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Effective Learning Service Accelerated Learning

Contact details: Effective Learning Service Tel: 01274 234414 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.bradford.ac.uk/management/els

University of Bradford, School of Management,

Accelerated Learning

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Accelerated learning and effective learning are interchangeable ideas.

There are three main elements at the heart of becoming an effective learner:

1. MOTIVATION Effective learners are clear and honest with themselves about their reasons for learning; reasons that sustain them when the going gets tough.

2. REFLECTION Effective learners think critically about what and how they learned, the ways they could use the knowledge, and what they might do to learn more effectively in the future.

3. EFFECTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES Effective learners have developed a range of study techniques that save time, effort and connect with their skills & personalities.

This workbook will look at each of these, but will focus on developing effective learning techniques that connect with your skills and personality.

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1. MOTIVATION

Being clear about reasons for choosing a particular learning activity is one of the key elements in becoming an effective learner. If you are unclear or unsure of your reasons for starting a particular course of learning, you may become quickly disillusioned and disinterested in your studies. There are three main connecting reasons why adults voluntarily participate in formal training or education:

Goal Oriented Motivation

Social & Activity Oriented Motivation

Learning Oriented Motivation

 Specific Goal Oriented Motivation: this is about having clear external or extrinsic objectives in mind for learning, e.g. to gain a qualification; learn a specific skill for work purposes.  Social & Activity Oriented Motivation: this is about meeting others with similar interests in a structured and dynamic way; learning offers a good chance to meet new people and learn from each other.  Learning Oriented Motivation: many students are also drawn to education because they want to study subjects that really interest them; the intrinsic interest in a subject tends to be the primary motivator. The reasons for learning can be mixed, but one reason may dominate over others, although this can change over time. What are your reasons for starting the course you are on? Complete the questionnaire that follows:

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MOTIVES FOR STUDY IN HIGHER EDUCATION Look through the reasons for learning in both columns below, and rank them in order of importance to you. If an item listed is completely irrelevant to you, ignore it.

COLUMN ONE From my university study I want to: Ranking Gain an advanced qualification Achieve a good class or classification of degree Improve my career opportunities generally Be able to find a well-paid job Develop professional business skills Experience life as a student Meet & work with a wide range of people Develop a wider set of life interests Other reasons (say what they are):

COLUMN TWO From my university study I want to: Ranking Improve my ability to think and reason Push myself intellectually to the limit Gain more personal confidence Become more knowledgeable about life generally Try out new things Gain a deep understanding of business subjects Look at life, people & situations in new & different ways Develop my ability to solve problems Other reasons (say what they are):

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What are the four most important things you want from your time at university (usually the ones you rated 1 & 2 from each column)? Column 1

Column 2

1

1

2

2

1. So, what do you think you have to do to achieve these four main goals? Write in the space below. These may be, for example, the main challenges to you or for you in achieving these goals:

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2. EFFECTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

There is no one right way to learn. However, it is worthwhile identifying what study techniques suit your personality best. Howard Gardner’s ideas on multiple intelligence, for example, can offer you a way of developing effective learning techniques that connect with your ‘intelligence type’. INTELLIGENCE Intelligence tests have traditionally been constructed around four main ability areas: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Numerical Linguistic Spatial Logical/reasoning (which draws largely from the other three areas)

However, Howard Gardner, Professor of Education, Harvard University, has argued that we can identify in people at least eight different ‘intelligences’ or sets of abilities and personal traits. Gardner’s ideas will be explained in more detail later, but first complete the questionnaire that follows. There are 80 questions for you to consider in terms of your extent or strength of engagement with the topic. You can respond from 1 to 5 to each of them.  1 is the lowest response, usually implying a negative reaction/no experience/no interest  5 is the highest response, usually implying a very positive reaction/response or interest Work fairly quickly through the questions and tick the response that is closest to your feelings on the question or statement presented.

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Question

M

As a child, to what extent did you have a liking for music/music classes? In school, to what extent did you enjoy sports/gym classes more than other classes? As a child, to what extent did you easily learn maths, such as addition, multiplication, etc.? As a child, to what extent did you often build or make things out of available material? To what extent do you enjoy games involving words, or the sounds of words? To what extent have you had friendships that have lasted for a long time? To what extent do you have a clear sense of who you are and want you want out of life? To what extent is it easy for you to understand and care for animals? To what extent can you play a musical instrument? As a teenager, to what extent did you regularly play sports or engage in gym activities? In school, to what extent did you ever have a particular interest in maths? As a teenager or adult, to what extent did you enjoy getting involved in art and/or design? To what extent have you ever written, outside of school, a story, poetry or a song? To what extent are you good at solving conflicts at work, home or elsewhere? To what extent are you aware of your feelings and able to control your moods? To what extent have you ever studied wildlife in your own time, outside of formal school or college study? To what extent do you have a good voice for singing, either alone or with others? To what extent are you good at things that require hand/eye coordination, e.g. juggling? To what extent are you curious about why or how things work? To what extent can you design & make the best use of space around you? How effective are you at bargaining or making a deal with people?

