How to Learn Like A Pro
Phyllis Nissila, Lane Community College
Copyright Year: 2016
Publisher: Open Oregon Educational Resources
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution
CC BY
Reviews
I appreciate that there is a glossary provided at the beginning of each section. read more
I appreciate that there is a glossary provided at the beginning of each section.
A major limitation of this text is the section on learning styles. Many cognitive scientists agree there is no evidence that learning styles exist. Additionally, it lacks any in text citations and a works cited. Because of this, I have trouble believing information is accurate. For example, page 13 begins with “Studies indicate that up to 80%...” I would like to know what studies or what the source is for that information so that I can trust it as accurate. The same problem is repeated on page 15.
In order to make the quotes feel more relevant and credible, it might be helpful to include who the person is who is credited with the quote. For example, I am much more likely to take seriously a quote about learning being an important life skill if I know the person who said it was an educational consultant credited with mind mapping.
It's great that there is a glossary at the beginning of each unit, but sometimes abbreviations are used without defining the abbreviation. Additionally syntax is sometimes confusing.
Material seems consistent throughout.
Units are easily digestible. If anything, they are too short at times.
Not sure why “To the Student” is divided into 2 parts. Seems like it could be structured in a different way. The way the glossary of terms is presented is not reader friendly because of the first line indenting and lack of spacing between terms. It would be helpful if the terms were underlined, italicized, or some other way marked to stand out.
The exercises are useless to people outside the institution who do not have access to download the materials the unit exercises require. Examples of how to do assignments do not always provide clarity for how to do the assignment.
There are errors throughout. At times, the text uses the Oxford comma, which I appreciate; however, the use is inconsistent throughout the text. Other common errors include:
• Page iv: the parentheses around Bloom’s Taxonomy should go inside the period.
• Unit 1 “Terms” sections should include the period on the inside of the quotation marks (“do-ers.”). Same error repeated on page 12.
• Page 11: First sentence should be separated with a semicolon, not a comma because it separates two main clauses.
• Page 12: Article title should go in quotes.
• Page 12: Underlining is misspelled.
• Page 12: No comma needed after “device.” A better way to do that would have been to put the information in parentheses.
• Page 17: PowerPoint is misspelled.
• Page 18: Comma before a conjunction, even though it is not joining main clauses.
Welcome image is diverse. “To the Student, Part 2” references lots of different kinds of learners, specifically non-traditional students.
Some sections have a ton of open space on the pages, making those sections feel like they lack thoroughness. Some images feel very “clipart-y.”
The book covers many areas of learning and memory and gives a clear index and a handy glossary. read more
The book covers many areas of learning and memory and gives a clear index and a handy glossary.
The content contains no bias of any kind and I found it to be accurate when compared to other readings of similar topics.
The content is up-to-date and relevant, with some exceptions being of older studies cited. I believe it would be easy to insert newer studies/findings to supplement the current information.
With easy to follow text, simple yet complete explanations and a good definitions of technical terms, this book can be useful to a broad age group.
The text is consistent throughout the book and across referenced articles.
Each chapter is arranged in the form of lessons and each lesson has sub-topics that are internally consistent and complete in themselves. There would be no problem reorganizing the subtopics.
Please see above for organization.
There were no navigation problems and the reader can easily go to referenced articles.
I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors in the book.
The text is not culturally offensive in any way, but it may be useful in future to add more studies/articles on cultural aspects of learning and inherent biases in traditional IQ tests.
This book is very useful as a practical guide to improving learning at any stage of life. It provides not only a scientific background to learning and memory, but great tips to make school and college experience better. A succinct but comprehensive discussion of types of intelligence, how our world view shapes our learning, reasons we procrastinate, how memories form and how they are lost are just some of the interesting topics in this book. Exercises and extra-credit activities at the end of each topic reinforce the information, often in a fun and imaginative way. Practical tips put together by Lane Community College is an excellent handbook for better classroom comprehension, note-taking, understanding and recall of material. I plan to have my students in all classes make use of this guide.
Comprehensiveness-The book covers all of the topics that are to be taught in a Freshmen Seminar course but the book does not cover the topics in detail. The author tells the reader to click on several/certain sources for further information about... read more
Comprehensiveness-The book covers all of the topics that are to be taught in a Freshmen Seminar course but the book does not cover the topics in detail. The author tells the reader to click on several/certain sources for further information about topics, but does not include and expand upon the information from the article in her narrative. Thus, she seems to infer that the reader should decide what is important/essential information on the topic from the article.
Accuracy-The presentation was accurate and up to date.
Relevance-The material in this text is relevant. It is presented in a concise and organized matter. The information does have longevity. The book covers all of the topics currently taught in a Freshmen Seminar class and in my opinion will continue to be taught in college freshmen classes in order to help students excel as they adjust to their new institutions of higher learning. The discussed topics have been proven to bring about past success, current academic success, and will result in future academic successes involving personal growth and development. The presented topics have stood the test of time and will continue to stand the test of time in helping students to combat future fear and failure.
Clarity: A glossary of terms is provided for students to review. Key terms are defined in the text and are set off in red. This visual impact is essential and does its job. Every student knows that they will see the words printed in red again either in a test, a quiz, an in-class activity, a homework assignment, or as part of an extra credit assignment.
Consistency-The information presented is consistent. Dr. Phyllis Nissila takes us from the beginning to the end, building her prose in a logical manner that will lead to academic success and not academic suicide.
Modularity- Dr. Phyllis Nissila, the author, does an excellent job of dividing the information into smaller reading sections that can be used/assigned at different points. She also does a stellar job of dividing the midterm exam, the final exam, and extra credit assignments within her work.
Organization-There is an excellent building block format that has been incorporated in the book as it starts with introducing the student to learning styles (the basics). Once a student has identified their learning styles, the text directs the student to learning how to effectively study and manage time. When the task of effectively managing time has been mastered, students are directed to the next building block which focuses on reading to get the most out of textbooks. A student that reads to get effective information out of a textbook must learn to take excellent notes. Thus, the building block that follows next is effective note-taking. It is not enough for a student to take effective notes if they cannot commit the information in the notes to memory. Our writer then quickly follows with a unit on memory. The last block that is put in place addresses test anxiety.
Interface-The link in Unit 3, Exercise 2.3 entitled the Thematic Maps of the U.S. Census Bureau, Natural disaster Hurricane Katrina, Resource Maps represents pages that are no longer available.
Grammatical: There were no noticeable grammatical errors.
Cultural-The textbook is culturally sensitive.
Are they any other comments you would like to make about this book?
I. This book presents relevant information and topics that are vital to a Freshmen Seminar class. However, the book does not give enough detailed information about the topics. Important information from links that the reader is instructed to click would serve a better purpose if included in the text initially.
II. Some of the activity directions are not clear enough for readers/students to understand.
III. Overall, this is an excellent resource for incoming college freshmen to use in order to achieve academic success.
The book touches on a wide range of topics that my students, most of whom are in their first semester at community college, need to adjust to post-secondary study life. Students can determine how they learn and examine their self-efficacy, then... read more
The book touches on a wide range of topics that my students, most of whom are in their first semester at community college, need to adjust to post-secondary study life. Students can determine how they learn and examine their self-efficacy, then use that knowledge as they explore and apply study techniques. Study techniques for math and sciences are much less robust than the ones for the humanities and social sciences. For instance, Unit 3, Exercise 5.1 is just a link to a WikiHow article (what happens if that gets taken down or the link changes?). It’s a good article and a fine start, but I will need to supplement it with additional activities.
