Getting started in Higher Education’ Learner portfolio
Yusuf Khalid Ahmed Fazlee
30581184
Managing my own learning
When I was introduced that we were going to find out what type of learner we are, I vaguely knew what type of learner I was. I had a feeling that I was a kinaesthetic learner, however I preferred to claim that I had “photographic memory”. I was not a surprised that the results showed that I was kinaesthetic learner, but it did surprise me on how much of a kinaesthetic learner I was. Out of 38 questions, I got 27 answers that were inclined to kinaesthetic learners, 8 for visual learners and 3 for auditory learners. Later I was told that the percentage of kinaesthetic learners was the lowest of all types of learners, which on one hand made me feel unique but on the other, made me feel that I was at a disadvantage.
When I was given the assignment to research on my type of learning, I was extremely looking forward to it. The most common trait for a kinaesthetic learner is that they have good hand eye coordination (Child1st Publications LLC, 2018).Whilst researching more about my type of learning, I realised I was learning certain traits that I had, which I had not even realised or paid attention to. I would take pride on referring to myself as a bit weird or abnormal, for a lack of a better word, because I would do certain things that would confuse many of my friends and family. For instance, during my research I found that kinaesthetic leaners have an affinity to touch objects which is quite a weird thing to do for most people, but for me it does not seem weird. I also found that kinaesthetic learners like to choose clothes according to their comfort which applies especially to me, because I would get criticised for wearing certain clothes all the time and my only argument was that all I care about my clothes is whether they are comfortable. Some other characteristics that apply especially to me that is related to kinaesthetic learners are that I am fidgety and talk with hand gestures (Lincoln Land Community College, 2014).
Kinaesthetic learners usually write short notes which are not really structured, and they are usually coloured. They also write certain notes in different mediums such as ball point, gel, pencil etc., they choose whichever feels good to them for the particular note. It is quite difficult to explain, but I understand exactly what “feels good” means as I also get a certain feeling to write a note in a different colour or medium. This process is quite random, nonetheless I try to make a key for most of the colours and medium as when after few months, I forget what I was feeling when writing the note (Lincoln Land Community College, 2014). Another study habit which I have that is common to kinaesthetic learners is that I have short study spans. I always wondered how my friends could study for more than two hours straight, I am not able to study for more than 1 hour without having to do something to reset my mind. After 1 hour, whatever I read or write refuses to go into my head, as my mind drifts to another subject. I found that the best way to mediate the problem was to take at least a 15-minute break of doing something else and afterwards my mind is ready to study again. I enjoy doing experiments in the laboratory as I can more often than not retain what I do in them and understand my topics better.
My secondary learning style is visual, however most of their characteristics do not apply to me. Characteristics such as good memory of faces and neat appearance are not my best traits (Lincoln Land Community College, 2014). Conversely, I found that most of the study habits that visual learners use is what I use as well. When discussing with my friends, who are visual learners, they and I both prefer using hard copy of notes to study from. Similarly, to myself, they prefer highlighting their notes. I also use diagrams and sketches to help me understand certain topics, which proves to be very effective.
Auditory learning is my third learning style and I have a few common characteristics with auditory learners. Auditory learners are known to talk to themselves and like listening which are a few things which apply to me (Lincoln Land Community College, 2014). When studying, I dictate notes which I need to memorise and explain the notes verbally when I draw diagrams of processes. I also love having debates and discussion on topics as I learn how the other side views the subject. In engineering it is difficult to have discussions as most of the subject is matter of fact, however I do sometimes “argue” with my friends about certain facts to understand how they look at the subject. If I find something I disagree with, I usually call them out on it and have them explain in detail, I find this beneficial for my friends and myself as I tend to correct myself and occasionally them. I also know that if I am confident to argue about whether my knowledge is right with someone, it means I know my knowledge. This in turn also boosts my confidence in exams, however sometimes I do have tunnel vision about the knowledge that I think I know, and I make silly mistakes.