K L S W P I N M K L S W P I N M K L S W

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To what extent do you feel you easily understand the feelings, wishes or needs of others? To what extent do you plan and work hard towards personal goals (home or work)? To what extent are you good at observing & learning about nature & the natural world? To what extent do you have music on to aid work, study or relaxation? To what extent are you good at doing precision craft related work with your hands? To what extent are you good at designing systems for dealing with work related issues? How easily can you work out how to put together or assemble something, e.g. self-assembly furniture? To what extent, when others disagree, are you able to easily say what you think or feel? To what extent do you enjoy working with others in groups or teams? To what extent do you know and understand your own motivations? To what extent are you interested in natural or life sciences? To what extent can you identify the sounds of different musical instruments? To what extent do you remember best what you have done (compared to seen or heard?) To what extent do you enjoy mental tests or puzzles? To what extent do you have a good sense of direction? To what extent do you learn best by discussion with others? To what extent, for socialising, do you generally prefer parties/group activity? To what extent have you a sense of your own strengths and weaknesses? To what extent do you have a strong & active interest in environmental issues? To what extent can you remember tunes or rhythm in music? To what extent do you like to think through problems while engaged in physical pursuits or exercise? To what extent do you like to categorize, group or organise things?

I N M K L S W P I N M K L S W P I N M K L

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Question To what extent do you find that films, slides & videos are particularly significant in helping you learn? To what extent do you enjoy speaking formally in public? To what extent are you an easy person to get to know? To what extent do you get angry or badly frustrated when you fail or things go wrong for you? To what extent would you enjoy working in some form of environment/nature related career? To what extent can you easily identify composers by just listening to the music? To what extent can you concentrate & sit still for long periods? To what extent are you interested in science or solving science related problems? To what extent are you good at judging spaces and distances between things? To what extent are you good at explaining things logically to others? To what extent would you consider yourself to be a person who easily takes good advice from others? To what extent do you prefer to think through your own problems, rather than seek advice from others? To what extent are you informed about global environmental issues? To what extent is music important in your life? To what extent do you prefer physical leisure activity to non-physical? To what extent do you take a systematic, step-by-step approach to solving problems? To what extent are you creative in a visual way, e.g. art/photography/design etc? To what extent are you a convincing speaker? To what extent do you consider yourself to be a sociable person? To what extent is thinking problems out alone more important than talking them out with others? To what extent do you relax and unwind outdoors? To what extent do you discuss or listen to music in the company of others?

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K L S W P I N M K L S W P I N

Question To what extent do you enjoy physical movement as a form of relaxation? To what extent do you always look for a logical explanation of things? To what extent are you observant & see things others do not notice? To what extent are you good at verbally explaining things to other people? To what extent can you take the lead in discussion with groups of people? To what extent do you look for unique or unusual ways to solve personal problems or achieve personal goals? To what extent can you identify the differences between plants? Do you have a strong liking for the sound of certain instruments or groups? To what extent do you enjoy any form of travel, even bus and train journeys? To what extent are you good at budgeting with money? To what extent can you visualize how things look from different perspectives? To what extent do you enjoy expressing your ideas in writing? To what extent can you make people feel comfortable and at ease with you or each other? To what extent do you like to do things by yourself? To what extent are you concerned with environmental issues

Accelerated Learning

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Go to the scoring section on the next page.

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SCORING THE QUESTIONNAIRE First, add up the total score allocated to questions in each of the eight recurring code categories. The maximum score possible for any of the eight categories is 50. Write the total scores for each category in the spaces below.

M

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Next, rank your scores, with the highest at the top, in the column below. Code

Ranking

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The eight intelligence areas identified by Gardner are: Code

Title of Intelligence

W

Linguistic

L

Mathematical/logical

S

Visual/spatial

K

(Kinesthetic) Bodily/Physical

M

Musical

P

Interpersonal

I

Intrapersonal

N

Environment/nature related

Most of us have some skills and traits in all eight areas, although we tend to incline more to at least one of the eight areas.

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THE EIGHT INTELLIGENCES: Remember, most of us will have some aptitude or interest in some aspects of all of these. But it is likely that you are particularly inclined to at least one of these eight intelligences.

1. LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE: This is the ability to use language in an advanced way. You are likely to be tuned-in to the meanings, power, rhythms and influence of words, in both spoken or written forms. You are likely to be interested and proficient in one or more of:          

Learning languages Verbal arguments/debating Crosswords, word puzzles Letter/report writing Form filling Research Creative writing Giving clear explanations Giving instructions Essay writing

Careers: There are very few careers, if any, that will not involve the use of words! However, what is referred to here is an advanced application of this skill in the work market. Authors, journalists, poets, politicians and advertisers are obvious examples of people with advanced linguistic intelligence and who have decided to apply this skill in a particular way. Other relevant careers include publishing, library & information services, teaching, translating, sales, public relations and marketing.

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2. LOGICAL/MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE: The ability to reason and calculate, to think things through in a logical, systematic and quantifiable manner. It also involves the ability to detect patterns and make connections between different phenomena or activities and to understand relationships between actions. It involves both inductive and deductive reasoning skills and a criticalcreative approach to problem solving. You are likely to enjoy the process of analytical thinking expected of you in higher education, which requires you to submit a theory, model or practice to rigorous examination. You are likely to be interested in one or more of: Budgeting Accounts Planning Calculating Strategy Logic Estimating quantities Managing/planning time Mathematics  Statistics  Computing

        

Careers: These are the kinds of skills highly developed in economists, accountants and all accounting related careers, members of the legal profession, plus engineers, computer programmers and scientists.

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3. VISUAL-SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE: The ability to visualize a creative result in relation to physical space and/or animate or inanimate forms. It includes the ability to think in three-dimensional ways and to convert these into some form of tangible creative form.

ideas

It also includes the ability to work with a range of tools or resources to produce a finished object. But you also use this skill if you have a good sense of direction and the relationship of objects to space and distance. You are likely to be interested in one or more of:       

Art & design in all forms, including photography Visual planning Creative activities involving material objects Crafts Decoration Body & hair care Imagery: use of mental imagery for all creative or observational activities

Careers: Architects, artists, designers, photographers, beauty therapists, hairdressers and strategic planners have all decided to apply this skill; but it is also required of pilots, navigators, professional drivers and surveyors.

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4. BODILY/PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE The ability to use and synchronise your body deftly, skilfully or creatively to make things, or solve physically related problems; to test yourself against others physically; or to present ideas, moods and emotions. You are likely to be interested in one or more of:      

Sport Dance Athletics Manual & craft work of all kinds Walking/outdoor pursuits Remedial physical work, e.g. massage

Careers: This ability is most obviously displayed in athletic pursuits, dancing, acting, crafts, building and construction, medical/physical remedial careers and a wide range of outdoor-manual jobs.

5. MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE The ability to make or compose music, sing well, keep rhythm, or understand and appreciate music. It can also involved being sensitive to the nuance, emotion or mood expressed by or related to sounds. It can also connect with a particular interest you may have in audio or audio/visual forms of communication. Careers: It is a skill applied obviously by musicians, composers, recording & sound engineers and others with a related interest in sound and especially music. Speech and hearing therapists are also likely to have an interest in this particular intelligence.

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INTERPERSONAL (Social) INTELLIGENCE

It is concerned with the capacity and ability to understand the motivations and actions of others. It is applied in an ability to work effectively with others, to relate well to other people and help others develop. This is a vital human intelligence displayed by proficient teachers, facilitators, therapists, politicians, religious leaders and sales people. You are likely to be interested in one or more of: Team work/group work Leading others Mentoring others Managing/supervising others Helping others with problems  Teaching/training others

    

…and the wide range of socially oriented jobs that connect with this skill.

7. INTRAPERSONAL (Inner) INTELLIGENCE This involves the ability for self-analysis and reflection, including honestly assessing one's accomplishments, reviewing own behaviour and innermost feelings, making realistic plans and setting clear goals. You are likely to be interested in one or more of:       

Planning your own time Understanding your own or other people’s feelings & moods Understanding other people’s motives or behaviour Setting personal goals Keeping a personal diary or journal Creative writing Looking for wider connections between things that happen

Careers: This ability is increasingly relevant and necessary in many jobs involving close interaction, supervision or observation of others, and reflection on self and the motives of others, and particularly so in the case of counsellors, psychologists, writers and artists. Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligences are often closely related.

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8. ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE The ability to recognise and categorise flora and fauna and other features or elements of the natural world. You are likely to be significantly interested in one or more of: Biology Ecology Horticulture/gardening Wildlife/nature  Environment/conservation  Animals/animal welfare    

Careers: Farmers, botanists, horticulturists, conservationists, biologists, environmentalists, environment campaigners and animal welfare workers would all apply this intelligence.

