Help Students Develop Good Study Habits

by Katherine Logan, Pharm.D. PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Suburban Hospital

Developing good study habits as a student is of upmost importance, not only in formal learning environments but also in life. Being organized and having good time management skills can aid in this process.  Teachers need to encourage and develop these skills in students, residents, and other trainees.

As a fourth-grader, I attended a class that discussed study and test taking habits. I still use techniques that were discussed that day!  I believe these skills should be developed early.¹ The earlier students are empowered with this knowledge, the more practice they will have using these skills and the greater likelihood they will be successful in and outside the classroom. What are some methods teachers can employ to help students develop good study habits?  Let’s examine a few strategies.

Maintain a Planner¹

Once students are able to read, teachers can have them try different planners.¹ This allows them to see assignments ahead of time. Having students try out different types will allow them to see which works best for them. Teachers can encourage this behavior by having the entire class discuss it. Ask students to discuss the benefits of planners compared to calendars. As a resident, I keep a detailed planner.  One my peers prefers to keep a printout on her calendar on a bulletin board at work and home.

Test Knowledge Between Tests

Many students are afraid of tests, and as such, need more experience taking them to build their level of comfort. Giving quizzes can help learners adjust to the types of questions asked by specific teachers. Quizzes also force students stay on top of studying, and help to break up the overall class grade into smaller percentages.² This break-up of the grade could help alleviate some of the stress associated with major tests.² A study of pharmacy students found that half quizzed themselves while studying to see how well they understood the material and many found quizzes more effective than re-reading material.²

Practice makes Perfect¹

Homework can also help students.¹ Homework deadlines encourage students to keep a schedule. Subtract points from the assignment for every day it is late. Rewards can be given to the student(s) with the most assignments that were turned in on time.¹

Give Practice Problems¹

Make practice problems required.¹ My first chemistry teacher gave the class a list of problems from the book and each problem had to be completed and handed in prior to the test. Sometimes it was stressful to get the problems done on time, but it meant that I was constantly studying and reinforcing my knowledge.  A study by Sansgiry and colleagues demonstrated “that students who have difficulty in coping and managing the study material for tests will have a lower GPA.”²

Create a Healthy Study Environment¹

Another important aspect of studying is the surrounding environment.⁴ Some people can only study in the library; others prefer listening to music. Talk to your students about options such as sitting at the coffee table or staying after school to work in the library.¹ Many distractions confront students today; social media in particular is very distracting. It is important to teach students to separate themselves from these potential distractions.  Another important consideration is the time of day spent studying. Some learners prefer staying up late and studying. Personally, I have always felt that my brain shuts down after 11 pm.  So, I always made sure that my studying took place earlier in the day. Students should remain realistic and plan their study habits around the way their minds and bodies function best as each person is different.

Discuss Proper Study Materials¹

Good study habits mean having good study materials.¹ Producing organized and detailed notes are another way to reinforce good study habits. Teachers can create notes with fill-in-the-blank entries, which keeps students’ attention. ¹ Another option is to create general notes and leave spaces to add more details later. These notes should be kept in a binder with numbered pages so students can keep them in order. Study materials also include the supplies necessary to study.¹ Some students make flashcards and others may need to rewrite notes.⁴ Students that rely on such aids should keep a good supply of notecards, legal pads, and pens.¹

Suggest Study Breaks

The brain needs rest. Metcalfe and Kornell argue that the length of time spent studying is based on the “judgment rate of learning” or the rate that learning occurs.⁴ Once the rate of learning drops, retention stops for a time.⁴ Since many people are unaware of their learning rate, I the recommendation from the RxPREP Course Book is a good one: “do not study for more than 45-50 minutes” at a time, and “do some type of physical activity during short breaks.”

The suggestions above are just a few of the ways to teach good study habits. These skills will aid students throughout their lives.  They will be able to complete tasks in a timely fashion as well as learn the conditions they best operate. Teachers should make these skills a priority in all academic settings beginning in elementary school and reinforced all way through graduate school.

References:

1.  Tips for getting homework done: 13. Encourage and teach good study habits. Helping Your Students With Homework: A Guide for Teachers. [Internet] February 1998.

2.  Sansgiry SS, Bhosle M, Sail K. Factors that affect academic performance among pharmacy students. Am J Pharm Educ. 2006; 70: Article 104.

3.  Donohoe L, Mawyer M, Stevens T, Morgan A, Harpe E. Student pharmacists’ perceptions of testing and study strategies. Am J Pharm Educ. 2011; 75:  Article 35

4.  Kornell N, Bjork R. The promise and perils of self-regulated study. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. 2007; 14:219-224.
5.  Shapiro D, Brown SA. RxPREP Course Book: A Comprehensive Course for the NAPLEX & CPJE. 2013 Ed. RxPrep, Inc; 2013

Service + Learning: Not Merely Two Words Combined

By Christine Darby, Pharm.D., PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, VA Maryland Healthcare System

Community service has always played an integral role in my life.  I have found meaning, fulfillment, and even my husband by donating my time and resources to helping those in need.  My belief in voluntary work is so great that, when relevant and appropriate, I think that every educator should consider integrating it into his or her course.

So, how do you create a great service-learning experience?  Whether service-learning is intended to supplement a course or its the entire goal of course, there are a series of steps that you can take to make it most successful.  A great service-learning experience can lead to positive outcomes, leaving students feeling that they positively and directly influenced people.

What is service-learning?

