Spring08: Study Tips for the semester

It was a slow day today (the semester does not officially start until next week, so the only students I am interacting with right now are the ones who are getting a head start). I did spend some time working on my Study Tips widget for this semester - it's HUGELY expanded over last year, and I am really happy with it.

Basically this is a widget that I use in the Desire2Learn Homepage space - every time the homepage loads, a study tip appears at random (created with the RotateContent.com tool). Last semester, I just had a few Study Tips but this semester I worked on expanding that into a more complete list and I am pretty happy with it - although hopefully I will think of even more things to add.

The key is that there is a little image with each one, too. The combination of images with text seems to be essential in reaching the students, and I feel really lucky teaching online that adding images to the text is something natural and easy to do!

So here are the Study Tips that I ended up with so far - some of them are specific to my class and its procedures, but some of the other tips might be useful ones for folks in general. Here they are ... I sure wish I could just use the javascript version here so you could see the "random" effect :-)

Make sure you use your RIGHT-MOUSE BUTTON (the Mighty Mouse power button!) when you click on links inside Desire2Learn, and then open the link in a new window or new tab. If you just click without choosing the new window option, the page will open inside Desire2Learn which will make it impossible to save the page as a favorite or see the webpage address.

During Weeks 1-14, You can get Early Bird Extra Credit for working ahead. If you finish the next week's Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday assignments, you get one point of extra credit. If you turn in the next week's Storybook assignment one week early, you get an extra credit point. You can do both "Early Bird" options each week, or do just one - it's all up to you.

Apply the 80% RULE when you are taking quizzes for these classes. In other words: don't stress about trying to get 100% on these quizzes. The quizzes are here to make sure you are ready to go on to the next activity. If you get 80% or better, you are ready to proceed. If you get less than 80% you need to go back and do the reading again (read more slowly, take notes) and take the quiz again, aiming for at least 80%.

We can all agree that English spelling is a nightmare - but you are still expected to try to spell correctly, and to USE A SPELLCHECKER, especially if you find English spelling difficult. If you have a few minutes to spare, you might want to play the Free Rice Game which can build your vocabulary while helping to do good in the world.

Learn how to use GOOGLE SEARCH TIPS. In order to get the best use out of Google, you should learn how to perform phrase searches and, most importantly, site specific searches with Google. Take a look at these Google Search Tips - especially the site-specific search tip. It will save you a lot of time and make your adventures on the Internet far more rewarding!

Did you know you can choose your D2L FONT SIZE, making it bigger or small as you prefer? Here are the instructions for changing your font size in Desire2Learn, and you can even get extra credit for learning how to do this, as one of the extra credit "Technology Tips" assignments. So, give it a try and see what font size works best for you!

Subscribe to the COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS BY EMAIL. There are daily announcements for this class, Monday through Friday. To subscribe to the class announcements, click on this link and enter your email address - and make sure you follow the instructions in the confirmation email that will be sent to you! After you subscribe, you will get the class announcements every day by email, letting you know what is happening in class that day.

There are many benefits to READING OUT LOUD. By combining the senses of sight and sound, you will remember much more of what you read. Reading out loud naturally slows you down, so you can notice the details. Although it takes longer to read out loud, you will save time in the long run, because you will actually retain what you read. Give it a try - you'll be amazed at how effective it is!

Free tutoring and help with your writing is available at the OU WRITING CENTER located in Bizzell Library. Drop-in tutoring is available, and you can find out about other Writing Center services at their website. So if you need help with punctuation, paragraphs or proofreading, stop in at the Writing Center and meet with a tutor - all at no charge!

Learn how to use GOOGLE DOCUMENTS. Although it is not a replacement for Microsoft Word, this web-based word processor is a fantastic tool for drafting your documents! You can work from multiple computers (access all your documents from the computers in Bizzell Library, for example) and it's easy to do a word count and a spellcheck. Share your documents, publish online - it's all possible with Google Docs!

If you find yourself working close to the deadlines, you need to be sure you know what the deadlines really are. It's a good idea to PRINT OUT THE WEEKLY TASK LIST so you can keep it handy and check off the tasks one by one as you complete them. Even better, you can work a few days ahead of schedule, and even get "Early Bird" extra credit for working one week ahead in class.

Everybody needs to USE A DICTIONARY when reading. There are lots of online dictionaries such as Dictionary.com or TheFreeDictionary.com, among others. You can get a dictionary plug-in for your browser (here's one for Firefox). Even if you already have an excellent vocabulary, you will learn a lot by looking up words to see shades in meaning or to learn about word origins!

You should always TAKE NOTES WHEN READING, especially if there will be a quiz afterwards. By taking notes, you can organize the information, emphasizing what is most important. The notes are then available for a quick review before the quiz, and for use during the quiz, too. In these classes, I don't just allow you to consult notes during the quiz - I strongly encourage you to do that!

You can work more quickly and effectively online by using KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS. In almost all programs the Control-C key allows you to copy highlighted text, and Control-V allows you to paste. Do you use Firefox? Here are the Firefox Keyboard Shortcuts. And remember: the right-mouse-button also gives you quick access to commonly used commands.

Don't be afraid to revise revise revise. Nothing you write is ever going to be perfect the first time around! After you publish a blog post, you may see something you need to fix, so make sure you know How To Edit a Blog Post After It's Published. Likewise, get ready to revise and edit your webpages, reading out loud to see how things sound, and fixing things that don't sound right. Webpages are always "under construction," after all!

You need to READ THE CLASS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVERY DAY. The Announcements are there to help you succeed in this class and to keep you posted about important events and information. If you have any questions after reading the Announcements, please get in touch with me - it's a big help when people let me know if something is missing or not clear!

Try to get AT LEAST SIX HOURS OF SLEEP each night if you can. Scientific studies have shown that sleep is essential for learning and memory. If you try to study while you are sleepy, you are probably not going to remember very much of what you learn! You may not feel like you have time for a good night's sleep, but the benefits in productivity the next day will save you time in the long run.

Customize your OU LIBRARY HOMEPAGE so that you can access the online resources that are the most useful for you, including many resources that are not available on the open Internet (such as Encyclopedia Britannica). OU pays a lot of money so that you can be able to use these private materials, but you have to log on to the Library website to access them. After you log on, customize your Library Homepage so the resources you use are just one click away!

Skimming is sometimes a good reading strategy - but it is a very poor reading strategy for directions. When you are faced with a new task, read the directions OUT LOUD to make sure you pay attention to every detail. You might also want to make a printed copy of the directions, so you can check off the steps as you complete them, one by one!