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CONNECTING YOUR SKILLS TO EFFECTIVE STUDY TECHNIQUES It may appear that if you are a student on a formal course there is little choice about how you learn. On organised courses you have to attend lectures and seminars at set times in set places and which can be presented in set ways. The lecturer will present his or her subject, and the student takes notes, or adds to the notes supplied by the lecturer. However, there are a significant number of opportunities to exercise your independence in the way you study and in particular the way you:       

Motivate and organise yourself Manage your time Work with others Engage with private reading Critically analyse ideas Plan and write assignments Revise for examinations

There may be ways to develop effective study techniques that tap into the intelligence types that you incline to. The following pages present a range of learning techniques that are in two sections. 1. Those relevant for everyone – all intelligence types (see page 19) 2. Ideas that may be of particular interest to students in the relevant intelligence type groups (see pages 20-29) This is not an exhaustive range of ideas, but are just suggestions to get you thinking. You may well have ideas of your own based on your own school, college or work experiences of what approaches to learning work best for you. If you have effective learning technique ideas of your own that you would like to contribute to this booklet, please Email your ideas to Martin Sedgley, [email protected]. If used, your idea will be acknowledged in any future edition of the booklet.

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GENERIC EFFECTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

The following techniques can work well for everyone, irrespective of intelligence type.

BRAINSTORMING Brainstorming any topic can be a successful approach to learning, particularly when looking for solutions to case study problems or preparing for assignments. Brainstorming can start by writing down a single word, phrase or full sentence. You then write down anything that you think of to capture the ideas the words spark off. You could, for example, write down the problem or a question at the centre of some paper then just write down ideas as they occur to you. Brainstorming is particularly effective when done in a group. The secret of good brainstorming is to let your mind ‘run loose’ and not be afraid to come up with unusual angles and responses; the motto for group and individual is ‘anything goes’: workable ideas often arrive from starting with seemingly weird or impractical suggestions.

STUDY-BUDDY Find another student on the same course (a ‘study-buddy’) and meet up regularly to just talk through with each other the main points from a lecture, seminar or set reading. You can, for example, share-out your reading with a study-buddy in a ‘jigsaw’ approach to learning. Both students agree to read half of a book chapter. They then meet and tell each other about their own half of the chapter.

STUDY GROUPS Similar to study-buddy, but involves a group meeting on a regular basis and agreeing in advance on an agenda. You could, for example, agree to review a particular lecture, read a selected chapter of a set book or work on an essay together etc. You could get one person in rotation to start off the agreed discussion and use group brainstorming methods to bring ideas up to the surface. Have a look now at techniques that can connect with your intelligence type (between pages 20-29). However, you may find it useful to look at other sections too, as ideas from other intelligence types may also appeal to you.

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EFFECTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES THAT CONNECT WITH INTELLIGENCE TYPES

1. LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE If your main skill is in LINGUISTIC areas, you could try these study techniques that tap into your interest and skill with words:

If you like playing with words, you will probably enjoy making up mnemonics to help you remember lists of things. You use the first letter of each word you need to remember to make a new word – one that triggers off your memory. Example: Creative thinking in business can be advanced using a five-step approach. These five key things are summarised by the mnemonic: FARCE’

F

A

R

C

E

FOUR-WAY THINKING:

ALTERNATIVES:

RE-COMBINE:

CHOOSE & CONSEQUENCES:

EFFECT:

The way to break out of rigid thinking is to look at the problem from four different directions (front to back; back to front; bottom up; & top down.

Always look for alternatives to the ‘obvious’ solution. If you stop looking, after finding one answer that seems to fit the problem, you may miss a much better solution. So, brainstorm a problem to try and find at least four alternative approaches to solving it.

Once you have a range of alternatives, you can then try and combine these to get a number of creative solutions to a problem.

From these combined ideas, what is the best one? And what would be the consequence of choosing it?

Then you have to try it! You put the idea into effect, otherwise all your hard work will be wasted.

(Source: Rose, C. (2000) Master it Faster. London: The Industrial Society)

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HEAR IT - REPEAT IT – REMEMBER IT  In addition to experimenting with words in written forms, you may be particularly drawn to learning through spoken explanations, commentaries and tapes.  You are also likely to benefit from reading key sections from books and articles aloud and by making tapes.  We tend to remember twice as much of what we say aloud than with what we just read.

VOICE NOTES Using a voice-recorder/Dictaphone to summarise the key ideas verbally can work well for some students, as it can help them concentrate on the reading and summarise in their own words what they have read. The tapes can also be replayed in many situations away from the library or allocated reading areas, e.g. listen while you exercise, drive or travel on public transport. Listening to your own voice summarising notes you have made in your own words is a powerful aid to memory and can be a particularly effective tool for revision.

