1 VCE Study Techniques & Resources VCE 学习技巧和课程资源托马斯卡中学 Good afternoon, My name is Stephan le Roux and I am the Head of School at Thomas Carr College. It is a great honour and privilege to speak to you today. I will be focusing on VCE Study Techniques & Resources that you may find helpful when preparing your students for their upcoming examination. The information presented is taken from The School For Excellence – VCE Exam Study Tips and several other VCE resource sites and documentation. Mr Stephan le Roux 斯蒂芬.拉若科斯 Head of School 初中部校长
2 我现在有点压力山大….(赶紧掉头悄悄离开，这样没人会受伤。）In order to perform well in the VCAA examinations, students need to invest in at least 40 hours of active learning/exam preparation per Unit per subject so as to commit the examinable materials to memory. Those students who have kept knowledge alive by reviewing materials that had previously been committed to memory as well as those students who have systematically worked through past exam questions across the year will probably require in the order of 30 hours of examination preparation per Unit per subject. One of the biggest mistakes made by students across the weeks leading up to the exams lies in the way they approach their learning, and in how they use the available time. The majority of students will commence their learning sessions by preparing a solid set of notes. They spend countless hours condensing information from all of the resources available to them, and as their learning progresses, spend considerable amounts of time re-writing materials to produce summaries, and even summaries of summaries! Unbeknown to most students – writing notes and summaries is one of the most inefficient ways of learning – and should be avoided if students are struggling with time. Writing or reading silently does not engage enough zones in your brain meaning that it is easy to stray or think about unrelated matters – impairing the amount of information being input into your brain! As an example: When reading silently to yourselves, have you ever reached the bottom of a page only to realise that you haven't the foggiest notion what the page was about? And this is the mode used by most students to commit knowledge to memory! We as teachers appreciate that many students like to have a compact set of notes from which to learn, but preparing such materials in the weeks leading up to the examinations will be a detrimental waste of time. Such materials need to be written up progressively throughout the year and when materials are fresh in mind so as to save valuable study time (the better you know your work, the less time it will take to write up notes and summaries).
3 i.e. Absorbance ∝ Concentration 即吸光度∝浓度When radiation from the hollow cathode lamp enters the flame, some of it is absorbed by the ground state metal atoms. The metal atoms absorb the wavelengths of radiation (from the light source) that are needed for the outer electrons to move to higher energy levels. The greater the concentration of metal atoms, the greater the amount of radiation absorbed. 当空心阴极灯的辐射进入火焰时，一部分放射物被基态金属原子吸收。金属原子吸收放射物的波长（从光源）使外层电子转移到更高的能量水平。金属原子浓度越大，吸收的辐射量越大。 i.e. Absorbance ∝ Concentration 即吸光度∝浓度 So what options are available to those students who do not possess a solid set of notes from which to study or learn? The suggestion is that students use their school notes and text books as their learning notes, and I will encourage you to help them adopt the following strategies: Step 1: Read through a small section of the notes/texts slowly and out loud. Take the time to understand the materials that they will be committing to memory. Step 2: Read through the same set of materials out loud. Then vocalise what they are learning in their own words i.e. relay what you have just learned/reviewed to your pet or friend! Step 3: Highlight important sections, fundamental concepts that need to be reviewed again as well as those sections that they are not confident with by using a YELLOW highlighter pen.
4 i.e. Absorbance ∝ Concentration 即吸光度∝浓度When radiation from the hollow cathode lamp enters the flame, some of it is absorbed by the ground state metal atoms. The metal atoms absorb the wavelengths of radiation (from the light source) that are needed for the outer electrons to move to higher energy levels. The greater the concentration of metal atoms, the greater the amount of radiation absorbed. 当空心阴极灯的辐射进入火焰时，一部分放射物被基态金属原子吸收。金属原子吸收放射物的波长（从光源）使外层电子转移到更高的能量水平。金属原子浓度越大，吸收的辐射量越大。 i.e. Absorbance ∝ Concentration 即吸光度∝浓度 Step 4: Within 24 hours, re-read and re-vocalise the yellow highlighted sections from the previous day’s materials. As their understanding of the examinable materials improves, many of the sections highlighted in YELLOW will not be deemed as critical and would be excluded from summaries prepared by them. However, rather than wasting valuable time re-writing the more critical materials, we suggest that students re-highlight the important points using a darker highlighter such as GREEN.
