Learning

Learning Skills
Skills for
for
Open
Open and
and Distance
Distance
Learners
Learners
 Course objectives
 To describe OUM’s learning environment and manage your
learning;
 To identify the main components of a personal computer and the
Internet;
 To utilise the tools available under OUM’s Learning Management
System (myLMS);
 To apply the appropriate reading techniques as well as note-
taking and notemaking skills;
 To present information in written or oral form and cope with
assessments;
 To gather, retrieve and evaluate information from various
sources; and
 To utilise the three (3) Microsoft Office Application software,
i.e. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.
 synopsis
• This course aims to provide learners a
basic guide to becoming independent
learners in open and distance learning
through
»Basic learning skills
»Basic ICT skills
»Searching for information.
Course Map
Topic to cover

1. Managing your learning

2. Online Learning Environment In OUM
3. Reading For Information
4. Note-Making And Note-Taking Skills
5. Presenting Information
6. Coping With Your Assessment
7. Information Gathering Process
8. Skills In Information Retrieval
9. Evaluation Information
10. Using Microsoft Office Application
 TOPIC 1:
Managing your learning
 Objectives
1. explain three (3) blended learning methodologies at OUM;
2. select ten (10) strategies for managing stress;
3. set a goal based on nine (9) characteristics of effective goal;
4. apply seven (7) motivational strategies for successful
learning;
5. practice three (3) aspects of time - management;
6. identify eight (8) causes of poor concentration and strategies
to improve concentration; and
7. identify your personal learning style.
Skills Required as an
OUM Learner
Managing Notes Taking
Your Learning And
Environment Notes Making

Reading Presentation
Skills Skills

Assessment
Method
OUM’s Learning Environment

• a blended approach to learning which

employs multi-mode strategies.
• Blended learning is essentially combining
online learning, or more technologically
advanced forms of learning methods, with
the traditional methods such as face-to-
face interaction and the actual classroom
OUM’s Learning Environment

Face-to-Face Self-Managed
Interactions Learning

OUM’s
Learning
Environment

Virtual
discussions
Self Managed learning
Improved Quality learning
employability

Self managed learning

Preparation for
lifelong learning
Ability to make effective
Use of new technology
The Independent Learner

Plan Time
and Management
Manage

Develop
Learning
Motivate
Strategies
Yourself
What is Stress?

Mental

Physical

Emotional

CAPT J. Vieira, CHC, USN, 04/2006

Stress is . . .

“the body’s response to any

demand placed on it.
Whether pleasant or unpleasant.”
Dr. Hans Selye
(the Father of Stress Research)

Fight or Flight
CAPT J. Vieira, CHC, USN, 04/2006
 Managing Stress

Exercise Learn to
Organise
yourself Relax
Have
Control your enough
environment rest

Know
Learn to yourself
Enjoy Eat
Think and Balance
Reward
Act positively Diet
yourself
 Coping with Learning

Change in
lifestyle Poor health
Anger
Inefficient Impatient
Early
Symptom of
Stress Restless
Unhappy
Lack of
Lonely Enthusiasm
Pre-occupied
With negative
thoughts
Coping with Study Problems
Recognise your
own
resources

Learn to Don’t
Accept cope alone
Failure

Cooperate Be
And Realistic
Collaborate
 Definition of Anxiety
• Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or
fear. The source of this uneasiness is not
always known or recognized, which can add
to the distress you feel.
• Anxiety disorders are a group of
psychiatric conditions that involve
excessive anxiety.
 Anticipatory Anxiety
- distress felt while preparing for exam or
late submission of assignment

Relax How to Overcome? Know your

stand
Be focused Find a
comfortable study
Think Positive
place
Study in a group
Prepare your
Have a specific notes
Study time
 Situational Anxiety
- distress felt during the exam or or
before assignment is due

Relax How to Overcome? Keep

moving
Be punctual
Ask for
Divide your time clarification
Avoid highly
anxious friend Work at a
comfortable
Read & Understand place
Instructions
 What is Goal-setting?

• How would you define “Goal-setting”?