Audio Tapes Listening to audio or watching audio/visual tapes can be an effective way of learning for students with this intelligence type, particularly if combined with their own voice notes (see above), or listened to in the company of other students and discussed immediately afterwards.

HEAR IT - REPEAT IT – VISUALISE IT- REMEMBER IT BETTER When you read something, try repeating the key parts of it aloud. Then try and get a visual picture of the topic in your head. Then try making notes. The combination of your auditory and visual senses can help in the process of remembering and recall.

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2. LOGICAL/MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE You will have an inclination to be logical, analytical and in developing systems to help you learn. The three systems that follow may prove useful to help you critically analyse any new theory, idea or practice that you encounter on your course: 1. The ‘5W & 1H’ approach 2. The AEIOU approach 3. The Four-Way Thinking Approach

THE ‘5W & 1H’ TECHNIQUE

This is a technique taught to journalists, and works well for students who want to develop the skills of critical analysis. It works by asking interrogative questions of any new idea:

WHO?

Who: might benefit/be disadvantaged/is or is not involved/developed the idea? Etc.

WHAT?

What: are we taking for granted/assumptions are we making/ is implied that may not be true/ is missing/ is the background to this idea/is the wider significance/ are the advantages and negatives of the idea? Etc.

WHERE? WHY? WHEN?

HOW?

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Where: can it be applied/would it not be applicable/else could it be relevant? Etc. Why: has this idea been developed/been introduced/should we pay any attention to it? Etc. When: is the idea applicable/not applicable/reasonable or unreasonable to apply/should we start or stop? Etc. How: will the idea work in practice/be introduced/are people likely to react/will the idea be evaluated/we know or recognise success? Etc.

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THE AEIOU SYSTEM FOR ANALYSING NEW IDEAS:

This is a variation on the first system:

A:

Are any ASSUMPTIONS being made?

Has anything been taken for granted or left out of the picture? Has the author or lecturer used an isolated example to make a generalised sweeping conclusion?

E: What is the EVIDENCE for this? Can you trust the source? Is it really evidence that is being presented – or just opinion? What other explanations could there be? If you are convinced, what else follows from the explanation?

I: Can I think of a good ILLUSTRATION or example of this? Does this fit any other topic, category or class of things I am familiar with. Can I think of an example from everyday life, or the past, that connects with the topic/subject?

O:

What OPINIONS or conclusions can I draw personally from this? Are these justified, and why, or why not?

U:

What are the UNIQUE points in all this?

What are the key and new ideas emerging from this subject? Are there new points? Or is this something that has just been ‘re-packaged’ and presented as new and original?

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FOUR-WAY THINKING

The ‘Four-way Thinking’ approach looks at problem solving from four perspectives: FRONT-TO BACK THINKING This approach starts with the situation or problem and works systematically toward a solution or explanation. This usually involves a DANCE approach: D: Defining the problem or situation

TOP-DOWN THINKING This way of thinking takes an overview position and imagines you are looking at a situation in a detached way, from above – like a fly on the wall - and ready to see other people’s viewpoints, and particularly those who may be directly involved as participants.

A: Alternatives – generating lots of alternative situations/solutions

This is a particularly good position to take if you are personally committed to a particular argument or practice, as it forces you to be more objective.

N: Narrowing down the alternatives

Good questions to ask:

C: Choosing one & checking out the consequences



E: Effect: putting ideas into effect



How would a detached observer see this idea/practice/problem etc? Are there other underlying issues to consider?

BACK-TO-FRONT THINKING

BOTTOM-UP THINKING

With this approach you start with the desired solution and work backwards to envisage how it might come about in the future.

This way of thinking turns a problem or situation upside down and asks or poses different questions, or looks at a situation in a completely different way.

Questions to ask include:

Two shoe salesmen were sent to an overseas country to assess potential sales opportunities. One reported back: ‘no opportunities here – no one wears shoes’.

 

What is standing in the way of the solution I want? What’s the simplest way of removing these obstacles?

The other reported back, ‘Great opportunities here – no one wears shoes!’

(All three systems adapted from: Rose, C. 2000 Master It Faster: How to Learn Faster, Make Good Decisions and Think Creatively. London: The Industrial Society.)