5 i.e. Absorbance ∝ Concentration即吸光度∝浓度When radiation from the hollow cathode lamp enters the flame, some of it is absorbed by the ground state metal atoms. The metal atoms absorb the wavelengths of radiation (from the light source) that are needed for the outer electrons to move to higher energy levels. The greater the concentration of metal atoms, the greater the amount of radiation absorbed. 当空心阴极灯的辐射进入火焰时，一部分放射物被基态金属原子吸收。金属原子吸收放射物的波长（从光源）使外层电子转移到更高的能量水平。金属原子浓度越大，吸收的辐射量越大。 i.e. Absorbance ∝ Concentration即吸光度∝浓度 Step 5: Within 7 days, re-read and re-vocalise the green highlighted sections from the materials studied the week before. Highlight important/challenging sections using an even darker highlighter colour such as PINK. Step 6: Before the exams – read through and vocalise the sections in their notes/texts that have been highlighted in PINK. If there is sufficient time, read through/vocalise the sections in GREEN and YELLOW as well. By using this technique – they can produce 3 summaries without re-writing one word!!!! After doing this it is then recommend that students spend the available time practising questions from as many sources as possible. It is the active learning and working through questions that will make the biggest impact on their examination results – not writing and re-writing materials.
6 http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/index.aspx 维多利亚课程及考试局As teachers and students it is highly encouraged that you and them should read previous VCAA reports by the Chief Assessor to gain valuable insights into the expectations of the examiners and the common mistakes to be avoided. Get your hands on as many practice exams as possible and let students complete them under test conditions, pushing themselves for time. As teachers it is beneficial for the students to have some of these exams marked by yourselves in order to give them an indication of areas that require attention.
7 Time Management 时间管理 Life can be so busy! Whether or not you think yours is busy now, managing your time is an essential skill for both study and work--structuring your time effectively is vital to success. Urgency is no longer reserved for special occasions, they are an everyday occurrences. Missing deadlines is not the path to advancement or even good job reviews. So how can one manage the flood of responsibilities, do excellent work and maintain a positive frame of mind? The Covey time management grid is an effective method of organizing your priorities. As you can see from the grid below, there are four quadrants organized by urgency and importance.
8 紧急的 不紧急的 重要的 不重要的 危机 能力建设 有期限的项目 扩大机会 十万火急的事 风险管理Stephen Covey discusses the four quadrants of time management: Quadrant I is for the immediate and important deadlines. Quadrant II is for long-term strategizing and development. Quadrant III is for time pressured distractions. They are not really important, but someone wants it now. Quadrant IV is for those activities that yield little of any value. These are activities that are often used for taking a break from time pressured and important activities. Many people find that most of their activities fall into quadrant I and III. Quadrant II is often under used. Yet, Quadrant II is exceptionally important because one must work both tactically and strategically at the same time. Finding ways to expand Quadrant II activities is a common outcome from using this grid. 不重要的 干扰 琐事 忙碌的工作 大部分会议和邮件 浪费时间的事
9 Timetable时间安排表 学习/家庭作业计划周一 周二 周三 周四 周五 周六 周日 So as teachers I will encourage you to help your students in creating a timetable for themselves. To help them plan their time efficiently, they will need three kinds of timetables:
10 A term planner to map out key tasks for the termThey can use their school's planner or make their own. Enter in important events, like assignment deadlines, exam dates and major tasks and family/social commitments. Put this up above their study desk. It gives them an overall view of the extra busy times so they can organise around them. A weekly timetable so you can structure your time in the short term while allowing flexibility They need copies of a blank weekly timetable in one-hour blocks. Each week fill in: Lesson times Chores/domestic commitments Other classes/sport time Leisure/free time It is very important that they build in free time otherwise they will resent their timetable and not keep to it. Exercise is also important to keep their mind fresh and alert. Encourage them to try and do some exercise at least a couple of times a week.
11 今日要做的事情 A diary with daily 'things to do' list日期 已完成 A diary with daily 'things to do' list The 'things to do' list is important and should be included in a diary so they can carry it with them and shuffle things around when necessary. Each night they need to make themselves a list of what to do the next day, for example: Read Biology textbook Chapter 2 Analyse English essay question and start thinking about how I will answer it.
