How do you learn best?

Re: How do you learn best?

Sal the 1st — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:09:58 GMT

my personal thoughts are that presenters that dont provide handouts or some sort of support material are really not that interested in getting the message across

Re: How do you learn best?

Nick Shackleton — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:53:12 GMT

I agree that handouts are good so that you can listen to what the lecturer is trying to tell you. Also I think problem based learning works well too. Where you give clinical problems and relate it back to what you are trying to be taught.

Re: How do you learn best?

xXx Cat xXx — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:02:36 GMT

Hi,

I record my lecture notes in to MP3 format so I have to read them out loud and then can listen to them as I need along with reading and writing notes and flow charts.

I prefer hand out with bits missing to fill in and I like a lecture who can expand slightly on the area being taught.

xXx

Re: How do you learn best?

Kim Buckley — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:57:16 GMT

I used to hate lectures where you had no hand outs and had to write everything down yourself because I would always be rushing to get things written down and not actually be listening to what was said.

Other lecturers would give us hand outs with gaps in so we had to fill them in as the answers came up.

Some of the best lecturers I had would give you a print out of all the slides in their power point presentation and would then expand on the content so you could write down extra bits that came up.

One of the worst lectures was when we were given handouts packed full of info and then the lecturer proceeded just to read it to us. BORING!!!

Re: How do you learn best?

Vicky RVN — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:50:35 GMT

In a lecture i like gapped handouts. I find if i have to write it all i end up not listening cos i'm concentrating on getting it all down. If it's a full handout i struggle to keep my mind from wandering. What makes a good lecturer? One who can talk around the subject and knows their stuff, who can adjust their teaching style according to the group their teaching, and who can explain things in different ways to help on difficult subjects...radiography springs to mind!!! Also someone who changes their tone of voice to keep you on the ball.

Re: How do you learn best?

Claire Cameron — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:07:36 GMT

[quote user="mrs mac"]

At school I tended to learn quicker if it was a subject I was interested in.

I also found it easier if I liked the teacher- if they were lively and funny and werent patronising and would take time to explain things if needed. Also Im the sort that needs to understand how things work.

I loved studying to be a V.N - I guess as it was something I really wanted to do and the lecturers I had were brilliant.

[/quote]

Ditto. I also learn from writing. I remember a lecturer at college who basically recited a textbook for her lecture and I didn't remember a THING from her lecture. then coming up to exam time my favourite lecturer ran over the lecture again as everyone complained about it and we all got it as she explained things in funny ways to remember it, was enthusiastic about it and make us work to remember it.

I also hated radiography at college and really struggled to remember any calculations, positiong etc. even though I didn't actually hate radiography in practice.

I then went to a revision course at RVC and I LOVED radiography after that. Everything just 'clicked' I don't know why exactly, maybe just a different perspective and method of teaching?

Re: How do you learn best?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:38:17 GMT

I learn best seeing, doing and asking questions. On my own to retain info (swatting) quiet room no distractions and must read aloud so you hear what you say if you read in your mind you do not "hear" what is being said.

Re: How do you learn best?

Sal the 1st — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:52:02 GMT

I start with a bit of self hypnosis. take myself back into the room or group where the lesson was taught originally and run it backwards and forwards like a film until I have taken all that I can from it - and then look in the books for stuff that went past me

Re: How do you learn best?

Louise B — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:45:00 GMT

Hi, thanks everyone who replied. Very interesting!

How do people revise?

Most the time I just read the info over and over again until I know it back to front. I try to get to this stage a couple of days before the exam and then I find my brain has 'sorted the info' and can now discuss it, etc. But this approach doesn't work for everyone - a close friend of mine tried it and just used to fall asleep revising!

Re: How do you learn best?

StephSVN — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:00:09 GMT

Ditto the above - I think enthusiasm is infectious so a teacher that is enthusiastic about what they are teaching makes it so much easier.

Stories from life experience I find make things stick in my head too - not always possible depending on experience of the teacher. I find that stories from people that have actually been in practice (or are still in practice part time in some cases) help break up the 'teaching' aspect while still being relevant.

Also - the point about not being patronising - makes a hige difference if people are happy to say when they don't understand rather than just sitting there with not a clue whats going on just because they don't want to be made to look like a fool for not understanding. And vice versa - happy to move on quicker if everyone is up to speed with what is being discussed.

Re: How do you learn best?

Mac Feather — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:55:37 GMT

At school I tended to learn quicker if it was a subject I was interested in.

I loved studying to be a V.N - I guess as it was something I really wanted to do and the lecturers I had were brilliant.

Re: How do you learn best?

Felicity Caldwell — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:54:11 GMT

I must admit - my attention span can be very limited at times. I find the best way for me is to write it down!! Even if im revising from textbooks, internet, lectures I will write everything I can down or make some kind of mind map!

I love it when lecturers are seriously enthusiastic about teaching and get the students involved and have good notes, good visuals etc. I have an awful male lecturer at college - I think he gave us a lecture one morning, once in the weeks that we were there...and he had a Mono-tone voice and everything was droned on from reading his notes on the desk!!! It was awful, I hated it...no wonder we all fell asleep!!!!

Also, coming up to exam time - I loved doing flash cards and writing the 'hard to remember' stuff onto cards with cool pictures and posted the up around the house!!! It was great!! Im a bit of a geek I think!!!

Re: How do you learn best?

Sal the 1st — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:33:04 GMT

as an eternal student , I am a practical sort of person - I tend to pick stuff up quicker from seeing it done rather than reading about it. I was taught the 'see one. do one .show one.' method when I was learning hypnosis and have to say it has translated very well into nurse training when I have used it

see one - self explanatory - watch a demonstration given by teacher

do one - split into groups of two or more and from what you remember demonstrate to each other, discuss among you what each person has done well/missed out/could have done better

show one - put together a demo to 'show' to the class using all the stuff you learnt from watching teacher and all the stuff you learnt from each other in the group.

it sounds long winded but it isnt - and each time you repeat stuff the learning sinks in all the more deeply. ( it also makes you less self conscious when showing something to another person or ultimately an examiner.

Best teachers for me are the ones that are interested in the subject they are teaching, dont take themselves too seriously and are able to admit when they are wrong or dont know something ( but then take the time to find out). Also good teachers to me are the ones that carry on learning themselves and are happy to share what they learn

Re: How do you learn best?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:18:14 GMT

understanding what i am learning and why is the biggie!

followed by repetition, flash cards, and my no two, is actually doing what i am learning in practice!

why should i position bitch spays just so, why are iv catheters important for ga, why why why!

(i am squiffy - apologies)