STUDY AND RESEARCH METHODS

Aphrodise Nsabimana
Adventist University of Central Africa
Kigali, 2022
UNIT 1: STUDY SKILLS

Learning outcomes
By the end of this session of the course of EDRM 6113 Study and Research Method, the active learner
will be able to

 Identify study skills required for effective preparation of quizzes and examinations.
 Explain the implication of study skills on academic success.
 Design the learning environment conducive to prepare effectively tests using chart, diagram, or
mind map in Higher Education setting.
 Use the planning tools and strategies for effective time management and avoiding
procrastination.
 Adopt the lifestyle that will contribute significantly to the effective learning and improve the
learner’s academic performance.
 Avoid plagiarism when building a paragraph for the academic assignment.

Activity 1: study skills mind map

Design a mind map to illustrate what Congos (2011) has explained related to the study skills inventory is
composed with six sections including, textbook reading, note-taking, memory, test preparation,
concentration, and time management.

TEXTBOOK READING. The active reading strategies textbook reading is important toward leaning and
academic achievement. The learner is required to use improved reading strategies such as SQ3R which
stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review (Robinson, 1970), or OK5R.

NOTETAKING. The effective note-taking is necessary during the teaching and learning process. The
learner can use different note taking systems such as charting method, Cornell Method, outlining
method, or sentence method. The learner acquires skills related to paraphrasing a paragraph and
summarizing a chapter. All these skills involve writing in your own words what the author said and give a
credit to the author and adopt a proper referencing style APA (other fields)or Turabian (for Theology
scholars).

What is Plagiarism? In essence, plagiarism is a simple concept: When you make use of words, ideas, or
any information from a source other than your own knowledge and experience, you must give credit to
the source in a citation. Not giving credit to such borrowed intellectual material is plagiarism. There are
a few complicating factors (such as common knowledge, discussed later on), but what appears to
confuse the most people over this issue are uncertainties about the details and exceptions. Circulating
on many campuses is a significant amount of wrong information about what needs to be cited and what
constitutes appropriate citation.

A working definition of plagiarism

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Perhaps the best way to clarify what plagiarism is (and is not) is to begin with a simple definition and
then explain its meaning. Therefore, we will begin with this definition:
Plagiarism occurs when an information source is not properly credited. As you read and contemplate
this brief definition, think about some of the implications. Specifically, note the following:
+ An information source includes much more than just words. As you'll soon see, information sources
include photographs, videos, and computer code.
+ Plagiarism is often unintentional. Thus, it is not defined only as the intentional failure to credit an
information source.

Table 1. Common rote strategy of note-taking versus new and improved strategy of note-making

Rote strategy of note Improved strategy of note-making

taking
Reading textbooks for note- Preview each section and write questions
making word for word Use questions to think while reading and to self-test after reading before
class and after class.
Copying a definition from a Write a definition in your own words.
teacher or form a textbook
Cram to memorize Share definitions with classmates and provide relevant examples.
definitions
Copy note from the teacher Elaborate your notes. Compare them with your classmates. Make
connection between the prior knowledge and experience with the new
knowledge. Create connection between terms and concepts and identify
its application. Complete them with what you read in textbooks and
journal articles and write proper references.
Take note focused on Prepare a study guide which contain important information from lecture,
teacher’s words textbook, articles, websites, etc. and give a credit to authors (references).
Compare your notes with a Discuss and explain notes to your classmates on one hand. Get a help
classmate(s) from classmate, teachers a head of time on the other hand. Use
to make sure you “got metacognitive strategies by knowing your capacity and prepare yourself
everything down” accordingly.
Review you notes only the Use self-regulated learning strategies -be goal oriented, have a self-
day before the test efficacy, make a rehearsal, self-test, analyze the task, seeking help and
control your learning environment(Pintrich, 2000), or P.O.W.E.R learning
strategy to achieve your goal (academic excellence) Prepare. Mental and
physical preparation, Organize your material so that each course has its
notebook. Complete your note with personal reading in books journals.
Work to motivate yourself and make your learning on a top priority.
Integrity, commitment and self-regulation are the key components.
Evaluate your progress in learning. Rethink. Make a reflection and know
your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your academic
journey (Feldman, 2011). Plan ahead to improve your performance.

