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Online Learning
The key to integrate the "know-how" of a certain area of knowledge in our mind lies in these two areas: WHAT and HOW we study at home.
Textbooks specifically selected and supervised by Delaware Education Insititute Academics constitute the core element of every course. These books are chosen for their clear, interesting and in-depth content development. They encourage critical thinking and practical application of knowledge. DEI suggests the best available published textbook list to meet the learning outcome of each distance education program.
In order to transform text raw material into useful processed information, it is necessary to structure the online learning approach and apply it to the selected textbooks.
This home study guide helps the student to achieve this goal.
The pillars of any effective online learning are: reading, comprehension, study and memorization.
To explain the interaction of reading and the mind, let us look at the example of driving. If we accelerate the car from 45 to 90 M.P.H., the brain is forced to adapt to this new speed and to assimilate the information faster. If later we slow down to 60 M.P.H., the brain makes our senses believe that we are actually going much slower. This is because when we speed up, the brain is forced to process more information in less time; therefore when we slow down, the brain still has extra time to perceive greater amounts of details. This example can be applied to reading: when reading speed is increased, the brain, adapting to it, actually can assimilate more information in less time. Average reading speed of a university student is 240 words per minute (w.p.m.), but fast reading training the same student can read up to 800 or even to 1,500 w.p.m.
Practice to increase reading speed.
Seeing the value and power of speed-reading, one feels motivated to get rid of poor reading habits and develop new and more efficient ones. The basic rule of mastering proper reading habits is: practice, practice and more practice! We should set up training sessions where the focus will be on increasing reading speed as opposed to remembering. We are looking for the same effect that acceleration has on the brain while driving.
Choose the best reading speed depending on the purpose of reading:
* Study-paced reading (250 w.p.m.):
This is the speed to ensure comprehension, to face complex issues or new vocabulary.
* Fast reading (400-800 w.p.m.):
This is the ideal speed for reviews, reports, summaries and previously read texts.
* Exploratory reading (500-1500 w.p.m.):
This is the right speed for first recognition of the text. It allows identification of the topic, the main points and the principal details in a short period of time. Most important of all, it prepares the reader for the better content assimilation. When exploring a text for the first time, determine its length and structure and pinpoint the ideas of most interest. Then, when ready to study the text, one can get straight to the heart of the matter. Exploratory reading as a timesaving technique is extremely important if a book is to be studied chapter by chapter because the faster reading pace allows for the exploring of previous and following chapters, increasing learning capacity and the ability to cover the main points and answer potential questions.
Why do many people read slower than they could?
Unfortunately, because of poor reading habits acquired in childhood. A habit is developed if an activity is repeated regularly over a period of time. The way we read is a habit. The good news is that modifying reading habits is quite a simple process that can be accomplished over a relatively short period of time, depending on individual personality characteristics and how much is put into it. Again: practice, practice and more practice. Here are some benefits of gaining reading speed:
1. Gaining time in identifying what is important and discarding what is secondary.
2. Assimilating essential points of a text faster and more effortlessly.
3. Understanding with greater clarity, more effective store of memory.
4. Having more time to study specific topics in depth.
The most common reading habits that should be corrected:
1. Uniform reading speed
The complexity of different texts is not the same. Therefore, learn to adapt the reading speed to the level of text difficulty and to the purpose of reading in each concrete case.
2. Low speed
Reading at a slow pace fragments the reading material and limits perception. Reading fast allows greater clarity in the assimilation of concepts and ideas.
3. Inefficient eye movement
When reading, the eyes tend to go back and read the same line again. Also, when passing to the next line the eyes are tempted to wonder aimlessly for a few moments instead of focusing straight on the first word in the following line.
4. Low eye perception range
When the eyes fix upon a text, they usually perceive 3-4 words. This quite low eye perception range results from poor childhood reading habits: children are taught to read word by word. The eyes can be trained through practice to see up to 12 words every time they fix on the text.
5. Subvocalization
This habit also known as auditory reaffirmation means pronouncing each word, to oneself or aloud, as the eyes fix on it. Like low eye perception rate it is rooted in those early days at school, when the teacher used to make pupils read aloud to make sure the relationship between letters and sound was established. It is best to eradicate this habit as soon as possible. Because it limits the reading speed to talking speed, which is much slower.
6. Distractions
Both internal and external distractions are killers of reading comprehension because they break our concentration and force us to go back in the text assimilation several times.
You may study and feel quite comfortable because you easily understand and assimilate your readings perfectly. But after several hours you realize that you understood something that you have nearly forgotten. The human brain has an infinite capacity of understanding and assimilation but its memorization capacity is extremely limited. As a consequence, your memory should be administered efficiently, unless you wish to devote extra time to absorb more concepts.
Study time per day has to be 3 hours of maximum.
While endeavoring to optimize studying (understanding and retaining at the same time), keep in mind that when you are learning, your memory's capacity gradually drops down to a 50% after two hours of study, down to a 30% after three hours, and so on. Therefore, you should not study over two or three hours a day.
Use strategic breaks to improve performance.
