Learning Strategies
Learning Strategists help students build academic strengths by developing customized learning techniques and strategies that you can apply directly to your courses. These techniques maximize learning potential while minimizing the impact of learning challenges and/or learning disabilities.
What are learning strategies?
Learning strategies can be thought of as approaches to learning course material that allow you to interact more effectively with your learning material.
Our Learning Strategists work individually with you to identify sources of your difficulties and introduce you to tools that would be effective for your needs. The Learning Strategist also provides guided opportunities for applying these tools.
Common areas where learning strategies help:
- Time Management
- Organization
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Note-taking
- Researching
- Test/Exam Preparation
- Concentration and Attention
- Memory and retention
What is a Learning Strategist?
A Learning Strategist is an academic coach and a role model, who works with students, either in one-on-one appointments or in facilitated group sessions.
Using a collaborative approach, the Learning Strategist works with you to apply techniques that are compatible with your individual learning needs. Together, you will practice and apply strategies that can help you organize and retain your course content.
Students who access the services of a Learning Strategist often demonstrate:
- Enhanced concentration and attention
- Improved memory and retention
- Improved time management and organization
- Better test/exam preparation
- Reduced test/exam anxiety
- Better reading comprehension
- Finer writing skills
- Improved research skills
- Stronger note-taking skills
- Ability to identify main ideas and important information
The role of the Learning Strategist is to model creative approaches to learning new material that are emotionally engaging and intellectually stimulating. This allows you to “Work Smart” at college, thereby increasing your potential for academic success!
In order to access the services of a Learning Strategist: you must first meet with an Accessibility Consultant. Based on provided disability information and identified need, the Accessibility Consultant will then make the referral to the Learning Strategist.
Common Learning Tools and Strategies
Organization/Time Management
Work with a Learning Strategist to put together a “Semester Plan”! This is a chart that combines information from all of your TLPs and helps you stay on top of all of your due dates for the term.
Studying
Try using the “stoplight” approach to studying – RED means “I don’t get this at all!”, YELLOW means “I get it…but only if I have my notes to look at!”, and GREEN means “I’ve got this!”. We tend to over-study the green because it makes us feel confident, but we really need to focus on those yellows and reds. Meet with your learning strategist to look at your course content together and practice ways to study your material.
Reading Comprehension
Did you finish that entire textbook chapter and realize you still don’t really know what it said? Try the “SQR” approach! Survey the chapter to get an overview of what is going to be covered, then turn all of the headings into Questions (ie. if the heading is “Approaches to Conflict Resolution”, write down “WHAT ARE the approaches to conflict resolution?”), and then Read the content below to try to find your specific answer. You’ll finish your reading with a better grasp on the material, and have a bonus set of study notes!
Online Resources
Reading: Rewordify
Rewordify is a free online program that simplifies written language using an easier-to-understand vocabulary. The program also offers learning and testing functions that give the students the opportunity to learn the difficult words. Students can use the program to help them understand difficult texts like scholarly articles and textbooks, or use it as a learning tool for increasing literacy levels.
Writing: Grammarly
Grammarly is a proofreading program that can function from within Google Chrome once installed through the Chrome Web Store. Not only will it proofread any writing you do within your web browser, like emails, it can also proofread uploaded documents. The program can also be downloaded to your desktop.
Learning: Khanacademy
Khanacademy.org is a learning website that offers students an opportunity to have material explained in a simplified way with visual aids. The site offers videos for students to learn at their own pace and interactive practice to check their understanding. Topics range from Grammar to Microeconomics.
Tips for Online Classes
If your classes are fully or partially online, here are some tips that map help you stay on track! The Tips for Online Classes sheet is available as an accessible Word document.
Download Tips for Online Classes Information SheetWe're here to help! Reach out today to access Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services.
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