Study Guides: These are often provide by instructors to offer a big-picture overview of the material to be tested.
- A study guide typically includes a list of topics rather than specific questions and answers.
- Students are expected to "dive more deeply" into each item listed and study beyond the guide for additional context.
Rubrics: These function as grading checklists for assignments such as discussion forums, essays, and projects.
- Full Point Strategy: Students should read the entire rubric, not just the column for maximum points. Understanding the columns for lower scores helps identify pitfalls that cause point deductions.
- Links and Visibility: Rubrics are often found under assignment descriptions or linked via buttons labeled "view grades" or "grading criteria."
Specific Rubric Examples:
- Discussion Rubric: A section might be worth up to 10 points. A separate section might govern word counts, explaining how points are lost (rather than earned) based on how much a post falls under the required length.
- Notebook Check Rubric: This might include specific rows for items like a "four quadrant priorities chart."
- To earn 4 out of 4 points (4/4), a student must include all four quadrants, fill them with items, and label everything correctly.
- Filling only three quadrants results in earning only 3 points.
- Additional points are often tied to clear titles, organization, and formatting.
Creating Custom Checklists from Instructions
Strategy for Missing Rubrics: When a rubric or guide is not provided, students should create their own checklist by reading the assignment instructions carefully multiple times to ensure no detail is missed.
Refining a Checklist: A well-organized checklist should be broken down into logical parts (e.g., Scenario 1 and Scenario 2).
Example Analysis (Sociology Assignment):
- Part 1: Number the responses.
- Part 2: Describe the type of research and the specific methods used.
- Part 3: List the challenges faced by the researcher.
- Part 4: Explain how those challenges relate to the concept of value neutrality.
- Part 5: Describe how the research exemplifies the use of the sociological imagination.
- Part 6: Ensure the word count requirement is met.
Conceptual Gaps: Using a checklist can reveal gaps in knowledge. For instance, if a student cannot complete the "value neutrality" section of their checklist, they know to revisit the lesson for that specific concept before attempting the assignment.
Understanding Bloom's Taxonomy in Learning
Definition: Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchical model used by instructors to categorize levels of learning and determine the complexity of assignments.
The Revised Hierarchy (Bottom to Top):
- Remember: The most basic level; involving memorization (e.g., memorizing basic anatomy terms).
- Understand: Demonstrating the meaning of information (e.g., "describing" a concept).
- Apply: Using information in new situations (e.g., applying lessons to specific scenarios).
- Analyze: Drawing connections among ideas or determining methods used (e.g., analyzing research methods or how challenges relate to principles).
- Evaluate: Justifying a stand or decision.
- Create: The highest level; producing new or original work (e.g., developing a physical therapy plan for a specific case study or reframing a scenario).
Keywords: Instructors use specific verbs to signal the level of work required.
- "Describe" indicates the Understand level.
- "List" indicates the Remember level.
- "Apply" indicates the Apply level.
- "Relate challenges" or "Analyze what methods were used" indicates the Analyze level.
- "Evaluate scenarios" indicates the Evaluate level.
Strategic Syllabus Use and Clarification
Syllabus Review: Students should read the syllabus at the start of the course and revisit it frequently.
Identifying Goals: Look for sections labeled "objectives," "outcomes," or "goals" to understand the core learning targets of the class.
Clarification: If instructions are unclear, students should ask the instructor directly. Specific questions to ask include:
- Is the exam comprehensive (covering all material since the start of the course)?
- Does the exam only cover specific, recent lessons?
Advanced Note-Taking and Self-Testing Techniques
Textbook Outlining: When reading assigned chapters, create an outline based on headings, bolded words, and keyword lists.
Processing Lecture Notes: Do not just read notes; rewrite them to help process and internalize the information.
The Flashcard "Struggle Pile": When using flashcards, separate the cards you struggle to recall correctly. Return to the original lessons specifically for those items.
The Self-Test Method: Create a practice exam based on the material. Wait at least one (1) day before taking the test to ensure the information is in long-term memory. Any incorrect answers indicate areas for further study.
"Talking it Out" / The Feynman Technique: Discuss study topics with peers or attempt to teach the material to someone else. Inability to explain a concept clearly highlights a specific area that needs to be revisited in the lessons.