Higher
education typically involves numerous reading assignments and an effective
guide for surviving this time consuming, albeit necessary, undertaking is
needed to grasp their importance. All too often students get behind in their
reading assignments due to procrastination, life’s obligations, course
overload, or dread of reading boring course materials. These same students
quickly founder in their courses, as they revert to mindless skimming through
required readings hoping to inexplicably understand course material.
This guide to surviving higher education reading assignments
goes beyond the traditional method of highlighting text as it is read. All this
strategy accomplishes is needless marking of text with what a student feels is
important, which more often than not is unimportant. This also leads to
mechanical reading, no comprehension, with the thought of coming back to reread
the material later to commit to memory - a needless duplication of effort.
Online
Technology Tools: Note Taking Programs and Text-to-Audio
When adults go back to school, they sometimes need a
refresher or an update of new strategies for managing and understanding written
assignments. These strategies are included in the following guide to surviving
higher education reading assignments.
Online technology tools provide students with the ability to
use the latest technologies to organize and comprehend important information
garnered from their reading assignments. These tools include:
●
Note taking programs such as the
free version of EverNote. There are also additional online note taking
technologies such as EndNote and OneNote, both offer free trial periods.
●
Another option is using Google Docs,
which is a free online office program for storing notes in a word processor or
data base for later retrieval and study.
●
A final option is the use of the
iTunes – Speak It – application. Online texts, web-based reading materials,
PDFs, or e-books are converted into an audio format using a text-to-speech
process. This App is designed for both the iPhone and iPad. Example uses
include listening to written assignments while working out on treadmill,
walking, or driving.
The primary advantage of these online programs is the
ability to access them anywhere with computer or iPad internet access or through
the use of mobile phone Apps.
Strategies
for Comprehension: Analysis of Written Assignments
The following are strategies for improving comprehension of
written assignments, along with adult education success. These strategies work
regardless of whether in book form or online course materials.
Prioritize
Readings – allow more time to read written
materials in courses in which the subject material is difficult or outside your
main area of program concentration. However, this does not mean to simply
browse material in less difficult courses or courses in which you are more
familiar with the subject. Prioritizing your readings assists in focusing time
on materials which need more attention or extra help.
SQ3R – survey, question, read, recite, and review reading
strategy involves actively reading material for better comprehension. The SQ3R
strategy entails:
●
scanning a reading assignment to
obtain a broad overview of the essential nature of the material.
●
writing down questions which come to
mind while scanning the material.
●
finding answers to questions through
a more in-depth reading of the written work, then recite the answers out-loud
and record your answers in note form.
●
reviewing notes to write a summary
of the main points of the assignment.
Specific
Strategies for Textbooks –
approaches to reading textbooks are different than web-based resources,
journals, or papers for a course and include:
●
using the learning objectives
provided at the beginning of each chapter to help focus on the most important
information within a textbook chapter. This strategy involves thinking
processes as you read, helping to understand and commit the information to
memory.
●
not becoming disheartened by
difficult material contained within a chapter. Everyone, both strong and weak
students, encounters confusing material in a textbook. The best approach is to
seek answers to confusing material by seeking clarification from course
instructor in class, asking members in a study group, or personal learning
network.
●
avoiding the urge to delay reading
difficult material or trying to memorize facts within a chapter without truly
understanding the material. Both of these less than positive approaches
increase anxiety and the likely hood of failing the course. Rote memorization of
facts works for some in the short term; however, not so well for end of course
exams or assignments which frequently require application and interpretation of
these facts.
●
avoiding last minute cram sessions
by skimming material in a textbook chapter just before a test or exam. This
less than positive approach results in little comprehension of reading material
and the inability apply facts in applications which require interpretation or
inference.
●
not being afraid to read a textbook.
Textbooks provide important information needed to pass a course and failing to
read required readings in a textbook on average results in a poor grade.
The importance of this guide to surviving higher education
reading assignments is its focus on strategies and techniques used to support
learning – not just studying. The use of poor reading strategies often leads to
feelings of anxiety, confusion, and being overwhelmed. These feelings are
avoided and successful habits are developed when using the recommendations in
this guide to improve learning, understanding, and test or exam scores.
