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Level Five Study Skills: B
Fall Quarter
Class Meetings: MWF 9:20-10:30 a.m.
Instructor: Michael Buckhoff
Texts
Robertson, Heather. Bridge to College Success: Intensive Academic
Preparation for Advanced Students. Boston: Heinle and Heinle
Publishers, 1991.
Goals
The goal of this class is to develop studying and listening skills that will
help you achieve success in the university. We will use material taken from
American university classes.
To improve your skills of listening and taking notes, we will listen to
authentic lectures. To improve your speaking and listening skills, you will
participate in class and group discussions. I want everyone to have a chance to
talk on a regular basis in my class. I will try my best to provide a stimulating
environment that will enable you to share your opinions in class discussions. In
addition, I will bring authentic video and audio news recordings for you to
listen to.
Difficulty of Material
You may find that the material presented in the lectures and the readings are
different from what you are accustomed. You may feel that the readings and the
lectures are quite difficult. This is because they are authentic examples of the
kind of language you will encounter in college. Here is your chance to work on
college level work in a nonthreatening environment where you can learn speaking,
writing, problem solving, critical thinking, listening, and study skills to help
you succeed as an undergraduate or graduate student. Have patience as you do the
assignments and remember that you do not have to have 100% reading and listening
comprehension in order to be successful.
Requirements
Come to every class on time and be ready to participate. Do the expected work
and participate in all class discussions. Your grade will be based on your
quizzes, participation, attendance, and completion of assignments.
Grading
The number letter grading scale is set as follows:
A 95-100
A- 90-94
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 76-79
C 70-75
NC 69& below
Scoring Grade
Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
Attendance and Participation 5%
Reading Comprehension Questions, Chapters 6-10 20%
Writing assignment 15%
Quizzes 15%
Group Oral Summary 10%
Five Oral Summaries 25%
Final 10%
Total 100%
Oral Summaries
On several occasions during the quarter, you will have an
opportunity to give an oral summary about a specific study skill. This is a 5
minute oral assignment that requires you to think about your learning. You will
be assigned a specific number of pages to read. Then you will summarize and
respond to the reading by preparing a five minute oral summary about how you
might be able to use the study skill/reading strategies in American university
classes. If you are taking an open university class, you may discuss how the
study skill will be useful to you in that class. The weekly presentations will
give you an opportunity to share with your classmates your language and study
skill progress. The weekly presentation will be graded according to the
following simple set of criteria. Grades will not be affected by the nature of
your response; you should feel completely free to say anything you wish, as long
as you say something related to the readings/study skills in each assigned
chapter. In addition, you must speak for the entire five minutes. Do not speak
any longer than that.
Grade of A: The oral summary shows attentive summaries of
the reading assignment and shows real, thoughtful responses/discussions. The
oral summary includes specific experiences with how reading/ study skill
strategies can be used or are being used in American university classes. The
oral summary is approximately five minutes long.
Grade of B: The oral summary shows skimpy readings and
summaries, along with some responses/discussions. The oral summary includes
some personal application of the reading/study skill strategies but it isn’t
specific as to how they can be used or are being used in American university
classes.
Grade of C: The oral summary is mostly summary with little
if any response to the readings. Has little if any personal application of how
the reading/study skill strategies can be used or are being used in American university classes. The oral summary is unplanned, unrehearsed, and
disorganized.
Grade of NC: Shows no evidence of the readings. The oral
summary is so disorganized that it is difficult if not impossible to
understand how reading/study skill strategies can be used or are being used in
American university classes.
If you prepare, you shall not fear!
Late Work
Assignments submitted after the due date will not be accepted.
In other words, you will receive no points. I will only allow you to make up
missed work if you have a written documented excuse from someone stating the
urgency of the situation (e.g. Doctor’s note, CHP accident report, etc.).
Attendance
Your attendance is required at all class meetings. Only
written documented excuses for an absence may result in your making up an
assignment or graded daily work. Absences endanger your grade simply because you
are missing out in the learning process. Three absences will result in an
overall reduction of one full letter grade and five absences will result
in a failing grade for this class.
Class Schedule
October 1 Introduction to study skills; Read pp. 115-125 explanation of
course Reading comprehension questions on p. 110 (Hand in on Oct. 11)
Week one: Lecture on English Communication; quotation &
paraphrase; academic essays
4 English Communication Prepare for debate (see pp. 106-107)
6 Class Debate
8 Class individual Oral Summaries "Becoming an Active Reader"
Week two: English Communication
11 Quiz on English Communication Read pp. 137-143; Reading
comprehension questions on p. 134 (Hand in on Oct. 22)
13 Lecture on "Theories of deviance"
15 Lecture on "Theories of deviance" continued
Week three: Lecture on Sociology; Critical thinking strategies
of theory application; recognition of fact vs. opinion
18 Theories of deviance continued
20 Theories of deviance continued
22 Quiz on Deviance
Week four: Theories of deviance continued
25 Watch video on deviance Read pp. 158-167; answer
comprehension questions p. 154 (Hand in on Nov. 5)
27 Class individual Oral Summaries "Becoming a
Confident Writer"
29 Lecture on Computer Viruses
Week five: Computers and Society
Nov. 1 Group discussions on page 156
3 Computers and Society continued
5 Quiz on Computers and Society Read 180-190; answer
comprehension questions p. 174 (Hand in Wednesday)
Week six: Computers/Business
8 Lecture on Business
10 Class individual Oral Summaries "Listening and
Learning in the Classroom"
12 Group Writing Project p. 178 NFinish
Group Writing Project; Due Monday; Read 206-219, answer comprehension
questions p. 199 (Hand in Nov. 22 )
Week seven: Business
15 Working With a case study pp.
171-172
17 Class individual Oral Summaries "Preparing for and
Taking Tests"
19 In class workshop: Group oral
summaries
Week eight: Natural Science
22 Group Oral Summaries of Chapter
24 Lecture on "The Greenhouse Effect
26 Thanksgiving Holiday Eat lots of turkey and watch football!!
Week nine: Natural Science
29 Natural Science lecture continued
1 Class individual Oral Summaries "Developing your
Vocabulary"
3 Review for final
Week ten: Final Exam
6 Quiz on Natural Science; Last
Day of Class
*I may make changes in the schedule when needed*
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