Kick starting your reading and writing
R19–0571 NURS13150
Supporting materials
- Slides/materials: Slides
- Online session materials: Google slides for QA and formative feedback
- Other materials used: partially completed graphic organiser, pencils, article
Practicalities
- Group: 70
- Length: 50 Mins
- Room: Lecture Theatre
- Discipline: Any
- Level: UG (particularly useful during transition)
Learning outcomes
- transform words into visuals using a graphic organiser
- actively engage in taking notes while reading
- read a research paper with purpose
Suggested online resources
Note-taking: capturing what counts
Session content
Introduction: Introduce the workshop suggesting that note-taking is a good habit to pay attention to at this point in a students academic career as it can greatly enhance reading when reading complex texts in areas that could be new. Refer to the considerable research body that exists to further understand how our brains work to conduct the activity. (3 Mins)
Direct instruction: The facilitator should share the different ways that can be used to capture and code words into a picture to include the following. (4 mins)
- Diagram
- Timeline
- Mind map
- Sketchnote
- Infographic
- Cartoon strip
Activity: The facilitator should ask the students to skim read the article provided. The students should then work in pairs to complete the partially completed graphic organiser using the text. The focus of the activity is to identify specific skills and practices that the students could develop as they commence their degree. (9 mins)
Direct instruction: Introduce that Allan Paivio’s dual coding theory shows the following
- Our brains learn from both verbal and images simultaneously
- Connections can be made between verbal and images
- The abstract and complex can become more accessible
Explain how dual coding is a positive action that students can take to develop their academic practice. At the end of the explanation the facilitator should draw a dual coded note on the visualiser to model what they mean, explaining the connections between the text and the image. This should draw the students into the next activity.(6 mins)
Activity: The facilitator should ask the students to now work in pairs and look at their graphic organisers alongside the text of the article. The students should analyse the text and their organiser by thinking about the following and improving the notes that they have made.
- Identify any differences that exist in your notes?
- How did you decide what to make a note of?
- What links have been made between the text and the visual?
The facilitator should indicate that notes will often look different as they are personal, but it is important to ensure that the important notes are present.
Wrap up: The facilitator should wrap up the activity by sharing information about My Learning Essentials and the University Library and asking the SCONUL/RLUK question. (6 mins)
…