All the information is up-to-date and accurate. A lot of information on how to be an effective student is subjective based on students’ lives and educational history, and this book does a great job offering multiple perspectives to make the book useful for as many students as possible. I appreciate that many of the examples used include non-traditional college students, such as older adults or first-generation immigrants.
The majority of this information is evergreen and won’t become irrelevant in a traditional learning setting. In a few instances, the author flags information that could be updated soon. For example, in lesson 1.6 she lists nine intelligences and notes that more may be added soon, leaving open the possibility to stimulate discussion among students about which intelligences they might add. Other updates will be easy to implement.
The writing is clear and easily understandable for the most part. Sometimes the author switches to the first person (for example, stating “I am a kinesthetic learner”). This may be more effective in a text that uses more personal anecdotes to illustrate its points, or in a class where the author is also the instructor. Here, it feels a bit like a non-sequitur, although one that can be easily skipped.
However, some sections are in a style that, in my experience, can be challenging for ELL students. An example is Lesson 3.3, which uses humorous names like Stedman Nimblebody and taxidermy-related examples. This may lighten the mood and make examples more memorable for a native speaker, but ELLs tend to get hung up on the words they don’t understand. When using this book, I sometimes rewrite the exercises to avoid distracting elements and focus on meaning.
The terminology and framework is consistent throughout. The voice of the author is consistently encouraging and written at the level of an average native English speaker. The structure of the units is consistent as well. Short readings introduce more in-depth exercises and/or longer readings, which can be cherrypicked based on the needs and focus on the class.
The units and exercises can be used individually or in sequence. There are few large blocks of text without headings, so the parts are easy to pull out and rearrange as needed. The author clearly understands the particular needs of OER texts. The supplemental PDFs by Dan Hodges are not as modular and feature longer text blocks, but I have excerpted portions of them for use in class successfully. They do use headings to good effect and, in any case, are optional materials.
The chapters of the book are organized in a logical way. Students begin by learning about themselves and their learning styles. They can then apply this knowledge to learning strategies found in future chapters, or they can base it on whatever introductory material the instructor chooses if the class is organized in a more modular fashion.
The pattern used in numbering the exercises is not clear to me. Unit 3, Lesson 3.2 contains exercises 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3. These exercises are not directly connected. Perhaps a system like 3.2.1, 3.2.2, etc. would make more sense and help the user to locate exercises that become isolated from their chapters.
Broken links in Units 1 & 3. It’s a recently published book, so I’m surprised that it needs updating already.
Graphic organizers included in the back are functional but not attractive. I may be a snob, but I like materials to be appealing. I don’t want to give my students materials with Comic Sans font, and the colored-in shapes make the organizers harder to photocopy. I will probably recreate these in Canva, but even a little Microsoft Word know-how could make these nicer.
I did not find any grammatical errors.
The author includes exercises that take the diverse needs of non-traditional students into account, like older students or first-generation immigrants. Some of the exercises do use quirky names and professions (like Stedman Nimblebody the taxidermist) that are unnecessarily distracting for English language learners, but that is something that can be adapted.
I'm using this book in a class for ELL students, most of whom are in their first semester at community college. Study skills are not the primary focus of the class. Therefore, I am not using as many of the longer activities and writing exercises as are offered.
While all areas in the table of contents are addressed, the comprehensive accuracy of most topics is minimal. There are few attempts to tie any content to empirical research. Most of the areas are covered in an anecdotal and limited fashion. read more
While all areas in the table of contents are addressed, the comprehensive accuracy of most topics is minimal. There are few attempts to tie any content to empirical research. Most of the areas are covered in an anecdotal and limited fashion.
This book's content consistently lacks any form of reputable citations. For example, the author states, "Studies show..." or provides statistics on types of learners though omits any sources. Of the hyperlinked articles, many are wikiHow-type citations that lack substance. There are only a few outside sources linked to reputable and unbiased information. Gardner's Multiple Intelligence is oversold without sharing the the accurate limitations. The author suggests that students choose "Letter C" in multiple choice questions if they are unsure, as the author states that the letter "is more often than not the correct answer." Again, no citation or evidence is provided.
While many of the topics addressed are relevant to today's learner, most of the advice seems to be dated or disputed by empirical research. The text includes terms like "crabby" and "hunker down," which seem outdated. Some of the hyperlinks take the reader to sources 10+ years old. Minimal online resources/apps are identified.
Much of the content suffers from the overuse of commas and a non-fluid writing style. Some items are abbreviated without an explanation of the abbreviation. While some sample assignments are identified, no rubrics were provided.
Most of the content addressed in each lesson is accurately aligned to the lesson per unit.
The majority of the book's modularity were accurately divisible into readable chunks of information. There were minor and major spacing issues in some pages, which made reading difficult at times.
The majority of the text was organized into developmentally appropriate topics and sequencing. The author chose to start with big picture items (learning styles and preferences) first, then focused on more narrow topics such as note-taking and memory as the book progressed.
The majority of the book was confusing to navigate. Many links were not found at all. If the hyperlinks were underlined, in bold, or in a different color, much searching and potential frustration would be eliminated. There were consistent spacing issues, which were distracting to the reviewer.
There was an overuse of commas, inconsistent use of space and punctuation, and some misspellings throughout the text.
The book's cultural relevance lacked any major insensitivity and tried to include learners from different cultures, ages, and life experiences.
Unfortunately, I would not suggest this text to be the primary source for a course. The lack of empirical data, use of out-dated theories, and reliance on anecdotal information diminish its value. This text may serve as a source for someone looking to design a similar course, as the table of contents provides a generally solid variety of topics to discuss and some checklists could be helpful. However, for the actual content, I would suggest exploring current research rather than this book's information.
The book was easy to follow and helped by providing exercises to follow. read more
The book was easy to follow and helped by providing exercises to follow.
Content was accurate and accommodated all types of learners.
Information given is presented in an organized and up-to-date fashion. Anything that may reach the out-of-date market can easily be updated.
This book is written in a style that is easy to follow for students and teacher.
Each unit gives the topic, objective, materials needed, glossary, and a to-do list. I find that the book is very consistent.
The book is accessible to student learning and each unit is congruent to allow for teachers to access various teaching and learning elements.
The topics in the text are presented in a logical and clear fashion.
Could not navigate to the links provided, but may be because I downloaded the book into a print.pdf file.
There were a few grammatical errors, but not to the point where there is a major distraction.
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.
I found this book to be a good used book for First-time Freshmen to help them prepare for "College Life". Well used exercises and use of words.
Overall, the book was easy to follow with great exercises included. In my opinion, the intro to each chapter was too short and did not contain enough information. There were a lot of reference to other articles and materials, but they were not... read more
Overall, the book was easy to follow with great exercises included. In my opinion, the intro to each chapter was too short and did not contain enough information. There were a lot of reference to other articles and materials, but they were not made available in the library so it made it confusing at points. Other material should have references so they are easily accessible.
The book was accurate with great information. Sometimes the author referred to themselves a lot, which could be a useful resource, but without knowing much about the author it was hard to put some of the information into context. There were not many errors throughout the book.
I believe the content in the book can be used for many years to come. Some information may go out-of-date in a few years and needs to be updated, but overall it would be relatively easy to implement these updates.