If, however, the list of topics you have to study requires more than three hours a day, you must then counter the memorization level problems during prolonged study. This can be done by giving your mind some strategic breaks. If this is not done, the brain will force those breaks on you and you may suddenly find yourself thinking about completely unrelated things; it becomes harder and harder to concentrate on the subject. This dissipation of the mind is used by our brain to get some rest.
Give your mind strategic breaks:
If for every 30-40 minutes of study you rest between 5 and 10 minutes, your mind will be able to recover the initial levels of memorization. Please note that taking a good break does not mean having a snack, making a phone call and such. It means doing mental relaxation exercises such as deep breathing or napping.
Long term strategic reviews should be carried out regularly.
There is another important factor that is usually disregarded by most students and professionals: short-term and long-term memory. Reviewing is a very important part of the process of studying, since 80% of what we have studied will be lost after 24 hours.
To capitalize on reviewing after studying a chapter, book or topic, carry out a strategic 10-minute review in the following two days. Repeat this review session after one week, then after a month, and then after six months of having first studied it. After these quick reviews, you will realize that you only need 10 minutes every year to review the concepts and remember them.
Good nutrition improves your memory.
The first mental faculty to deteriorate with time is memory. In an average adult this deterioration begins at the age of 30. To alter behavior, develop abilities, and energize your life after this time depends very much on your ability of storing information in your long-term memory and being able to retrieve it. If this ability declines, you become an automaton, incapable of learning much new, repeating habits and recalling memories that seem increasingly distant in time. The amount of neurotransmitters, substances that allow the exchange of information among neurons, determines how certain information is going to be stored in your memory. If this amount of neurotransmitters is insufficient, the stored data distorts.
* Serotonin. A neurotransmitter that plays a central role in the process of memory is serotonin. This is why it is easier to remember things if you go to sleep right after you have been studying as serotonin levels increase during the sleep. Serotonin is produced in the brain cells by the L-Tryptophane aminoacid. To increase the levels of this aminoacid in your blood and to allow it to get to your brain in larger amounts it is advisable to consume protein (found in beef, fish, poultry, dairy products, soy beans, etc.) regularly, along with some other foods rich in carbohydrates, such as wheat bread or rice. L-Tryptophane complements are available also in nutrition centers.
* Acetylcholine. Another neurotransmitter involved in the process of memory is acetylcholine. With a regular intake of soy lecithin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B, you will experience a noticeable increase in your memory function.
* Antioxidants. The process of oxidation is what causes greater damage to your neurons; therefore, you will lengthen your brain's life and capacity if you add to your diet a nutritional complement that includes vitamins A, E, C, selenium, coenzyme Q10, and, if possible, acetyl-l-carnitine.
Textbooks specifically selected and supervised by Delaware Education Insititute Academics constitute the core element of every course. These books are chosen for their clear, interesting and in-depth content development. They encourage critical thinking and practical application of knowledge. DEI suggests the best available published textbook list to meet the learning outcome of each distance education program.
In order to transform text raw material into useful processed information, it is necessary to structure the online learning approach and apply it to the selected textbooks.
This home study guide helps the student to achieve this goal.
The pillars of any effective online learning are: reading, comprehension, study and memorization.
Improve Reading
What is reading speed?To explain the interaction of reading and the mind, let us look at the example of driving. If we accelerate the car from 45 to 90 M.P.H., the brain is forced to adapt to this new speed and to assimilate the information faster. If later we slow down to 60 M.P.H., the brain makes our senses believe that we are actually going much slower. This is because when we speed up, the brain is forced to process more information in less time; therefore when we slow down, the brain still has extra time to perceive greater amounts of details. This example can be applied to reading: when reading speed is increased, the brain, adapting to it, actually can assimilate more information in less time. Average reading speed of a university student is 240 words per minute (w.p.m.), but fast reading training the same student can read up to 800 or even to 1,500 w.p.m.
Practice to increase reading speed.
Seeing the value and power of speed-reading, one feels motivated to get rid of poor reading habits and develop new and more efficient ones. The basic rule of mastering proper reading habits is: practice, practice and more practice! We should set up training sessions where the focus will be on increasing reading speed as opposed to remembering. We are looking for the same effect that acceleration has on the brain while driving.
Choose the best reading speed depending on the purpose of reading:
* Study-paced reading (250 w.p.m.):
This is the speed to ensure comprehension, to face complex issues or new vocabulary.
* Fast reading (400-800 w.p.m.):
This is the ideal speed for reviews, reports, summaries and previously read texts.
* Exploratory reading (500-1500 w.p.m.):
This is the right speed for first recognition of the text. It allows identification of the topic, the main points and the principal details in a short period of time. Most important of all, it prepares the reader for the better content assimilation. When exploring a text for the first time, determine its length and structure and pinpoint the ideas of most interest. Then, when ready to study the text, one can get straight to the heart of the matter. Exploratory reading as a timesaving technique is extremely important if a book is to be studied chapter by chapter because the faster reading pace allows for the exploring of previous and following chapters, increasing learning capacity and the ability to cover the main points and answer potential questions.
Why do many people read slower than they could?
