Section three - Getting the most out of your lectures and resources

Section three

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR LECTURES AND RESOURCES:

The course that you are about to undertake will have a lot of reading and online resources. These have been recommended or designed to assist you in your learning and initially can appear overwhelming. Here are some areas to consider when planning your reading, using online resources and preparing to take lecture notes:

1. Reading tips:

Be selective. You cannot read everything and will not be expected to:

 Find an environment that supports your learning style. Settle before you undertake your reading, and add time for this into your plans.  Look at the reading lists that are provided for each lecture and online resource.

 Ensure that you read the essential text that has been presented to you fully.  It is advised that you also read and take notes on the additional recommended text. (Additional reading has been highlighted as extra resources for the course. Access to this will enrich evidence-based knowledge. This is not essential reading but is an added value resource.)  Discuss further resources either online or reading with your tutor and peers and share resources and notes to widen the breadth of underpinning knowledge.  Explore the library and online material to develop your arguments and enable you to debate around them.

2. A recommended formula for active reading and online resource access:

This will increase your productivity and should be considered as a supportive method.

Survey your evidence to increase absorption of the information:

 To begin, skim the whole book, chapter, article or online resource to gather a sense of its content.  Return to verbal or visual signposts such as bold text or specific wording.  Question the evidence or resource. Don’t be over-impressed by the sheer amount of evidence.

 Is this relevant to your topic or assignment area?  If it is not relevant, save the resource in a file or computer file for access at a later date if you feel this may be of interest.  Make notes and links to the work you are doing using highlighters or note stickers (online or physical) Read the resource or literature evidence. Some resources may slot neatly into planned time frames, whereas others may take longer. Allow for this uncertainty in your daily and weekly plan by following some of the following recommendations

 Divide the text or resource into sections and vary your reading time for each section dependant on relevance.

 Highlight or make notes of the important sections.

 Look for the main argument in each paragraph and highlight it.  Evaluate the resource or text by noting your own ideas and arguments near to the relevant point.  Distinguish between a fact and an author opinion, and make a note of which category a statement belongs to.

Recall noting important sections and points within the paper or resource or in notes can assist you to return to this in your writing and debate.

 Stop regularly and make notes.  Highlight any important points or areas and link them to the specific area of text.

Review whether this is a relevant and useful piece of evidence or resource:

 Check you have highlighted the important sections or details.

 Evaluate and reflect on the notes, resource and/or literature and determine the relevance to your topic.  None of the evidence is to be thrown out. Some of it may not be robust or relevant in the critical analysis phase but may support the wider

discussion later. So file it somewhere else to return to at a later date.

 Keep your notes in a format which is easily accessible to you. 3. Note taking to support reading, resources and lectures:

There are some general tips for taking notes during your studying, no matter which resource you are using. They will help you distinguish the detail from the overall argument. They can assist you to structure your ideas more clearly and keep a written record for later use when developing the assignment, researching or preparing for an exam:

Note-making on books/journals and online resources Use the computer, phone or laptop to take and save notes. To access printed resources, you will need to print these prior to a lecture and annotate them with notes, highlighting areas and discussions as required. Note-making in lectures

Use the computer, phone or laptop to take and save notes. Access PowerPoint presentations, print them where appropriate before the lecture and them to the resources.

Bring any notes to the lecture to assist debate, group work and development of arguments.

Before the lecture get an idea of the content by background reading and accessing online resources, making notes for further discussion and questions in the class. Use heading and subheadings, do not try to write discussions or lectures word for word.

After reading or attending a lecture summarise the notes in your e-discussion, reflection or notes system.