Page 105 - Keys To Community College Success

KEY 3.6 Choose study techniques to maximize each
Personality Spectrum dimension.

Thinker ■ Convert material into logical charts, flow diagrams, and outlines
■ Reflect independently on new information
■ Learn through problem solving
■ Design new ways of approaching material or problems

Organizer ■ Define tasks in concrete terms
■ Use a planner to schedule tasks and dates
■ Organize material by rewriting and summarizing class and/or
text notes
■ Create, or look for, a well-structured study environment
Giver ■ Study with others in person, on the phone, or using instant messages
■ Teach material to others
■ Seek out tasks, groups, and subjects that involve helping people
■ Connect with instructors, advisors, and tutors

Adventurer ■ Look for environments/courses that encourage nontraditional approaches
■ Find hands-on ways to learn
■ Use or develop games or puzzles to help memorize terms
■ Fight boredom by asking to do something extra or perform a task
in a more active way

ability in a weaker area, you may find useful suggestions under any of the headings.
Try different techniques. Pay attention to what works best for you. You may be sur-
prised at what is useful, as Joyce was when she discovered how much typing helped
her retain information.

Technology Choices

Technology is everywhere. People communicate using email, text messaging, and
social networking sites; they read blogs, listen to podcasts, and use apps on their cell
phones. Technology also plays a significant role in academic settings, where you
may encounter:
■ Instructors who communicate primarily via email
■ Course websites and learning management systems where you can access syllabi
and connect with resources and classmates
■ Textbooks with associated websites through which you complete and email
assignments
■ Online research that takes you from website to website as you follow links
■ Projects where students create media such as a YouTube video or social media
campaign
Technology has profoundly affected how we get information and share it with oth-
ers. According to the Pew Research Center, it “is producing a fundamentally new kind
of learner, one that is self-directed, better equipped to capture information, more reli-
ant on feedback from peers, [and] more inclined to collaborate.” These “new learners”
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are more likely to research online, share content through social media sites, and create Learning How You Learn
media content.

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