Reading for research
This exercise asks students to reflect on how they're doing the reading related to their research project. It is best given towards the beginning of the research process.
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Background
The goal of this exercise is to help you learn how to learn about your own learning and how to make adjustments to learn more effectively. This process, called 'metacognition,' has been shown to improve student success in all sorts of ways, including boosts in reading comprehension, exam performance, and problem-solving. This exercise gives you an opportunity to learn about your own learning and apply those lessons to your research project.
Purpose of the exercise
This exercise asks you reflect on how you're doing the reading related to your research project. Metacognitive students are effective learners because they are flexible in their thinking and willing to make adjustments. This exercise provides an opportunity to learn about your own learning and make importance adjustments to your reading strategies when necessary.
Instructions
Consider the reading you're doing related to your research project. Think about how you're going about it. Answer the following questions. Your answers do not need to be overly long, but you should try to provide enough detail so that you explain your responses.
- How is reading for research, such as reading journal articles, different from reading for class?
- Have you changed your approach to the reading? Do you read differently? If so, how? If not, do you think you need to change your approach?
- How has your reading informed your research project? For example, how has it shaped how you think about you research question?
- Are you able to identify the parts of your reading that are most relevant to your research project? If so, how do you know? If not, what have you tried?
- What's one piece of advice that you'd give to a classmate about reading for research?