Welcome to Study Skills!

Welcome to Study Skills!A presentation on skills and learning styles by Sarah Gibbons for LSC

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs . Sarah Gibbons -Lecturer 1

Study skills – an introduction

In this course we will focus on the skills you need to be successful at university and in your chosen career.

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Let's introduce ourselves!

1. Tell us one thing about yourself!

2. Tell us why you are studying this course.

3. Tell us where you see yourself in 5 years.


What skills do you need for university?

• You need many different skills for university.

• Here are some examples:

• A positive attitude

• Passion

• Curiosity

• Why are these important?


What other skills are important for

university?Take a minute to think and write a list of 5

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs. Sarah Gibbons - Lecturer

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Here are some examples..

• High level of spoken and written English

• Time management

• Ability to work independently

• Commitment

• Responsibility

• Teamwork

• Listening skills

• Critical thinking


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Examples continued..

• Note taking skills

• Reading skills

• Stress management

• IT skills

• Organization

• Research

• Social networking

• Decision making

We will learn more about these later in the course..


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Transferable skills

• Many skills you learn at university are the same as those you need in the workplace.

• They are called 'transferable skills'.

• Employers value these skills!

• Look back at the list of skills on the previous slides.

• Which are also valuable skills in the workplace?

• Discuss with a partner..


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Have you heard of Business Outsider?

• Business Insider is an American financial and business news website owned by Insider Inc. It operates international editions in the UK, Australia, China, Germany, France, South Africa, India, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Northern Europe, Poland, Spain and Singapore.


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Business Insider published an article on the skills needed to succeed in 2020. Do you know what these are? Read the full article on the link below later.

• Complex problem-solving

• Critical thinking

• Creativity

• People management

• Coordinating with others

• Emotional intelligence

• Judgment and decision-making

• Service orientation

• Negotiation skills

• Cognitive flexibility

• Curtin, M, (Jan 4, 2018), Business Insider, [online]. Available at https://www.businessinsider.com/10-skills-employers-will-want-the-most-in-2020-2018-1?r=US&IR=T#2-critical-thinking-9 (Accessed 25 April 2020)

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs. Sarah Gibbons - Lecturer 10

https://www.businessinsider.com/10-skills-employers-will-want-the-most-in-2020-2018-1?r=US&IR=T

Let's think about how to measure skills..

• In order to measure skills you can use a SWOT analysis.

• Do you know what the acronym SWOT represents?


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What is a SWOT analysis?

• It is a model that analyses the following categories:

• S – Strengths

• W – Weaknesses

• O – Opportunities

• T – Threats


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SWOT analysis

• A tool that organisations use to become more successful

• Can help develop more efficient strategy

• Individuals can also use SWOT analysis to evaluate themselves

• Let's look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in more detail..

Strengths• Positive qualities of

the company• Internal resources

and experience• Skills that give you

an advantage• E.g. highly skilled workforce

Weaknesses• Negative qualities of

the company• Lack of internal

resources and experience• Skills which you lack• E.g. lack of

computers available

Opportunities• Any external factor

that the company or you can benefit from

• Strategies which the company can use to increase profit

• E.g. new Facebook campaign

Threats• Any external factor

that presents a risk to the company or to your success

• E.g. Covid 19 meant only online sales for a few months


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Let's think about a well-known fast food chain..

• Do you know the company McDonald's?

• Is it the kind of food you like?

• When was the last time you ate in McDonald's?

• Do a SWOT analysis for McDonald's with a partner.

• What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?


SWOT analysis of McDonald's

Strengths• Worldwide brand recognition• Adapts the menu to different cultural

preferences

Weaknesses• Food is high in fat and low in nutrition• Negative publicity

Opportunities• Demand for healthier options• Corporate social responsibility builds

reputation

Threats• Increased competition from new fast

food chains• People are more focused on healthy

eating


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It is also useful to do a personal SWOT

• This helps you to reflect on your personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

• Here is an example of a personal SWOT analysis by an employee.


