Hope is not a study strategy.
One of the biggest challenges and benefits to online learning is the idea of flexibility. Students and faculty alike are able to complete assignments and instruction based on a non-traditional schedule. Although it is appealing to think that you can attend class in your pjs, this approach can be challenging for learners especially when they have complex schedules or encounter a subject that is difficult for them. I was researching some study strategies and tips for success for my online learners when I came across a University of Oklahoma document written by Drs. Douglas D. Gaffin and Mariëlle H. Hoefnagels that contained a phrase that I have repeated over and over to students… “Hope is not a study strategy”. Every day we say things to each other or ourselves like “I hope you have a good day” or “I hope to have time to get this done”. Really it isn’t about hope at all. Whether or not you have time to get things done especially in an online course is about planning and budgeting your time. I heard a quote that resonated with me by Frederico Fellini “You have to live spherically-In many directions” which is most likely what online students are doing by balancing work, education and other commitments. Personally I get dizzy and fall down if I don’t plan for things. I allot sections of my time for tasks and the more detailed and deliberate I am, the more I accomplish. Many students don’t see the benefit in this type of planning when it comes to studying saying things to themselves like “I have to study for 3 hours on Sunday”. I would encourage students to be specific about what you are going to accomplish in a given amount of time. For example: Sunday- review chapter 2 sections 1-4, retake the quiz and complete the prelab questions. Studying with an agenda gives you direction and helps to keep students from getting behind. Many online learners hit road blocks when questions arise about the material. This is a major drawback of the online environment. It is difficult to receive immediate feedback in the moment when there is a question. It is during this time that students make a decision to move on or skip over that material hoping that it won’t be included in an assessment like a test or exam. Confronting the material that you don’t immediately understand and digging deep to ask questions of the professor or other classmates is uncomfortable and something students avoid. Students often solve this issue by just reverting to studying things that they already know hoping that material will show up more frequently on the assessment. Although unpopular, I encourage students to feel uncomfortable and ask questions. Don’t ignore the material that is difficult. Embrace it. Read about it. Review the resources that have been given to you and reach out again to the professor or classmates. In the end, I think that having deliberate study objectives as well as confronting the difficult, confusing or challenging material are ways to succeed as an online learner and not practice “Hope” as a study strategy. -Karen Neal Assistant Professor of Biology References : Gaffin, Douglas D. and Hoefnagels, Mariëlle H. “How to Study for the Sciences”. University of Oklahoma Student Learning Center, http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/studentsuccess/documents/How%20to%20study%20for%20the%20sciences%20handout.pdf
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