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3. VISUAL/SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE One effective learning technique that draws on this intelligence is make your notes more visual. This form of note taking allows you to see the way clusters of ideas, e.g. about expansion of communication systems, connect and offers a quick overview of one topic. US economic policies could be more destructive of world peace & cohesion than terrorism

Individual choices will become more important; role of Internet more prominent in serving individual lifestyle choices; role of women will become more significant in the workplace

We will gain more control over our bodies; particularly our brains; gain more access to legalised drugs to improve memory/enhance pleasure; longevity will increase to 100+ years

Analysis: Some ideas seem very feasible, as you can see the trend already, e.g. home working;. However, brain implants … not sure, but technology is rapidly advancing, so it could be possible in 50 years time - but who would want a brain implant, even then!

“A short history of the future” report based on predictions by 5,000+ organisations on what world would look like in 2050

Service sector work will expand; movement away from work in large companies; employers will need to make jobs more attractive to retain key staff

Microchip implants in our brains will develop our abilities to communicate with others and…

…we will be able to store aspects of our selves, e.g. memories, in databanks Communication systems will encourage more electronic communications, e.g. 3-D systems, between people on an everyday basis

This will escalate the trend to home working, which in turn will encourage development of community life; may reduce numbers of houses for sale or rent (less mobility)

Source: Mercer, D. (2003) A Short History of the Future. Enterprise (Reed) Dec 2002/Jan2003, issue 42, pp.28-31 Effective Learning Service

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4. BODILY/PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE You will probably find it hard to sit and concentrate for long periods, and you prefer to be doing things physically. To stop getting bored you need to make your learning as active as possible. Why”, said the dodo, “the best way to explain it is to do it!” (Alice in Wonderland)

 Read for a Short Period: you are likely to absorb more information if you read for short concentrated bursts of time, and make your reading as active as possible. Try this approach: Decide what you want to read, e.g. one chapter

Read for no more than 30-40 minutes – but take notes of what you read. Summarise what you read in your own words

STOP after 3040 minutes & take a break

Start the process again, and keep this going over a pre-determined period, e.g. 3 hrs.

 Learn on the Move: take advantage of any journey (bus, train etc) to read or review books or notes. Part of the problem for you may be that you dislike sitting still in one spot to study for too long (no visual stimulus). If you study while you travel, you can read for a while, observe the passing scene for a while, then return to your reading. This can stop you getting bored.  Learn While You Exercise: try and record lecture notes, or verbally summarise what you read. This in itself is a physical activity, but you can then play back your recordings on a personal walkman as you exercise.  Case studies or role-play: help you to explore a subject or skill in a practical way. Case studies may feature on your course anyway, but wherever possible, in your own time try and convert theoretical ideas into case study or even role-play situations. These help a subject come alive and move theoretical ideas into a ‘real world’ scenario.

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5. MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE There is some evidence that playing background music, especially quiet classical music, can help some people learn. Baroque music appears to be particularly conducive as it can help you attain a state of relaxed alertness, known as the ‘alpha’ state, which is beneficial to effective study. The Accelerated Learning techniques of Bulgarian educator Georgi Lozonov rely heavily on incorporating music into learning experiences of students. Music is often played to create a welcoming environment as students enter a class and as soft background music to improve focus of attention during quiet study times or to stimulate creative thinking. It is believed that the melodic and rhythmic patterns of the music can ease the task of remembering. Music is believed to stimulate the emotional centre of our brains. Emotions are linked to memory, so playing some pleasant background music can be an effective strategy for recall. The associations of reading are linked to a relaxed state induced by the music and this can help you remember and recall the reading topic in the longer term. There is evidence too, that participation in music making can aid memory and recall: “One line of research finds evidence that music training beefs up brain circuitry. For example, a larger area in the section of the brain that brings music and speech into conscious experience, the auditory cortex, is responsive to piano tones in adult music fans compared with nonmusicians. In addition, certain brain structures also are larger in musicians. This suggests that music training can influence brain organization and ability. In fact, researchers actively are studying whether the brain changes observed in musicians enhance mental functions, including many not associated with music. While research is still in its early stages, some studies already suggest that this might be the case. For example, musically-trained adults perform better on word memory tests than other adults”. (source: The Society for Neuroscience, 2004 [online] http://apu.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/music_training_and_brain. htm (accessed 3/08/2004)

For more information on the role of music in encouraging effective learning, go to the Internet site: www.newhorizons.org/strategies/front_strategies.html (& see articles in ‘Arts in Education’ section of this site).

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6. INTERPERSONAL (Social) INTELLIGENCE One of the best ways for people with Interpersonal Intelligence to learn, is to teach – or at least explain to others what you have learned. When you have to explain to someone else what you have learned, you start to think hard and seriously about it. Talking to other people about a subject requires you to try and organise your thoughts on the subject into a logical sequence. You also have to take into account the other people’s knowledge or experience, which makes you refine the way you perceive and present the subject. Although group work will be an important feature of your course, it is also a good idea to join an informal study group, or link up with another student on a ‘study buddy’ basis. Take advantage of any opportunity to get together with other students to discuss the week’s work in an informal way.