Strengths• Good interpersonal

skills• Good knowledge of IT• Speaks 3 languages

Weaknesses• Finds it difficult to meet

deadlines• Gets stressed easily

Opportunities• Studying a college

degree• Possibility for promotion

at work

Threats• Balancing work, family

and studying• Money problems due

to reduced hours at work

Take 5 minutes to work alone. Do a SWOT analysis for yourself...

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats


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Let's discuss!


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Self-Reflection

• Useful to do on a regular basis

• Either through a formal model such as SWOT or informally

• Helps to develop your skills and improve your results

• Allows you to evaluate your thoughts and practices and implement change when necessary

• Feedback on assignments for what you have done well and what you need to work on will allow you to keep improving your marks..


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Quotes about self-reflection – discuss with a partner

• "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." –Carl Jung

• "The journey into self-love and self-acceptance must begin with self-examination… until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life." – Iyanla Vanzant

• "Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes." —Lawrence Bossidy

• "We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience." – John Dewey


Different learning styles

• An important aspect of study skills is knowing your personal learning style.

• People are individuals and have different preferences in food, films, leisure activities etc.

• This also applies to how people prefer to learn, understand and relate to the world.

• For example do you prefer to read a book or listen to an audio book? Maybe you hate reading!


What is a learning style?


A method of learning, understanding and remembering new information.

The way a student prefers to learn and what is most effective.

For example, during class some students will respond better to the voice of the teacher, or reading the notes, or looking at the visuals etc.

It's good to be flexible because teachers often have different styles.

Different theories about learning styles

There are many theories about learning styles. Today we will look at two of the main ones.

1. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences

2. VARK

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs. Sarah Gibbons - Lecturer23

Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences

• Howard Gardner was a professor of education at Harvard university.

• He believes that people can be good at different things and he called these "intelligences".

• For example, some people are excellent at music but terrible at maths. Or good at sport but always fail in exams.

• What do you think about this? Do you think different people are better at different things?

• How would you describe yourself?


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The importance of Gardner's theory..

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• Individuals have different skills, and these should be respected equally.

• For example artists, musicians, dancers and entrepreneurs.

• These skills influence how individuals learn effectively.

• For example if you are an artist you may remember information that you see as an image instead of writing.


According to Gardner's theory..

• The current educational system:

1. Does not adapt to varied learning styles

2. Focuses on linguistic and logical ways of thinking such as reading textbooks and written assignments

3. Only benefits certain students

4. Makes learning at school and university more difficult for some students

• Can you think of other ways that could help students learn?


Alternative ways to learn

The theory of multiple intelligences suggests trying to modify the learning structure to engage a wider range of students. Some ideas are:

• Use of multimedia – video, images and audio

• Games

• Interactive learning

• Computers programs

• Design

• Role play

• Independent study

• Do any of these appeal to you?


Gardner identified 8 main intelligences

1. Linguistic intelligence (words)

2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (logic and numbers)

3. Spatial intelligence (pictures)

4. Kinesthetic intelligence (movement)

5. Musical intelligence (music)

6. Interpersonal intelligence (people)

7. Intrapersonal intelligence (self)

8. Naturalistic (nature)


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Linguistic

• Use language effectively

• High level of spoken and written language

• Think in words

• Like reading, writing, memorizing words and word games

• Learn well with verbal and written explanations of ideas, lectures, course books and multimedia

• Examples: writers, lawyers, English teachers or editors


Logical/ mathematical

• Logical, analytical and objective

• Good at logical reasoning and analysis

• Think in abstract concepts

• Like experimenting, calculations, finding patterns, analysing ideas and solving problems

• Respond to games of logic, board games and research projects

• Examples: scientists, bankers, accountants, analysts or researchers

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs. Sarah Gibbons - Lecturer30

Spatial

• Spatial and visual awareness

• Effective understanding of physical space and images

• Think in shapes and images

• Like making models, interpreting puzzles, arts, interpreting graphs and pictures

• Learn well with imagery, graphics, multimedia and drawings

• Examples: architects, sailors, engineers or designers


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Kinesthetic

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• Body and movement awareness

