P.O.W.E.R. Learning (School)

P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Becoming an Expert Student *Learning Objectives: ● Explain the benefits of a college education ● Identify the basic principles of power learning ● Identify your learning styles and how they affect your academic success Consider these added reasons for pursuing a college education: ● You’ll learn to think critically and communicate better ● You’ll be able to better deal with advances in knowledge and technology that are changing the world ● You’ll acquire skills and perspectives that will shape how you deal with new situations and challenges ● You’ll be better prepared to live in a world of diversity ● You’ll make learning a lifelong habit P.O.W.E.R. Learning: The Five Key Steps to Achieving Success P.O.W.E.R. Learning is an acronym- a word formed from the first letters of a series of steps- that will help you take in, process, and make use of the information you’ll acquire in college. It will help you achieve your goals, both while you are in college and after you graduate. Prepare, Organize, Work, Evaluate, and Rethink. That’s it. It’s a simple framework, but an effective one. Using the systematic framework that P.O.W.E.R. learning provides will increase your chances of success at any task, from writing a college paper to buying your weekly groceries to filling out a purchase order. Keep this in mind: P.O.W.E.R. Learning isn’t a product that you can simply pull off a bookshelf and use without thinking. P.O.W.E.R. Learning is a process, and you are the only one who can make it succeed. Without your personal investment in the process, P.O.W.E.R. Learning consists of just words on paper. P-Prepare Setting Goals Before we seek to accomplish any task, all of us do some form of planning. The trouble is that most of the time such planning is done without conscious thinking, as if we were on autopilot. However, the key to success is to make sure that planning is systematic. The best way to plan systematically is to use goal-setting strategies. In many cases, goals are clear and direct. It’s obvious that our goal in washing dishes is to have the dishes end up clean. We know that our goal at the gas station is to fill the car’s tank with gas. We go to the post office to buy stamps and mail letters. Other goals are not so clear-cut. In fact, the more important the task-such as going to college-the more complicated our goals may be. What’s the best way to set appropriate goals? Here are some guidelines: ● Set both long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals are aims relating to major accomplishments that take some time to achieve. Short-term goals are relatively limited steps you would take on the road to accomplishing your long-term goals. ● Make goals realistic and attainable. ● State goals in terms of behavior that can be measured against current accomplishments. ● Choose goals that involve behavior over which you have control. ● Identify how your short-term goals fit with your long-term goals. (< Goal setting, as far as I can see it, is simply a state of mind,a way of thinking about things. A goal setter makes sure he accomplishes what he needs to accomplish.=) Source: Greg Gottesman, Stanford University, College Survival (New York: Macmillan, 1994), 70 O-Organize The Two Kinds of Organization: Physical and Mental On a basic level is physical organization involving the mechanical aspects of task completion. Mental organization is even more critical. Mental organization is accomplished by considering and reviewing the academic skills that you’ll need to successfully complete the task at hand. Why does producing mental organization matter? The answer is that it provides a context for when you actually begin to work. Organizing paves the way for better subsequent performance. Organizing can actually save you time because you’re less likely to be anxious and end up losing your way as you work to complete your task. Success comes not from a trial-and-error approach but from following a systematic plan for achievement. W-Work Developing a Growth Mindset and Grit Intelligence is something that is not fixed. Instead, it is fluid and flexible, and through hard work and effort, people can do better than they ever thought possible. In fact, the brain is like any muscle: The more you use it, The stronger it becomes. Students who hold a growth mindset believe that individual characteristics, such as intelligence, talent, and motivation, can improve through hard work. They challenge themselves to try to increase their success, even if at first they fail. They are more persistent in the face of obstacles, and they try harder. Students holding a growth mindset have grit, perseverance and passion for long-term goals. They think about the goals they want to accomplish, and they are passionate about achieving those goals. In contrast, those with a fixed mindset erroneously believe that individual characteristics, such as intelligence, talent, and motivation, are set at birth and vary little throughout the lifespan. Students with fixed mindsets may label themselves as < not smart= or < incompetent= rather than believing that, with effort, they can do better. Success is about analyzing the causes of your performance and thinking about how you might do things differently to bring about a better outcome. It’s a matter of motivation. Finding the Motivation to Work We use the concept of motivation-or its lack- to explain why we just don’t work hard at a task. But when we do that, we’re fooling ourselves. We all have some motivation, that inner power and psychological energy that directs and fuels our behavior. Without any motivation, we’d never get out of bed in the morning. All of us are motivated. The key to success in the classroom and on the job is to tap into, harness, and direct that motivation. A great deal of psychological research has shown that thinking you have no control over what happens to you sends a powerful and damaging message to your self-esteem- that you are powerless to change things. In the same way, we can delude ourselves when we try to explain our