like you’re 10:
Othering means treating another group like they are totally different and less human.
Detailed:
It separates people into “us” and “them” and can support marginalization or oppression.
How to apply it:
If a passage describes a whole group as strange, inferior, or fundamentally different, mention othering.
Orientalism
Like you’re 10:
Orientalism is when people from the West describe Eastern or Arab places in a fake, exotic, stereotype-filled way.
Detailed:
The slides connected this to Edward Said and to depictions that make the “other” seem mysterious, backward, or uncivilized.
How to apply it:
If asked for an example of cultural bias in representation, orientalism is a strong term.
Types of evidence
Intuition
Like you’re 10:
Intuition is when you just have a feeling.
Detailed:
A feeling may seem believable, but it is not enough for strong general arguments.
How to apply it:
If a writer says “I just know,” call that subjective and weak as public evidence.
Personal experience
Like you’re 10:
This is what happened to one person.
Detailed:
Personal experience can feel convincing, but it usually cannot be generalized to everyone. The slides directly warn against using one personal experience as broad proof.
How to apply it:
If a passage uses “this happened to me, so it must be true for all,” say the evidence is subjective and not generalizable.
Testimonial
Like you’re 10:
A testimonial is when someone says something worked or happened, and other people believe them.
Detailed:
Testimonials may feel persuasive, but they are weak without stronger support.
How to apply it:
If the writer relies on what someone said instead of data or expert analysis, point out testimonial evidence.
Appeal to authority
Like you’re 10:
This means using an expert’s view to support a point.
Detailed:
It can be reasonable only when the authority is relevant and current. The course distinguishes good authority from questionable authority.
How to apply it:
If the authority is actually qualified, say it may strengthen the argument. If not, call it questionable authority.
Observational study
Like you’re 10:
This is when people watch what happens carefully and record it.
Detailed:
Observational studies can be reliable when done systematically and with enough observers and participants.
How to apply it:
If asked which kind of evidence is better than personal anecdotes, observational study is stronger.
Case study
Like you’re 10:
A case study is a close look at one person or one case.
Detailed:
It is useful for understanding that one case, but it is weak for broad generalizations.
How to apply it:
If a writer makes a giant claim from one case study, say that risks hasty generalization.
Statistical evidence
Like you’re 10:
This is number evidence.
Detailed:
Statistics can seem objective and precise, but they still need interpretation. The slides used the mean, median, and mode example to show that “average” can mean different things.
How to apply it:
If a passage says “on average” without explaining what average means, note possible ambiguity or misleading use.
Mean, median, mode
Like you’re 10:
Mean is the usual average, median is the middle number, and mode is the number that shows up the most.
Detailed:
They are different measures of central tendency and can give different pictures of the same data.
How to apply it:
If a scenario asks why numbers can mislead, explain that different averages tell different stories.
Scientific method
Like you’re 10:
This is the step-by-step way scientists test ideas.
Detailed:
Hypothesis, experiment, evaluation of results, and revision if necessary. The slides also point out that science aims at objectivity but still involves human choices and values.
How to apply it:
If asked why scientific knowledge is often respected, say it is systematic and repeatable, though not totally free from human influence.
Logical fallacy terms
Logical fallacy
Like you’re 10:
A logical fallacy is a mistake in reasoning that can trick people.
Detailed:
The argument may sound persuasive or look structured, but the reasons do not properly support the conclusion. The course stresses that fallacies often work because they feel familiar or emotional.
How to apply it:
In Section 2 and 3, identify the specific fallacy, define it briefly, point to where it happens, and explain why it weakens the argument.
Ad hominem
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone attacks the person instead of the idea.
Detailed:
The argument shifts attention from the claim to the character or identity of the speaker.
How to apply it:
Write: “This is ad hominem because the writer attacks the person rather than addressing the argument itself.”
Strawman
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone twists another person’s point into a weaker version and attacks that instead.
Detailed:
It misrepresents the original argument so it is easier to knock down.
How to apply it:
If the passage simplifies or distorts an opponent’s position, call it strawman.
False dilemma
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone says there are only two choices even though there are more.
Detailed:
It forces an either-or choice and hides alternatives.
How to apply it:
Say: “This is a false dilemma because the writer presents only two options when other possibilities exist.”
Post hoc / false cause
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone says one thing caused another just because it happened first.
Detailed:
It confuses sequence with causation. The course connects this to rival causes and oversimplified reasoning.
How to apply it:
If a writer says “X happened, then Y happened, so X caused Y,” point it out.
Hasty generalization
Like you’re 10:
This means using a tiny amount of evidence to make a huge claim.
Detailed:
A few examples are treated as enough to support a broad conclusion.
How to apply it:
If someone uses one person, one event, or one experience to generalize to everybody, call it hasty generalization.
