Active Reading for Effective Active Reading for Effective LearningLearning

Purpose-Driven Reading:

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ObjectivesObjectives

To To highlight highlight common reading common reading problemsproblems

To To suggest productive suggest productive methodsmethods of reading at University of reading at University levellevel

To To provide tipsprovide tips for improving for improving memory of read materialmemory of read material

33/34/34Common Reading Common Reading ProblemsProblemsWhich of these apply to you?Which of these apply to you? Problems with visionProblems with vision ProcrastinationProcrastination FatigueFatigue TimeTime BoredomBoredom ImpatienceImpatience Amount of readingAmount of reading Can’t remember what I’ve readCan’t remember what I’ve read SurroundingsSurroundings

Issues:Issues: SpeedSpeed ComprehensionComprehension MotivationMotivation SynthesisSynthesis Text markingText marking MemoryMemory

44/34/34Purpose-Driven Purpose-Driven ReadingReading

Academic Reading isAcademic Reading is PurposefulPurposeful SelectiveSelective RelevantRelevant

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OverviewOverview

Becoming a Becoming a purposeful, active purposeful, active readerreader

4 steps4 steps– Preview & surveyPreview & survey– QuestionQuestion– Read & writeRead & write– Review & assimilateReview & assimilate

66/34/34Getting started… Getting started… You & Your Physical You & Your Physical EnvironmentEnvironment

Does my Does my physical physical environment:environment:(a) encourage (a) encourage concentration, concentration, (b) facilitate (b) facilitate good posture, good posture, and and (c) stimulate a (c) stimulate a ready-to-work ready-to-work attitude?attitude?

How am I How am I feeling?feeling?Am I awake Am I awake and alert, and alert, or am I tired, or am I tired, hungry, hungry, or sleepy? or sleepy?

77/34/34Purpose-Driven Purpose-Driven ReadingReading

Define your purpose for Define your purpose for reading.reading.

Are you reading for…Are you reading for… main ideas?main ideas? background knowledge?background knowledge? specific information for an specific information for an

assignment?assignment?

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Goal-SettingGoal-Setting

Set reasonable goals in terms of Set reasonable goals in terms of Time limitsTime limits Task limitsTask limits

Vary your reading speed to Vary your reading speed to achieve your purpose.achieve your purpose.

99/34/34Getting into the text… Getting into the text… Previewing/SurveyingPreviewing/Surveying

Purpose:Purpose: To get an overviewTo get an overview To gauge difficulty To gauge difficulty

level level To estimate time To estimate time

needed to cover the needed to cover the readingreading

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How to Preview How to Preview

Look at the Look at the highlights highlights Skim through the material Skim through the material

quicklyquickly

Suggested reading rate: Suggested reading rate: >800 wpm>800 wpm

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Preview fastPreview fast

Why?Why? Many courses = many readingsMany courses = many readings Reading too slowly will make you Reading too slowly will make you

lose track of the flow of ideas.lose track of the flow of ideas.

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What prevents us from being What prevents us from being able to read fast?able to read fast?

1.1. Eye movementsEye movements

2.2. FOFONNt st siizzee

3.3. ConcentrationConcentration

4.4. Level of difficultyLevel of difficulty How do we get past these How do we get past these

barriers?barriers?

Why do we read so Why do we read so slowly?slowly?

1313/34/34Your mind is quicker than Your mind is quicker than you think!you think!

Paris in the

the springtime

1414/34/34Your mind is quicker than Your mind is quicker than you think!you think!

Paris in the

the springtime

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Purpose:Purpose: To provide a sense of focus, and To provide a sense of focus, and

to direct your reading.to direct your reading.

Getting into the text… Getting into the text… QuestioningQuestioning

1616/34/34Getting into the text… Getting into the text…

Reading & Note-TakingReading & Note-TakingPurpose:Purpose: To process the information, and To process the information, and

ensure in-depth understandingensure in-depth understanding To help you maintain attention To help you maintain attention

(i.e., stay awake!) and to think(i.e., stay awake!) and to think To mark the material for future To mark the material for future

study study

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Think: how is the reading Think: how is the reading answering the questions you have answering the questions you have raised?raised?

Suggested reading rate: Suggested reading rate: 100-300 wpm100-300 wpm

Be an active reader!Be an active reader!

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What’s the point? What’s the point? To To introduceintroduce To To describedescribe ToTo compare compare ToTo explain explain

Finding the main pointFinding the main point

1919/34/34Highlighting to the Highlighting to the pointpoint

Avoid the Picasso Avoid the Picasso mentality!mentality!

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Poor highlightingPoor highlighting

Poor highlighting:Poor highlighting: Excessive highlighting is not a good Excessive highlighting is not a good

way to emphasize important ideas way to emphasize important ideas in the text. In fact, many learning in the text. In fact, many learning specialists believe that by specialists believe that by highlighting too much, you simply highlighting too much, you simply are putting off learning as you are putting off learning as you “paint” the textbook with your “paint” the textbook with your favorite color.favorite color.