7. INTRAPERSONAL (Inner) INTELLIGENCE It is likely that you do not usually have a problem in learning things that interest you. It is also likely that you will become absorbed in reading and researching topics that really appeal to you. The problem for you is likely to be in concentrating on subjects that you perceive initially as irrelevant or meaningless.

MAKING CONNECTIONS If you find yourself in this situation, you need to create an interest in any subject you perceive as boring. The way forward, if you are in this situation, is to try and find a connection between the subject and your own life, and to explore the subject at a personal level. Ways you can do this: 



You will learn better and make any subject more interesting if you ask yourself: How can I use this idea? What personal significance can I find in this for me? Reflect on why you find some subjects or learning situations difficult. You will probably find this connects with past negative experiences. Once you are closer to understanding the reasons, you can begin to change the way you perceive it. If you have

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negative memories from the past of a particular subject, you may still feel negatively about it today. But you can change the way you perceive the situation – you do not have to feel bad about it now. The past is the past, now is now. 

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Think about the reasons behind the development of the idea, theory or practice – why did it appear on the scene; what’s the history behind it? If you had to summarise the main points of a particular theory, idea or practice for a group of people who knew nothing of the subject, what would you say. How would you do it?

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Personalise the subject by putting yourself into an imaginary situation where you have to put yourself into the mind of someone passionate about a subject you initially find boring. Why do they find it so interesting?

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Alternatively, ask the lecturer why they find the subject so interesting and get them to share some of their interest – or even passion- about the subject with you.

8. ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE It is likely that you will be concerned about the impact or effect of any particular subject (including business studies) on the world and people who live in it. Colin Rose and Malcolm Nichol in their book ‘Accelerated Learning for the 21st Century’ encourage you to run an ‘ecological’ check on any relevant topic, and ask the following questions: 

What are the environmental implications of what you are learning?

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Has it any implications for conservation of resources?

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Will it help or hinder social fairness? Does it have anything to say on solving any of the major problems of our times?

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Does it help to understand the mind of individuals or their social behaviour?

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Does it exploit anyone or anything else?

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Does it guide you to any action or social purpose?

Source: Rose, C. & Nicholl, M.J. (1997) Accelerated Learning For the 21st Century. New York: Dell Publishing Group.

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Summary: For all students (whatever your particular intelligence type): You will become a more effective learner when you actively engage all four senses of:

Seeing

Hearing

Saying

Doing

… and you do it in a way that suits your skills and personality best.

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3. REFLECTING ON LEARNING Most of us learn from our experiences and we try not to repeat a particular mistake. However, we do repeat mistakes, or we repeat things that worked well in one context, only to discover that they do not work well in another! The reason this happens is that we do not spend enough time analysing why something went wrong – or went well. If we are accountable to others, e.g. at work, and things go badly wrong, then we are more likely to get involved in some form of post-mortem of what went wrong and why. However, there are many times in our lives when things go wrong for us in minor ways but when we only give cursory attention to the causes of the problem. We are also unlikely to pay too much attention to exactly why something went really well for us and how we might replicate this success to a range of different contexts. You can become a much more effective learner if you spend time analysing your learning in both a macro and micro way: MACRO Your overall progress on a particular course: 

Your feelings about the course: the lecturers, other students & your progress overall

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Things you find difficult & why

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Changes in your attitude or motivation

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Ways you learn best

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How different areas of your course connect

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How your studies can be applied to practical situations

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MICRO What you learned from a particular module or specific class, lecture or workshop. This can be done in three stages: 1. Reviewing the experience: what happened; how you felt about that particular experience; how other people felt about the same experience? 2. Concluding from the experience: what you learned or gained from the experience? 3. Applying the experience: how can you use or apply the knowledge?

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LEARNING JOURNALS Learning journals are an excellent way of reviewing what, how, why you learned; how you felt about what you learned; and what you can do with the knowledge in the future. All you need is a notebook and to think about the issues raised at both the macro and micro levels of learning (see previous page). You also need to make time to write down your responses on a regular basis.

WHY BOTHER? Keeping a learning journal is an extra effort for you in a busy schedule. So why bother? The act of writing things down will help you to clarify your thoughts and emotions and help you to focus on your progress. It forces you to analyse your feelings about a particular experience:  I didn’t like the lecture – WHY? Was it the Lecturer I didn’t like – or the topic-or both?  The group is not working well together- WHAT’S HAPPENING?  I really enjoyed that project – WHY THIS PROJECT?  It was an interesting topic – WHY? WHAT MADE IT SO? Learning journals only really work if you move away from just describing what happened to analysing what happened and how you felt about what was happening. The reason for analysing your feelings is that feelings can affect actions, which can affect outcomes. A learning journal does not have to be a burden or a chore. You can keep it simple, with just three headings in your notebook:

What went well?