12 Essay Writing 论文写作 计划 头脑风暴 预规划 研究 提炼 论文结构 前言 正文 结构 编辑 改错 PLANNINGBrainstorm Pre-planning Research Refine ESSAY STRUCTURE Introduction Body Structure EDITING Proofreading Essay Writing 论文写作 计划 头脑风暴 预规划 研究 提炼 论文结构 前言 正文 结构 Essay Writing Good essay writing is a key skill for success in both VCE and university. So how do you write a good essay? What makes a good essay? As teachers we need to teach students the aspects of a good essay. A good essay answers the question set. It also conforms to the word limits and other directions set by the assignment. A good essay is as concise as possible and avoids irrelevant or extraneous information that distracts from the main argument. Good essays also indicate the evidence on which any argument and individual points are based and acknowledge the sources of information, if appropriate. Some students will have a better command of language and a wider vocabulary than others, but that is less important than the ability to get your message across clearly. Use words that they understand and are comfortable with. It is far better to say what you have to say simply than to attempt to make it look good. Finally, be sure to tell them to edit their work for spelling, grammar and typographical mistakes before they hand it in. Sloppy work at this stage detracts from what might otherwise be a good essay. So, teaching students these following simple rules will help them to produce a good essay: Planning Essay structure Editing So what do I mean by these: 编辑 改错
13 Planning计划 Planning Analyse and brainstorm the topicAsk yourself the following: What is the specific topic for this essay? What are the limits of this discussion (e.g. time period, place)? What directions are set (word limit, instructional words like 'discuss' or 'analyse')? Next, ask what, when, why, where, who, how, to what extent and how significant-type questions about the topic and its various parts. Write these down. This helps you break down the essay question. Make a preliminary plan The ideas you generate from the brainstorm will form a preliminary plan, which can direct your research and which you can review after you have completed your research. Research the topic Depending on the assignment, they will likely need to research. Refine your plan Having done your reading, you can now review and finalise your plan. Think about the order in which you want to present the ideas. This imposes a structure and a logical progression in your argument.
14 Introduction Body ConclusionStructure结构 Introduction 前言 Body 正文 Essay structure The introduction is one of the most important parts of an essay, as it provides general introductory statement(s), focuses in on the topic, gives the thesis statement of the essay and outlines what is to come. The body of the essay contains paragraphs which should include a topic sentence that tells the reader the main idea of the paragraph. Other sentences in the paragraph develop the main idea by giving examples, explaining terms and/or giving more detail. In the paragraphs they will likely need to summarise and paraphrase the ideas, research and arguments of others and cite sources. The order of the ideas in these body paragraphs should reflect the order outlined in the introduction. The conclusion should summarise the main view (thesis) presented. It should briefly review the ideas covered and could finish off with an overall comment on the topic. Conclusion 结论
15 Editing 编辑 Editing and proofreadingWhen they have completed their draft essay put it aside for at least a day so they can look at it with 'fresh' eyes. First, ensure each argument develops logically from one idea to another. In a second edit, look at style and expression, particularly choice of vocabulary, construction of sentences and the way ideas are introduced. Proofreading is the final step in the editing process. Check spelling, grammar and punctuation. Do NOT rely on the computer spell check as they can miss too many things!
16 Reading 阅读 Identify your purpose 确定目的Know what you are looking for知道你要找什么 Identify the keywords 确认关键词 Browse the table of contents 浏览目录表 Manageable segments 可控部分 Chapters 章节 Pages 页 Strategies 策略 Gaining an overview 总览 Skimming 略读 Scanning 扫描 Intensive reading精读 Reading Reading is so important to learning! Do you think you are a great reader? A poor reader? No reader can remember everything they read; in fact, there are many different ways to read. To be a better reader you need to know why you are reading and what reading strategies to use. Identify the purpose for reading Before you read, ask yourself 'Why am I reading this?' Your answer should determine the way you read, that is, what reading strategies you use. For example, think about the way you would read to get some idea what a chapter might be about, compared to how you would read to understand a complex and detailed concept. They need to make decisions about how much time they have to read and what is essential to read. Once they locate the parts of a text that are going to be most useful, they may not need to read the rest. So how do you identify the purpose of reading? Know what you are looking for Identify key words for searching in a text Use the key words to browse the table of contents and index for relevant pages. Break reading into manageable segments If they have a lot of reading to do, tell them to break the reading up into manageable segments, like chapters or a certain number of pages. This is less overwhelming and helps them to focus. Use reading strategies Efficient readers use reading strategies to save time and cover a lot of ground. Depending on their purpose for reading, they should choose one or more of the main strategies: Gaining an overview gives them an idea of what the text is about and alerts them to where the information they need is, e.g. changed print, graphics include diagrams, maps, graphs, cartoons or photos. Skimming involves running their eye very quickly over large chunks of text. They are trying to pick up some of the main ideas without paying attention to detail. It is a fast process. Scanning is sweeping their eyes over part of a text to find specific pieces of information, e.g. if you are at the train station you scan the timetable to find the next train—you don't start at the beginning and read all the information! Intensive reading is detailed, focused, 'study' reading of important pages or chapters. To read intensively: Start at the beginning. Underline any vocabulary they do not know, but do not stop the flow of their reading. If the text is relatively easy, underline, highlight or make brief notes. If the text is difficult, read through once or several times (depending on the level of difficulty) and then take notes. Be alert to the main ideas. Each paragraph should have a main idea, usually contained in the first sentence. When they have finished, go back to the new vocabulary. Look it up in an ordinary or subject-specific dictionary. Keep a new word book or card system.