Appeal to pity
Like you’re 10:
This is trying to win by making people feel sorry for you.
Detailed:
It uses sympathy instead of relevant reasons.
How to apply it:
If the writer wants acceptance based on hardship rather than evidence, point that out.
Appeal to the people
Like you’re 10:
This means saying something is true because lots of people believe it.
Detailed:
Popularity is treated as proof, but popularity does not guarantee truth.
How to apply it:
In the Musk sample passage, the Twitter poll is a good example of this problem.
Appeal to questionable authority
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone uses a person like an expert even though they are not the right expert.
Detailed:
The authority may be famous or influential, but not qualified in the relevant field.
How to apply it:
Elon Musk in the sample passage can be criticized this way because fame does not equal expertise on Canadian free speech policy.
Red herring
Like you’re 10:
This is when someone distracts you with a different topic.
Detailed:
A red herring pulls attention away from the real issue so the original point is not actually answered.
How to apply it:
If the passage changes the subject instead of answering the issue, identify red herring.
Non sequitur
Like you’re 10:
This means the conclusion does not really follow from the reasons.
Detailed:
There is a broken logical link between what was said and what is concluded.
How to apply it:
If you cannot see how the evidence proves the claim, “non sequitur” may fit.
Slippery slope
Like you’re 10:
This says one small step will lead to something extreme.
Detailed:
It exaggerates a chain reaction without enough support.
How to apply it:
If a passage predicts disaster from one action without proof, mention slippery slope.
Circular reasoning / begging the question
Like you’re 10:
This is when the argument just repeats itself instead of proving anything.
Detailed:
The conclusion is basically used as its own support.
How to apply it:
If the writer’s “reason” is only a reworded version of the claim, identify circular reasoning.
Equivocation
Like you’re 10:
This is when a word changes meaning in the middle of the argument.
Detailed:
It uses ambiguity to slip between different definitions, making the argument look stronger than it is.
How to apply it:
If the same word seems to mean two different things, point out equivocation.
Glittering generalities
Like you’re 10:
These are shiny, emotional words that sound good but are vague.
Detailed:
Terms like freedom, justice, and greatness can sound persuasive without giving clear reasoning.
How to apply it:
If a writer relies on big emotional slogans, mention glittering generalities and loaded language.
How to use these on the exam
For Section 1 short answers
Your paragraph should usually do this:
Define the concept.
Explain it.
Apply it to a study or school example.
Say why it matters.
Example frame:
“Encoding is the process of taking in information. It is important for learning because students cannot remember material they never paid attention to in the first place. In this scenario, the student is studying with many distractions, which weakens encoding. This means the information is less likely to be stored and retrieved later on the exam.”
For Section 2 short answers
Your paragraph should do this:
State the main claim.
Identify the flaw or key reasoning term.
Define it.
Apply it directly to the scenario.
Explain why it weakens the argument.
Example frame:
“This argument is flawed because it relies on hasty generalization. Hasty generalization occurs when a broad conclusion is drawn from too little evidence. In this case, the writer uses only one example to make a larger claim about everyone. This weakens the argument because the evidence is not broad or reliable enough to support the conclusion.”
For Section 3 long answer
Your answer should move in this order:
1. State the arguable proposition.
2. List the main reasons used to support it.
3. Analyze the flaws one by one.
4. Explain how the argument could be improved.
5. Conclude by judging the overall effectiveness.
With your sample censorship passage, a strong answer would say:
the arguable proposition is that censorship is a serious problem in Canada and should be reduced or eliminated
the reasons include fear of job loss, social media bans, Musk’s opinion, and a Twitter poll
the flaws include hasty generalization, appeal to questionable authority, appeal to the people, loaded language, and weak evidence
improvements would include expert sources, stronger evidence, clearer definitions of censorship and free speech, and less emotional wording
That matches the exam criteria you described.
What to memorize hardest tonight
If you are cramming, lock in these first:
Encoding, storage, retrieval
Active vs passive learning
Metacognition
Paraphrase, plagiarism, peer review
Knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, evaluation
Critical thinking, proposition, reasons, evidence
Deductive vs inductive reasoning
Ambiguity, loaded language, cultural assumptions
Ad hominem, strawman, false dilemma, post hoc, hasty generalization, appeal to pity, appeal to the people, appeal to questionable authority, red herring
Those are the terms most likely to get reused across all three sections.
Simplest memory trick
Think of the course in 4 buckets:
Learning: how people get information in
Memory: how they keep and retrieve it
Writing/research: how to use information honestly and clearly
Reasoning/critical thinking: how to judge whether arguments actually make sense
If you keep that big picture in your head, the terms stop feeling random.
Next best move is to turn this into a fake exam and make you answer Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 exactly like tomorrow.