Critical Review of Tertiary Study Methods - Essay Example

Critical Review of tertiary study methods In his book d “Good Study”, Neil Burdess offers various information and tips to on study techniques, how to cope with exams, as well as referencing and writing skills. Other authors who have also written books on study techniques include Hay and Dungey (2002) and Keller (1983). Hay and Dongey (2002) have prepared a comprehensive guide for students on how exactly to tackle their University education, right from the starting point where they enter the University to various techniques to improve writing and referencing in order to gain success in examinations. Keller has focused upon enhancing motivation in students in order to improve learning outcomes and in this aspect, he differs from Burdess, because he is more focused upon how students can use available online tools for self assessment in preparing for exams and such. The following report offers a comparison and contrast of the three works by these different authors. The common denominator in all of the three books is that they are targeted at students and aim to help students to make a success of their education by developing good learning techniques and providing guidance on improving performances and scoring well in academic assignments and examinations. There are also some differences, notably in Keller’s book which leans heavily in favour of promoting and enhancing motivation in students. The emphasis on Burdess’ book is upon effective preparation for examinations and how students cam improve their skills in this area, although the book also covers other salient aspects such as academic writing. The book by Hay and Dongey is comprehensive and covers all aspects of student life, commencing from a student’s entry into University till the day of graduation. One of the major areas Burdess (1991) concentrates upon is how to improve exam study skills. The author suggests various tips for students such as (a) start studying early (b) use flash cards as a means to memorize information (c) if the exam involves answering essay type questions, the student can gain by finding out specific topics being examined and if there is a choice, concentrating on a few topics to ensure a good performance, rather than overloading with too much detailed information on too many topics. that may be required to answer multiple choice questions Another area of focus in Burdess’ book is academic writing to improve performance in exams. Some of the techniques he spells out are as follows (a) read instructions carefully in order to determine what exactly is required in the assignment (b) observe how reference materials are written and how they structure and use the content (c) discuss the assignment and requirements with other students as well as the tutor in order to gain a comprehensive picture of what is required and (d) show drafts to the tutor in order to assess whether the written work is progressing in the right direction. In addition, the author also offers students a variety of other tips, such as using simple English and short sentences, rather than attempting to be ornate or flowery in expression. Keller (1983) focuses on the enhancement of motivation in students as being the best way to improve their studying outcomes. Technology may be helpful in improving student learning because it helps to enhance student attention, since they have the facility to create their own products. Keller (1983) set out a motivational design model, according to which it is motivation that influences students to choose their learning goals and to work towards the accomplishment of those goals. Within an online environment aided by the use of technology and especially with the use of interactive multimedia tools, students enjoy the perception that they are in control of their own learning experience and this helps to snag their attention to a higher degree so that their learning outcomes improve. Keller echoes Burdess in so far as academic writing is concerned for example, where he points out that using the online medium allows students to gain access to reference materials and sources that could be helpful to them in their writing. There is a wide range of software available which could prove invaluable to students because it helps them to check their spelling, check the accuracy of their referencing styles as well as read up a large number of academic papers and journals in order to gain a thorough understanding of how research materials are to be studied and laid out in a written format, especially in terms of understanding how empirical data must be presented and how the methodology of a particular study is to be laid out. Keller’s focus is upon how study outcomes in students can be improved through motivational techniques. Motivational feedback provided through the medium of computers may be accepted at face value by students, unlike that generated from human providers of motivational feedback, where students may feel disgruntled if they come to the conclusion that their lecturers have acted in a prejudiced manner against them or if they perceive the lecturer to be a tartar. Feedback from an online software tool is however impersonal and unlikely to be influenced by subjective elements, therefore a greater level of validity may be assumed. One of the major impediments to self study is the difficulty most students have as also pointed out by Burdess, is the lack of an effective means of self-generated feedback, which could aid students in assessing the extent of learning and help to distinguish between the areas where they are making good progress and the areas where they need to improve further. Keller’s model, targeted at enhancing motivation uses the tools of technology, such as the Internet, because technological multi media tools is very useful in linking learners to a wide base of informational resources that can help them to visualize problems and solutions. There are some unique features that are available through technology, such as tracking the progress of the student, allowing the learner the facility of reviewing what has been learnt and the opportunity to take tests with self marking. Tools available through technology such as text, audio, video and animation make learning a more interactive and fun experience for students and help to promote higher levels of learning. Using multi media tools, textbooks can be accessed online or through CD-Roms, which allows a student to work independently at his/her own pace, and includes self tests and feedback exercise to evaluate levels of learning. Since most learning in the present day is increasingly being shifted onto computers, the availability of the right kind of software could make a considerable difference in the kinds of study outcomes that students can achieve. The book by Hay and Dongey (2002) discusses the advantages of studying alone vis a vis studying in groups. It offers an exhaustive account of how research reports are to be prepared, referencing guidelines, becoming well informed in order to be able to produce good content for research papers. Just like Burgess, the book also offers suggesting on spelling, language and using punctuation correctly. In setting out details on academic writing, the authors point out some of the same aspects highlighted by Burdess, i.e, taking care to correctly attribute and reference sources, avoiding plagiarism and improving academic writing by supplementing it with graphs and tables. In conclusion therefore, it may be stated that all the three books offer valuable tips for students on how to achieve academic success in today’s competitive and fast paced atmosphere. The importance of technology has been underscored by all the authors because it is not only the default method used in today’s universities, but it also increases the scope for cheating, thereby highlighting the importance of students avoiding plagiarism of any kind in their work. The three authors have all devoted some pages to detailing the importance of ensuring that all written material is original and composed by the student, with any material used from outside sources being properly referenced when paraphrased and quoted specifically with page numbers when used verbatim. All three authors have emphasized the importance of allowing adequate time for preparation to take exams and using notes and summaries of points to enable better retention in memory, although the techniques suggested are different, i.e., Burdess suggests flash cards, Keller suggests online exams. All the three authors appear to recognize the increasing representation of non English speaking populations within the roster of students at US and UK universities, because all the three authors have placed a great deal of importance on development of skills in the English language and improvements in English grammar, spelling and language construction. It may be concluded that while all the authors have dealt with the same subject of improving student learning through offering study tips, the approach they have each taken is different; they have also chosen to direct the major part of their focus into different areas. References: Burdess, Neil, 1991. “Good Study”, Prentice Hall Keller, J. M, 1983. “Motivational design of instruction: IN. Reigeluth, C.M. (Edn.), “Instructional design theories and models: An overview of their current status” NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, at pp 383-434. Hay, I, Bochner, D and Dungey, C 2002. “Making the grade: a guide to successful communication and study”, (2nd edn), Oxford University Press. Read More