• Goal-setting is taking steps to achieve a dream,
desire, or specific outcome
– Think about climbing a mountain; you start at the
bottom!
– Take one step at a time and you will get there!
• GOALS: DIRECTION TOWARD YOUR DESIRES.

23
Nine (9) characteristics of
effective goal
– Self-chosen
– Relevant
– Challenging
– Realistic
– Specific
– Measurable
– Time-bounded
– Positive
– written
 Motivation & Goal Setting:
A partnership toward success
• Motivation and goals go together
• They help your plans SUCCEED

“Motivation is the FUEL that drives you

to achieve a dream, desire, or specific
outcome.
Goals provide the DIRECTION toward
your dream, desire, or specific
outcome.”
Paul Fenton.

26
 Motivation & Goal Setting:
A partnership toward success
• You can’t have one without the other:

Motivation, but no goals

=
Passion, without direction

No motivation, but goals

=
No achievement of plan.

27
 Motivation & Goal Setting:
A partnership toward success
“A car without FUEL (motivation) goes
nowhere; a car without DIRECTION
(goals) has the potential to go anywhere,
but never reaches its final destination.”
Paul Fenton.

28
Motivational Strategies for
Successful Learning
Set Goal
Monitor Refine
your Goal
learning

Learn from
Correcting Be Positive
Mistakes

Active Challenge your

Learning peak
Goal Setting –
The S.M.A.R.T Way

S Specific

M Measurable

A Achievable

R Realistic

T Time Bound
  SMART GOALS
: 

1. Specific: is my goal Specific enough and

stated in Positive (not negative) terms?
2. Measurable: Will goal attainment
be measurable? How will I measure the
success or failure of my added value in
this project?  (Video description: how
can i see/hear/feel/smell/taste on a
video tape the effect of my successful
contribution?)
  SMART GOALS
 

3. Action oriented: Is my added value or goal

described in positive action oriented terms? In
behavioral terms? ==> What will I DO? What will
others be DOING through my results?
4. Realistic: Are my goals realistic (and still
ambitious enough) with the means, time,
capabilities and resources I have?
5. Time Oriented: Did I indicate in my goals when
will be done what? Is there a realistic
 make them SMART:
Goal 1:

Reformulate
The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey

 Be Proactive
 First thing first
 Begin with the end in mind
 Think win-win
 Seek first to understand
then to be understood
 Synergise
 Sharpen the saw
 Managing your Time
Effectively
Spend more
Productive time

Plan Take Charge

ahead

Evaluate Prioritise
Progress

Avoid time
conflict
 Concentration Strategies

Environmental
Distractions
Physical
Distractions Noise

Causes of Poor Day

Concentration Dreaming
Anxiety

Personal Intimidating
Boredom Study Task
Worries Lose Interest
Strategies for improving
Concentration

Monitor

Take steps to control

Identify the cause

Topic
Topic 22
 Computer

• A computer is an electronic device

that executes the instructions in a
program.
What makes a computer
powerful?
• Speed
– A computer can do billions of actions per
second.
• Reliability
– Failures are usually due to human error, one
way or another.
• Storage
– A computer can keep huge amounts of data.

http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/lesson1-2/lesson1-1.htm
 It also known as the Net,
world wide network of
computers. It is made up of
thousands of interconnected
computer networks.

 Internet is a global area network that

connects computers in the world that
based on Internet Protocol (IP) and
Transmission Control Protocol ( TCP)
and several standards.
 Internet history
Started in the late 1960s in the United States
- as a network of the Department of Defence (ARPANET)
- later Universities came along to exchange research information.
1980s - used for research purposes
- for archiving and publication of general information.
1990s - the American Government and commercial organisations
where added rapidly to the fast expanding network.
- At this moment there appear to be approx. 115.75 million
users around the world
How the Internet works
Here's what happens to a piece of data (eg. a Web page) when it is transferred
over the Internet:
• It is broken up into a whole lot of same-sized pieces (called packets).
• A header is added to each packet that explains where it came from, where it
should end up and how it fits in with the rest of the packets.
• Each packet is sent from computer to computer until it finds its way to its
destination. Each computer along the way decides where next to send the
packet. This could depend on things like how busy the other computers are
when the packet was received. The packets may not all take the same route.
• At the destination, the packets are examined. If there are any packets
missing or damaged, a message is sent asking for those packets to be resent.
This continues until all the packets have been received intact.
• The packets are reassembled into their original form.
• Each computer connected up to the Internet has software called TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) which is responsible for
receiving, sending and checking packets. TCP/IP is the 'glue' of the Internet.
• http://www.learnthenet.com/english/
animate/animate.htm
• http://www.wellesley.edu/cs100/Inte
rnet/
 Role of internet
Areas that being influenced by the Internet are :

