Week 10 Assignment: Discerning Conclusions from Recommendations
A study led by psychologists at Kent State University examined empirical research on ten common learning techniques, such as highlighting text with markers and practice tests. For each technique, the researchers explored the assumptions underlying the strategy. They studied what empirical research has to teach us about actual effectiveness. They found that despite the prevalence of various study techniques such as highlighting text and writing summaries, many of these student-preferred strategies do not work very well.
Your Task. Based on the preceding facts, indicate whether the following statements are conclusions or recommendations:
Students are generally overconfident that their study strategies are effective.
Although it is a typical learning technique, writing summaries of assigned reading is not always a reliable study tool.
Instructors need to teach study skills to help students maximize their time and outcomes.
Highlighting text has little to offer in the way of subsequent performance.
Students should identify the main ideas in the text before highlighting to benefit from this technique.
Researchers found that many typical student study techniques were ineffective.
Students should consider techniques they have never tried before; for example, interleaved practice, which mixes different types of material or problems in a single study session.