The book had an easy flow and even included a glossary of terms. This is a great asset in the book. All material was explained clearly and written adequately.
The book was consistent with terminology and framework. The chapters are consistent with headings and subheading which helps avoid confusion and permit flow of the book.
The book is divided easily into chapters that are all consistent. Every chapter has the same type of structure and organized headings and subheadings.
The book is organized well by each chapter and section. It is easy to find what you are looking for within the book based on the table of contents.
The interface of the book has a few errors including stating there are articles or clickable links in the text that do not work. There is a lot of "white space" in the book that makes it distracting to read.
I could not find any grammatical errors. It flowed well and was easy to follow and understand.
The book is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It is not specific to races, eternities, and backgrounds leaving the lessons open to address any type of classroom.
I do not like the more specific lesson plans being included into the book, such as "check MOODLE for more details." These should be in a separate document so others using it can avoid confusion or having to clarify. Overall, I really like the exercise and lesson plan examples as there are many useful ones that can be used in any classroom.
The text covers most of the topics that would be appropriate for the subject area. It would be good to have a referenced bibliography after each chapter with Internet links if appropriate. An index in the back of the book would be easy to include. read more
The text covers most of the topics that would be appropriate for the subject area. It would be good to have a referenced bibliography after each chapter with Internet links if appropriate. An index in the back of the book would be easy to include.
I could discern no bias in the content of the book.
There are some updates on the topic of learning styles that the author may want to explore further. Basically, the student should adjust the learning style to favor the learning style of each instructor he/she has for each course. To do this, it would be helpful for students to analyze professors learning style as well as their own. This comparison/analysis would be a good critical thinking exercise.
Disciplinary literacy is the most current term for reading strategies. It assumes that each content course has a specific process and framework which leads to various ways to process the material.
One of the topics I would not use would be Locus of Control but most are relevant for this type of class.
The “running” glossary is helpful. See #8 “Interface.”
The chapters have a consistent framework, which makes this text clear to students and gives organization to instructors who may want to incorporate it into their classes or workshops. See #7. This also gives the topics in the text a good organizational flow.
The modular approach makes it easier for instructors to incorporate the text into their lesson plans or syllabus. I do plan on using this text instead of having students purchase a textbook or e-book. I will specifically have them use certain sections. I will edit the assignments to fit my course; many of them are relevant. I will also do readabilities on all of the articles referenced to make sure they are at an appropriate level for my developmental students.
The organization seems to follow the topical sequence of most study strategies textbooks.
The topic is "disciplinary literacy" could be explored further.
Some of the links lead to sites that are cluttered with other images and advertisements. The author may want to search for different sites to use.
The links need to be checked after each semester and each chapter needs to have links checked prior to assignments. The link for the Ted Talk on “Listening” does not work. https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better?language=en#t-440931
This is an ongoing dynamic endemic to all online platforms.
There is an excellent website out there called www.howtostudy.org that I often use because it suggests study strategies for many subjects. As an ongoing discussion assignment I have students search the web for good articles, tips, YouTubes, and other Internet resources for each topic in the discussion. That way students can add fresh material to their inventory of resources.
There are some grammar/spelling errors. I noted some run-on sentences. Check that voice is consistent (first, second, third person). For example in exercise 1 in Chapter 1.1, "underlining" is spelled incorrectly. The author might want a friend to edit before downloading/uploading into the book.
The text is not offensive or culturally insensitive. However, don’t forget the perspectives and skills of your current students. To strengthen cultural relevance, you could have your international students create some case studies from their point of view. If you get their permission, you could include them in your course too.
• Strengths include the humor, inclusion of Ted Talks, YouTubes, charts, pictures, and clip art.
• Many of the assignments are creative. Optional assignments and extra credit is helpful. The case studies that are included give the students practice in analysis. (Exercise 4.2 Part B for instance)
• The inclusion of objectives and outcomes for each chapter is excellent.
• The portfolio projects are appropriate and rubrics for Units 1-2 and 4-6 give credibility to the objectives.
• The licenses for this book give a lot of flexibility for instructors to incorporate some of the material into their existing classes.
• I would like to suggest a “scaffolding” approach to the assignments. The assignments could progress from easier to more difficult in each chapter. Doing a readability level on the readings would facilitate this. My concern is that some of the readings assigned were of a more difficult level.
• The instructor refers to “Moodle.” Since there are other software platforms out there (CANVAS, D2L) it may be better call Moodle “software platform you are using.”
• Adding a “discussion” assignment on the software platform builds a community of learners. It would not take much to re-configure the assignments to include this for each chapter.
I found the textbook an excellent resource for students returning to formal education. Even those who may be interested in graduate studies will find the textbook a refresher. It is an easy read and somewhat entertaining. read more
I found the textbook an excellent resource for students returning to formal education. Even those who may be interested in graduate studies will find the textbook a refresher. It is an easy read and somewhat entertaining.
I found NO discrepancies in the textbook.
As a refresher, the textbook will be easily updated with evolving hyperlinks. However, it should be noted that the authors implemented suggestions from previous reviews to embed hyperlinks for easier access.
I found the textbook to be easy to read and somewhat entertaining!
I found that the terminology, language, and framework were consistent throughout the text.
This reviewer found that it is not necessary to follow the textbooks order, especially if other topics or resources are used to supplement instruction.
This reviewer found that the topics were in a logical order. Students will be able to move through the textbook sequentially or randomly, if used as a reference source.
There were NO interface issues. The reviewer used Chrome on an older desktop Mac without an issue. There were no distortions of images and the text was easy to read. Also, the related links were easily accessed.
I found no glaring grammatical issues with the textbook that would impede a reader engaging with the content.
Given the various scenarios presented, students may ‘find themselves’ in some or similar scenarios presented in illustrations within the textbook.
From the table of contents to the last word, this covers everything I cover in my college success courses and more. From Learning Styles analysis to Test Taking techniques, this covers needed information for new college students and those... read more
From the table of contents to the last word, this covers everything I cover in my college success courses and more. From Learning Styles analysis to Test Taking techniques, this covers needed information for new college students and those returning to an academic environment.
All chapters and activities appear accurate and familiar. Memory, for example, includes not only lecture on Mnemonics but also has detailed activities based on the information. No bias is detected in this text. It is clear of glaring errors.
Considering that i have been in this business of college success for well over 20 years now at 3 institutions I would say that this information remains relevant to student success in college. The presentation and activities in this particular book refresh these ideas and make them relevant to students in college now.
Definitions are used throughout the book- like a running glossary, that gives students immediate clarification. I think its effective to answer these types of questions immediately so that the student can move on in the text. Allowing them to do this alleviates the need for them to stop everything and move to the back of the book for clarification.
Terminology remains consistent throughout and more notable, the framework of this text remains the same. After a rhythm in established for the student it becomes something they can depend on from chapter to chapter.
As mentioned before, the framework of the book is conducive to breaking up blocks and reassigning in different areas. Although he flow of this book makes sense , it is possible to break things up dependent of an individual instructors plan. In addition, the page layouts are pleasing to the eye and to the senses. This makes it much more likely that the reader will continue to be interested through the assigned reading and on to the activity.
The structure has a nice flow to it and each chapter lends itself to the next. It makes sense that this text opens with learning styles and moves into the art of study skills. We first must learn about ourselves in order to have a place to start with all the tools we will receive in the rest of the textbook.