I never really had a certain way of studying when growing up. When I was small my mom would make me practice tests, but when I got older I started studying on my own. I began by just reading off the book, but I never saw I could change my grades. As I got older the work got increasingly harder, so I began changing my study tactics. I began writing short notes which helped me understand the topic more and retain the information better. I would always get scolded for studying on my bed, but I always liked to be comfortable. Currently, I just make short notes throughout the term and then study off them before the exam. I sometimes make even shorter notes, because I find re writing my work helps me retain memory.
After learning and researching properly about my dominant type of learning, I have learnt many things about myself. I never did this intentionally but most of my study tactics are a mixture of auditory and visual learning styles with my own twists. I believe the reason for this is that most people are either visual or auditory learners, so most study habits preached by people are catered to them. I used these tactics and subconsciously changed the method to effectively study for myself. Most study tactics for kinaesthetic learners are quite difficult to implement for all the subject matter as they are focused on performing experiments. Nevertheless, I will take full advantage of when I can use these methods in the future. There was always a doubt in my mind if whether I was studying correctly and after doing this assignment, I can rest easy that I have been studying effectively up to now. However, I can improve my studying habits even more by using all the things mentioned previously, such as reading out loud and practicing repetitively, more often.
Managing time and stress
I believe I manage my time well. This is because I am able to do many things over the week and I can fit everything into my schedule. Unknowingly, I use the time block method to manage my time. I am able to have study time every day, gym 5 times, practice 4 times, sleep and entertainment all in one week. However, I must admit that I do not do as well on sleep as I should do. Research says that 7-9 hours of sleep is ideal for person of my age, but I rarely fulfil that quota of sleep (unless you count the hours I sleep during lectures) (Smith, n.d.). I feel quite bad that I am unable to sleep enough as I know how important adequate sleep is, therefore I am trying to come up with a solution that I will be happy with and can work with. For now, my solution is to sleep at 11 pm and wake up at 5:30 am, this gives me 6 and half hours of sleep. Though it is less than the recommended amount for me, I am able to stick to this.
I find the time block method to be productive for me, since I am a linear tasker. I know and choose to be a linear tasker, because I believe that it is better giving 100% on one task, rather than giving 50% on two tasks. This is because if I give my full effort on to one task, I am able to bring out the maximum potential of my work. Unlike most people, it is easy to put my phone away and focus on something else. I find that a huge burden is released when I do not have to check my phone while I am doing my work.
Though I am managing my time well, I think I can improve my time management by physically writing down a timetable, rather than having it in my mind. This would be helpful, because I am more likely to follow a physical schedule rather than a mental one. My biggest problems are outside factors that I cannot foresee that alters my timetable. A factor such as rain affects my schedule, because I am unable to practice or go to gym in the rain, so I must wait for it die down. However, in the mean time I try to do any pending work. Another rare factor is when my roommates decide to go for dinner, so I need re-arrange my schedule to accommodate them. It is possible for me to not go for dinner, however rejecting them every time they ask if I want to go out to dinner might give them the wrong idea. I also understand that I need self-discipline to stick to my timetable. It is also important that I have backup plans in my schedule if anything goes wrong. I do not really have strict schedule with my entertainment as I watch whenever I have nothing else to do, so I do not waste time on this. However, it is arguable that I am wasting my time at the gym or at practice as I have strict schedules for these activities. They are a high priority for me, but not as high as my studies so I punish myself by not going to gym if I have not completed my work. Consequently, my commitment for gym adds extra fuel to my commitment for studies. Gym, practice and entertainment are important to me, because I am able to relax and let out any of the stress I have. Therefore, it is necessary for me to include these things on to my timetable.
I know when I am stressed because my entire character changes, from the way I act to the way I think. I usually clench my jaws and grind my teeth in stressful situations and a clear indicator of when I am stressed is when my tongue is touching the roof my mouth. Emotionally, I feel anxious and irritable when I am normally stressed. However, I feel anxious, irritable, powerless and frustrated when I am overly stressed. I become very critical of others when I am stressed, and I usually realise I am stressed when I get critical towards other people for no reason. I cannot concentrate properly when I am stressed as there are many things on my mind.
There are many situations that tends to make stressed. The usual reasons on why I get stressed are exams, turning in assignments and having a ‘lot’ of work to do. The trivial reasons are countless, but the main ones are getting late to class, not being able to stick to my timetable and missed opportunities to help others (this happens when I am unable to help someone, because I was being ignorant). These trivial reasons have no connection to my work at university, but they affect me when I work as my mind gets occupied.
