.FLYINGHEAD SCHOOL SMARTS
.TITLE Using some easy tech can improve your study success
.AUTHOR Denise Amrich
.SUMMARY Although it may seem like I spend all my time here at ZATZ, during my off-hours, I mentor students of the Medical Terminology course at the local community college. One student (let’s call her Rita) told me she was having a lot of trouble memorizing all of the terms. After I wrote her an email with some suggestions, I realized these study techniques could be applied to almost any course — and since tech is involved, would make a good topic for Computing Unplugged.
.OTHER
Although it may seem like I spend all my time here at ZATZ, during my off-hours, I mentor students of the Medical Terminology course at the local community college. One student (let’s call her Rita) told me she was having a lot of trouble memorizing all of the terms. After I wrote her an email with some suggestions, I realized these study techniques could be applied to almost any course — and since tech is involved, would make a good topic for Computing Unplugged.
In a course like Medical Terminology, there is definitely a time and memorization component, but Rita told me she studied for twenty hours in one week, and still felt no sense of accomplishment. Twenty hours just this week, without a feeling of accomplishment, sounds like a lot.
I wondered if Rita wasn’t optimizing for her cognitive style/learning style? If you do a search in Google for either of those terms you’ll turn up a wealth of information.
The upshot is that most people have an affinity to one or more types of learning. There are visual learners who learn best by seeing things, auditory learners who learn best by hearing, kinesthetic learners who learn best by touching, doing, playing games, etc.
Rita told me she has never liked reading and that these days it also makes her eyes hurt. It could be eye strain, or maybe she has an affinity for audio. I learn well that way, so when I was in the Medical Terminology class, I made audio flashcards for myself.
.H1 Audio flashcards
I downloaded a free voice recorder, [[http://audacity.sourceforge.net/|Audacity]], and read each word part, spelled it, and (after a slight pause) read the definition. I converted it to MP3 format, stuck it on my iPod, and listened to it while I was taking my nightly walk or in the car driving to the post office, or emptying the dishwasher, or doing laundry.
I would say each word out loud, so I could hear it again. Sometimes instead of saying the word out loud, I’d write it down. Every time it is repeated, you make another copy of it in your brain.
Many course have pre-recorded audio flashcard programs available for purchase. Just dig around online. Or you could just go the old-fashioned route and use a tape recorder!
.H1 Physical flashcards
Making physical flashcards and playing with them can help the kinesthetic learner. If you like to hold things in your hand or get a more physical experience with what you learn, you might enjoy kinesthetic learning styles.
Just work your way through your course notes and type information into Word or a flash card program. I like to use a free online service, [[http://www.flashcardexchange.com/|The Flashcard Exchange]], which makes creating and running through flashcards very easy. If you want to export or print the cards, a one-time $19.95 fee makes that possible — and is well worth it.
Once you’ve printed your cards, here’s a neat trick for learning. Get three boxes, put the cards in the middle. If you get a card right, promote it to the third box. If you get it wrong, demote it to the first. Then go over the ones in the first box again.
.H1 Synthesis
Another thing that helps is synthesis. Make a word part gel with something you already know. Think of a word you already know that has the same word part in it. It might help to type the word part into [[http://www.medterms.com|medterms.com]] or [[htttp://www.dictionary.com|dictionary.com]], or grab an actual dictionary.
For example, the prefix peri- means surrounding. A medical word using it would be periodontal. That makes sense…periodontists work with the gums, which are the tissue surrounding the teeth. And a perimeter goes around an area.
Hemi means half. A hemisphere is half the globe. You may find that you already know these! You probably do if you’ve been speaking English, or Spanish, or French…or any of the languages heavily influenced by Latin or Greek.
I did this kind of thing with almost every word I was having trouble with.
Any kind of mnemonic (memory) device can be fun. I remembered the difference between ileum and ilium in a really silly way. I thought of ileum, which is part of the small intestine, by thinking of someone holding their nose (as if smelling something unpleasant) and saying, "eeeeuuuu". And the ilium, which is the top part of the hip bones, by thinking if the letters "ili" as looking like the hip bones with the spine in the middle.
This technique also helped me with the ureters, because the two kidneys are on either side of the spine, lokoing like the letters "ete" . And urethra, which is the one people always get mixed up with it, is what the urine has to go "thra" to get out of the body. And yes, that’s the first use of the word "urine" in Computing Unplugged. We’re always breaking new ground here at the magazine!
.H1 Teamwork
Are there particular words you are you having trouble with? Why not share and see if other classmates have ideas on how they help themselves remember those words?
Let me know your thoughts. Hope this helped. Happy studies!
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
Get [[http://audacity.sourceforge.net/|Audacity]].
Visit [[http://www.flashcardexchange.com/|The Flashcard Exchange]].
Visit [[http://www.medterms.com|medterms.com]].
Visit [[htttp://www.dictionary.com|dictionary.com]].
.END_SIDEBAR
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