Penstripe Student Planner Catalogue 24-25 - Flipbook - Page 112
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THE SCIENCE BIT –
FORMING POSITIVE HABITS
THE SCIENCE BIT –
STUDY SKILLS MYTH BUSTERS
The Science Bit – Forming Positive Habits
Your initial goal is to disrupt poor study habits by changing the context/
environment where possible. Let’s say you have a habit of keeping your phone
beside you, switched on during homework. Now that you understand the limits
of working memory, you’ll know this habit is detrimental to your learning. To
change the habit you will need to find the initial motivation to both switch the
phone off and remove it from the study space. The key is to change the cue
(the phone beside you) and disrupt the context (homework time). Repeated
daily, this will become an automatic behaviour or habit. But remember, it’s
not just enough to switch the phone off (although it’s a good start). Recent
research has found that if the phone is off but still in the room, it proves to be
a distraction! We suppose it’s a case of “out of sight, out of mind.”
The inital
importance of
motivation fades
as a new habit
is developed
In this Guide we outline the most effective and proven study strategies, but no
one can make you apply them. You need to find a level of motivation that will,
at least initially, drive you to use these strategies repeatedly, thus helping you
develop positive, effective study habits. And the good news is that the more
your behaviour becomes automatic, the less you have to rely on motivation.
Conditions required to change
poor study habits:
You see the long-term benefit of good
study habits
You have set yourself a specific goal
You reward yourself
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You know that forming a habit takes time
and self-control
You are willing to disrupt bad habits
You understand the importance of
repetition
Description
The Science Bit –
Forming Positive Habits
This might come as a shock but we need you to read this carefully and believe
us when we say the following – individuals DO NOT have different learning
styles. The VAK model is the one that is used inappropriately and most
commonly, so where you see it in use, be cautious. Basically, individuals are
asked to complete a pre-allocated checklist to identify whether they are visual,
auditory or kinaesthetic learners.
Multisensory
Learners
Then, as the theory VAK goes, if
you score highest in a particular
category you are deemed to
be that one type of learner.
No doubt you have heard
someone say, “I am an
auditory learner” or “I only
learn by seeing”. The research
demonstrates that we use
all our senses to learn new
information and, depending
on the topic at hand or the
context, one sense can be
more powerful or relevant than
others. We are essentially
multi-sensory learners.
If you pigeonhole or put your brain in a single sensory box you are potentially
closing off opportunities for learning. That is the last thing you want to do!
Don’t just take our word for it: hundreds of quality research studies have
proven learning styles to be a myth.
Final Word
Where possible link your
study habits to context:
to specific locations and
times. If you find it too
difficult in your bedroom,
where your ‘want conflict’
is for your games console,
then take your studying
elsewhere. Alternatively,
take the console to
another room! Remember
to find and disrupt those
negative habits.
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100s
of research studies
have proven learning
styles to be a myth
Description
The Science Bit –
Study Skills Myth Busters
Copyright © 2021 Inspire Education
When forming a brand new habit, don’t
make things difficult for yourself. If a new
behaviour is not easy or convenient to
repeat daily, it is less likely to become a
habit. You might want to study in the local
library three days weekly, but transport
is so unreliable that more time is spent
travelling than studying. You are not likely
to continue to repeat this behaviour. Your
motivation to find a better routine will get
you past this.
The Science Bit – Study Skills Myth Busters
MYTH 1: We all have different learning styles
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