No distortion or issues with navigation or display features.
The text contains no grammatical errors that I can see. It is well written with academics and new students in mind. This is important when we are talking about students new to college. Academic speak can be overwhelming and easing them in will likely leave them wanting to know more as opposed to sending them running away because they dont feel they belong based on the language and culture of college.
Equity and inclusion is evident in this text. No overt, offensive examples are offered and it makes use of a wide variety of examples representative of multicultural backgrounds of student readers.
I was surprised at the fresh perspective on these tried and true college study skills strategies. This is exactly what instructors need to stay fresh and keep their classes relevant. New perspectives and activities that reflect the students as they are now and not as they were 15-20 years ago. I learned a lot and will use it all.
There are many theories that are touched upon but not elaborated or properly referenced. I understand that for a Freshman class that perhaps this is not important to fully explain each theory, however in several places the book falls short. In... read more
There are many theories that are touched upon but not elaborated or properly referenced. I understand that for a Freshman class that perhaps this is not important to fully explain each theory, however in several places the book falls short. In many places it would be beneficial to the student or other instructors that use this text to expand on the theory or give a link to allow further exploration of the theory.
At times the book simplifies various perspectives and theories that the information is almost inaccurate. Statements are made through out the book that are hunches by the author rather than true findings from evidence based research. There are so many studies on learning that are based in science and evidence based that it would be important to include this information or limit the generalizations/hunches to ensure that students are understanding the content.
The information is organized in a way that would make it easy to be updated and relevant. There are a few areas in the textbook that does not feel up-to-date. For example, learning styles. There is much debate on learning styles and if they are really a style or a learning preference.
The book is written clearly with an accessible prose that would be welcomed by students just starting their schooling. Humor is used in several places, which can be good to be accessible. There is limited technical jargon or terminology used.
The book is consistent.
The modularity of the book makes the book accessible to student learning. The subunits would allow for instructors to access various teaching and learning elements.
The organization and flow of the book is presented in a logical and clear fashion.
There are limited interface issues with the text.
There are a few grammar errors. There are run on sentences, but the way the book is written is to sound conversational rather than academic.
The book is not culturally insensitive or offensive.
This book would be good for a Welcome to College or class that helps to prepare students for learning. The book is tailored to a particular school but could be a good guide for other schools to use.
The book addresses a range of topics which might be particularly relevant to undergraduate students. More specifically, it addresses learning styles, time management/organization, reading skills, listening/note-taking skills, memory, and... read more
The book addresses a range of topics which might be particularly relevant to undergraduate students. More specifically, it addresses learning styles, time management/organization, reading skills, listening/note-taking skills, memory, and test-taking skills. These topics reflect some of the core skills that will be required of many learners. If the book is designed for new/inexperienced students, then it is wise that the book was limited to approximately 200 pages.
Overall, the book describes the terms and concepts accurately. In reference to some concepts (e.g., Gardner’s intelligences), the author makes good use of visual tools such as diagrams, lists and photos. These tools are economical (in providing a lot of information in a small space). In addition, the author provides many suggestions for how readers can make applied use of the concepts (e.g., listening skills).
The major topics (e.g., learning styles, time management, listening skills) are relevant to many types of students in a variety of settings (e.g., community colleges, traditional universities, online programs). If students did not receive sufficient training in learner skills prior to entering college, then it can be difficult to know the operationalization of such skills (e.g., how to take notes efficiently). Thus, such a textbook overcomes the problem of generic advice (e.g., “just study harder”; “don’t waste time”) which does not give students a reasonable degree of guidance. However, the book is somewhat outdated in its examples. It appears to place too much emphasis on paper-based tools/activities (e.g., using paper notecards or 3-ring binders). The book would benefit by an integration of technology-based tools (e.g., online calendars, memory enhancement apps).
Within specific portions such as paragraphs or subsections, the writing is clear. Overall, the text is written in a conversational tone, often referring to the student as “you” (e.g., “You have already gleaned much information on how to adapt a learning environment for this kind of learner from the previous readings and exercises in this unit. Now, take a look at one special environment designed primarily for hands-on learning, and complete the exercise below”). This tone might support a mentoring dynamic in entry-level courses for new learners (e.g., freshman, first generation, nontraditional).
The book introduces multiple frameworks and many terms to the readers. Definitions are provided frequently for the terms. The use of terminology is generally consistent within a subsection, but there is little extension/carry-over into other sections. Given the format of the book (in addressing multiple learning skills), the lack of extension might not be inherently problematic.
Given that the book focuses on discrete learning topics/skills (e.g., listening, note-taking, test-taking), the material could be (a) re-ordered or (b) subdivided in a variety of ways. The book does not appear to be based in a tiered/scaffolding approach (e.g., students have to achieve competence in one skill before proceeding to the next unit). Thus, instructors would have a good degree of flexibility in how they sequence or utilize the material.
The book appears to be grounded in a specific course at one college/university (Effective Learning [EL115] at Lane Community College). This is not inherently problematic, but the book relies upon information which is not available in the book. For example, the author identifies that a material which the readers will need for some units is the course syllabus. However, it is not evident that the entire syllabus is listed in the book. Rather, the author wrote “Course Syllabus: NOTE: this will be linked on the course MOODLE site. Consult instructor”. It is true that the author listed the “Course Objectives and Outcomes” in the book, but other syllabus elements are not evident. Thus, it is unclear whether the readers are missing essential information. In addition, the book is poorly constructed in identifying the content intended for instructors [e.g., teaching tips, activity resources] and students. In this context, it is quite concerning that students/inexperienced instructors will not know how to delineate the book’s content into a meaningful and coherent structure for them.
This reviewer did experience an interface problem. On Page 75, the book listed a series of clickable tools for graphic organizers for various paper formats (e.g., persuasive paper, definition paper). When the reviewer clicked on each of the icons, he/ze/she was taken to the exact same website. The website listed 14 tools on the homepage. However, none of the tools clearly matched the paper format topic. In addition, several tools addressed unrelated topics (e.g., “Beginning Excel”, “Hydraulics and Electrical Control of Hydraulic Systems”, “Forest Management”). The website does not offer any explanation as to (a) how these tools are relevant to the paper formats and/or (b) where the actual paper information can be located. The reviewer made multiple attempts to use the clickable tools and was always redirected to the same website. This interface issue could be very distracting or confusing for the readers.
Within a paragraph or section, the grammar is adequately accurate. Across paragraphs or sections, there are multiple grammatical inconsistencies. For example, the author frequently switches among third person plural (e.g., “students”), third person singular (e.g., “the student”), first person plural (e.g., “we”) and second person singular (e.g., “you”) nouns/pronouns. If the author is focused on some degree of professional skills (e.g., her book title, “Learn Like a Pro!”), then she should demonstrate appropriate grammatical use for the readers.
This book demonstrates a very low level of cultural relevance. This book has an illustration of racially/ethnically diverse individuals on Page 7, however there is no substantive text about cultural factors. For example, the authors don’t address how collectivistic or individualistic cultural orientations might influence learning styles/techniques. In addition, the majority of case studies/examples within the book lack a clear cultural identification. When it is identified (e.g., Tran from Vietnam), there are questions about the degree to which culture/ethnicity is described in a stereotypical manner.
No.
The book was organized extremely well with each chapter builidng on the next. read more
The book was organized extremely well with each chapter builidng on the next.
