HOW TO IMPROVE LEARNING
- Intelligence
Intelligence is the faculty that allows us to assimilate new concepts, find relationships between ideas, and adapt to new situations by resorting to our cognitive skills, such as reading, calculating, memorizing, imagining, and so on. For online learning; establishing associations, relating ideas, and assimilating concepts are much more important than pure memory work. If we first develop these cognitive skills, piecing together memories by associating ideas becomes easier.
- Understanding texts
The majority of texts are organized according to several structural patterns. In order to understand and remember what we read; first we need to recognize the organization of the information in the text. The best way to achieve this is to identify the structural pattern of the text at hand; which is of great help in the development and presentation of any academic work. During online learning, when we are reading to comprehend, assimilate, and remember concepts; we need to organize ideas in a structured way, or otherwise; we will probably end up with a cluster of disorganized ideas.
- Most common structures of text organization:
Problem / Solution
Problem: To make both ends meet.
Effects: Expenses are higher than my income.
Cause: Unemployment.
Solution: Find a job, enlist in the army, etc...
Opinion
Opinion: The next president should be a woman.
Reasons: Women are better managers, they are less inclined to begin a war, and are more sympathetic to other people.
Conclusion: Vote for the female candidate.
Thesis
Thesis: Alcoholism is caused by...
Research/experimental data: Recent laboratory experiments...
Conclusion: ... to prevent alcoholism in adults.
Description
Purpose: To inform.
Presentation: Summary of the main points.
Instructions
Setting the purpose: To have a hard-boiled egg...
First step: Place an egg in a container filled with cold water.
Second step: Put the container on the stove.
Third step: Bring it to a boil.
Reaching the objective: In ten minutes, you will have a hard-boiled egg.