I deal with my stress in many ways, however I mostly use gym, practice and entertainment to deal with it. To clear my mind at home, I usually watch a tv show, but if I want to feel productive, I sometimes paint. Unlike other people, my creativity increases when I am stressed, and I am able to channel my stress into something worthwhile. When I do these things, I am able to forget everything around me, which allows me to clear my mind to deal with the problems later. For stressful situations which are mostly problem based such as changing my timetable or when I have a lot of work to do, I normally try to calm and work out a solution. I take deep breaths and convince myself that everything will be ok. Then I make a list of all the problems that lead to my main problem and separate them into problems which are in my control and problems which are not. I forget about the problems which are not in my control because what will be, will be and focus on everything within my control. Then I proceed to come up with multiple solutions. Once I come with multiple solutions, I normally decide on the best solution by weighing the pros and cons or I will talk to a friend and get their advice. I sometimes know what I must do to fix my problems, but sometimes I need reassurance from someone else to know that what I am doing is the best possible solution. I deal with my emotional problems by going to gym and practice, I focus on my emotions during my workout while listening to songs. I do a lot of thinking at gym while I rest, so I face my problems by trying to understand why I am feeling whatever I am feeling and whether I should be feeling this at all. I seldom talk to people about my feelings, though if anyone asks me, I am very open about them and try not to hide. I know it is important to talk to people about my problems and I do have a support system if I ever need one.
The severity of stress plays a great deal on how much work I get done, because as mentioned earlier I am a linear tasker. If it is not something very stressful I am able to brush it off and focus on my work. Conversely, when I have something on my mind which I cannot get out of my mind, my work is hindered. Therefore, it important that I have ways to prevent getting stressed and ways to get myself out of stress. As mentioned earlier, I use gym, practice and entertainment to de-stress myself, so I can achieve the maximum potential of my work.
Getting the most out of lectures
During semester zero, I was taught on how to prepare for lectures, by my route to success lecturer. I realised that I was not getting the most out of my lectures, as this was a practice I was not accustomed to. I used to think that I could learn everything in class and if I had any questions, I could always ask the lecturer. After understanding how effective preparing before a lecture could be, I made it my mission to prepare for all my lectures. At gym, I prepare my pre and post workout meals and I realised that I can apply a similar process for my lectures as well. Similar to my post workout meal, I thought about what I could do after my lecture, things such as researching more about the topic I just learnt or other ways of applying my subject matter by reading books or researching on the internet.
So as to improve my method of getting the most out of my lectures, I started to prepare before my lectures. I did this by waking up early in the morning and spending at least 20 minutes on going through the lecture slides and notes I will be learning on that day. I would try to understand everything on each slide and attempt any questions on the slides before class. If I did not understand anything on the slide, I would search on the internet to clear any doubts or write down questions to ask my lecturer.
During lectures I try to my best to concentrate the whole time, but I cannot listen to the lecturer for a long-time span. Therefore, I have mini breaks while the lecturer is teaching. I try my best to minimise these breaks, but they are essential for me to really absorb what the lecturer is teaching for when I am properly concentrating. I normally take these breaks when the lecturer is covering a concept that I am confident about, so I do not miss a lot. I listen to music when the lecturer teaches to help me concentrate and be less fidgety. However, I do not listen to music all the time, because I feel it is a bit disrespectful to listen to earphones while the lecturer is speaking. I must confess that sometimes the music is a bit distracting, but when I know that I am not being able to concentrate because of the music, I turn it off. I also try to answer any questions the lecturer asks the class during his/her class, because I find it helpful when I am wrong or right. When I am right, I feel motivated to listen more in class and when I am wrong, I know where I am weak at, so I know what to revise.
After the lectures, I ask any questions I have on the topic towards the lecturer or my friends. Most of my questions are asking whether I can do an alternative method to a question or whether something is needed for the working. These questions help me do my work faster and also gives me confidence that I know what was taught as I am able to adapt my work into simpler methods. In the future, I want to research more on each topic I learn every day and do questions on the internet related to my topic. However, I feel I will not be able to do this as I might not have enough time.