Content was accurate, current, and accomodated all types of learners and ages of learners.
There were many links to additional information that could easily be updated if needed. Much of the information was foundational and information that will not become obsolete (such as Gardner's Multiple Intelligences)
The text is presented in an easy to read manner. With each chapter presented in the same format, it was not overwhelming or difficult to go through each chapter.
The book is very consistent as far as how each chapter presents information starting with focus points, objctives, materials needed, terms and even a to-do list.
It is easy for the reader to go back to previous chapters or forward to new chapters and because the chapter information is presented in a consistent manner, it is easy to follow.
The structure, organization and flow of the text is excellent making it easy for the reader to follow and use. I appreciated the shading (or use of color) to designate the exercises. Spacing between sections was done nicely.
The links that I chose to open led directly and easily to the designated information. Charts, pictures, and "clip art" choices added interest and enhanced the book for the reader.
No grammatical errors were observed.
There were some comments for "international students" which would assist students out of the U.S. Examples were culturally appropriate.
I was pleasantly surprised with this textbook. I found it exceptually easy to read and follow from chapter to chapter. One of the best features of this text is the exercises which are creative and accommodate all kinds of learners (visual, auditory and kinesthetic). From watching TED talks, to creating a YouTube video, to creating cartoons, the text presented a variety of ways for students to demonstrate what they learned. I also appreciated the section for Instructors with "optional assignments and activities and extra credit." Including the rubric for the portfolio was excellent. I would say that the text is user friendly for both students and instructors
How to Learn like A Pro! was written for students enrolled in Lane Community College’s EL115 course. It's an introductory text appropriate for high school students or new-to-college students who are encountering academically rigorous training and... read more
How to Learn like A Pro! was written for students enrolled in Lane Community College’s EL115 course. It's an introductory text appropriate for high school students or new-to-college students who are encountering academically rigorous training and coursework for the first time. A partial glossary of terms appears at the beginning of each unit, however, I could find no comprehensive glossary or index in the PDF version of the book. The Table of Contents is relatively detailed.
Accuracy of content is difficult to gauge. The author's approach to the subject matter is conversational and anecdotal rather than empirical. For example, in Unit Two's discussion of procrastination, she claims "[s]ome people just seem to be born organized. The remaining 95% of the population* need help, especially when it come to organizing time!
*This is not a scientific percentage, just a hunch."
The text is written to reassure new college students that they are not alone, that learning difficulties may arise from variations in learning styles rather than character flaws, that help is on the way. The author's optimistic opinions pepper the tome. Editorializing is common.
The book links to articles and sources typically written more than ten years ago. Dead links proliferate. Errors and omissions could be remedied by the author. An update may be in order.
The book's tone is conversational and easy to read. Glossary terms are defined explicitly at the beginning of each unit.
The text is relatively consistent, though certain segments of this student handbook are written explicitly for instructors.
The text is easily parsed and its segments divisible. Sample lesson plans are available and different sections can be taught independently.
The topics flow logically from one to the next, beginning with self-understanding, continuing with expanding learning capacities and ending with specific studying and test-taking tips.
I reviewed the PDF version of the book, and some of my objections may be limited to the PDF version alone. The book's interface was problematic for me. Glossary terms were not set in bold. Links were not set off with underlining or hypertext. Many of the hyperlinks do not connect properly. Grammar, punctuation, graphic design and page layouts are disorganized. Graphics, pictures, and photos are little more than clip art. (I spent ten years in page design and so for me, layout deficiencies were distracting. Other readers may feel differently.)
The text contains occasional grammatical errors. Prepositions dangle. Once in a while an awkward turn of phrase ruins a perfectly lucid sentence. Punctuation is distracting, especially when sources are cited or linked. (Often the links don't work.)
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. It takes pains to be inclusive and to make use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
The tone of the book was perpetually upbeat. I have no doubt that the author is an effective teacher of the subject matter.
The book is not academically rigorous, but the author obviously wants the best for her students. Parts of the book (particularly the test-taking strategies in Unit 6) will likely find a place in the New to College course that I teach.
For all that must be accomplished in the first year success type of course, this book fits the requirements I have of relatively short, adaptable to variety of formats - online courses, full or half semester and provides coverage of all the major... read more
For all that must be accomplished in the first year success type of course, this book fits the requirements I have of relatively short, adaptable to variety of formats - online courses, full or half semester and provides coverage of all the major areas to equip students will the awareness and exposure to college level expectations. Sure, it could have more depth, but to be honest, in this type of course, I prefer to work in practicing and reflection, and this text does that.
I though the CH 3 on Reading was a little thin and could have been developed a bit more either with additional practice exercises or discussion of specific types of reading. Only barely a few sentences on reading for science? The is so much to visual rhetoric in science texts! Ch. 4 - did not mention or show different note taking examples - or pros/cons of different approaches. I liked the listening section - that was well done. Ch. 5 was very light in my opinion, from what i could be.
The activities provided throughout made this a very practical book which is very important for this type of course.
CH. 1, 2 and 6 were appropriately developed for this type of text. I think more development was needed for CH. 3, Reading and 4 on Notetaking and much more on Memory.
The major challenge I has was in the first unit on learning styles and multiple intelligences- relative to accuracy. There has been more recent scholarship and review of these perspective that are not included. There may be preferences or patterns but students should be cautious about fixed understanding of their learning. While valuable, I question the author's devoting the time to these theories without fully vetting them or providing more that cursory mention of come controversy around learning styles.
I would be concerned that the embedded links stay consistently checked for availability. The text is certainly adaptable to expansion.
I really appreciated the objectives and student outcomes. The text is written clearly, accessible for the first year student without jargon or terms that could be a turn-off to reading. This type of course students can sometime not take all that seriously, so a more relaxed tone and simpler prose is welcome.
Nothing noted in terms of lack of consistency.
This text does the modules particularly well, both in terms of length and visually. It was easy to navigate to all parts of the text - something I have noted is not always to easy with online texts.
Logical ordering of topics. Well-structured within each chapter, including activities and assignments. The order makes sense for a traditional first year course.
Just a work on accessibility with regards to colors, for students who might be colorblind, some of the headings in different colors might not work so well.
I think most files open to a new window. however the thumbnails do not and then it is easy to close the window and lose the book.
Nothing noted as problematic. This was geared to be relatable to student audiences and not written for depth and academic levels demanding more specified vocabulary.
World view discussion was a not well explained in this context of cultural relevance. What about encountering ideas different than your own? I found nothing insensitive. However, just a concern about assumptions, "Most students entering college have not yet dealt with the level of difficulty involved in reading–and comprehending–scholarly textbooks and articles." This type of statement focuses on the negative assumption. What about just stating that college level reading can be nuanced, complex and difficult, requiring high level of effort to comprehend.
What I liked most about this text was how helpful it would be for a graduate student or first time teacher for this course to have the basic information for a success skills course so well organized and including sufficient support with activities and assignments to have a complete course. There is plenty of opportunity to springboard from this text to supplement for deeper level work on some concepts as needed.
I appreciated the inclusion of handouts such as the graphic organizers in 2.4
This book gives an introduction to many topics related to study skills and effective learning strategies. There is a balance between text, outside links and activities to engage students in each topic. Although this source does not cover each... read more
This book gives an introduction to many topics related to study skills and effective learning strategies. There is a balance between text, outside links and activities to engage students in each topic. Although this source does not cover each topic in depth, it does provide an accessible amount of information for students to start with and instructors could add to the coverage of topics as they desire. Glossary of terms included throughout the resource.
