Responding to the Student Who Needs Learning Skills
A student may not have been taught specific learning skills prior to coming to college. Good time management can promote academic success. Paper and pencil techniques (e.g., “to do” lists, schedules, and calendars) can help students analyze and organize their time. Notes and text material can promote learning (e.g., making marginal notes, giving visual emphasis to material, scheduling frequent reviews, etc.).
A student can plan effective study strategies, based on his/her learning style. Sometimes a student’s learning style does not match the teaching style of the instructor. Learning skills and strategies vary, according to the specific nature and content of the course.
- Ask the student about his/her personal study time and study strategies.
- Determine if the student understands the course content.
- Provide clarification of course content, if needed.
- Build into your class a session on how to study for the course at the beginning of the semester.
- Take time to review past exams to analyze the student’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Make suggestions and encourage the student to adjust learning strategies before the next test.
- Ask if the student is utilizing any other campus resources.
- Stress the value of group study.
- Refer the student to the course’s Guided Study Sessions for support (if the course provides this option for strengthening study skills).
- Assuming the student does not understand the course material.
- Believing the student should know how to learn course content.
- Thinking the student knows about available campus resources.