Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MICorrespondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 1

Slide 2Students adopt ineffective
learning strategies that
undermine their achievement(or at least don’t improve it)

Simple techniques are available
that teachers and students could
use to improve student learningand achievement
Many teachers are not being
told about these techniques
Many students are not using
themStudents instead adopt
ineffective learning techniquesthat undermines achievement,
or at least does not improve it

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 3Techniques with no or limited
utility: summarization,highlighting, mnemonics,
imagery use, and rereading

From Dunlosky et al., 2013

Slide 4



Recent surveys indicate thatstudents endorse the use ofrereading and highlighting

Note that the frequently usedand endorsed techniques arealso the ones that doesn’t work

Techniques most frequentlyendorsed by students as effective:

Rereading and highlighting

Slide 5

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 6Why don’t they learn fromexperience?

Slide 7



Metacognition: Knowledge andbeliefs about one’s owncognitive processes
In regards to academics, theawareness of strengths andweaknesses in regards tocourse material
Common problem of students
believing they have achieved,
when in fact they have not

Metacognitive skills:
The possibility of being
unskilled and unaware







Slide 8The average textbook (including introductory)
has little to no evidence-based guidanceon how to best studyDespite a specialized focus on
how people learn, introductoryand educational psychology
textbooks contain little to nocoverage on effective self-study
techniques or practical tools that
instructors can implement
Instead tend to focus of broad
theories that are difficult totranslate into working
applications
Other disciplines do not tend tofare any better

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com“there is an overwhelming assumption in
our educational system that the mostimportant thing to deliver to students iscontent” (McNamara, 2010)

Slide 9“there is an overwhelming assumption
in our educational system thatthe most important thing todeliver to students is content”

Slide 10

Slide 11Students who succeed insupervised learning
environments do not necessarilytransfer these skills to
unsupervised learning
environments, such as the athome self-study required byhigher education
Potentially huge benefit if
introductory courses taught
about self-study skills across avariety of disciplines
Opportunity to support wellintentioned but struggling
students
Where should we put ouremphasis?

Weak prerequisite skills andpoor motivation as obstacles.
The present analysis deals onlywith motivation.
Typical to locate the problem asinternal to the student
An alternative approach

From Michael, 1991

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 12
I remember the rage I used tofeel when a prediction wentawry. I could have shouted at
the subjects of my experiments,"Behave, damn you!
Behave as you ought!"
Eventually I realized that thesubjects were always right.
They always behaved as theyshould have behaved.
It was I who was wrong. I had
made a bad prediction.
Walden Two (pg. 271)

I remember the rage I used to feel when aprediction went awry. I could have shouted
at the subjects of my experiments,"Behave, damn you! Behave as youought!" Eventually I realized that thesubjects were always right. They always
behaved as they should have behaved. Itwas I who was wrong. I had made a badprediction. Walden Two (pg. 271)



Failed to make any gains until
he stopped blaming rats for thefailures of the experiments andbegan looking at theenvironment

From Skinner, 1948

Slide 13
I remember the rage I used tofeel when a prediction wentawry. I could have shouted at
the subjects of my experiments,"Behave, damn you!
Behave as you ought!"
Eventually I realized that thesubjects were always right.
They always behaved as theyshould have behaved.
It was I who was wrong. I had
made a bad prediction.
Walden Two (pg. 271)

Slide 14

Tendency to simply blame
students (motivation,demographic changes, kidsthese days, etc)

While blaming students may be
comforting on occasion, it
ultimately does little to enhance
our teaching strategies or
educational outcomes
If we want to make gains, needto focus on the academicenvironmentEvidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 15

Some students do find the material
intrinsically interestingThe question of motivation
Some students does seem
intrinsically motivated

But intrinsic motivation is usuallysatisfied much faster than theinstructor would likeMust compete with many otherforms of intrinsic motivation
Other sources of intrinsic
motivation may be difficult todelay, unlike studying

This is terrific

Slide 16

Some students do find the material
intrinsically interesting
but that interest isoften quickly satisfied
with minimal contactand must compete withother forms of reinforcementthat often can’t be postponed

Slide 17

We often can’t
directly control
how intrinsicallyinteresting thecritical material is

Also, instructors can do very
little to modify intrinsic
motivation

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 18



Instructors can control grades
and their relation to deadlines

Slide 19The procrastination scallopillustrates the problem
Pattern that is common for moststudents (and non-students)

The procrastination scallop

Figure from Michael, 1991

Figure from Michael (1991)

Slide 20

Solution to make the scallop
more manageableEvidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 21

Don’t expect students tobe immediately grateful

Slide 22Myth that they would performbetter if given more timeEven if procrastination wasfixed, another common timemanagement problem remains

Planning fallacy: The tendency
to underestimate the amount oftime required to complete aproject or assignment

Even though frequent
deadlines help break up theprocrastination scallop,
another time management
problem remains…

Slide 23

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 24Slide 25
Unpack the project by
doing a task analysis andcreate a time prediction
based on estimatesfor each component

People tend to be too optimistic
about future plans, downplaying
obstacles or other factors that
led to time management failurein the past
Difficult to accurately estimate
the whole of a project

Unpacking a task: Base time
estimates on estimates for eachcomponent of the task (and then
add them up) rather than simply
estimating the entire projectEvidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher educationDOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 26

Example: Even experts, such asaccomplished chefs, poorly planout their necessary timeEffects of unpacking for time
estimation

Whose cuisine
reigns supreme?