The source refers to a variety of learning strategies, theories and content that is relevant, but is not thorough in citing sources. The instructor is clearly experienced, however, and provides many examples, discussion prompts and activities that I believe students would find interesting and applicable to the learning environments they encounter. I did not find any errors that were distracting to my engagement with the content.
The content is very organized and students know what to expect in each module. Objectives are outlined and terms defined. All of this will make updates easy to maintain. However, all of the outside links that are incorporated may make upkeep of the resource a challenge.
I enjoyed the conversational tone of the resource. The instructor knows how to speak to students in a manner that is interesting and engaging. Because of this the text is accessible and I believe students would enjoy reading it. The text is not full of jargon or technical terms that are undefined. Examples are included and relevance is explained.
The text is consistent and clearly organized. There is specific instructions given to both instructors and students which is helpful. Each section includes an outline of the objectives and students are directed to focus on the learning goals of each section through the activities and links provided. There is a balance between text, graphics, links and examples that allows students to connect with the information in a variety of ways.
The resource is divided into 6 clear sections so it is easy to follow. Students will not be overwhelmed by each section as the text, activities and examples are divided up into manageable chunks. Visually students will see beginning and ending points to the activities or reading sections. The resource allows for stopping points so students don't get lost in the content. There are many points at which an instructor could pull in the activity responses, etc. to class to launch a good discussion in a classroom setting or online discussion board.
The organization is clear and easy to follow. The glossary of terms would be helpful for second language learners to review before launching into each new topic.
The interface is accessible and I did not have problems navigating the material. However, there are many outside links that may prove challenging for students to access over time or with limited internet access. You do have to do a lot of scrolling through the material. The graphics and photos all seemed intentional.
There were a few minor errors, but none that took away from the meaning of the content or overall presentation of the resource.
I found the resource to be relevant and inclusive of a variety of situations and potential viewpoints. I did not notice any glaring bias or insensitivity.
I believe many students who would benefit from the content of this resource. It encourages students to reflect on how they learn and how they can improve many skills related to learning effectively in a college environment. It asks students to be proactive and to take responsibility for their learning goals. This is information that would help to create a good foundation for students to work from - especially if they struggle with things like organizational skills, test anxiety, reading comprehension, etc. There are extra credit opportunities provided within the resource which some instructors may appreciate, but others who don't use extra credit may want to turn into actual required activities or not use at all.
While it would be impossible to cover ALL the learning theories available, the book does a decent job of summarizing some of those most commonly referenced by the average person. The author covers different perspectives of learning, addresses... read more
While it would be impossible to cover ALL the learning theories available, the book does a decent job of summarizing some of those most commonly referenced by the average person. The author covers different perspectives of learning, addresses things that get in the way of learning, and offers suggestions about organizing information to aid in learning. There is a great deal of information included. The information is surface-level but can help build a good foundation for students who are transitioning into college and developing critical skills for learning.
There really isn't much research available (if any) to support the learning modalities, or similar categorizations, of being indicators of certain students being better able to learn in certain ways in all contexts. The 'types' are, however, good for encouraging students to practice more meta-cognitive behaviors as they think about the ways in which they learn and inspiring teachers to create more dynamic lessons that engage all the ‘styles’. I think too much credence is given to the learning modalities early in the book. Also, some links go to Wikipedia as opposed to a more research-based source.
Some of the links are more than 10 years old, but the book could be easily updated as new information becomes available. The images are very dated and/or uninteresting. I have heard students comment before about other texts, that the material must be outdated because the pictures are so old and then they don’t consider it valuable information.
Vocabulary words are defined and examples are given. Based on the language and complexity, it was written for the intended audience of high school or first-year college student. Links and suggestions for more information are included, however, some links are broken.
I struggled a little with the consistency, although some sections are labeled "to the instructor" I wasn't always sure to whom the author was speaking; me, as the instructor, or the student.
The book is divided into easily digestible sections that could be taught together or independently. There is a Table of Contents with well-labeled sections, making information in the book easy to find. However, most information requires linking to another resource, many of which could not be found.
The topics are presented in a logical path beginning with understanding of self. The rest of the text covers a range of behaviors that support capacity for learning, ranging from broadly applicable time-management techniques to more specific test taking strategies.
I had several problems with the interface and I know that would be a huge turn-off for my students. Depending on the format I chose, the appearance was completely different. The downloaded PDF was really hard to read, there were formatting problems, multiple blank pages, and the images were oversized and blurry. When I switched to a different browser, I was able to read a much cleaner version in the browser itself (necessitating that the student is connected to the internet while completing assignments). There are multiple references to the author’s college and the pre-packaged assignments that could be confusing out of context. Finally, there are references to links that I couldn’t find and links that do not go where they should have.
There are minimal errors with punctuation and numbers in text. The informal language is appropriate for the audience and content.
The text is culturally respectful, including a) a list of meanings that is available for ESL/International learners who may not be familiar with American idioms b) case studies representing multiple cultures and situations c) acknowledgement of non-tradition (older) students
I knew that the book was not going to be an exact match for my needs, but I had hoped to use it as an additional resource. I am worried that it would be hard for me to separate out the parts that I want my students to focus on, because of the assignments included in text, references to another campus, and number of links involved.
That being said, I think is a nice, uncomplicated overview that would work well for a first year experience course. It is modular and the activities offer students opportunities to practice skills that they can later apply to their learning. Many of the problems I have with the text can be addressed and remedied by the instructor during class.
How to Learn Like a Pro! covers all the topics needed for a first-time college student to be successful. The way each chapter is organized makes it easy to navigate the book and the topics. The book really highlights all the necessary information... read more
How to Learn Like a Pro! covers all the topics needed for a first-time college student to be successful. The way each chapter is organized makes it easy to navigate the book and the topics. The book really highlights all the necessary information needed for someone who is just starting their educational journey. I found the topics to be right on point and relevant for the student population it will be serving. To many, this book might seem basic but when you think about the students who will be involved in the text and the assignments, you will see it makes perfect sense in the way it is set up and the topics it covers. For many of the students who will be using this book, the topics will also be discussed in other courses they will be taking, which is a great way to really reinforce these important concepts.
From my experience in teaching a course much like the one this book is intended for, I found the content to be very accurate and free of biases. I did not notice any errors in the content.
The topics presented are ones that won’t need to be updated as they are timeless and their relevancy will never be outdated. The book covers topics such as Learning Styles, Time Management, Critical Thinking, Listening and Note Taking, Memory, and Test Taking. If there were updates that needed to be made, they would be easy and straightforward to make and would still implement the topics in a relevant way.
As stated before, when looking at the population that will be using this book, the context in which terminology is presented is very adequate. Terms that are used in each unit are listed at the being of the unit along with definitions in order to help students as they read and apply each lesson. I found each unit to be presented in a clear and concise manner.
The framework is consistent throughout the book. The author follows the same format for each unit, which makes it easy to read. The units each include an overview of the topic, objectives, materials needed, a list of terms and a to-do list. The to-do list includes exercises that are assigned in each lesson. It also has a note at the end of each unit especially for instructors, which includes optional assignments/activities/extra credits opportunities for that unit.