failures. The way in which we view the causes of success and failure is, in fact, directly related to our success. Students who generally see effort and hard work as the reason behind their performance usually do better in college. Workers who see their job performance in this way usually do better in their careers. It’s not hard to see why: When such individuals are working on a task, they feel that the greater the effort they put forth, the greater their chances of success. So they work harder. They believe that they have control over their success, And if they fail, they believe that they can do better in the future. Here are some tips for keeping your motivation alive, so you can work with your full energy behind you: ● Take responsibility for your failures-and successes. ● Think positively. ● Accept that you can’t control everything. ● Develop a growth mindset and cultivate your grit. E-Evaluate The fourth step in the P.O.W.E.R. process is evaluation, which consists of determining how well the product or activity we have created matches our goals for it. Here are some steps to follow in evaluating what you’ve accomplished: ● Take a moment to congratulate yourself and feel some satisfaction. ● Compare what you’ve accomplished with the goals you’re seeking to achieve. ● Have an out-of-body experience: Evaluate your accomplishments as if you were a respected mentor from your past. ● Evaluate what you’ve done as if you were your current instructor or supervisor. ● Based on your evaluation, revise your work. R-Rethink To rethink what you’ve accomplished earlier means bringing a fresh- and clear- eye to what you’ve done. It involves using critical thinking, thinking that involves re-analyzing, questioning, and challenging our underlying assumptions. Whereas evaluation means considering how well what we have done matches our initial goals, rethinking means reconsidering not only the outcome of our efforts but also our goals and the ideas and the process we’ve used to reach them. Critically rethinking what you’ve done involves analyzing and synthesizing ideas, and seeing connections between different concepts. Rethinking involves considering whether our initial goals are practical or realistic or if they require modification. It also entails asking yourself what you would do differently if you could do it all over again. The following steps provide a general framework for using critical thinking to rethink what you’ve accomplished: ● Review how you’ve accomplished the task. ● Question the outcome. ● Identify your underlying assumptions; then challenge them. ● Consider alternatives rejected earlier. ● Ask yourself: What would I do differently if I had the opportunity to try things again? ● Finally, reconsider your initial goals. Completing the P.O.W.E.R. Process The rethinking step of P.O.W.E.R. Learning is meant to help you understand your process of work and improve the final product if necessary. But mostly it is meant to help you grow, to become better at whatever it is you’ve been doing. Perfectionism can be as paralyzing as laziness. Keep in mind these key points: ● Know that there's always another day. ● Realize that deciding when to stop is often as hard as getting started. ● Use the strategies that already work for you. Discovering Your Learning Styles A learning style reflects a person’s preferred manner of acquiring, using, and thinking about knowledge. We don’t have just one learning style but a variety of styles. Some involve our preferences regarding the way information is presented to us, some relate to how we think and learn most readily, and some relate to how our personality traits affect our performance. An awareness of your learning styles will help you in college by allowing you to study and learn course materials more effectively. On the job, knowing your learning styles will help you master new skills and techniques, ensuring you can keep up with the changing office practices or an evolving industry. What is Your Preferred Receptive Learning Style? Our receptive learning style pertains to how we initially receive information from our sense organs. People have different strengths in terms of how they most effectively process information and which of their senses they prefer to use in learning. Specifically, there are four different types of receptive learning styles: ● Read/ write learning style. If you have a read/ write learning style, you prefer information that is presented visually in written format. You must feel comfortable reading, and you may recall the spelling of a word by thinking of how the word looks. You probably learn best when you have the opportunity to read about a concept. ● Visual/ graphic learning style. Those with a visual/ graphic learning style learn most effectively when material is presented visually in a diagram or picture. Students with visual learning styles find it easier to see things in their mind’s eyeto visualize a task or concept. ● Auditory/ verbal learning style. People with auditory/ verbal learning styles prefer listening to explanations. They love podcasts and audio guides because they can easily take in the information that is being talked about. ● Tactile/ kinesthetic learning style. Those with a tactile/ kinesthetic learning style prefer to learn by doing- touching, manipulating objects, and doing things. For instance, some people enjoy the act of writing because of the feel of a computer keyboard- the tactile equivalent of thinking out loud. Or they may find that it helps them to make a three-dimensional model to understand a new idea. Remember having a particular receptive learning style simply means that it will be easier to learn material that is presented in that style. Receptive learning styles have implications for effective studying in college or learning new skills on the job: If you have a read/ write style, consider writing summaries of information, highlighting and underlining written material, and using flash cards. Transform diagrams and math formulas into words. If you have a visual/ graphic style, devise diagrams and charts. Translate words into symbols and figures. If