Student Survival Guide – Using Axia’s Educational Resources
There are a wide variety of technological tools and resources available to me as a student. I can use the University Library which has a number of databases or I can go to Google. When I need to research I will go to the University Library and first search the databases alphabetically and then from there I can go even further and search all databases by description. Then depending on what I am looking for, I can choose which database will best suit my needs. It is important to me to make sure that all my research comes from credible resources and I know that library will give me just that. “Educational and government sites are generally more likely to have been screened and selected by educated professionals than other sites. Look for URLs ending in .edu (these sites originate at an educational institution) and .gov (these sites originate at government agencies). A URL (Universal Resource Locator) is the string of text and numbers that identifies an Internet Site. All the sites listed in the Research Navigator databases have been selected to maximize reliability and credibility.” It is also important for me to be able to have access to “peer-reviewed articles” which I can find in databases such as EBSCOhost or Gale PowerSearch. “Peer-reviewed means that before an article is accepted for publication within a journal, it is first reviewed and corrected by a subject expert. Peer-reviewed journal articles are typically considered of higher quality because of this review process than a non-peer-reviewed journal articles.”
www.salisbury.edu/library/distance_ed/glossary.htm
Many databases will allow me to search specifically for a peer-reviewed journal articles. For example, to find some in the Gale PowerSearch database, do a search and then click on the “Peer-Reviewed” tap at the top of the list.
The way I can identify a peer-reviewed article:
• Lengthy, in-depth articles, often presenting original research
• Frequent in-text citations and a concluding Reference List/Bibliography
• Language that indicates expert knowledge of the subject
• Few illustrations except graphs, charts, or tables to summarize data
• Authors affiliated with universities or research organizations
• Journal titles referring to an academic discipline or specialized field of study
https://www.ithaca.edu/library/research/scholar.php
Upholding Academic Honesty
The definition of Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own. When you steal someone else’s work it is illegal and unethical. It is important for me to remember that the consequences out way the benefits. Some of the consequences are a failing grade for the paper and in the course itself. There could also be a permanent notice placed in my student records. I think the worst thing that could happen to me would be to get suspended from the University. Plagiarism can happen accidently or intentionally but the outcome is still the same either way. Here are ways that accidental plagiarism can happen:
Example 1
Copying a quotation without using quotation marks.
Example 2
Eliminating a citation for information that comes from a source.
Example 3
Using vague or incorrect citations.
Example 4
Paraphrasing information incorrectly.
Example 5
Writing material very close to the original—changing only a few words by using synonyms.
Example 6
Copying and pasting a source from the Internet without using quotation marks or citations.
Intentional Plagiarism
Example 1
Eliminating a citation for information that comes from another source.
Example 2
Using an incorrect citation so that the reader cannot locate the source.
Example 3
Using another student’s work as your own.
Example 4
Purchasing an essay from an Internet website.
Example 5
Using an essay from a free Internet website.
Example 6
Copying a quotation without using quotation marks.
Example 7
Writing material very close to the original—changing only a few words by using synonyms.
(Center for Writing Excellence, Types of Plagiarism)
The Center for Academic Integrity at Duke University defines academic
integrity as a commitment to five fundamental values: honesty (a search
for truth in work and in communication), trust (being true to your word),
fairness (contributing to a fair academic environment), respect (accepting
and honoring the opinions of others), and responsibility (making fair and honest choices).
(A Report from the Center for Academic Integrity, Center for Academic
Integrity, Kenan Institute for Ethics, Duke University, October 1999.
Available: www.academicintegrity.org (March 2001).
I must take the time to read the assignments, take proper notes, use citations and paraphrases, and always remember to give credit to any source that I may use. This way, I will never have a problem with plagiarizing.
Setting and Achieving Goals
There are two types of goals, long term and short term. Long term goals are goals that usually take a considerable amount of time to achieve. These are things like getting going to school to get a degree or reaching a certain position within a company. There are also long term goals that have no time frame. Short term goals can span just a few hours or take up to a few months to achieve. When I sit down and think about what I want to make of my life, I will write out on paper, making two columns, and list the things I would like to achieve. The first column will have my long term goals which are getting my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice in 2 years and get hired by my local police department as a Forensic Researcher and continuing on in college to get my Bachelors Degree within 4 yrs so I can become a Probation officer. These goals are aimed towards my education and job placement. Now, the next column will have my short term goals, which are broken down into smaller steps so I can eventually reach the long term goals. Right now, these would be to get my reading assignments done by day 1 so I can turn in my written assignments on the days scheduled and weekly projects by Sunday. I would also like to keep a B average in all classes. When I complete the required 60 units, I can graduate and hopefully reach my goal of working for Bakersfield Police Dept in forensics.