2121/34/34Poor highlighting - Poor highlighting - ExampleExample

Physics in the Nineteenth CenturyDiane Greco, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Eastgate Systems

Marked by an ever-increasing emphasis on quantification and by a search for mathematical laws to describe observed phenomena, the nineteenth century encompassed a distinctive phase in physics research (or, to use period terminology, natural philosophy) both in Britain and on the Continent. This period witnessed the rise of the laboratory and of sophisticated techniques and technologies for measuring and eliciting phenomena, as well as the establishment of large institutes (such as the Physikalische-Technische Reichsanstalt in Berlin) to conduct physical research both for the state and -- often indirectly -- for private concerns. Although the final conceptual aim was to create a unified physics -- that is, to create a set of fundamental laws governing all physical phenomena -- physics also served the commercial, military, and political needs of different burgeoning and expanding industrial nations.

Adapted from http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/natureslaw/ history/reference.html

2222/34/34Poor highlighting - Poor highlighting - ExampleExample

Physics in the Nineteenth CenturyDiane Greco, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Eastgate Systems

Marked by an ever-increasing emphasis on quantification and by a search for mathematical laws to describe observed phenomena, the nineteenth century encompassed a distinctive phase in physics research (or, to use period terminology, natural philosophy) both in Britain and on the Continent. This period witnessed the rise of the laboratory and of sophisticated techniques and technologies for measuring and eliciting phenomena, as well as the establishment of large institutes (such as the Physikalische-Technische Reichsanstalt in Berlin) to conduct physical research both for the state and -- often indirectly -- for private concerns. Although the final conceptual aim was to create a unified physics -- that is, to create a set of fundamental laws governing all physical phenomena -- physics also served the commercial, military, and political needs of different burgeoning and expanding industrial nations.

Adapted from http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/natureslaw/ history/reference.html

2323/34/34What is good What is good highlighting?highlighting?

    Good highlighting is done on Good highlighting is done on key words or phrases only, or key words or phrases only, or on the parts of the text that on the parts of the text that don’t make sense. That way don’t make sense. That way you can come back later and you can come back later and quickly identify the section on quickly identify the section on which you need to place which you need to place additional effort.additional effort.

2424/34/34Good highlighting - Good highlighting - ExampleExample

Good highlighting is done onGood highlighting is done on key key words or phraseswords or phrases only,only, oror on theon the partsparts of the textof the text that don’t make that don’t make sensesense. That way you . That way you can come can come backback later and later and quickly identifyquickly identify the section on which you need the section on which you need to placeto place additional effortadditional effort..

2525/34/34Good highlighting – Good highlighting – Example 2Example 2

Physics in the Nineteenth CenturyDiane Greco, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Eastgate Systems

Marked by an ever-increasing emphasis on quantification and by a search for mathematical laws to describe observed phenomena, the nineteenth century encompassed a distinctive phase in physics research (or, to use period terminology, natural philosophy) both in Britain and on the Continent. This period witnessed the rise of the laboratory and of sophisticated techniques and technologies for measuring and eliciting phenomena, as well as the establishment of large institutes (such as the Physikalische-Technische Reichsanstalt in Berlin) to conduct physical research both for the state and -- often indirectly -- for private concerns. Although the final conceptual aim was to create a unified physics -- that is, to create a set of fundamental laws governing all physical phenomena -- physics also served the commercial, military, and political needs of different burgeoning and expanding industrial nations.

Adapted from http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/natureslaw/ history/reference.html

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Making margin notesMaking margin notes

What to write?What to write?

examplesexamples

Specialised vocab &

definitions

Section summary

??Questions????Questions??

!!Reactions!!!!Reactions!!

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Drawing up a summaryDrawing up a summary

Draw a summary that captures Draw a summary that captures the main point and the flow of the main point and the flow of ideasideas– Outlines Outlines – Mind-mapsMind-maps– Fishbone diagramsFishbone diagrams

2828/34/34Getting out of the Getting out of the text… text… ReviewingReviewingPurpose:Purpose: To remember key pointsTo remember key points To monitor To monitor

comprehensioncomprehension To consolidate old and To consolidate old and

new knowledgenew knowledge

2929/34/34Reading & Reading & RememberingRemembering Relate Relate

facts/issuesfacts/issues

New

New

Think deeperThink deeper

ReviewReview

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Read, Listen, Re-readRead, Listen, Re-read

Listen to LECTURE

ReadRead to to SURVEYSURVEY

Re-read to SUPPLEMENT

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Readings & LecturesReadings & Lectures

Supplementary Supplementary readingsreadings

PrioritisePrioritise– Is material covered in Is material covered in

lectures?lectures?– How important is it?How important is it?– What can you add to What can you add to

your notes?your notes? Discussion groupsDiscussion groups

3232/34/34Purpose-Driven Purpose-Driven Reading … SummaryReading … Summary

SurveySurvey

QuestionQuestion

Read/Read/NoteNote

ReviewReview

Skim through quickly

Turn headings into questions

Highlight, take margin notes,

do summary/concept map

Test yourself,read through notes again

To get an overviewTo get an overview

To focus readingTo focus reading

To find the flow To find the flow and main point, and main point, and annotate for and annotate for

future studyfuture study

To assimilate new To assimilate new knowledge with old, knowledge with old, for understanding for understanding

& retention& retention

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In the end…In the end…

Alert and flexibleAlert and flexible An active readerAn active reader An effective learnerAn effective learner

The PURPOSE-DRIVEN reader is…

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On purpose…On purpose…

““What we read with inclination What we read with inclination

makes a much stronger makes a much stronger impression. impression.

If we read without inclination, If we read without inclination,

half the mind is employed in fixing half the mind is employed in fixing the attention; so there is but one the attention; so there is but one half to be employed on what we half to be employed on what we

read."read."--Samuel Johnson--Samuel Johnson