A SIMPLE AND FAIR APPROACH TO DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE STUDY SKILLS

Yesterday, I wrote an Article on a simple approach to developing Effective study Habits, tonight I will be discussing the concluding part of it, which is how to develop a study skills.

MEANING OF STUDY SKILLS

A skill is a learned or developed ability. Some people refer to it as technique for learning something, a strategy for acquiring knowledge in this instance. Study skills are therefore the methods that can be uses by students and trainees in acquiring knowledge and competence in an easier way for a student. We study to learn; i.e studying is for the purpose of learning. Studying and learning should therefore be viewed as two connected life-long processes.

Learning requires study skills which are the tools needed for effective comprehension and practices. However, studying requires more effort than learning. A learner may not be necessarily studying but listening to a story or watching a film or even practising how to sew a piece of cloth. All these require studying the story, the film, and the sewing using certain developed abilities known as skills for practice and application.

Skills are habits that instill discipline in the learner once well cultivated. It is these habits that lessen the learner's unnecessary frustration. For emphasis, either habit or skill applied helps to preserve time and aids the meaning of the material being learnt.

With study skills therefore, more work can be done and learnt within a given period of time. Study skills are specific observed habits that can be used for effective study in any discipline. For examples, following a schedule, a direction, taking notes with important details and using relevant contents in an oral presentation will require specific skills of organisation.

It is the application of study skills that enables the learner to be in charge of his/her own learning. Learners use the skills to direct and organise their learning process toward desired success, ease and comfort. The processes they adopt in their study skill to succeed are targeted towards the digestion of good and huge number of documents or materials for the purpose of gathering and organising the information therein.

The focus of the skills or strategies therefore is the assimilation and retention of the subject and the content that a learner needs to keep up-to-date in his/her field of study.

Study skills are specific approaches applied to learning. They are generally critical to success in school and are considered essential for acquiring good grades and useful for learning throughout one's life. They are an array of study skills which may tackle the the process of organising and taking new information, retaining information or dealing with assessments, effective reading and concentration techniques as well as efficient note taking.

TYPES OF STUDY SKILLS

There are a number of different methods through which effective study skills are acquired. Some of the more important ones are listed below.

1.Methods based on memorisation and rehearsal

2.Methods based on communucation skills e.g reading.

3.Methods based on cue's.

4.Methods based on condensing information, summarising and use of key words.

5.Methods based in visual imagery.

6.Methods based on use of acronyms and synonyms.

7.Methods based on time management, organisation and lifestyle changes.

8.Thinking skills: everybody has thinking skills, but few use them effectively. Aim at positive thinking.

9.Getting the main ideas: Main ideas are usually the important information or messages , that is, the main points.

STUDY SKILLS STRATEGIES

Ellen (1986) has identified different types of study skills strategies for learners, and they are as follows:

1. Content anticipation.

2.Recognition of text structure.

3.Information Integration.

4.The nature of material under study.

5.Paragraphing strategy.

6.Personal motivation strategy.

7.Time management.

8.Note-making strategy.

9.Memorising strategy

10.Outline strategy.

11.Summary skill strategy.

FACTORS AFFECTING EFFECTIVE STUDY SKILLS

According to cottrel (2003), the following factors affect effective study skills:

1.The study venue.

2.The study time.

3.Distractions during study.

4.Underlining.

5.Reading aloud to oneself.