Managing Time Wisely
The one thing I have learned in this class to better manage my time. By doing so, I am able to finish my work in a reasonable time frame and elevate stress. I know that the best time for me to do anything school related is in the morning. I am refreshed from a good night’s sleep and ready for the day ahead. Also, my son is in school and I can have quiet time while he is gone. Next, I plan out my day by prioritizing the things that I need to accomplish. I will break it done into 3 categories:
• Priority 1 items are the most important. They would be taking/picking up son from school, going to class, doing assignments, household chores.
• Priority 2 items are things are things that are more flexible, like running errands and keeping up with studying.
• Priority 3 are the things that you would like to do but can wait.
By prioritizing the things I need to do this way, I am able to get done everything that I set out to do.
Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention
First off, the goal of reading comprehension means to have a complete understanding of what I am reading. It is important to determine the purposes of what and why I am reading. Depending on what my reading purpose is, I will follow one of the 4 guidelines defined in Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker, (Second Edition, by Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, and Sarah Lyman Kravits. Published by Pearson Prentice Hall. Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.)
They are as follows:
• Purpose 1: Read for understanding. Studying involves reading to comprehend
concepts and details. These components depend on each other. Details
help explain or support general concepts, and concepts provide a framework
for remembering details.
• Purpose 2: Read to evaluate critically. Critical evaluation involves understanding.
It means approaching material with an open mind, examining
causes and effects, evaluating ideas, and asking questions that test the
writer’s argument and assumptions. Critical reading brings a level of understanding
that goes beyond basic information recall.
• Purpose 3: Read for practical application. A third purpose for reading is to
gather usable information that you can apply toward a specific goal. When
you read a textbook preface or an instruction booklet for a new software
package, your goal is to learn how to do or use something. Reading and
action usually goes hand in hand.
• Purpose 4: Read for pleasure. Some materials you read for entertainment,
such as Sports Illustrated magazine, the latest page-turner by DaVinci Code
author Dan Brown, or even novels by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.
As Yale professor Harold Bloom points out, reading for pleasure gives you
the opportunity to enlarge your life and to enter into “alternate realities.”
“Why read?” Bloom asks. “Because you can know, intimately, only a very
few people, and perhaps you never know them at all. After reading [the
Thomas Mann masterpiece] The Magic Mountain you know Hans Castorp
thoroughly, and he is greatly worth knowing.”(See Harold Bloom, How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000.)
In my approach to reading, I will incorporate what I have learned from the SQ3R which is to first survey what I am reading: chapter elements and back matter. Then I will right out some questions: what is the topic of what I have read, and do I understand what I am reading. From there I will read and take notes, and highlight the important parts. I will then re-read some of it aloud as it helps me to understand the material and I will ask myself the questions I wrote down when I had initially skimmed it. Last but not least, I will review what I have read by going over the highlighted areas and condense the material so I can focus on the most crucial ideas.
Applying Personality and Learning Styles
There are 8 different types of learning styles:
• Verbal-Linguistic: able to communicate through language
• Logical-Mathematical: able to understand logical reasoning and problem solving
• Bodily-Kinesthetic: able to use the physical body skillfully and to take in knowledge through bodily sensation
• Visual-Spatial: able to understand spatial relations and to perceive and create images
• Interpersonal: able to relate to others, paying attention to their moods, what motivates them, and feelings
• Intrapersonal: the ability to understand one’s own behavior and feelings
• Musical: able to understand and create meaningful sound
• Naturalistic: able to understand features of the environment
Mine is that of Interpersonal and my personality assessment says I am a Giver.
For me it is important to do my studying in a well-structured, stable environment and to be more organized when it comes to scheduling my study time and assignments. I will find a creative way to help me memorize different terms, (flash cards, games, or puzzle) thus be able to turn whatever I am doing into something fun. I will seek out groups to study with so I can discuss information and get other students point of view and hopefully teach others with my point of view. I would like to learn from an Intrapersonal to cheek my emotions in check at all times and to be self-aware and from a Verbal-Linguistic the passion for reading and writing and understanding syntax and word meaning, and the art of remembering terms easily. I plan on implanting these styles of learning into all of my college courses so that I may be successful in my college endeavors.