Slide 27504540Predicted
Actual35

Figure from Kruger and Evans,
200430
Min 2520
151050
PackedPackedUnpacked Unpacked
Mean predicted and actual preparation times (Kruger and Evans, 2004)

Slide 28

Public promise about deadlinesEnforced by significant other,roommate, friend, or family
memberPublicly stated promises tend tobe more difficult to break thanthe private promises

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 29



Set personal deadlines thatoccur more frequently thaninstructor-imposed deadlines

Slide 30

Don't assume the future will be
problem-free or a best casescenario
Incorporate past obstacles into
future estimates

Use the pastobstacles to guide
future estimates

Slide 31

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 32



Illustration of sleep learning as apassive learning strategy

Illustration of Mozart Effect as apassive learning strategy

Passive study is a very ineffective
method for acquiring knowledge

Slide 33

Passive study is a very ineffective
method for acquiring knowledge

Slide 34

What
does apenny
look like?
(don’t cheat and take oneout of your pocket)

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 35
Students need to take notes,
rehearse the material, studynotes, rehearse the material,
study the textbook, rehearse
the material, answer questionsin the book or study objectives
posed by the instructor, andrehearse the material

Slide 36

SQ3R approach

Slide 37



Step 1: Survey the Material
Skim titles and headings of eachchapterPick out important looking
elements without reading
carefully yet

Step 1:Survey the MaterialEvidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 38

Step 2:Develop Questions



Slide 39

Step 3:
Read Actively

Slide 40



Step 4:
Recite the Answers
to Questions



Step 2: Develop Questions
Predictions regarding importantmaterial
Review of any learning
objectives supplied by instructor

Step 3: Read Actively
Read through material, hunting
for material to confirm
predictions or answer objectives
Read all the material so context
can help facilitate acquisition

Step 4: Recite the Answers toQuestions
Create flashcards

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSONWestern Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 41

Step 5:
Review Study Materials

Step 5: Review Study Materials
Rehearse material repeatedly
until responses are both fast andaccurate
Reread materials to help
connect memorized concepts(will be much easier postmemorization)

Slide 42

SQ3R is not very
well known,
although thosefamiliar with itassume it is

Slide 43

SAFMEDSSAFMEDSAn evidence-based alternative
to traditional flashcards

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan UniversityMay 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 44

SAFMEDSSlide 45

SAFMEDS

S – say – the learner should say
the response out loud. Not“think” the responses silently.
Related to phenomenon labeled
as the production effectA – all – one works with theentire deck of cards as a unit
Can individually practicetroublesome cards, but don’t
neglect the entire deckALLSlide 46

SAFMEDSFAST

F – fast – in the timed sessions,work through the cards as
quickly as possible
Not slowly like flashcards
This is a standard that goesbeyond accuracy

Evidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 47



M – minute – the brief, timedsessions

E – every –D – day – do the brief, timed
sessions every day, at least
once a day
Count up correct cards anderrors on a daily basis to assess
progress (or lack of)

SAFMEDSMINUTE

Slide 48

SAFMEDSEVERYDAYSlide 49

SAFMEDSSHUFFLES – shuffle – the cards before
doing a timing
Avoid becoming sequence
dependentEvidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 50

Construction criteriaand considerations

keep the text on the back side
relatively brief
Typically, there will be multiple
cards to cover each concepts
Avoid any irrelevant hints orcues (smudges, tears, strangewords, highlighting, circled
numbers, differing colors, etc)

Slide 51

Slide 52

Myths revealed throughresearch on SAFMEDSEvidence-based strategies to improve time management and self-directed learning in higher education
DOUGLAS A. JOHNSON
Western Michigan University
May 2nd, 2013
WMU Office of Faculty Development Workshop, Kalamazoo, MI
Correspondence: djohnson@operant-tech.com

Slide 53

The two learning techniques shownto have the highest utility in a recent article:

Frequent deadlines, SQ3R, andSAFMEDS have elements of themost successful and evidencebased strategies

All of these are strategies thatcan be taught

Practice testing
anddistributed practiceSlide 54

Slide 55