Application Of Paul and Elder’s Ideas for Improving One’s Studies

Paul and Elder (2014) have great ideas to enhance one’s ability to study.  According to them, students should ensure that they comprehensively understand each class requirements. This includes understanding more on how the class will be taught and what students are expected to do. They also advise students to be active learners through active listening, reading, speaking and writing. Paul and Elder encourage student to consider every subject as kind of thinking, and to become questioner. According to them, questioning should be taken as away of bridging the gap between what one knows and what they do not know. Students are encouraged to search for interconnection in the subject they study and other things they studied previously. To them learning is an interconnected system of ideas and thus, courses are given in a structured way, to create this interconnection. Students are also encouraged to consider their tutors as couch and to consider themselves as team members. This way they will manage to exercise thinking demonstrated by the tutor.  Students are also encouraged to act as detective looking for information in every possible source. This way they will be able to learn more. They should also consider testing themselves by trying to do a mental recap of the previous classes before joining a new class.  This can be done orally or in writing (Paul & Elder, 2014).

The advice given by Paul and Elder is very useful to any learners. Following this information can easily result to improved performance. I would definitely take the advice to improve my ability to study and to improve my grades. I plan to implement these ideas in this semester by reviewing the subjects to be covered in the semester, and understanding what is expected of me. I will then try to fulfill what I am expected to do by reading extensively in each subject, trying to test myself in what I read after a while, and being active in class by asking question. I will always read a head to be able to look for aspects I did not understand in the lecture. In case there will still be any unclear concept, I will ask questions to ensure that I understand.

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