Learning Skills for instructors
Approach to Learning Skills
The goal of Learning Skills Services is to teach students at Camosun College strategies that will help them to learn more effectively. All students can benefit from learning how to learn, and timely help can prevent students from experiencing failure, low marks, or serious dissatisfaction with their learning effectiveness.
The strategies we encourage students to use are consciously chosen ways to approach a learning task in an effective manner. For example, making and prioritizing a list of learning tasks is a better time-management strategy than just doing whatever tasks need to be done for tomorrow. Changing learning habits is not easy so we explore both which specifi c strategies can best help a student and how best to implement those strategies.
Some Learning Skills topics
- Managing time
- Improving concentration
- Writing exams
- Preparing for exams
- Enhancing learning skills for problem solving courses (math, physics, etc.)
- Reading textbooks
- Learning from lectures
Learning Skills Services
- Credit courses
- LRNS 100—Effective Learning and Study Skills (open to all students)
- LRNS 102—Learning and Problem Solving Skills (for Technology and Business Access students)
- LRNS 103—Learning Skills for Human Services (for Health and Human Services Students)
- General learning skills workshops
- In-class workshops on specifc learning skills topics linked to your course content
- One-on-one appointments for learning skills counselling
How you can connect your students to Learning Skills help
Often, the student who is in greatest need of Learning Skills help will fail to seek it out. Many students are not aware that their study strategies are weak or that learning skills help is available.
Ways to connect your students to Learning Skills
- Invite us into your class or orientation to present a brief introduction to Learning Skills services.
- Invite us into your class to present a Learning Skills workshop on a topic most useful to your course.
- Make the content of a Learning Skills presentation a component of your course.
- Ask us to present a workshop outside of your class to address a specifi c Learning Skills need.
- Advise your students of our services at the beginning of each semester or quarter. Repeat, especially after exams.
- Post workshop and course fl yers by your office door.
- Refer students individually to Learning Skills for individually tailored help for exam review (send exam directly to Learning Skills if confidentiality is needed).
- Other ways? Talk to us!