Institute/Session Summary:

Your brain is about the size of a grapefruit. It is, in fact, tender enough to be cut with a butter knife. But for all its small size and fragility, it is also more powerful than the most powerful computer in the world. The trick is to know what buttons to push to put the machine to good use.

Poor students, those who cram all night or merely skim their notes or choose not to study at all, don’t even try to push buttons. Their reason for lack of academic success is obvious: too little effort. But what about the good students--the ones who are motivated to study and aspire for high marks? Why do these students often not achieve academic success?

Good students often push all the wrong buttons. They study, but they study poorly—or as we say in SI at SFA, they study stupid. They of course, are not stupid; they simply have studied stupid. Students seem relieved to discover this fact. They realize that their intelligence is not limited by predetermined genetic proficiency. They understand that they can develop their ability to learn. But how do they study intelligently? First they must know what it means to learn.

In this workshop, we will define what it means to authentically learn, as opposed to a superficial knowledge that is good for maybe twenty-four hours—long enough to regurgitate the information on a test and forget it. Good students assume a passing grade means they have learned something; that is often a false assumption. Learning is a long and painful process that demands persistence against the overwhelming confusion that is an inevitable part of learning. Authentic learning builds scaffolding in our brains for future learning.

Then we will discuss how common contemporary approaches to facilitate learning often derail authentic learning. These include the following when misused: mind mapping, brain based learning, multiple intelligence inventories, mnemonics, and self-efficacy. We will also identify frequently used techniques by well meaning students that impede authentic learning. These include taking too many notes, silent studying, reading forward ho. Together, these methods of studying are what we call stupid studying.

Finally, we will consider what study strategies are inclined to lead the student to not only good grades but also to true learning. We will revisit How to Study in College (1954) by Walter S. Pauk of Cornell University. Many educators and learning assistance personnel still teach his Cornell Notetaking strategy, but few are familiar with the book as a whole. In addition, the presenter will introduce the participants to a new concept for facilitating learning--confusion endurance.

This workshop will feature an animated presentation, a lively discussion with participants, and interactive demonstrations with participants. Each participant will receive a packet of articles in full text for their reference after the conference. The presenter is a veteran workshop leader having presented at CASP, CRLA, SI National Conference and many others. Her SI Program is CRLA certified at all three levels.

Presenter1 Name: M.E McWilliams
Presenter1 Institution: Stephen F. Austin State University
Presenter1 Bio: M.E McWilliams is the SI Program Director at Stephen F. Austin State University where she currently supervises sixty five groups. This year, the SI Program at SFA was honored as part of the Academic Assistance and Resource Center with the prestigous Star Award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.