Entertainment Information

Communication Role of Internet

Role of Internet Education

Interactive Business
Miscellaneous Use
 World Wide Web
• The official definition of the WWW is "wide-area hypermedia
information retrieval initiative aiming to give universal access to a large
universe of documents."
• wide-area: The World Wide Web spans the whole globe.
• hypermedia: It contains various types of media (text, pictures, sound,
movies ...) and hyperlinks that connect pages to one another.

• information retrieval: Viewing a WWW document (commonly called a Web

page) is very easy thanks to the help of Web browsers. They allow you to
retrieve pages just by clicking links, or entering addresses.
• universal access: It doesn't matter what type of computer you have, or
what type of computer the page you want is stored on - your Web
browser allows you to connect seamlessly to many different systems.
• large universe of documents: Anyone can publish a Web page - and nearly
anyone has! No matter what obscure information you want to find, there
is bound to be someone out there who has written a Web page about it.
Hypertext
Text that contains links to other text documents, allowing the reader to
skip around and read the documents in various order.

Style Guide for online hypertext,

http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/All.html

Hypermedia   
An extention of the concept of hypertext to include pictures, sounds,
movies, and so on, along with text and links to other documents.

Hyperlink
a hyperlink is a visual element on a Web page that, when clicked, loads a
specified URL into the browser window
What is web browser ?
A web browser connects to a computer specified by a network address,
called a Uniform Resource Locator(URL).

A web document is written in HTML and can contain text and any
other media (picture, sounds, animations, or movies) referenced by a
hypertext link.

The best known browsers are the Microsoft Internet Explorer family of
browsers and the Netscape Communications family of Netscape
Navigator browsers for UNIX, Windows, Macintosh OS/2, and Amiga
computers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_br
owsers

A screen shot of the Encyclopedia Main Page, viewed on Windows Internet Explorer 7
in Windows Vista.
 Web Browser

displays a given document, and allows the user to select

among highlighted items, which can consist of either
text, graphic or sound

Conceptually, browsers interact with a user in two ways.

 The browser's primary form of interaction occurs after the
browser obtains an item that the user has requested.
 The second form of interaction occurs when a user
communicates with the browser.
What is a URL

Uniform Resource Locator, a web address. It consists of a protocol, a host

name, a post ( optional) , a directory ( optional ), and a file name ( optional).

In the URL http:// www.oum.edu.my/oumh1103.html, the protocol is HTTP,

the host name is www.oum.edu.my,  and the file name is oumh1103.html.

URLs can used to address other Internet resources besides Web pages, such
as FTP sites, gopher servers, telnet addresses, and so on.

Structure of URL

http:// www.oum.edu.my:7070/oumh1103/index.htm
HTTP server

Hypertext transport protocol, the Internet protocol that defines how a Web
server responds to requests for files, made via anchors and URLs.

Web Page
A hypertext / hypermedia document that a browser can
display on the screen or play o the speakers.
Web Site
A host in the internet which runs a server program.
 Web server
A Web server is a piece of computer software that can
respond to a browser's request for a page, and deliver the
page to the Web browser through the Internet. You can think
of a Web server as an apartment complex, with each
apartment housing someone's Web page. In order to store
your page in the complex, you need to pay rent on the space.
Pages that live in this complex can be displayed to and viewed
by anyone all over the world. Your landlord is called your host,
and your rent is usually called your hosting charge. Every day,
there are millions of Web servers delivering pages to the
browsers of tens of millions of people through the network we
call the Internet.
 Basic Process
• Let's say that you are sitting at your computer, surfing the Web,
and you get a call from a friend who says, "I just read a great
article! Type in this URL and check it out. It's at
http://www.howstuffworks.com/web-server.htm." So you type
that URL into your browser and press return. And magically, no
matter where in the world that URL lives, the page pops up on your
screen. At the most basic level possible, the following diagram
shows the steps that brought that page to your screen:
•

• Your browser formed a connection to a Web server, requested a

page and received it.