Unfortunately, because of poor reading habits acquired in childhood. A habit is developed if an activity is repeated regularly over a period of time. The way we read is a habit. The good news is that modifying reading habits is quite a simple process that can be accomplished over a relatively short period of time, depending on individual personality characteristics and how much is put into it. Again: practice, practice and more practice. Here are some benefits of gaining reading speed:
1. Gaining time in identifying what is important and discarding what is secondary.
2. Assimilating essential points of a text faster and more effortlessly.
3. Understanding with greater clarity, more effective store of memory.
4. Having more time to study specific topics in depth.
The most common reading habits that should be corrected:
1. Uniform reading speed
The complexity of different texts is not the same. Therefore, learn to adapt the reading speed to the level of text difficulty and to the purpose of reading in each concrete case.
2. Low speed
Reading at a slow pace fragments the reading material and limits perception. Reading fast allows greater clarity in the assimilation of concepts and ideas.
3. Inefficient eye movement
When reading, the eyes tend to go back and read the same line again. Also, when passing to the next line the eyes are tempted to wonder aimlessly for a few moments instead of focusing straight on the first word in the following line.
4. Low eye perception range
When the eyes fix upon a text, they usually perceive 3-4 words. This quite low eye perception range results from poor childhood reading habits: children are taught to read word by word. The eyes can be trained through practice to see up to 12 words every time they fix on the text.
5. Subvocalization
This habit also known as auditory reaffirmation means pronouncing each word, to oneself or aloud, as the eyes fix on it. Like low eye perception rate it is rooted in those early days at school, when the teacher used to make pupils read aloud to make sure the relationship between letters and sound was established. It is best to eradicate this habit as soon as possible. Because it limits the reading speed to talking speed, which is much slower.
6. Distractions
Both internal and external distractions are killers of reading comprehension because they break our concentration and force us to go back in the text assimilation several times.
Improve Memory
Understanding should not be confused with memorizing.You may study and feel quite comfortable because you easily understand and assimilate your readings perfectly. But after several hours you realize that you understood something that you have nearly forgotten. The human brain has an infinite capacity of understanding and assimilation but its memorization capacity is extremely limited. As a consequence, your memory should be administered efficiently, unless you wish to devote extra time to absorb more concepts.
Study time per day has to be 3 hours of maximum.
While endeavoring to optimize studying (understanding and retaining at the same time), keep in mind that when you are learning, your memory's capacity gradually drops down to a 50% after two hours of study, down to a 30% after three hours, and so on. Therefore, you should not study over two or three hours a day.
Use strategic breaks to improve performance.
If, however, the list of topics you have to study requires more than three hours a day, you must then counter the memorization level problems during prolonged study. This can be done by giving your mind some strategic breaks. If this is not done, the brain will force those breaks on you and you may suddenly find yourself thinking about completely unrelated things; it becomes harder and harder to concentrate on the subject. This dissipation of the mind is used by our brain to get some rest.
Give your mind strategic breaks:
If for every 30-40 minutes of study you rest between 5 and 10 minutes, your mind will be able to recover the initial levels of memorization. Please note that taking a good break does not mean having a snack, making a phone call and such. It means doing mental relaxation exercises such as deep breathing or napping.
Long term strategic reviews should be carried out regularly.
There is another important factor that is usually disregarded by most students and professionals: short-term and long-term memory. Reviewing is a very important part of the process of studying, since 80% of what we have studied will be lost after 24 hours.
To capitalize on reviewing after studying a chapter, book or topic, carry out a strategic 10-minute review in the following two days. Repeat this review session after one week, then after a month, and then after six months of having first studied it. After these quick reviews, you will realize that you only need 10 minutes every year to review the concepts and remember them.
Good nutrition improves your memory.
The first mental faculty to deteriorate with time is memory. In an average adult this deterioration begins at the age of 30. To alter behavior, develop abilities, and energize your life after this time depends very much on your ability of storing information in your long-term memory and being able to retrieve it. If this ability declines, you become an automaton, incapable of learning much new, repeating habits and recalling memories that seem increasingly distant in time. The amount of neurotransmitters, substances that allow the exchange of information among neurons, determines how certain information is going to be stored in your memory. If this amount of neurotransmitters is insufficient, the stored data distorts.
* Serotonin. A neurotransmitter that plays a central role in the process of memory is serotonin. This is why it is easier to remember things if you go to sleep right after you have been studying as serotonin levels increase during the sleep. Serotonin is produced in the brain cells by the L-Tryptophane aminoacid. To increase the levels of this aminoacid in your blood and to allow it to get to your brain in larger amounts it is advisable to consume protein (found in beef, fish, poultry, dairy products, soy beans, etc.) regularly, along with some other foods rich in carbohydrates, such as wheat bread or rice. L-Tryptophane complements are available also in nutrition centers.
* Acetylcholine. Another neurotransmitter involved in the process of memory is acetylcholine. With a regular intake of soy lecithin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B, you will experience a noticeable increase in your memory function.
* Antioxidants. The process of oxidation is what causes greater damage to your neurons; therefore, you will lengthen your brain's life and capacity if you add to your diet a nutritional complement that includes vitamins A, E, C, selenium, coenzyme Q10, and, if possible, acetyl-l-carnitine.