What is nice about this book is it is broken up into six different units and within those units, it is broken up even more. For example, unit one is about learning styles and the unit is broken down into small topics within learning styles. For example, you will have Lesson 1.1: The Three Learning Styles, Lesson 1.2: Visual Learning, Lesson 1.3: Auditory Learning, Lesson 1.4: Kinesthetic Learning, Lesson 1.5: The Brain Dominance Theory and Lesson 1.6: Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory. What is nice is each lesson has a small reading and then an exercise that follows. It is easy to pull different lessons out of this book and use them in other classes.
The organization of this text book is very clear and it flows perfectly. I taught a course in Effective Learning last year and all the topics that are presented in this book are what I touched on and in the same order. The structure is set up so it starts by talking about how we learn and our learning styles in chapter one and ends by talking about test taking. All the units flow into each other and none of them seem out of place.
As part of the lessons you have to link to another website. It took me a long time to figure out how to do this as the link is part of the text, but it is not highlighted or underlined. Other than this, I found the images and charts to be very colorful and visually pleasing to look at. I really didn’t see anything that distracted me from the reading.
I did not find any grammatical errors in the text.
I didn’t find the book to have anything that I would say is culturally insensitive. You can tell it is aimed at community college students who come from all kinds of backgrounds. I think she does a good job of trying to capture as much diversity as possible in the text.
I really appreciate the time the authors put into this book. I wish I would have known about it last year when I was teaching an Effective Learning course as it would have been really helpful. I have found that I am able to use a lot of this material in my college reading course and I have found that students really enjoy the lessons and the activities that accompany them.
The book is aptly named and is designed to help readers learn effectively, or like a pro. It is a useful resource for first-time college students, specifically those at a community college or in developmental education courses. Critical skills... read more
The book is aptly named and is designed to help readers learn effectively, or like a pro. It is a useful resource for first-time college students, specifically those at a community college or in developmental education courses. Critical skills such as time management, note taking, test taking, studying techniques, and reading comprehension are covered in an easy to read style. It does not provide an in-depth look at theory, but as the title states, that is not necessarily the purpose. Each chapter starts with an introduction and provides sample learning exercises. It clearly outlines what a typical quarter or term would consist of, including curriculum, weekly activities and projects. However, many of the examples and topics are covered with outside resources and links which could prove problematic. It would be possible though to use only the chapters or ideas deemed pertinent or to use specific lessons without causing too much confusion for students. An index is included, as well as a helpful glossary of terms.
The content seems to largely be based on the author’s own years of experience instead of empirical research. However, with over 30 years teaching the targeted audience it is apparent she has knowledge and insight to share. Students who have previously struggled in school or who are apprehensive about college may find the easy-to-read writing encouraging. However, a lack of in-text citations makes it difficult to verify sources and sets a poor precedent for students. The text has a few spelling errors, but there are not so many as to distract.
The topics covered are relevant for today. The text wonderfully addresses many challenges students face, but fails to discuss some current practices and theories. I would have liked fixed and growth mindsets, as well as grit to be discussed. It also would be helpful to have considered additional online learning activities. The use of outside resources will require regular reviews to ensure the text remains up-to-date.
The text uses clear language and for the most part avoids technical words or acronyms without explaining them. The informal writing style is appropriate for the intended audience.
The terminology, language, and framework were consistent throughout the text.
The book is presented in six topics, and includes a mid-term and final project. The author shares her thought process on the order of the chapters, but it is not necessary to follow the textbooks order. Especially if other topics were to be introduced separate from the book.
The topics are presented in a logical, organized and clear fashion with a pattern in each chapter that students would find helpful. I might present them in a different order to better fit the needs of the students being served. It is nice the book is structured in a way so it can be adapted to each instructor’s preferences.
As mentioned previously the use of hyperlinks can be cumbersome. This has the potential to be a challenge for students. Marking these more clearly would be helpful. Some of the images and activities were oddly placed and difficult to follow.
There are few grammatical errors.
This book covers diverse populations, especially non-traditional students, and considers many different scenarios found on college campuses. However, it should be noted this is a quickly changing population.
I would consider using this text for my college success class. I would most likely supplement and/or substitute certain chapters, but this is a terrific place to start. I appreciate the author’s time and sharing her vast array of experience.
The book covers topics superficially, without any depth or reference to theory. The book selectively chooses just a few random strategies to include. A lot of the content is incorporated just through links to external websites. I would be... read more
The book covers topics superficially, without any depth or reference to theory.
The book selectively chooses just a few random strategies to include.
A lot of the content is incorporated just through links to external websites. I would be very worried that these website resources would change or move and no longer be accessible.
The author misses many countless and effective strategies for improving learning.
The author promotes folk theories and ideas that have been proven false through systematic empirical research. Additional ideas are presented so simplistically that they ultimately end up being inaccurate. The author further mixes together theoretically different ideas together in a mish-mash of inaccuracies. In other cases, the author plays fast and loose with facts, even making up her own. For example, the author states a figure (95% of people) only to later state that this value is just a "hunch" rather than empirically true.
I feel like about half of the author's statements are completely made up from her own specific intuitions, rather than research and theory.
The author does not cite her sources, so it is impossible to judge the credibility of their statements.
The author links to external websites which can have changing levels of accuracy and evolving content (like wikipedia).
I don't think this has longevity, as much of the content is just linked to on external websites, which would be very hard to update (or may be moved or changed without the author knowing).
The author uses complex sentences that I had a hard time parsing. The author uses acronyms without explicitly defining them.
The author tries to present material (too) simplistically, so most jargon and technical terminology is explicitly avoided.
I think the text is consistent.
The author presents six different units, which could be studied independently. Further, the first three units are designed to have an exam after them, so they are complete without the second six units.
There is some slight overly self-referential aspects to the book. For example, students are required to "annotate" throughout the book, but what that entails is only defined early in the book.
I was not sure why the book was organized in the way it was. It seemed haphazard how the text moved from one idea to the next.
Terms are defined at the start of each unit, but the definitions run together and are hard to parse. The book references links which do not exist in this interface. Other times, I would stumble upon a link to a website, but these links were not marked. Given the prominence that web links play in this text, I think they need to be marked more clearly (or the external resources could be included in this text too).
On page 81, it says : "Click on the thumbnail for a full-size view" multiple times, but there are no thumbnails.
The book is written as one might spontaneously talk. Grammar is not a top priority of this friendly style of writing. Words are used improperly and punctuation is sometimes used improperly.
The text references cell phones and social media addictions. The text is aimed specifically at community college students and addresses the needs and culture of that specific group. The text does include a section on older adults' learning, which is one explicit reference to diverse students.
This book was clearly designed for a specific course at a specific institution (it references the course and the specific college repeatedly). Many references are made to resources that are not included within the book and are hard to find on their own.
The text seems to be one specific person's ideas about how to best learn, rather than what research suggests are the best ways. I would never recommend this text to anyone.
The book is an effective primer for its intended audience without becoming too overwhelming. It assists learners hoping to develop critical skills for student success (e.g., learning styles, time management, note taking, test taking, reading... read more
The book is an effective primer for its intended audience without becoming too overwhelming. It assists learners hoping to develop critical skills for student success (e.g., learning styles, time management, note taking, test taking, reading comprehension, memory). That being said, the book seems to rely on links to a lot of outside sources to truly explore those issues more in-depth. Also, it is worth noting that this book is more well suited to preparing students for a more structured college environment with more teacher-directed rather than learner-directed activities such as reading textbooks, taking multiple choice tests, etc. as opposed to more open-ended learning activities.