Source : http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-server1.htm
 MSIE navigation bars
Title bar
Address bar

Menu bar
Toolbar
LMS
TOPIC 3
3. Reading for Information

Objectives:
At the end of this topic, you should be able
to:
 Identify the 4 types of reading techniques
 Apply the basic reading techniques
 Develop critical and analytical reading skills
 Apply reading skills
 Reading Skills
Why Read?
To get an overview

Habit Interest

Practical
To develop application
detailed &
analytical
understanding
Pleasure
Information
 Reading Skills
How to Read?
Skimming

Fast Reading Selective Reading

Scanning Slow Reading

Look for keywords

SQ3R
Thorough Reading
Scanning

• To locate specific info

What • Look out for keywords

• To locate for info quickly

Why • Read no more than
absolutely necessary

How • Use keyword spotting

Skimming

• Running quickly over main

What features i.e title, heading, ..
• To get general impression

• To find the main idea/theme

Why • To cover a large amount of
of material in a short time

• Read title/heading/part of text

How • Search through the text
• Read first/last paragraph and
note keywords
 Skimming and scanning
When you have a specific question to answer or information to
collect, you need to be able to skim a page quickly to find the
section you need. You can do this by scanning a text for a
keyword.

Can you define the three highlighted words above?

Skim: to read something quickly so

that you only note the important
Keyword: a word of points.
importance.
Scan: to look quickly and not very
thoroughly through a text in order to
In which specific situations do you identify relevant information.
think it would be a useful skill to
be able to skim/scan quickly and
accurately?
 Scanning
Find and circle the following words in this passage from Jane Austen’s
Emma as quickly as possible:

CLEVER HOME UNITE DISTRESS MARRIAGE EARLY

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and
happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and
had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex
her.
She was the youngest of two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father,
and had, in consequence of her sister’s marriage, been mistress of his house
from a very early period.
Test your reading skill

FINISHED FILES ARE THE

RESULT OF YEARS
OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY
COMBINED WITH THE
EXPERIENCED OF MANY
YEARS
Read only once and count how many ‘Fs’ are there
in the above passage
 Skimming
Find out the answer to the following question by skimming the passage below.
What were the names of Degas’s father and mother?

Degas’s background would never have suggested he was to become the

revolutionary painter he was. He was born in Paris, on 19 July 1834. His father,
Auguste de Gas, was a banker but his mother, Célestine, died before Degas
reached his teens.

Answer: Degas’s father was called ___________________

Degas’s mother was called __________________
 Skimming
You could have read through the whole piece of text until you found the
answer. A quicker way would be to find the keywords in the question – in this
case ‘father’ and ‘mother’ – then run your eyes down the text, flicking them
from left to right, until you found the same (or similar) words in the article.

If all you want is one piece of information, skimming can be a time-saving

device.

I find it’s especially useful when you’re

researching something and you don’t want to
have to read whole pages on a subject just to
get a few pieces of information!
Slow Reading

Rem
e
l u a te & Wha mber
Ev a t is r
C r i tical ead
Be

& In Fo
e
s and st llo
y ru w
n al rst ct
A de io
ns
Un

Critical
Analytical
Approach
Approach
 SQ3R
Survey
gather the information necessary
to focus and formulate goals.
Question
Review help your mind engage
refine your mental and concentrate
organization
and begin
building memory.

Read
Recite fill in the information around
the mental structures
retain your mind to concentrate you've been building.
and learn as it reads
 SQ3R?
• SQ3R is a technique for fully
absorbing written information.It also
helps you to set study goals.