• High performance and control of the body, agility, balance and coordination

• Think in terms of movement and touch

• Like working with the body and physical challenges

• Learn effectively through body language, physical activity and role playing

• Examples: athletes , dancers, actors or chefs

Musical

• Musical, sound and rhythm awareness

• Musical ability

• Think in terms of music, sounds and rhythm

• Like working with sound and rhythmic patterns

• Learn more effectively studying with music, connecting lessons to rhythmic patterns and multimedia

• Examples: musicians, singers, entertainers or DJs

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Interpersonal

• Interact well with others, developed awareness of people's feelings

• Skilled at showing empathy and relating to others

• Understand relationships, feelings and behaviour

• Like working with human interaction

• Learn through human interaction, group activities, seminars, dialogues, emails, video conferencing and personal attention

• Examples: psychologists, coaches, sales-people or councillors


Intrapersonal

• High self-awareness and self-understanding

• High intuition, self-motivation, non-judgemental and adaptable

• Understand themselves and emotionally mature

• Prefer working independently

• Learn through creative materials and self-study

• Examples: counsellors, translators, actors, poets or artists


Naturalistic

• Developed sensory perception

• Notice details about surroundings, recognise patterns and developed understanding of the natural world

• Think in terms of categories in the environment

• Like exploring outside, animals and nature documentaries

• Learn through being outside, drawing and relating ideas to the natural world

• Examples: biologists, astronomists or zoologists


Your turn..

• Look back at the 8 intelligences.

• Do you identify with any of them?

• Discuss with a partner..

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs . Sarah Gibbons - Lecturer 37

In summary...

Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences identifies 8 multiple intelligences.

This affects the way that individuals learn and their abilities.

This following video summarises some of the main points:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2EdujrM0vA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2EdujrM0vA

Another approach to learning is the VARK model ..


• Visual learners

• Auditory learners

• Reading/writing learners

• Kinesthetic learners

Let's watch a video about learning styles• Watch the short video about learnings styles

and answer the questions on the next page..

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IopcOwfsoU


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IopcOwfsoU

Questions about learning styles..

1. Why did Jonathon get an F grade?

2. Do all people learn the same way?

3. What are the four most popular learning styles?

4. Do people only have 1 learning style?

5. What tips does the video suggest for each learning style?


Answers

1. He was studying the wrong way for his preferred type of learning

2. No

3. Visual, auditory, reading and writing, kinesthetic

4. No

5. Visual – colour coding, diagrams, videos. Auditory – group work, discussion, reading out loud, recording the lecturer. Reading and writing – notes, rereading, writing things out again. Kinesthetic – energetic, likes doing things, walking around, regular breaks


Let's recap the VARK learning styles..

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Visual learners

• Learn best through seeing

• Visual components like diagrams, pictures, symbols help learners to understand and remember

• Without visuals it can be hard to focus

• Can use symbols in notes to help remember things for example, a smiley face or a tick or cross

• Arranging notes in different colours, sizes and with pictures can be helpful

44@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs. Sarah

Gibbons - Lecturer

Auditory learners

• Learn through listening

• Useful to listen to the lecturer explain ideas

• Lectures, tutorials, and group discussions are very valuable

• Reading books and lecture notes out loud and recording lectures can be helpful


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Read/write learners

• Learn through reading and writing

• Textbooks and lecture notes are useful

• Helpful to reread and rewrite your study material and notes regularly

• Write lists to help remember

@Copyrights All Rights Reserved. The LSC Group. Credits: Mrs . Sarah Gibbons -Lecturer

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Kinesthetic learners

• Learn through doing

• Helpful to move around or use different senses for example sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing

• Memorize notes when walking around

• Can be hard to focus in lectures because sitting down

• Invent personal examples and do practical activities to help you remember


What kind of learner are you?


Refer to the VARK model

Tell your partner what kind of studying is most effective for you

Do you fit into more than one learning style? Which one/ ones?

Let's recap.. Today we

studied the following:

• Important skills for university and the work-place

• SWOT – a model to measure skills

• Self-reflection

• Howard Garden's theory of multiple intelligences

• VARK

Documents

Welcome to Study Skills!