Learning strategies, study skillsmnemonic devices

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Learning strategies, study skills-mnemonic devices

• SPED 585 MD-SD, LD-ED Methods
• Dr. Schneider

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Important questions

• What is the difference between learning
  strategies and study strategies?
• What are teaching steps for learning/study
  strategies?
• Why do SPED teachers need to know a variety of
  strategies in these areas?
• Where and when are such strategies most needed?
• What are good strategies to know about?
• How can I invent some on the spot?

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Learning vs. study strategy What is the
difference?

• LEARNING STRATEGY definition (Deshler
  Shumaker)
• Technique or principle, sometimes rules that
  enable student to learn, acquire knowledge, solve
  problems, and complete tasks independently.
• These are not necessarily aimed at completing
  tasks correctly in a test but rather to learn
  course content in timely, efficient manner with
  least amount of effort by student and teacher.

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Learning vs. study strategy What is the
difference?

• STUDY STRATEGY definition (Deshler Shumaker)
• Technique or device for the student to acquire,
  retain and retrieve/express knowledge

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Features of Learning study strategies

• STRATEGY FEATURES (p. 488, Mercer)
• 3 general strands that are addressed in teaching
  a strategy
• A) Acquisition strand
• Understand and acquire the strategy
• B) Storage strand
• Practice toward mastery so that transfer to a
  variety of contexts comes easily
• C) Expression, demonstration strand
• Show demonstrate in a variety of contexts how
  to apply learning/study strategy

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Features of Learning study strategies

• INSTRUCTIONAL PHASES (p. 491- 92 Mercer)
• 1) Make purpose motivation clear
• 2) Provide clear description of strategy
• 3) Model strategy
• 4) Provide several practice phases
• a) Rehearsal of strategy w/ verbalization (gt A
  B) to ensure comprehension memorization
• b) Controlled practice to build fluency
• c) Advanced practice w/ increased responsibility
  on student

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Features of Learning study strategies

• INSTRUCTIONAL PHASES (p. 491- 92 Mercer)
• 5) Confirm acquisition tell student how student
  can generalize this new strategy
• 6) Practice for generalization of strategy
• Here, the teacher provides opportunities in
  different contexts to apply strategy.
• Teacher asks for strategy, reviews steps
  explicitly and cues strategy in application.
• Teacher seeks collaboration w/ other teachers to
  enforce these strategies -gt provide them with cue
  steps you taught students to use so that cues are
  the same.

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Why is this difference important to know?

• Learning strategies do not include study
  strategies.
• Struggling students need to be taught BOTH
  explicitly with good rationales so that they can
  learn to use them independently.
• Learning strategies do not apply to testing
  situations, study strategies do (-gt test
  preparation)

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Why is this difference important to know?

• Study strategies aim at giving student
  independence when provided with material to
  memorize gt homework, parent collaboration, tutor
• Learning strategies aim at giving student
  independence when trying to gain new information
  or to solve problem that requires use of
  knowledge

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Where and when are they most needed?

• For struggling learners, study AND learning
  strategies are essential ALL THE TIME.
• To recognize new information in class,
• To recognize related information inside and
  outside of class
• To remember/study new information in class, at
  home
• To retrieve new information in a variety of
  situations (in class, at home, during test)

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Where and when are they most needed?

• For struggling learners, study AND learning
  strategies are essential ALL THE TIME. Continued
  
• To apply new information in a variety of settings
  
• To link new information with already existing
  information

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Where and when are they most needed?

• Struggling learners are referred to as inactive
  learners (Deshler Shumaker) because they
  cannot develop such strategies on their own. They
  need
• explicit instruction
• Over-practice
• Explicit rationales context cues

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Learning strategies

• What are good strategies to know about?
• GAIN NEW INFORMATION
• Pre-organizers (visual auditory p. 496)
• During knowledge gaining process VISUAL
  ORGANIZERS (p. 498, 499 in Mercer)
• Explicit Note taking strategies
• Mnemonic devices (visual sound images to be
  associated with new knowledge)
• Adapted materials (books on tape, simplified
  texts, modified assignments)

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Learning strategies

• RETRIEVE NEW INFORMATION
• Explicit practice in class how to overcome a
  memory blockage First Aid activity
• Reuse of graphic organizers or step-by-step
  problem-solution notes until not needed anymore
• APPLY NEW INFORMATION
• Extra practice with tutor who uses SAME CUES
  STRATEGIES as taught in class, or as helpful to
  student
• Provide a variety of contexts, collaborate w/
  colleagues

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Study strategies

• Time management
• Student documents time use Teacher student
  make plan when best study time is
• Student documents how long s/he takes to complete
  a task Teacher student make plan to improve
  study time
• Study area
• Student draws environment Teacher student make
  plan on how to improve it
• Clean, clear, noise free environment sometimes
  white noise needed

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Study strategies

• Explicit Note taking instructions
• This involves listening for details, cues and
  visual imaging.
• Must be taught explicitly building from short,
  smaller passages to longer and more complex ones
  in nature
• gt Nancy Bell Visualizing Verbalizing
• Step up to Writing
• Fold paper in half lengthwise, write info on one
  one side, illustrations, questions on other

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Study strategies

• Explicit test taking preparation
• Student teacher identify test types
• Teacher shows explicit test taking strategies for
  each test type (e.g., multiple choice, short
  essay) has student practice in a variety of
  contexts with and without time limits (see Mercer
  p. 504)

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Ways to invent your own strategies with students

• 1. Identify student need
• 2. Consider student background,
• knowledge, interests, strengths
• 3. Plan strategies with student so that s/he
• can take ownership from start -gt
• independent learner vs. dependent learner
• 4. No more than 4-5 steps per strategy

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Ways to invent your own strategies with students

• 5. Associate a mnemonic device with the developed
  strategy steps, one that works for the students
• 6. Field test strategy with students using lots
  of verbalization of steps to identify possible
  areas for improvement.
• Students will be engaged because it is their
  strategy.
• 7. Write up final version for students reference

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Types of Mnemonic devices

• Loci technique keep knowledge association
  with a certain place
• Acronyms letters of a word help recall working
  steps for a task
• Drawings Keep knowledge associated with the
  places in picture
• Sound association keep knowledge retrievable
  because it sounds similar to something you know

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Types of Mnemonic devices

• Shape association keep knowledge association
  with a certain shape of an item
• Personifications integrate personality traits
  with something abstract to make it more easily
  retrievable