Service-learning is a “form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development.”¹ The hyphen between “service” and “learning” indicates the importance of reflection and assures that learning is integrated with the service activities.²  Service-learning is not equivalent to volunteering, in which the recipient of the service is the primary beneficiary.  Service-learning benefits both the server and the served.³

In pharmacy education, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) defines specific criteria that service-learning must meet.  Many criteria are listed, including the opportunities for inter-professional interaction and the extension of student learning into the community.⁴

Steps to designing a service-learning course

Keeping in mind the definition of service-learning, you first need to decide whether service-learning is right for your course.  There are a series of steps that Barbara Jacoby, Ph.D. recommends you do: 

1. Consider how it will help your students achieve your learning outcomes.

After having determined the learning objectives for your course, what instructional methods (such as service-learning, lectures, and class discussions) align with your objectives?⁵ Look for resources such as the Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning.  This workbook includes worksheets not only for determining your learning outcomes, but also for outlining teaching strategies (such as service-learning) that can help you achieve your outcomes.⁶

2.  If service-learning is a good fit, determine what service and educational content will enable your students to achieve your outcomes.

Decide upon what type of service is appropriate, how frequently the students should be engaged in the service, and for how long.  Establish prerequisite readings or other materials, as well as activities to complete after the course, such as reflection.⁵ Reflection is a critical element for the “learning” component of service-learning.⁶ It involves metacognition, or thinking about one’s own thinking.⁷  Examples of reflective activities include structured journals, portfolios, simulations, discussion groups, and oral presentations.⁶

3.  Form community partnerships.

Establish who will be responsible for the initiation and development of partnerships.  Decide how many students are needed, the skills and knowledge considered necessary (and prerequisite) for students to participate in the service, and the tasks that the organization needs completed.⁵ Create timelines and decide upon the level of supervision needed.  Plan a student orientation to introduce students to the community.⁶

4.  Establish standards to assess and evaluate students.

Clarify how students will show what they have learned and how often you will assess them.  Figure out what role community partners will have in student assessment on-site.⁵ The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning also contains worksheets for aligning assessment methods with learning outcomes.⁶

5.  Create the syllabus.

Provide details about the rationale behind service-learning in the course, roles and responsibilities of students, prerequisites and training, course materials, assessment methods, and reflection activities.⁵  Communicate what service activities and service sites are available.  Explain how service-learning is different from volunteerism.⁶ You may want to share the syllabus with community partners to obtain their input and make revisions as necessary.⁷ 

6.  Prepare to manage the course.

Address any logistical issues that arise, including transportation and safety.  Determine what resources are available to assist you during the course.⁵ Get feedback from those who have experience with service-learning and ask for copies of syllabi they may have created.

Outcomes of service-learning

By thoughtfully and systematically planning your service-learning experience you will greatly enhance the likelihood that students will have a positive learning outcomes.  There are many examples in the literature of positive outcomes from service-learning.  In a study assessing first-year pharmacy student, service-learning was shown to positively impact knowledge.  Knowledge regarding cultural differences and their impact on health improved was significant higher among student who participated in a service-learning course when compared to a control group of students who did not participate in service learning activities.⁸

In another study, a majority of students who participated in a service-learning course felt a high level of personal responsibility toward their community and a greater interest in participating in local community organizations after course completion.  The service-learning activities helped students to see the connections between class discussions and real world, which enhanced learning in both settings.⁹ 

Service-learning helps students develop caring attitudes toward people, rather than relying strictly on clinical skills during their interactions with patients.¹⁰ John W. Gardner describes the development of values and citizenship skills that are fostered through service-learning as follows:

Young people do not assimilate the values of their group by learning the words (truth, justice, etc.) and their definitions...they learn these through intensely personal interactions with their immediate family or associates...they do not learn ethical principles; they emulate ethical (or unethical) people. They do not analyze or list the attributes they wish to develop; they identify with people who seem to have these attributes. That is why young people need models, both in their imaginative life and in their environment, models of what—at their best—they can be.¹¹

In this way, by being true champions of patients and active members of the community, not only do students thrive, but so too society.  Service-learning goes beyond “merely” service and beyond “just” learning.

References

1.  Jacoby B and Associates. Service-learning in today’s higher education. 1st ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 1996. 416 p.

2.  Eyler J and Giles DE. Where’s the learning in service-learning?. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 1999. 352 p.

3.  Stanton TK, Giles DE and Cruz NI. Service-Learning: a movement’s pioneers reflect on its origins, practice, and future. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 1999. 304 p.

4.  Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Accreditation standards and guidelines for the professional program in pharmacy leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree [Internet]. Chicago: Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education; 2011 Jan 23 [cited 2013 Nov 3].

5.  Bart M. Six steps to designing effective service-learning courses [Internet]. Madison (WI): Magna Publications, Inc.; 21 April 2010 [cited 2013 Nov 2].

6.  Howard J, editor. Michigan journal of community service learning. Ann Arbor (MI): OSCL PRESS; 2001. 82 p.

7.  Kelly R. Service-learning course development [Internet]. Madison (WI): Magna Publications, Inc.; 12 June 2012 [cited 2013 Nov 3].

8.  Kearney KR. Impact of a service-learning course on first-year pharmacy students’ learning outcomes. Am J Pharm Educ. 2013; 77: Article 34.

9.  Nickman N. (Re-)learning to care: use of service-learning as an early professionalization experience. Am J Pharm Educ. 1998;62:380-387.

10. AACP Commission to Implement Change in Pharmaceutical Education. Maintaining our commitment to change [Internet]. Alexandria (VA): American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; 1996 [cited 2013 Nov 3].

11. Gardner JW. Self-renewal: the individual and the innovative society. New York: Norton & Company; 1981. 176 pp.