you have an auditory/ verbal style, recite material out loud when trying to learn it. If you have a tactile/ kinesthetic style, incorporate movement into your study. Trace diagrams, build models, arrange flashcards and move them around. Keep yourself active when learning, taking notes, drawing charts, and jotting down key concepts. Multiple Intelligences: Showing Strength in Different Domains The multiple intelligences theory says that we have eight different forms of intelligence, each relatively independent of the others. Each of the separate intelligences is linked to a specific kind of information processing in our brains: Logical- mathematical intelligence involves skills in problem solving and scientific thinking. Linguistic intelligence is linked to the production and use of language. Spatial intelligence relates to skills involving spatial shapes, contours, and structures, such as those used by artists and architects. Interpersonal intelligence is found in learners with particularly strong skills involving interacting with others, such as sensitivity to the moods, temperaments, motivations, and intentions of others. Intrapersonal intelligence relates to a particularly strong understanding of the internal aspects of oneself and having access to one’s feelings and emotions. Musical intelligence involves skills relating to music. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence relates to skills in using the whole body or portions of it in the solution of problems or in the construction of products or displays, exemplified by dancers, athletes, actors, and surgeons. Naturalist intelligence involves exceptional abilities in identifying and classifying patterns in nature. Personality Styles The Myer-Briggs approach suggests that four major personality dimensions are critical to understanding personality types. Introverts versus extraverts. A key difference between introverts and extraverts is whether they enjoy working with others. Independence is a key characteristic of introverted learners. They enjoy working alone and they are less affected by how others think and behave. In contrast, extraverts are outgoing and more affected by the behavior and thinking of others. They enjoy working with others, and they are energized by having other people around. Intuitors versus sensors. Intuitors enjoy being creative and solving problems that require leaps of judgment. They get impatient with details, and they enjoy the challenge of solving problems and taking a big-picture approach. People categorized as sensors, on the other hand, prefer a concrete, logical approach in which they can carefully analyze the facts of the situation and come to a reasoned conclusion. Although they are good with details, they sometimes miss the big picture. Thinkers versus feelers. Thinkers prefer logic over emotion. They reach decisions and solve problems by systematically analyzing a situation. In contrast, feeling types rely more on their emotional responses. They are aware of others and their feelings, and they are influenced by their personal values and attachments to others. Perceivers and judgers. Before drawing a conclusion, perceivers attempt to gather as much information as they can. Because they are open to multiple perspectives and appreciate all sides of an issue, they sometimes have difficulty completing a task. Judgers, in comparison, are quick and decisive. They like to set goals, accomplish them, and then move on to the next task. The Origins of Our Learning Styles For many of us, our learning style preferences result from the kind of processing the two halves of our brain < specialize= in. Although the two halves of the brain are interdependent, certain kinds of tasks are more likely to be controlled by a particular half of the brain. Specifically, left-brain processing concentrates more on tasks requiring verbal competence. For example, speaking, reading, thinking, and reasoning are more apt to occur in the left half of the brain. Information is processed in small, sequential units in left-brain processing. In contrast, right-brain processing concentrates more on the processing of information in nonverbal domains, such as the understanding of spatial relationships, recognizing patterns and drawings, music, and emotional expression. Furthermore, the right hemisphere tends to process information globally, considering it as a whole. Consequently, people who naturally tend toward right-brain processing might prefer visual/graphic learning styles. Here are some key facts to remember about learning, personality, and processing styles: You have a variety of styles. Your style reflects your preferences regarding which abilities you like to use- not the abilities themselves. Your style will change over the course of your life. You should work on improving your less- preferred styles. Work with others who have different styles. Learning about Learning: The Theories That Explain How You Learn Learning styles reflect how each of us prefers to study and approach new information that we encounter in our online classes. But all of us are affected by some basic processes that underlie learning. Learning theories are broad explanations about how we learn. Each of these theories takes a different approach and looks at somewhat different factors that help us to learn. Understanding the theories behind learning will help you study, remember information, and ultimately be a better learner. We’ll consider the three main learning theories. Operant Conditioning Learning Theory: The Reinforcement Behind Learning Operant conditioning is learning in which a behavior is made more or less likely to recur regularly because of the presence of a reinforcer. Reinforcers are things that increase the probability that a behavior will occur again. If you study hard for a test and are rewarded with a high grade, the high grade serves as a reinforcer. Operant conditioning theory tells us that you are more likely to study hard in the future because of the rewards you received from studying in the past. Cognitive Learning Theory: The Thoughts Behind Learning According to cognitive