by Chris Bedwell

Introduction

As Singapore encourages and incentivises Lifelong Learning and resilience amongst its workforce, personalised learning strategies can be of real benefit for those studying towards post-graduate qualifications. According to Aw (2016) 10,000 SkillsFuture courses were on offer in Singapore as of 2016. Furthermore, many NUS graduates may proceed to further professional study in areas such as medicine, finance, law or engineering. Given that many such learners will then be engaged in full-time employment with limited study release from their sponsors, efficient learning techniques would be of clear value. This paper will suggest three simple learning strategies for students pursuing vocational qualifications using popular study texts prepared by publishers such as Kaplan.

Context

In the previous semester, several ES1103 students stated their intention to study for vocational qualifications after graduating and asked informally how such professional study texts may be approached. Although the answer would depend on individual circumstances, having taken the ACCA exams some years earlier, I was in a position to suggest three general strategies that I found useful.

In ES1103 Tutorial 2, students are introduced to two practical learning strategies. The first is the T-model, a skimming and intensive reading technique. The second is the Cornell note-taking method where students divide up a blank sheet of paper into four parts, with each segment highlighting a specific learning point. Both strategies are useful when myriad sources are available to the learner. In the professional manuals noted above, however, specially tailored materials have already been organised.

Such manuals prepare students for exams usually taken annually or semiannually, and in general spare working students from having to read widely from multiple sources. Unfortunately, the texts typically run into many hundreds of pages of dense, genre-specific input which can be quite difficult to penetrate. Should a student wish to attempt, say, three professional exams in a summer or winter session, this could require the processing and learning of around 2,000 pages or more of semi-technical text over a five-month period (equating to around 15 pages of input per day). How, therefore, may such a task be undertaken given that their likely professional and family responsibilities would severely restrict their study time?

Strategy # 1 Aim for a ‘little-and often’ policy in terms of study

Fifteen pages of text per day is psychologically easier to accomplish than two thousand pages over five months, so the first piece of advice is for the student to resolve to process the text at an achievable steady rate, each and every day, weekends and public holidays included. The date of completion of notetaking could be written at the foot of the page of the manual. If the student achieves more than the allotted number of pages per day, they may then ‘bank’ the surplus towards a night off (or a long weekend if they really get ahead). Alternatively, they may offset any surplus against the following day’s work. Any deficit in pages, however, should be quickly attended to. In this way, a single 900-page text could be completed in about two months or so, leaving plenty of time for revision and question practice. If one’s work schedule permits the division of time into multiple study sessions (for example, over a lunch or coffee break), then the page allocation for that day may be completed in smaller chunks. This keeps the mind fresher and the overall task achievable.

Strategy # 2 For note-taking, devise simple questions based for each salient point arising in the text

The second piece of advice is to avoid copying text wholesale or making notes that are too extensive. Instead, try to devise a question based on each key point covered by the text. Exercise judgement as to what constitutes the essential point posed by the section. The answer to that question should be a self-prepared bullet point (or points). It is this act of forming an appropriate question which challenges the reader to try and grasp the essence of the writer’s intent. It is therefore similar to the ‘Q’ in the SQ3R methodology.

Using this technique, 30 or 40 pages of text can be condensed into a few sides of A4 – ideal for revision or quick review when time is limited (for example whilst commuting on a train or perhaps thirty minutes before going to bed).

Strategy # 3 Flag computational examples in one’s notetaking

For subjects that require computational answers, such as engineering or finance, worked examples should be completed as far as possible, with one’s own calculations retained as supporting schedules. Such computations could be annotated with by answering the following: What aspects of the computation were not understood? What errors were made in reaching the solution? What technical points were learned? Consider allocating a star (*) against the computations. Five stars could indicate an area of great difficulty; one very easy. Notice how on subsequent reworkings the number of stars would be revised down based on an improved understanding of the points arising. This should be taken as an encouraging sign.

Conclusion

Studying and learning a relatively large body of information while working or raising a family is a task best broken down into manageable bite-sized pieces. By being consistent and steady with in one’s professional study habits, it is possible to pass vocational exams without too much heartache by way of a few simple study techniques.

References

Aw, C. W. (2016). Spoilt for choice for lifelong learning: 10,000 SkillsFuture courses on offer. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/spoilt-for-choice-for-lifelong-learning-10000-skillsfuture-courses-on-offer

Kamei, R. (2017). How Singapore encourages lifelong learning and workforce resilience. The Diplomat. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/how-singapore-encourages-lifelong-learning-and-workforce-resilience