Theories
An illustrative, visual learning strategy that’s used to break down a theory into all of its subcategories.
Hierarchical Distribution
Can be done in different ways, but some techniques include underlining important words, circling definitions, writing key words and definitions in the margin, using symbols to identify important information, writing short summaries of the paragraph, writing questions, and indicating steps in a process by using numbers in the margin.
Annotating
A simple and effective learning skill in which a person spaces their studying out over multiple days or weeks.
Spaced Practice
Especially close to exam time, tutees can work with you to predict what kinds of questions might come up on their next exam.
Predict Test questions
Bread and butter learning strategy that has tutees learn how to compare two similar yet different theories.
Venn diagram
Involves pinpointing the main argument, identifying any assumptions made, and assessing the evidence presented. When the assumptions are identified, ask whether they are reasonable and if they should be supported by evidence. Then ask whether the evidence presented supports the argument and if it is from a trustworthy source.
Critical Thinking/Questioning
A learning strategy that promotes you to explain theories/concepts using as many details as possible and explaining theories/concepts in various ways. Then to continuously practice what you learned in your head and reading it off from your notes.
Elaborative Rehearsal
Working with the tutee, develop questions and answers to the questions! In your answer to the question, have one aspect of your answer be wrong. Some of these wrong answers should be obvious, but others should be made difficult.
Answers with a twist
A way of identifying important information from large blocks of text. Tutees learn to write down the main important aspects of a theory or concept.
Identify the Big Idea
Tutees can look for key words and clues in a question, reading text where the author gives clues needed to create an answer to the question, and asking themselves whether the answer they created conveys the author’s message. Requires background knowledge and only makes sense after reading the text.
Inferencing
Memory devices that help people to recall larger chunks of information. Especially good learning strategy for memorizing things like lists, characteristics, steps, parts, stages, phases, etc.
Mnemonics
When working with tutees, promote them and encourage them to study using different strategies intermittently while studying. Helps tutees to encode different kinds of information meaning that they will retain more information.
Interleaving
After giving the tutee a concept or theory, ask them to spend 1-3 minutes writing as much as they know about it.
One Minute Paper
Glancing over the chapter before diving into the reading. Then, read over a paragraph or a portion of the text. Once that portion has been read, then highlight key phrases making sure not to highlight too much or too little. The point is that the highlighted portion should be read by itself and still be understood. Also, write down questions related to the passage in the margins or on a piece of paper. If tutees have to look at the text to answer the question, this should be noted to indicate that it needs more reviewing. This step is also where you would take notes. Then summarizing the content, making connections and critically thinking.
P24
Involves combining words and visuals. Tutees can look at their lecture and textbook materials and find visuals, they can look at the visuals and explain in their own words what the visual is saying, or they can take information they are learning and draw their own visuals. The key is to keep the visualizations simple, otherwise the point of the visualization can get lost.
Dual Coding
Write terms on pieces of paper, a wall, a document, or the Zoom whiteboard. These words can include vocabulary, definitions, examples, illustrations, and question sets. On their own time, tutees can go through the terms/questions in any order, to practice their statistics skills.
Word wall
Tutee writes out all the concepts that they feel like they understand and could easily recall/recognize. They then write out all the concepts and theories that they feel they are unconfident with, don’t understand, or need more clarification on.
Clear Skies Muddy Waters
Involves examining the chapter and section titles, headings and subheadings; reading introductions, conclusions, abstracts and chapter summaries. Then thinking about the purpose of your reading and writing down questions as you read. One way to create questions is to turn headings and subheadings into questions. Then break the reading down into chunks and reading to answer the questions created. Lastly answering the created questions from memory and making note of questions that were difficult to answer.
SQ3R