Each chapter orients the reader to the topic with an introduction, several examples, and exercises that allow learners to apply what they've learned from the chapter and supplemental resources. Although the book includes a table of contents, it does not provide an index which might be helpful to the learner. Even so, the book does provide definitions of words throughout the text to assist with reading comprehension.
The content is accurate and draws from a variety of disciplines including psychology, development, teaching and learning although I cannot find a complete list of sources. There are, for the most part, in-text citations although a few are missing. There was only one time where I perceived bias but it did not negatively impact how I interpreted the information and I don't think it will negatively affect students. There were a handful of spelling errors throughout the book but they did not affect comprehension.
There are many elements of this book that will continue to be critical skills and be relevant over time such as time management, note taking, reading comprehension, and learning styles. Regardless of the context, forum or manner in which learners are engaged in the learning process, those topics will arguably remain important increasing the longevity of this book. Even so, there are areas that could be included that might enhance the book's relevance such as acknowledging the increasing importance of self-directed learning in less structured learning environments such as flipped or inverted classrooms. Addressing that reality as something that learners might experience could help prime them for that as well as develop skills for such settings. Also, knowing that might provide more of an impetus for mastering some of the skills discussed in this text. For example, comprehending reading is critical to solving more complex problems where learners might not be provided with explicit instructions (e.g., case studies) as opposed to multiple choice/short answer/essay tests where the parameters are more well-defined.
The book also includes a few references to the campus at which the course is taught. Perhaps referring generally to the college campus and typical resources offered at a variety of campuses might also extend longevity and reach.
Also, since the book relies on a number of outside links to supplement the learner with additional information, it would be necessary to check the links to ensure they are still relevant.
The book was easy to understand and definitions of critical words were largely provided. There were a few words that I thought could be defined for the benefit of the reader especially if choosing this text for a first- generation group of college students, but, for the most part, definitions were present and clear.
The size of the text as well as the tone of the writing helped make the writing feel more approachable. There was only one section that I needed to read a few times to truly comprehend (ironically, this section was the reading comprehension section). That section describes different methods that teachers have used to help students to comprehend reading.
The text follows a consistent format that includes learning outcomes for each chapter, materials needed, pertinent definitions, explanatory text and exercises. There are 3 units followed by a mid-term project and then another 3 units followed by the final project.
Because this book is very consistent in its structure, it would be easy to break into smaller sections to serve a different course. The text follows a consistent format that includes learning outcomes for each chapter, materials needed, pertinent definitions, explanatory text and exercises. There are 3 units followed by a mid-term project and then another 3 units followed by the final project.
The book's topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion that begins with helping the learner think about their own learning styles. Beginning with this topic makes sense since learning style will affect how the learner develops and uses the other critical skills mentioned in the book. Time management, then, helps orient the learner to thinking about how to allot their time in performing the skills. Note taking and reading comprehension are skills that are necessary for test-taking and the chapters follow in that order reflecting the academic preparation process.
The book includes learning activities and supplemental information provided through links and referenced within the text. At first, I thought that I was missing additional files for these activities. However, after assistance, I realized that the text was actually hyperlinked to outside websites. It would be much more helpful to have links underlined, colored, or highlighted in some way to differentiate them from the rest of the text especially when they are critical to the text.
There were a variety of large sidebars that included interactive activities and reflection prompts which aided in application of concepts to personal experiences, which is a great asset overall. The placement of some of these were awkward with some of them being toward the bottom of the page with no text above them. They were also sometimes placed awkwardly in between different sections of text in a way that took away from the message of the words outside of the sidebar.
The grammar in this book did not detract from the message or my understanding of the information. Although the book can be informal in parts, it was approachable and I imagine would be helpful to learners fearful about these topics.
The book included a lot of different examples of possible living situations that students might find themselves in across a variety of social identities (e.g., age, race, ethnicity, gender). It is definitely well-suited for a community college with older students who may or may not parent or have work or family obligations. There was one reference to God in the world view section but it was an example of a potential student's situation. I am not sure if this would be offensive to learners individually or from specific cultural groups, but there was a string of examples around the topic of taxidermy (preparing and mounting dead animals).
I really appreciate the time the authors took to write and share their work! These are really critical skills for learners to develop to be successful in college and academia overall. The desire to help empower learners and help provide them access to important resources and opportunities is evident in this book.
Table of Contents
Unit 1 Overview--Learning Styles and Preferences; Unit Terms
- Lesson 1.1: The Three Learning Styles
- Lesson 1.2: Visual Learning
- Lesson 1.3: Auditory Learning
- Lesson 1.4: Kinesthetic Learning
- Lesson 1.5: The Brain Dominance Theory
- Lesson 1.6: Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory
- To the Instructor: Optional Assignments/Activities/Extra Credit Opportunities for Unit 1
Unit 2 Overview--Management of Time, Tools, and Study Environment; Unit Terms
- Lesson 2.1: World View and Self Efficacy
- Lesson 2.2: Procrastination
- Lesson 2.3: Schedules and Scheduling
- Lesson 2.4: Graphic Organizers and Study Cards
- Lesson 2.5: Study Areas and Study Groups
- To the Instructor: Optional Assignments/Activities/Extra Credit Opportunities for Unit 2
Unit 3 Overview--College Level Critical Thinking and Reading; Unit Terms
- Lesson 3.1: Comprehending College Level Reading by Using the Reading Apprenticeship Approach
- Lesson 3.2: Getting the Most Out of Your Textbooks
- Lesson 3.3: Patterns and Context Clues
- Lesson 3.4: Close Reading for LiteratureTo the Instructor: Optional Assignments/Activities/Extra Credit Opportunities for Unit 5
- Lesson 3.5: Math and Science--Tips for Better Comprehension and for Studying
- To the Instructor: Optional Assignments/Activities/Extra Credit Opportunities for Unit 3
Unit 4 Overview--Listening and Note-Taking; Unit Terms
- Lesson 4.1: Note-Taking Part 1, Listening
- Lesson 4.2: Note-Taking Part 2, Key Information and Formats
- To the Instructor: Optional Assignments/Activities/Extra Credit Opportunities for Unit 4
Unit 5 Overview--Memory Principles and Techniques; Unit Terms
- Lesson 5.1: Memory Model and Techniques
- Lesson 5.2: Memory as We Age
- To the Instructor: Optional Assignments/Activities/Extra Credit Opportunities for Unit 5
Unit 6 Overview--Test-Taking: Pre, Mid, and Post; Unit Terms
- Lesson 6.1: Pre- Mid- and Post-Test-Taking Strategies
- Lesson 6.2: Handling Test Anxiety
- Lesson 6.3: Understanding Test Items
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
How to Learn Like a Pro! features the “big six” effective learning/study skills topics: learning styles and preferences, time and materials management, critical thinking and reading, note-taking, memory principles, and test-taking techniques. Each of the six units featuring a total of twenty-three lessons and accompanying exercises (with a dash of humor here and there) were developed with the diverse student body of the community college in mind as well as learners in other educational venues.
About the Contributors
Author
Phyllis Nissila is a Professor in the Academic Learning Skills department at Lane Community College (all campuses), Eugene, OR.