Many of you have been out of school for a while, and many of you have never gone to school online. You are now "Adult Learners," and the research shows that adults learn differently, especially in online environments. You do not all learn in the same way, either. What I want to do in this section is prepare you for success by helping you understand different learning styles, and what style best suits you. I also want you to understand the different levels of cognitive learning so that you will be successful in the course.
Review the information on the following website so that you understand the characteristics of adult learners, and what motivates adult learners. After you review the website, ask yourself, "How does all of this apply to me as a student?"
Characteristics of Adult Learners [1]
(Last accessed February 26, 2021)
If you want to assess your own learning style and motivation style, then try these two assessments.
You are now doing graduate level work, which demands higher levels of cognitive learning. Benjamin Bloom created his famous Bloom's Taxonomy, where he categorized levels of cognitive understanding. Basic competencies at the knowledge level such as memorizing and recalling facts are inadequate for the geospatial intelligence practitioner and for graduate students. You will be called upon to engage in critical thinking, requiring you to demonstrate higher order thinking skills.
Review Bloom's Taxonomy to ensure you understand the terminology and what higher order thinking skills will be expected in your coursework.
This course will focus on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Ensure you apply these concepts when asked to do so in assignment instructions. The following website serves as a quick reference with examples of Bloom's Taxonomy. It is worth a moment of your time to review and perhaps print them out.
By now, you realize the learning is different for each individual. However, I as an instructor must standardize the course material to fit the Canvas environment. I try to cater to different learning styles, but ultimately you have to take the course as it is. Learning comes easier for some than others. To help you study "smarter" rather than "harder" the following websites are resources to help you.
Set yourself up for success by developing a study plan. Consider where, when, and how you will study and then make a plan that will work for you. Students who fail to make such a plan often have unnecessary difficulty with what should be a great educational experience.
I do not know about you, but my life is in constant overdrive. Between my job, family, and all the other little extras it seems like I am always on the go. As adult online learners you do not have the discipline or support of scheduled classes in a brick and mortar classroom. It gets so easy to just push studying farther back on your list of priorities. You must be self-disciplined to schedule time (about 10-12 hours a week) for study and assignment completion. I recommend you set aside several standardized blocks of time in your schedule (put it in Outlook and on your Smartphone, then you will have to study). You might think about making a weekly calendar listing all of your activities, and then identify the blocks of study time to which you can commit. This class has assignments due every week. Some of them are group discussions where it will be evident if you are unprepared. Do not let yourself get behind so that you do not let yourself and your classmates down.
The website below from Virginia Tech is an interactive tool to help you figure out how much time there is for study.
Time Management Strategies [7]
(Last accessed February 26, 2021)
Links
[1] https://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/resources/essentialskillreading_hs_level3_characteristicsadultlearners.pdf
[2] http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml
[3] http://www.seemypersonality.com/personality.asp?p=Motivation-Test#q1
[4] https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/
[5] http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/
[6] https://campushealth.unc.edu/health-topics/academic-success/obstacles-academic-success/avoiding-study-traps
[7] http://ucc.vt.edu/academic_support/online_study_skills_workshops/time_management_strategies.html