hn1104 personal skills and it session 2 reading note taking exams

HN1104Personal Skills and IT

Session 2ReadingNote TakingExams

Take notes during this sessionUse the method/technique with which you are

familiar/comfortable

HN1104 Personal Skills and ITHN1104 Personal Skills and IT 33

Reading

Speed reading ‘After a speed reading course I was able

to go through War and Peace in 20 minutes. Its about Russia.’ Woody Allen


Reading (cont.)

Read the text provided ‘Eye Movements’ # Note start and end times # Remember the important points Approx. 700 words. Divide this by the

number of minutes to give speed in words per minute #

Exercise #


Reading Exercise1. False. Poor readers fixate more than

once on some words. This backtracking is a major cause of slowness

2. True. Provided it is a specially designed practice.

3. False, according to the text (3-6 fixations per line). Really true!

4. False. Need to practise the techniques regularly to maintain high speeds


Reading Exercise (cont.)

5. False. Rapid reading may increase comprehension

6. True.More than one wrong, need to

improve retention skillsSpeed of 250 or more words/minute

with reasonable retention OKExercises to increase reading speed

- Tony Buzan #


Reading effectivelyBe selective - you do not have to

read everything BUT you have to read something

Develop a strategy - SQ3R Survey the material - quick preview Think of questions you might find

answered in the text Read the text carefully Recall the main points Review the text


SQ3R- Survey

Book cover - subject areaTitle page - date of publicationList of contentsIndexPreface, foreword/introductionBody of text, particularly chapter

summaries


SQ3R - Question

Contents, title page etc. What do I know about this subject

already? Is the book sufficiently up to date? Would it be helpful to me? Why does the author give a whole

chapter to topic x?Text

What are the most crucial ideas in this text? And what use are they to me?


SQ3R - Read

Don’t just ‘suck up’ other peoples ideas Does this text have what I need? What does this statement really mean? Are these facts or opinions? What alternatives are there? Are they

worth considering? How does it relate to my experience?


SQ3R - Recall

Usually remember 50% of what you have read 10 minutes later unless you actively attempt to recall information. This: Aids concentration Keeps you active because you are

participating in the event Minimises future revision

No hard and fast rules for how often you should stop and recall - depends on text

Spend at least half your time on recall


SQ3R - Review

One way is a quick repeat of the previous four aspects

Make brief notes from memory, then check these against the text

Use the ideas flexibly. Find out what works for you.

Note Taking


Note Taking - Benefits

Only record in some cases i.e no hand outs

Useful for revisionHighlight key points, aiding

concentration/recall/understandingUseful to inter-relate material


Note taking - Problems

Can’t find them later among all the other notes taken before or since

Can’t read the writingCan read it but don’t know what it

means


Note-Taking - What you need

In University aim for students to progress from initially providing descriptions of factual information towards identifying principles, concepts, arguments and being able to criticise and evaluate i.e. asking why information, concepts or arguments are as they are

3 categories of information


1. Underlying principles, concepts, theories, lines of argument

What are the ideas behind detailed, factual information?

What are the crucial principles?If you had to explain a theory to a

Martian, what would be its absolute essentials?

What are the steps in a line of argument?


2. Detailed factual information (inc reading or sources to follow up)

What is the concept/ argument/ principle/ theory which needs supporting?

What evidence is needed to support it?

Are there any essential steps (e.g. stages in a mathematical calculation) which must be included?


3. Your own questions, criticisms, opinions of the information

Why is the information like that?Who says?On what assumptions is it based?What alternative views might there

be?Is it accurate?


Note Taking - Methods

Prose summary Condensed version or precis of the original

Skeleton outline Lists, headings, subheadings, indentation

etc.Diagrams

Also used in presenting ideas, aids to problem solving

Examples in your handout #


Creative Note Taking

Use of key words rather than detailed notes aid recallKey words are defined as those which incorporate the most relevant sense in the shortest way possibleThe stepping stones in the swamp

Human minds recall in key words and images not sentences.


Creative Note Taking (cont.)

Jot down all the sentences of ten words or more which you have heard during your lifetime (not songs or poetry)

Few, but you have encountered tens of millions



Exercise # Check the notes you have written so far

and circle the key words/phrases Count the total number of words and

the number of key words Divide number of key words by total

number and multiply by 100.



The mind can also process relationships between key words

Highlight these using colour, size variation, outlining, underlining


Faster Note Taking

Abbreviations Shortening words

sys anal (systems analysis)Beware: prog (progress or programming)

Removing vowels:Fr xmpl I m sr y wll hv no dffclty rdng ths bbrvtnBeware: frm (from or form?)