MEMORY. In the memory section, the learners rewrite lecture note in their own words and link the
information from the teacher with the information read in books, scientific articles and websites. The
learner checks the meaning of the difficult concepts, rehearsal the material by rewriting it again for
memory consolidation and avoids cramming what is not understandable. The learner can use visual
learning organizers such diagrams to summarize key ideas on a post-it or a study card, Sketches or
charts to create connection between key points, mind maps to create connection between ideas with
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personal experiences, prepare a study guide to link the information between lecture notes and
textbook, articles information, use Einstein strategy which is 3R- Read, Recite and Review (McDaniel,
Howard, & Einstein, 2009). Here is Einstein’s quote: “If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t
understand it to yourself”, memory boost (mnemonics-rhymes, songs and abbreviations), think like a
teacher method by asking a question related to the topic and answer it or use a practice test to assess
the progress in learning.

TEST PREPARATION. The effective test preparation requires that the learner organizes or joins virtual
group meetings to share the information with other classmates through zoom meeting, Google meet,
Cisco WebEx meetings, Microsoft Team meeting, etc. The learner chart with the teacher via social media
for more clarifications and to ask which content will cover the quiz or exams. The learner takes care of
physical, mental and social wellbeing of himself/herself and for others by taking preventive measures to
fight against the spread of COVID-19, unwanted pregnancies, communicable and non-communicable
diseases. Avoid alcohol and drug abuse. The learner takes adequate sleep (8 hours approximately and
avoid overnight activities) and balanced diet (food rich in protein, fat, complex carbohydrates, and fiber
on every meal) and regular physical exercises (30 minutes a day or 2 hours per week). The learner finds a
good time, place and active learning strategies. Such as self-regulated learning which involve
motivational regulations (goal orientation, self-efficacy and self-driven learning), cognitive (critical
thinking, rehearsal, elaboration and organization of learning material), metacognitive regulations
(planning (prepare quizzes and exams since session one of the course), implementing (task value: divide
task into 30 minutes manageable chunks with 5 minutes commercial breaks), and monitoring progress
and learning acquisition (quiz yourself) based on individual capacity). Behavioral and contextual
regulation involves the study time and learning environment. Effort regulation, positive attitude toward
learning, use of library and other university resources, practice of peer learning and help seeking for
overlearning of the material.

TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

Exam questions that ask you to analyse case studies (also called scenarios) are usually designed to test
your ability to relate theories and concepts to real-world situations. Preparing for case studies before
the exam: Start by identifying the theories and concepts covered in your course. Organise and review
the information you have on these theories/concepts so you understand them. Practice reading case
studies and identifying relevant information. It's probably useful to practice doing this with a time limit
as you will have one in your exam. Practice relating concepts and theories to real-world situations: ask
lecturers and check textbooks for practice examples. It is also worth checking past exams for your
course to see if there are examples of case study questions.

During the exam

Take time to plan: Have a clear idea of how much time you have to answer the question. Then plan to
spend some time reading the exam question, the case study and planning your answer.

Take time to make sure you have understood the case study and know what the exam question is asking
you to do:

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  Read the exam question(s)
 Then skim read the case study to get the general idea. Highlight or underline key points
 Reread the question to make sure you understand it and to focus your attention when you
reread the case study.
 Reread the case study carefully. Make a note of any ideas that you think of.

Answer the question linking relevant theories and concepts to specific information from the case study.
Usually you will need to write your answers in clearly formed paragraphs which have a clear topic that is
well-supported with evidence and examples.

Instead of simply describing or restating information from the case itself, use specific details or
examples to support the points you are trying to make. This is where you link theory to the facts from
the case study.

Exam Techniques to answer Multi-choice questions

Do not read all the questions through first. You will waste much less time if you just read each
question as you come to it. Read all the alternatives. The first answer may be a good answer
but it may not be the best answer. If you do not know the answer, eliminate those that are
definitely wrong and then select your best guess (unless there is a penalty for incorrect
answers). Do not spend long working out the answer. Keep in mind how much the question is
worth. Do not change answers for questions you have already completed unless you can see an
obvious mistake. In most cases your first choice is more likely to be correct.

Essay questions in exams

Read the question through carefully to make sure you are answering what has been asked.
Missing one part of a question can cost you a lot of marks. Make a quick plan of the points you
want to include in your answer. Use essay structure: introduction, points, and conclusion. But if
you run out of time, it can be a good idea to write notes. Get right to the point from the
beginning. Use the words from the question to write your first sentence.

Exam Techniques to answer Short Answer Questions

When Answering Short Answer Questions in Exams, make clear and concise points. Keep
answers short: usually 2-3 sentences or a short paragraph. Even if you are unsure of the
answer, write something! It’s better to get a few marks than nothing at all. If you don’t have
enough time, list points or write in note form. It’s helpful to make notes before you answer the
question. Read the question carefully at least two times and pay attention to the instruction
words (for example list, describe, compare). Identify the parts of the question and what steps
are required to answer the question. Chase the marks - use the number of marks for a question
to guide you in terms of how many points are required for each question. In general, if a
question is worth 3 marks then you would expect to make 3 points.