What could have gone better?

Did my feelings affect the outcome in any way?

An extract from a learning journal is on the next page.

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Extract from a learning journal This is an extract from a learning journal kept by a MBA student for submission as part of the Personal Development Planning (PDP) module.

Working on my presentation skills made me realise that I tend to become complacent after I’ve settled into a role, mainly because I enjoy being busy and dealing with problems rather than routine matters. I remember completing Honey & Mumford’s Learning Style Questionnaire, which revealed a strong preference for being an activist. This probably also relates to my lack of preparation for presentations. Thinking about this skill has also led me to think about how I function as a manager more generally – the ‘problem-solving’ role mentioned above is not necessarily the best. As a result, I attended a time management workshop and decided to address this as another skill area, discussed below. Keeping a learning journal seemed like a chore at first – not an activist behaviour – but with hindsight I can see that it made me stop and think. It is a practice I will continue with, even if I don’t use it very often or I’m reflecting mentally rather than in writing. Finding opportunities to develop my skills has made me think more purposefully and creatively. I have also realised that it is an excellent way of building relationships with colleagues. Asking for feedback has encouraged others to be more open in return, so I have become more skilled in critical appraisal and giving feedback. The PDP process has made me feel more in control and able to work out my own priorities and resources. I think much more about important ‘progress tasks’ so I’m less likely to get caught out as I did with my poor presentation. As a result, I’m a bit calmer and more effective as a manager; my colleagues have commented on this. I’m also more aware of their development needs.

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ADDITIONAL READING ON THIS TOPIC: If this approach to learning has interested you, you can learn more about accelerated learning from the following books: Buzan, T. & Buzan, B. (2001) The Mind Map Book, London: BBC Worldwide Ltd. Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook, Basingstoke: Palgrave Study Guides (in particular see pages 49-87). Cottrell, S (2003) Skills for Success: the Personal Development Planning Handbook, Basingstoke: Palgrave Study Guides. Rose, C. (2000) Master it Faster: how to learn faster, make good decisions and think creatively, London: The Industrial Society. Rose, C. & Nicholl, M.J. (1997) Accelerated Learning for the 21st Century, New York: Dell Publishing Group.

FURTHER GENERAL & RECOMMENDED READING These are all the titles in booklets in the ‘Effective Learning’ series: 1. Return to Part-time Study 2. Return to Full-time Study 3. The First Semester 4. Time Management 5. Accelerated Learning 6. 20 Tips for Effective Learning 7. Six Steps to Effective Reading 8. Effective Note Making 9. Effective Writing 10.Essay Writing (1) stages of essay writing 11.Essay Writing (2) planning and structuring your essays 12.Essay Writing (3) finding your own voice in essays 13.Essay Writing (4) ten ways to liven your essays 14. References and Bibliographies 15. Report Writing 16. Pass Your Exams 17. Your Assignment Results – and how to improve them 18. Presentations 19. Group Work 20. Introduction to Research and Research Methods 21. Foundations of Good Research 22. Writing Your Management Project Report or Dissertation

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You can download any of these from the School of Management Homepages: Resources– Effective Learning link, or contact the Effective Learning Service, tel. 4320 (internal), Email: [email protected], or visit room 0.11 Yvette Jacobson Building at the School of Management. In the School of Management and J.B. Priestley libraries, there is a study skills section at D371.30281

RECOMMENDED TEXT BOOKS Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook, London: Palgrave. (This book contains lots of bite-sized chunks of advice and information presented in a lively and visually interesting way. This is an excellent general study skills guide for all undergraduate or postgraduate students). Giles, K. and Hedge, N. (1998) The Manager’s Good Study Guide, Milton Keynes: Open University Press. (This is a study skills guide written for business studies students and contains advice and information presented in a clear, readable and subject-specific way).

SOME USEFUL INTERNET SITES: www.support4learning.org.uk/education/key_skills.htm a good all-round site for study skills advice and information. www.bized.ac.uk/ a study support site for business studies students.

© This booklet was written by Colin Neville and must not be reproduced without permission. Last amended February 2006.

If you have any queries please contact Martin Sedgley, Effective Learning Advisor, University of Bradford School of Management. Telephone: 01274 234320 Email: [email protected].

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Contact details: Effective Learning Service Tel: 01274 234414 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.bradford.ac.uk/management/els