approaches to learning, our cognitions (or thoughts) shape the way we learn. In particular, they look at the importance of observational learning, in which we learn by watching, and imitating, the behavior of other people. Observational learning takes place in four steps: 1. Paying attention and perceiving the most critical features of another person’s behavior 2. Remembering the behavior 3. Reproducing the action 4. Being motivated to learn and carry out the behavior Not all behavior that we witness is learned or carried out. If we observe a friend who studies more frequently than we do and notice that she receives higher grades, we are more apt to imitate her behavior than if her studying leads to nothing more than a sharp decline in her social life and an increase of fatigue. Classical Conditioning Learning Theory: Does the Name Pavlov Ring a Bell? Ivan Pavlov was a russian scientist who discovered, quite accidentally, one of the basic kinds of learning, called classical conditioning. In studying salivation in dogs, he found that sometimes the mere sight of the person who normally brought the dog’s food, or even the sound of that person’s footsteps, was enough to produce salivation in the dogs. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus (such as someone’s footsteps) comes to elicit a response after being paired with a different stimulus (such as food) that naturally brings about that response. To demonstrate classical conditioning, Pavlov (1927) attached a tube to the salivary gland of a dog, allowing him to measure precisely the dog’s salivation. He then rang a bell and, just a few seconds later, presented the dog with meat. This pairing occurred repeatedly and was carefully planned so that each time exactly the same amount of time elapsed between the presentation of the bell and the meat. At first the dog would salivate only when the meat was presented, but soon it began to salivate at the sound of the bell. In fact, even when Pavlov stopped presenting the meat, the dog still salivated after hearing the sound. The dog had been classically conditioned to salivate to the bell. In fact, Pavlov’s discovery of classical conditioning has some very practical implications for how we come to associate various stimuli with responses, which can hinder our performance. Why Learning Theories Matter Although the basics of the three main learning theories are somewhat abstract, each has important practical implications for helping you to learn better. For example, operant conditioning suggests that rewarding yourself with periodic breaks while you study will make your study sessions more productive because the breaks act as a reinforcer. Similarly, using cognitive approaches to learning, you might watch the behavior of other students who have been successful. By observing the behavior of successful students, you can attempt to imitate their study habits. Finally, classical conditioning, which focuses on learning through associations, suggests that studying in the room where you’ll later be taking a test will help you to perform better on the test. Being in the same room will help trigger memories of the material you studied earlier- an idea that research has proven correct. Looking Back: LO 1-1: Explain the benefits of a college education ● The reason first- year college students most often cite for attending college is to get a better job, and college graduates earn more on average than nongraduates. ● College also provides many other benefits. These include becoming well educated, learning to think critically and communicate effectively, understanding the interconnections between different areas of knowledge and our place in history and the world, and understanding diversity. LO 1-2: Identify the basic principles of P.O.W.E.R. Learning ● P.O.W.E.R. Learning is a systematic approach people can easily learn, using abilities they already possess, to acquire successful habits for learning and achieving personal goals. ● P.O.W.E.R. Learning involves Preparation, Organization, Work, Evaluation, and Rethinking. ● To prepare, learners set both long-term and short-term goals, making sure that their goals are realistic, measurable, and under their control- and will lead to their final destination. ● They organize the tools they will need to accomplish those goals. ● They get down to work on the task at hand. Using their goals as motivation, expert learners also understand that success depends on effort. ● They evaluate the work they’ve done, considering what they have accomplished in comparison with the goals they set for themselves during the preparation stage. ● Finally, they rethink, reflecting on the process they’ve used, taking a fresh look at what they’ve done, and critically rethinking their goals. LO 1-3: Identify your learning styles and how they affect your academic success ● People have patterns of diverse learning styles- characteristic ways of acquiring and using knowledge. ● Learning styles include read/write, visual/graphic, auditory/verbal, and tactile/kinesthetic styles (the receptive learning styles). ● The multiple intelligences view says that we have eight different forms of intelligence, each relatively independent of the others. ● Personality styles that influence learning are classified along dimensions of introversion/extraversion, intuition/sensing, thinking/feeling, and perceiving/judging. ● Knowing your learning styles can help you identify the specific techniques that will allow you to master material in class and on the job most effectively. ● Learning theories explain the ways in which we learn. The three main perspectives are operant conditioning, cognitive, and classical conditioning approaches. Key Terms and Concepts Auditory/ verbal learning style Classical conditioning Critical thinking Evaluation Fixed mindset Grit Growth mindset Learning style Learning theory Left brain processing Long term goals Motivation Operant conditioning Power learning Read/Write learning style Receptive learning style renforcer Right brain processing Shot term goals tactile/ kinesthetic learning style visual/ graphic learning style