Speed up your writing by practice


Diagramming Techniques

Mind mapsRelationship diagramsRich pictures


Mind Maps

Tony Buzan written a number of books including: Use your Head The Mind Map Book

Alternative names: Spray diagrams, relevance trees, fishbone diagrams

Start in the centre with main theme, branch out with each sub theme


Mind Maps - Advantages

Central idea more clearly definedPosition indicates relative importance Proximity and connections show links between

key conceptsRecall and review are more rapid and effectiveAllows for easy addition of new informationPatterns differ, making them easier to

rememberUsing the patterns creatively, helps the brain

make new connections


Mind Maps - Exercise

Try mind mapping the following information on Assessment #


Mind Maps - Exercise

Assessment

Exams

QuestionsMultiple choice

Limited choice

Free choice

Duration

After 1 hrLeave early

1/2/3 hr

Location

Date

Course work

Before last 1/2 hr

1st attempt

Referral

Dec/Ref:Apr May/Ref:AugAintree

CentralLiverpool

Weighting

100%cw75:25 cw:ex

50:50

25:75 cw:ex

100%ex In lab assess

Hand in


Relationship Diagrams

Useful in the early stages of analysisDon’t need to start with the main ideaConsists of words denoting factors in a

situation and lines showing some relationship between them

Helps identify key groupings of factorsExample of a use in early planning #


Relationship Diagrams (cont.)

Guidelines: Don’t cross lines Distinguish strong from weak

relationships - use of thicker lines Beware of complexity


Rich Pictures

Used at problem exploration stage of soft systems methodology (Peter Checkland)

Use the words and lines of relationship diagrams plus cartoon like pictorial symbols

No fixed symbols convention though stick men abound Crossed swords for conflict, ££s for money,

sketch graphs to indicate trends


Rich Pictures (cont.)

Advantages: Used for individual or group analysis Pictorial element is fun so encourages

participation and enhances motivation Supports an appreciation of a much fuller

and more complex set of potentially important factors than written text

Better not to include them in reports!

AssessmentParticularly Exams


The assessment system

How much do you know about it? Exercise #


Exams

Large number of exams #Important difference between

University and school:You are responsible for your own learning You will decide what to learn, when and

how You will receive little direction about this The aim is to encourage students to be

independent learners


Exams - What is the Purpose

Exercise - what is the examination for #

RememberExaminers design papers to enable you to display your abilities rather than your weaknesses


Preparing for Exams

You will lay the foundations for exam success by studying reflectively and realistically throughout the period of the course

Revision-definition ‘to see again’Look back over main ideas and

issues throughout the courseRegular and early revising will

make later material easier to learn


Revision Plans/Timetables

Make a list of topics you plan to reviseDecide what order to tackle them inSpace out the revision and make a

note of which aspects you will do when. Decide whether you should revise more than one topic per day

Leave plenty of time for rest and recreation


Revision Techniques

Best techniques are active. You will remember if: It is relevant to you It is associated with something else You remember things in sequence You do something with the information

Revision techniques #


Additional Help

Improving your Exam Performance leaflet Counselling Service #

How to Cope with Exams - Workshops Counselling Service - noticeboard


Types of Examinations

Multiple choice Descriptive or discursive http://www.cms.livjm.ac.uk/student/

pastexams.asp


Before the Exam

If you require any special arrangements make the exams office, school office or your personal tutor aware of them

Check where and at what time the exam takes place

Check what you are allowed to take in with you pens, calculators etc. some exams are ‘open book’


Before the Exam (cont.)

Arrive in plenty of timeIf you want to discuss the exam with

friends, do so; otherwise keep to yourself

Make sure you know the format of the paper Ask in lectures Look at previous papers


During the Exam

Read the instructions CAREFULLYRead the questions CAREFULLY.

Decide which you will answer. Then recheck the instructions


During the Exam (cont.)

Determine what the question is asking. Underline the key words: Compare/contrast - look at two or more

perspectives Evaluate - offer criticism or make

judgements Analyse - ask why, looking at underlying

factors Explain - lay out each stage in a process

or argument or each aspect of an object in a logical way



Avoid questions which contain words or phrases you don’t understand

Decide how long to allocate to each question, then keep to it. Allow 10 min. at the end for checking

Plan your answers. (Cross out these plans before submission)



First 50% of marks is easy to obtain, then gets progressively harder

Write clearlyQuantity does not gain marks. Make

relevant points onceSpend last 10 min. checking your

workDON’T LEAVE EARLY


Any Questions?

hn1104 personal skills and it session 2 reading note taking exams

Documents

hn1104 personal skills

text slide

recall slide

familiarcomfortable

reading note

reading zspeed

retention skills zspeed

rapid reading