|
Read the introductory chapter before reading the
articles
Keep up with the reading each week
Use the study questions to check your understanding of the
material. If necessary, re-read the papers. For the articles
that we read, you should be able to identify the purpose of
the experiment/what the researchers were interested in, how
they went about testing it (the research methods), what was
found (the results) and what it means for the topic under
study.
Also use class discussions as a study guide. If we are
talking about things in class that you can't remember
reading or do not understand, this will be an indication
that you are not getting the information from the readings
that you should. Ask about it in class and/or come talk to
me and we can go over how you are reading the material.
Study as you read. Don't just sit down and read pages and
pages of material without stopping. Read a page or section,
then stop to make sure you can identify the important
points. Take notes as you read, write down questions you
have as they occur.
Make sure you can explain the difference between similar
concepts and ideas. Pay special attention to differing
theories that address the same topic. Can you explain the
ways in which they are similar and different?
Participate in class. Sharing your ideas, asking questions,
and getting feedback will not only ensure that you
understand the information, but it will likely make it more
memorable.
Remember that we will have short-answer and eassy exams.
This means you need to understand the material well enough
to explain it to me (which is often harder than just being
able to recognize a correct answer on a multiple choice
exam). When studying, test yourself on how clearly you can
explain the material.
|