Utilizes cognitive maps and neuroscience principles in the design of the program.
Cognitive neuroscience tells us that learning brings about a physiological change in the brain in which the neurons grow additional branches called dendrites that connects to other related neurons. These neurons or brain cells are linked by especially strong chemical connections. Neuroscientists tell us that recalling a memory involves finding and activating a specific group of brain cells.
TLW introduces vocabulary and comprehension cognitive maps as a method of organizing new information as it is being obtained. These cognitive maps are in the form similar to the way the brain organizes and connects information stored in its brain cells. Cognitive maps are given as an alternative to traditional outlining to visualize how one item of information is connected to other items of information. The copyrighted cognitive map designs in TLW are unique and not the traditional ones sometimes presented and briefly discussed in reading and study skills textbooks.
What is required to understand new information is revealed in a series of steps showing how to develop a cognitive map of a term and then connect several cognitive maps of terms that share a common feature into a cognitive network. Knowing information become understanding information only when the relationship connecting different items of information becomes known. It is only when a person understands the relationship between items of information does he or she becomes an expert on that specific topic.
Uses the systems approach to integrate study, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
An article published by the author in The Learning Center Exchange titled, “What is The Omphalos of Your College Reading and Study Skills Course?” describes the many different approaches used by college reading and study skills instructors.
http://www.learningassistance.com/2002/Mar02/Gary.htm
TLW uses a systems approach to college reading and study skills. A systems approach is based upon the idea that the component's parts of a system are best understood and used in relationship to each other and to other components, rather than in isolation. TLW is divided into the three major components, referred to as sections, that are required to learn the information in a college course: study skills, vocabulary skills and comprehension skills. Each section is divided into parts referred to as units.
The units in TLW are sequenced according to a Taxonomy of Cognitive Skills that is based upon fact, concepts, principles and problem solving. College reading and study skills are sequenced in a logical order where each unit becomes the prerequisite for the unit that follows.
In TLW learning is defined as the ability to obtain, retain, and use new information. Each unit explains how to obtain, retain, and use a specific cognitive/reading skill. First, the student learned how to obtain a specific kind of information. Next, retention strategies are given on how to retain this kind of information until it needs to be recalled. Finally, it is shown how to use this information to answer the kinds of test questions that measure knowledge of the type of information introduced in the unit. Information is given in each of the vocabulary and comprehension skill units telling how the type of information introduced in the unit is used in critical reading/thinking and problem solving. Study skills, vocabulary, comprehension, reading speed, memory techniques, intrapersonal communication, and test taking skills are integrated and practiced together in the units in the program.
Provides all the material required for a college reading and study skills course.
The Learning Wizard contains all of the material usually found in a college reading and study skills textbook. Therefore, there is no need to purchase a textbook or additional material to use in a learning lab.
All units in The Leaning Wizard describe how to get into the zone when studying.
Currently, it is popular, especially in sports, sales, etc. to given instructions on how to “get into the zone” in order to improve one's ability to concentrate on focusing on a specific activity. Each unit in The Learning Wizard contains several references explaining how the college reading and study skills developed in the unit are required to “get into and stay in the study zone” to obtain, retain, and use the new information in college textbooks.
Explains how the skills introduced in each unit are required to become an expert learner.
The program emphasizes the learning skills used to become and remain an expert in ones field of study. When introducing a new skill in each study skills, vocabulary skills and comprehension skills unit, a statement is giving on how an expert uses this learning skill to become and remain an expert. This statement is then followed by how a student can use this newly acquired learning skill to focus on learning information in a college course.
Utilizes a Socratic approach where the system not only confirms when a correct answer is selected, but also explains why a selected wrong answer is not correct.
A unique feature of TLW is that its interactive exercises provide feedback when the student selects the wrong answer. So not only would the student know when he answers a question correctly, but he will also know why an answer he though is correct is actually incorrect.
Gives retention strategies to get into and stay in the zone when obtaining and retaining information.
TLW explains how twenty-two retention strategies are needed to get into and stay in the zone. Current research findings regarding how factors such as the Principle of Neuro-Transmitter Depletion, von Restorff effect, and the Dorito Syndrome must be taken into consideration when getting into and staying in the study zone to learn new information.
Explains why it is necessary to use interpersonal communication or self-talk when reading and reviewing.