17 Effectively committing knowledge to memory有效地将知识记忆“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” Confucius ( BC) 孔子曰：生而知之者,上也；学而知之者,次也；困而学之,又其次也.困而不学,民斯为下矣。 So what method should students be using to effectively commit knowledge to memory? “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” Confucius ( BC)
18 Holds 7 items at a time;记7件东西 Short Term Memory短期记忆 Holds 7 items at a time;记7件东西 Forgotten in 30 seconds if not rehearsed;如果不重复，在30秒内忘记 Passes information to your long term memory转移到长期记忆 Immediate Memory即时记忆 Holds information for a few seconds;把信息记忆几秒钟 Passes it to your short term memory.转移到短时记忆 Research shows that we remember more of what we learn when we involve more parts of the brain. And there is no technique that uses more of the brain than DOING, which includes: (a) Working through examination-style questions (80-85% retention rate) (b) TEACHING (90-95% retention rate). When teaching or explaining what you are learning in your own words. This is a technique known as elaborative rehearsal. This technique has been shown to be instrumental in transferring information from short-term memory to the higher levels of long-term memory, as it enables the brain to draw strong connections between what you are trying to remember and what you already know. Not only will TEACHING improve how much students understand and remember, this learning technique improves how effectively they are able to apply their knowledge; which is highly important in answering analysis-style questions, as well as worded applications. In addition, when trying to rephrase concepts in their own words, they will very quickly realise what they do and do not know, and therefore which topics require greater attention. Long Term Memory长期记忆 Holds millions of pieces of data; 记数以百万计的数据 Visual – what you see;视觉-你看到了什么 Auditory – what you hear;听觉-你听到了什么 Kinaesthetic – what you do动觉-你做了什么
19 保留率 Learning in this manner will also decrease study time by at least 5 fold. This means that they will commit 5 times more information to memory in any set period of time. In general, after 24 hours, people retain: 10 percent of what they read or re-write (typical learning techniques adopted by students) 20 percent of what they hear (audiotapes) 30 percent of what they see (flip-charts) 50 percent of what they hear and see (as in the case of school classes and revision lessons) 70 percent of what they say and discuss 80 percent of what they say and do (i.e. questions & teaching) Unless you or your students possess a photographic memory, 100% knowledge retention can only be gained with regular, structured reviews. 阅读 看 听 协作 做 看和听
20 Approach 方法 Read through the headings/subheadings out loud Step 1大声念出标题/副标题 Step 2 Read through a small section of the notes (no more than 2 pages at a time) slowly and out loud 慢速大声地朗读一小段笔记（每次不超过2页） Step 3 Read the first paragraph out loud, and then see how much you can recall. 大声朗读第一段，然后看看能回忆出多少内容 Step 4 Read your materials out loud and rephrase in your own words at least once within the next 3 days 大声朗读学习资料并在3天内用自己的话复述至少1次 Step 5 Read through each set of notes on a regular basis 定期阅读每项笔记 第一步 第二步 第三步 A Foolproof Approach to Committing Knowledge to Memory Step 1: Read through all the major headings and subheadings in their chosen set of notes, topic or chapter OUT LOUD. Step 2: Read through a small section of the notes (no more than 2 pages at a time) slowly and out loud. Take the time to understand the materials that they will be committing to memory. This will ensure that they have a global overview of the topic, as well as an understanding of how principles relate to one another. Step 3: Read the first paragraph out loud, and then see how much they can recall. Rephrase what they have read in their own words and out loud. If this is not possible, break each paragraph into smaller sections. Read the first sentence out loud then rephrase what they have read in their own words. Read the second sentence out loud and rephrase what they have read in their own words. Continue in this manner until they reach the end of the paragraph. Then read the whole paragraph and rephrase what they have read in their own words – out loud. At this stage, they can be sure that they fully understand what they are learning and that they are well on their way to committing this knowledge to long-term memory. Step 4: To keep knowledge in long-term memory, read the materials out loud and rephrase in their own words at least once within the next 3 days. This will keep the knowledge they have learned in their long-term memory for at least 1 week. Step 5: To further engrain information into long-term memory, read through each set of notes on a regular basis. Difficult sections should be reviewed each week and until such time that the material is well understood. Remember – the more times they review information, the more thoroughly it will become engrained into long-term memory and the higher their test/examination scores will be. 第四步 第五步