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Stress and exam anxiety

Some stress is natural. The extra adrenaline will increase your alertness and energy and enable you to
recant more quickly in the exam.

To avoid excess stress

Don't let it build up. Make sure you take your meal breaks and get sufficient sleep. Take short breaks in
between study periods. Get up and move away from your desk. Allow yourself some relaxation time
without feeling guilty. Learn a relaxation technique and use it regularly well before the exam date
(check out CALM or the Breath to Relax with physical exercise).

Memory block. If your mind goes blank during the exam, simply write something down about the topic.
This may help to trigger other facts associated with the blocked information. If necessary, leave the
problem, go on to another question, and then return to the original question later.

Writer's cramp. To help relieve hand cramp during the exam allows your hand to hang limply at your
side. Mild shaking followed by contracting and then relaxing the hand can also relieve cramp.

Preparing Presentation. Five Key ideas to consider when Preparing Presentations:

1. Purpose

Be clear about what the purpose is and keep that purpose at the back of your mind in all your
preparation work. Briefly outline this at the start of your presentation.

2. Audience

Think about who your audience is and why they expect/want to hear/need to hear. Thinking
about what they already know about a subject can help you decide on the information you will
include in your presentation. It can also help you think about the language you use, and the
best way to order and introduce ideas.

3. Structure

The usual structure of a presentation is that it has an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
This is not the only possible structure. For a process over time, for example, you might focus on
different stages (a beginning, middle and end). Alternatively, patterns might be problems,
solutions; or questions and how you arrived at answers. Whatever structure fits best for your
presentation, it is important to make a good beginning and to finish well.

4. Content and Timing

In planning content, it is really important to think about what will fit in the time you have got
and how deeply you will be expected to analyse the subject. You need to show your
understanding of the topic and that usually require some individual research beyond what is
presented in class.

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The material you include needs to relate to your purpose for giving the presentation, follows
the assignment instructions and assessment criteria.

5. Assessment Requirements

As you are preparing your presentation make sure you refer to the assignment instructions and
the assessment criteria/marking guide (if there is one). This will help you work out what you
need to focus on. Usually both the presentation and delivery aspects are part of the
requirements. Sometimes oral presentations are not assessed but they can still form part of
the overall impression you make on your lecturers.

Effective Presentation. To make the effective presentation, Speak loudly enough for everyone to hear

Speak slowly. Pause at the end of each sentence. Practice pronouncing words you are unfamiliar with.
Make sure your audience remains interested. Look at your audience (eye contact). Vary the tone of your
voice. Think about how you stand and move (body language). Use visual aids and cue cards to remain
you of the main points. Try not to read. Try not to memorise. Be enthusiastic and lively - you have to
"sell" your information and Use voice and gesture to stress keywords and phrases.

CONCENTRATION. This section involves choosing quiet environment, avoidance of distractions and time
wasters. The learner attendance and participation has a key role in learning. Individual effort in doing
academic assignment and active participation in group assignment improve learning experience.
Listening is to give one’s attention to secure cognitive, affective and behavioral processes. The following
are active listening steps to improve concentration:
1. Maintain eye contact. It shows how reliable warm, sociable, honest, confident and active the
receiver is.
2. Don’t interrupt. When the speaker is talking, please let the message be conveyed to the
audience. This is the sign of the mutual respect for effective communication. In the listening
process, attention is an important factor which determines material to select and learn. If a
student does not pay attention to the material, the chances of learning that material adequately
are limited
3. Ask question for clarification. Questions may be open-ended (essay questions), to expand the
discussion, clause-ended multiple questions (multiple choice, True-false, matching, short-answer
and fill-in questions) to prompt for specifics and leading questions to prompt the respondent to
answer to answer in particular way. Reflective questions (oral questions, interview questions)
are asked to expand and extend thinking.
4. Repeat back what the speaker is saying in your own words. Listen for total meaning of the
message including contents and underlying attitude and feeling.

TIME MANAGEMENT. This section focuses effective use of planning tools such as Academic calendar,
weekly timetable and a daily TO-DO list of activities. The learner is required to set priorities between
academic and personal activities and find the primetime to study and avoid procrastination or
postponing activities that were supposed to be done. Learner’s academic goals must be in accordance
with the teacher’s goals to meet effectively the academic standards.

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