Intrapersonal communication is the self-talk used when reading. This is the “talking” you are doing/hearing in your mind as you are reading this sentence. The importance of using intonation and stress in one's self-talk when obtaining and retaining information is emphasized. How to use self-talk to cause understanding of the information being read is developed in the each comprehension skills units. Not being able to properly use stress and intonation in one's self-talk when reading seriously limits one's ability to understand the information being obtained. This results in a lack of desire to obtain information by reading. This is one reason why students who say they learn information better when listening than reading.
Uses humorous animations to illustrate concepts.
Large numbers of humorous animations are widely used to visually illustrate the concepts presented in the program similar to the way public speakers use humor in their speeches.
Each vocabulary skills and comprehension skills unit explains how the skill introduced is required for critical thinking and problem solving.
TLW gives in each vocabulary and comprehension unit how the skill being developed is used in critical thinking and problem solving. It is given how to use an Analytic Concept Maps to visually determine and show the confidence level of items of information connected to a conclusion. TLW introduces the problem solving technique of root cause analysis that is widely used to solve problems in industry and government. A Root Cause Analysis Map is used to visually show how a root cause imitated a series of effects that because the problem.
It is shown how to solve a problem by determining what must be obtained, preserved, avoided and eliminated in order for the problem to be solved. A Problem Solving Map is used to visually show what needs to be obtained, preserved, avoided and eliminated in order to solve the problem. In order to prevent a problem it is shown how to develop a Problem Prevention Map. While this technique can be used to solve any problem, it is applied to preventing and solving a problem learning information in a college course.
Explains what is required to understand a term's definition.
A definition is a statement giving the meaning of a word or a phrase that consists of three parts. The first part of a definition is the term being defined. The term being defined is the part of a definition statement that serves as a label/name for the term's classification and identifying characteristic(s). A term's classification is the part of a definition statement that tells under what category or group a term is located or belongs. A term's identifying characteristic(s) is the unique feature(s) of the term that are not shared with other terms having the same classification . The identifying characteristics(s) is the part of the definition that is used to recognize examples of the term. In English courses the classification sometimes is referred to as the genus (the family) of which the term being defined belongs and the identifying characteristic(s) as the differentia (distinguishing feature).
The method used to develop vocabulary skills in TLW is creating mentally or on paper a Definition Cognitive Map containing the three parts of a term's definition. In the comprehension part of the program is shown how complete the understanding of a term requires knowing the cause and effect of a term's identifying characteristic(s).
For example, in the following two definitions the condition of the identifying characteristics has different requirements used to identify something:
Definition 1: An excise tax is an internal tax levied on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of something.
The word “or” separating the identifying characteristics means only one of the three identifying characteristics is required in order to identify an internal tax as an excise tax.
Definition 2: Accountability is the requirement that workers accept the consequences of his or her actions and report those actions to their immediate supervisor .
The word “and” separating the identifying characteristics signals that both of the identifying characteristics of “accept …” and “report…” must occur before the "requirement" can be called “accountability.” If a worker only accepts the consequences of his or her actions but does not report them to his or her immediate supervisor, this does not meet the "requirement” needed to be called an example of accountability.
The ability to recognize the three parts of a definition statement is applied in the following vocabulary skill units:
Unit 2: Examples - Recognize the identifying characteristic(s) of a term in an example.
Unit 3: Context Clues - Match the identifying characteristic(s) given in the statement containing a term to a term possessing these identifying characteristics.
Unit 4: Simile and Metaphor – Use context clues to determine the identifying characteristic(s) of a simile or metaphor and then give these characteristics
to a person, place or thing.
Unit 6: Synonyms – Select the best term that possess the identifying characteristic(s) that best conveys the specific idea one wishes to communicate.
Provides a comprehensive Instructor's Guide with useful suggestions everyone from the beginner to the experienced college reading and study skills instructor.
TLW has a comprehensive Instructor's Guide that contains information how to develop the skills introduced in each unit. If it is required to develop a lesson plan for a reading and study skills course, the material in the Instructor's Guide can be used for this purpose.
The Instructor's Guide of The Learning Wizard contains the following topics for each unit:
- Unit Objective - Explains the outcome resulting upon mastering the material in the unit.
- Study Zone - Explains how the skills developed in the unit helps one to stay focused in the study zone.
- Introduction - Topics covered in the unit.