21 Types of learners学习者分类视觉- 看 What type of learner are you? From research students can be divided into three main types of learners: Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic 听觉-听 动觉-做
22 Visual 视觉 learn by reading or seeing pictures –understand and remember things by sight 通过阅读或看图片来学习，通过视觉来理解和记忆 Sit near the front of the classroom 坐在教室前面 Try to visualize things that you hear or things that are read to you 试着将听到的事情或身边的事情视觉化 Write down key words, ideas, or instructions写下关键词、想法、或者指令 Draw pictures to help explain new concepts and then explain the pictures 用画图的方法来帮助理解新概念并试着解释图片 If your students are visual learners, they learn by reading or seeing pictures. They understand and remember things by sight. They can picture what they are learning in their head, and learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. They like to see what they are learning. Some things they like to do to learn better: Sit near the front of the classroom. Try to visualize things that they hear or things that are read to them. Write down key words, ideas, or instructions. Draw pictures to help explain new concepts and then explain the pictures. Remember that they need to see things, not just hear things, to learn well.
23 Auditory 听觉 learn by hearing and listening - understand and remember things you have heard 通过听觉和听力来学习-理解和记忆已听到的事情。 Sit where you can hear 坐在能听见的位置 Use flashcards to learn new words; read them out loud 用卡片来学习新单词；大声朗读 Read stories, assignments, or directions out loud 大声朗读故事、作业、指令 Study new material by reading it out loud 用大声朗读的方法来学习新的知识 If your students are auditory learners, they learn by hearing and listening. They understand and remember things they have heard. They store information by the way it sounds, and have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. They often learn by reading out loud because they have to hear it or speak it in order to know it. Some things they like to do to learn better: Sit where they can hear. Use flashcards to learn new words; read them out loud. Read stories, assignments, or directions out loud. Study new material by reading it out loud. Remember that you need to hear things, not just see things, in order to learn well.
24 Kinaesthetic 动觉 learn by touching and doing - understand and remember things through physical movement 通过接触或者亲自做来学习-通过身体行动来理解和记忆 Participate in activities that involve touching, building, moving, or drawing. 参加接触类、建筑类或画画类的活动 Do lots of hands-on activities like completing art projects, taking walks, or acting out stories 多做一些动手活动，例如：艺术项目、散步或故事表演 Trace words with your finger to learn spelling 通过用手指着单词来学习单词拼写 Take frequent breaks during reading or studying periods 在阅读或学习中途多休息 If your students are kinaesthetic learners, they learn by touching and doing. They understand and remember things through physical movement. They are a "hands-on" learner who prefers to touch, move, build, or draw what they learn, and tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. They need to be active and take frequent breaks, they often speak with their hands and with gestures, and may have difficulty sitting still. Some things they like to do to learn better: Participate in activities that involve touching, building, moving, or drawing. Do lots of hands-on activities like completing art projects, taking walks, or acting out stories. Trace words with their finger to learn spelling (finger spelling). Take frequent breaks during reading or studying periods (frequent, but not long). Remember that you learn best by doing, not just by reading, seeing, or hearing.
25 Types of learners 学习者分类 By following the following link you will be directed to answer 20 questions to determine what your type of learning style would be.
26 THANK YOU 谢谢 托马斯卡中学 Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today. I hope that you have found some of the information useful and I wish you all the very best of success with your students. Good afternoon… Mr Stephan le Roux Head of School 斯蒂芬.拉若科斯 中学部校长