College Success

Unit 6: Learning Styles and Strategies

• Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • identify the stages and styles of learning;
  • identify effective mental and physical strategies to prepare for an individual class session;
  • explain why regular class attendance is important;
  • identify success strategies for listening, taking notes, and participating in class; 
  • describe strategies for learning and retaining key course content;
  • differentiate between short-term and long-term memory, and describe the role of each in effective studying; and
  • identify strategies for stimulating active learning.

• 6.1: Why It Matters: Learning Styles and Strategies

  • Why It Matters: Learning Styles and Strategies Page

    Mark as completed

    Throughout your college career, you’ll be responsible for learning a wide range of ideas, facts, theories and more, some of which will interest you deeply, but some of which will appeal on only minimal levels. How can you optimize the learning process in order to gain the most from your college experiences? Learn about frameworks for organizing your learning.

• 6.2: The Learning Process

  • The Learning Process Page

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    “The learning process is something you can incite, literally incite, like a riot,” says Audre Lorde, writer and civil rights activist. Lourde’s quote promotes the idea that all learners have the capability to learn more, learn deeper, and learn faster. But how?

    Find out about your preferred styles of learning and how they can be applied in different teaching and learning situations.

• 6.3: Class Preparation

  • Class Preparation Page

    Mark as completed

    Miguel de Cervantes, the highly-regarded Spanish writer, long ago said, “To be prepared is half the victory.” What did Cervantes mean by this, and how might his words be applied to academic endeavors? Learn multiple strategies you can employ to optimally meet your college responsibilities and commitments.

• 6.4: Class Attendance

  • Class Attendance Page

    Mark as completed

    Students don’t always want to go to class, but attending class can enhance and enrich learning in manifold ways. Learn about the benefits of attending class, what to do if you miss class, how to actively listen in class, how to effectively participate in class activities, and how to take notes.

• 6.5: The Role of Memory

  • The Role of Memory Page

    Mark as completed

    Memory is a function that we typically take for granted, but in the college context, memory skills are very important. What strategies are recommended for studying and "knowing what to know"? In what situations do we need short-term rather than long-term memory, and vice versa?

    Learn about the role of memory in effectively studying, and strategies for strengthening your memory.

• 6.6: Active Learning

  • Active Learning Page

    Mark as completed

    Active learning is a method of learning in which you are actively or experientially involved in the learning process. Examples of active learning are class discussions, writing assignments, and student-led teaching. Why is active learning so important to the learning process, perhaps more so than experiences that entail merely listening? Learn strategies for engaging more actively with the content covered in class.

• 6.7: Putting It Together: Learning Styles and Strategies

  • Putting It Together: Learning Styles and Strategies Page

    Mark as completed

    Learning happens in stages, so it may be unrealistic to think you can know everything all at once. Still, there are strategies to help you learn deeper, faster and more fully. The Learning Styles and Strategies unit explores these strategies in detail.