• By using SQ3R to actively read a

document, you can get the maximum
benefit from your reading time.
What is SQ3R?
• The acronym SQ3R stands for the
five sequential techniques you should
use to read non-fiction material (e.g.
a textbook)
 Why Survey?
• Get the big picture
• Decide importance
• Know important points
• Connect known to unknown
• Prepare to read
 sURVEY
• Survey the text: Look at titles,
headings and subheadings; pictures,
graphs and charts; bold or italicized
print; questions in the book
 Why Question
• Stay focused
• Gives purpose
• Creates interest
 Question
• Make a note of any questions on the subject
that come to mind, or particularly interest
you following your survey. These questions
can be considered almost as study goals.

• Turn titles, headings and subheadings into

questions
 Why Read
• To gain information
• To prepare for lecture
• To prepare for discussion
• To prepare for tests
 Read
• Now read the document, taking care to
understand all the points that are
relevant. This may be a slow process.

• Don’t forget to answer your questions

as you read—and take note of important
information that you didn’t predict!
 Why Recite?
• Retain information
• Check understanding
 Recite
• Once you have read, run through it in
your mind several times. Isolate the
core facts.

• Practice answering your study

questions
 Review
• Review by rereading the document, by
expanding your notes, or by discussing
the material with classmates/family
(when appropriate)

• Answer the comprehension questions

at the end
 Quiz SQ3R
• Describe the steps of
SQ3R . (Think about
what the step is and
describe how and why you
would use it)
 Improving Speed of Reading
Read more
frequently
Avoid Get your
Regression eyes tested

Don’t read
Develop your when you
eye span are tired
Stop reading
out loud
 Reading Your Module
Table of
Look for Content
Words in Look for
Bold Keywords

Introduction
And The
Learning Course
Objectives Guide

Read Look out

Subheading For
Course Icons
Content
Topic 4
4. Note-taking and Note
Making Skills

Objectives:
At the end of this topic, you should be able
to:
 Differentiate between annotation, written
notes and mind-maps
 Develop note-making skills
 Use note-taking suggestions to develop a
set of good notes
Making Notes

Written
Notes
Annotation

Mind Maps
 Annotation

 Short notes written on the text books,

articles, or any resources
 May be in the form underline, highlighting
main points, using question marks, circle,
tick or cross
 Some may use stick on paper or
bookmarkers
 Written Notes

Sequential Column
Notes Notes

Notes written in
column format

Summary Outline
Notes Notes

Write short notes in Write short notes in

your own word arranged in Point form
 Mind Maps
• Mind maps do not follow linear sequence
• Main topic forms the nucleus
• Main ideas and concepts branch out from it
Dot-Matrix Printers Laser

Impact Non-impact

Golf-Ball Chain
Inkjet
Drum
 Tips on Making Notes
Understand the
objective
Read over Read the whole
the notes Chapter and
Summarise

Use inverted
Commas for Leave spaces
words in between
Taken notes
directly
from text
Reread the
Use your chapter and improve
own words on the notes
 Making notes
When you have a specific question to answer, skimming and scanning works
well because you know exactly what you are looking for.

However, if you are making notes on a topic chosen yourself it is more difficult
to select the key information and to write it in your own words.

Sometimes I have to read lots of information

when I’m researching a topic but I don’t want
to have to copy it all down. What should I do?

I use bullet points to sum up the main

points briefly. Try condensing each
sentence to just a couple of words.
 Making notes
Here’s
an exa
mple fo
r you!

Kefalonia is the largest of the Greek

Ionian islands and certainly one of the Kefalonia is
most picturesque islands in the world. largest Ionian
The capital is Argostoli which is on the island
west coast.
Capital is
The island has two beautiful caves: the Becomes Argostoli
stalactite-festooned Drogorati and
Melissani with its subterranean lake. Two caves:
Both caves attract high numbers of Drogorati and
tourists at peak season. Melissani
 Taking Notes during Tutorial

• Preparing yourself for tutorial

Read before you come to class

Activates Makes
Your prior Intelligent
knowledge Builds Connections
mental
schemas
 Taking Notes during Tutorial
• Listening during tutorial
Create Avoid
spaces distraction
Listen to
the message said
Identify
key issues
Relate the
Write down ideas
Date/time

Identify Look for

note-worthy Take clues
materials notes
Question?
Question?
Question?
End of
Chapter