- Discussion Questions - The answer to the discussion questions are usually obvious. The purpose of these questions is to emphasize the obvious. Possibly you have emphasized the obvious when asking someone, "Why do think you or I should be doing this?
- Assignment - Assignments are given to reinforce and apply the skills developed in the units. Most of the assignments can individualize by requiring a student to apply the skills introduced in a unit to a course they are enrolled. The assignment can be used as the unit's test.
- Preparation for the next unit - Explains how the skills developed in this unit are the prerequisite skills required for following unit.
- For each unit in TLW the skills developed are reinforced by discussing the following:
- How do the skills introduced in the unit keep one focus on obtaining the information in a college textbook?
- Why is the skills introduced in this unit a prerequisite for the units that follow?
- How does the skills introduced in the unit help prevent or reduce test anxiety?
- In order to develop, maintain and use the skills introduced in the unit what must be obtained, preserved, avoided and eliminated?
Each unit contains assignments that can completed online.
Upon completion of the instructional material and practice exercises in TLW assignments are given to develop the skills introduced in the unit. These assignments can be used as unit tests. The assignments in each section of TLW are as follows:
Section 1: Study Skills
The study skill assignments require demonstrating how the study skill introduced in each unit are applied to preparing to focus on obtaining, retaining and using information required to be known in a college course.
Section 2: Vocabulary Skills
The vocabulary skills assignments require demonstrating how to obtain, retain, and predict test questions on the three parts of a new term's definition. Definition outlines or definition concept maps are developed for the nine different ways a term can be defined. It is required to demonstrate how to use a term's classification and identifying characteristics to do the following:
- Recognize examples
- Determine the meaning of an unknown term by the use of context clues
- Determine the meaning of a simile or metaphor
- Select a synonym
Section 3: Comprehension Skills
The comprehension skills assignments require demonstrating how to obtain, retain, and predict test questions on facts, concepts, and principles. In order to demonstrate understanding the information about a topic, it is required to develop and use a cognitive map or network that contains a flowchart to recognize the following:
- Example of a term
- Cause and effect of a term
- Similarities and differences of terms that have the same classification
The critical reading assignments require developing a cognitive network to show the critical thinking required to determine if the conclusion given in current articles in newspapers and magazines is logically supported.
The problem solving unit assignment requires using root causal analysis to determine what needs to be obtained, preserved, avoided or eliminated to determine the solution needed to solve a problem. Assignments can be given in this unit that help a student determine the cause of his or her lack of academic success and finding a solution to overcome an academic problem.
Includes supplementary material to use with both the students and in-service training for college faculty.
PowerPoint materials are available for the users of TLW to provide in-service training for college faculty members. This is an excellent way for a learning center or developmental studies program to make themselves known.
Module One: Vocabulary Across The Curriculum - How to make the students accountable
It is shown how to use a definition cognitive map to demonstrate the difference between knowing a term's definition vs. understand it. It is shown how to use a term's definition develop the criteria question required to recognize what is and what is not an example of a term.
It is popular to say college instructors need to be accountable for the learning of their students. What is not said is that students should be accountable for their learning. This training module gives a method college instructors can use to make students accountable for being prepared to learn the material in any college course.
Module Two: Develop Thinking Skills By Using A Comprehension Concept Map - How to use cognitive maps to develop a cognitive network of information
By using a Comprehension Concept Map it is possible to demonstrate to students how to develop the thinking skills required to understand the information in a college textbook or course.
Module Three: Assessment of Instructional Objectives and Test Questions - Do you test what you teach?
By using the Taxonomy of Cognitive Skills it is possible to analyze test questions to determine if the objectives of the course are measured by the fact, concept and principle test questions given on a test.
Gives the user control over the font's style and color. Each user can customize the program's look to their taste.
The Learning Wizard allows each student to do the following:
- Select the font's size.
- Change the font's color.
- Change the font's type.
- Select a different presentation theme.
The software will 'remember' the user's settings and will automatically apply them at the next visit.
The software also remembers where the user left off and will automatically take you to the same page when you sign in again.
To view how to change this options, click here.
Provides instructors with detailed usage reports that show how much time the student spent on each topic. The reports also show the online quiz results for each student.
With The Learning Wizard, instructors can keep track of the time students spend on each section. The Reports section of the system will show topics visited and time spent on each section.
The software also contains interactive quizes. Reports show how each student did when they took the quizes.
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