Once I applied this routine in semester 1, I found a tremendous improvement in my attitude before, during and after class. After going through the subject matter before class, I found that I could follow the lecturer more coherently and I was never lost. Certain questions I had were answered during the lecture. Which showed me that if I had not gone through the material before, I would have not realised the importance of what was said during the lecture. Therefore, my notetaking ability got better as I was adding more information to the slide that will be beneficial for me to understand my material more. Normally after a lecture I would feel a bit uneasy that I will forget everything that was taught or not fully understand the concepts. This uneasy feeling is now shifted to when I read the lecture slides in the morning and after class I am confident that I was able to absorb everything from the lecture.
My notetaking during lectures is not that great, because I feel I miss out on a lot when trying to write my notes while listening to the lecturer. To overcome this problem, I make side notes on my paper and later on during the day I rewrite the notes as short notes from which I can study from. I find this the most efficient form of studying as listening and understanding the lecturer is more important than writing notes. However, after researching on the Cornell method of notetaking, I am inclined to use it in the future.
I was not really sure on how to get feedback from lecturers, so I made sure that if I ever had a question I would go ask the lecturer. During laboratory experiments, I was taught on how to properly draw a line of best fit and to take anomalies whenever I see fit. This helped me get better results in my future experiments. I was also told during labs that I should write down more notes for discussion as these notes will help me in the future, for my lab report. For the module engineering principle, I was told on how to use the thermal resistivity method. The lecturer said that this method was easier to perform questions and he taught me on how to use it. I found that I understood the theory better when knowing how to apply this method. The lecturer also taught us that it is easier to solve worded questions by writing down all the values given in the equation. By doing this, I found that it is easier to figure out which equation I should use to solve the problem, therefore I find word problems less hard. In the electricity and electronics module, the lecturer helped me understand circuit diagrams using Thevenin’s theorem and to always use potential difference and not current law as current law is more confusing. My maths lecturer always tells us to write down all our working which I found annoying at first. Though, I realised that once I started this practice, I was completing questions faster and I hardly ever get lost in a question anymore. This is because there is a clear flow to my working and so I understood my work better. This is a very important practice for all my modules, as I will be able to coherently answer my questions and I can easily find mistakes in my working if I double check.
Understanding Learner Ethics and avoid plagiarism
Summary of page 15 of “Heat Convection” by Latiff M. Jiji-
The transfer of heat when there are thermal interactions between a surface and an adjacent moving fluid is convection. The study of convection also includes the thermal interaction between fluids. Examples of these interactions include the flow of fluid inside a cylinder, between parallel plates or a jet inserting into a medium of a different fluid.
In reference of the lightbulb in Fig 1.1, Ts is the surface temperature, qns is the heat flux and T∞ is the ambient fluid temperature. Some of the electrical energy in the bulb is converted into heat energy. Neglecting radiation, the heat energy is transferred by convection to the ambient fluid from the surface. There are a few things that can be done to lower the resulting temperature:
1. Make the ambient fluid flow over the bulb by placing a fan.
2. The fluid can be changed.
3. Increase the surface area.
In conclusion, there are three factors that affect the rate of heat transfer by convection:
1. Fluid motion
2. Fluid nature
3. Surface geometry
(Jiji, 2006)
Bibliography
Jiji, L. M., 2006. Heat Convection. Heidelberg: Springer.
Bejan, A., 2013. Convection Heat Transfer. 4th Edition ed. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Related information on the topic
Convection is the study of heat transport processes effected by the flow of fluids (Bejan, 2013).
There is a link between the viscosity of the fluid and the rate of convection (Vjatkin & Kozlov, 2014).
The rate of convection is expressed by Newton’s Law of cooling,
q• hT T W/m2 conv s
Q• hAT T W conv s
The symbol “h” is the heat transfer coefficient which strongly depends on the fluid properties and roughness of the solid surface and the motion of the fluid (Bahrami, 2015).
Heat transfer is the transfer of heat energy when there is a temperature difference across a boundary. Since fluid motion is required for convection, it is important to note the way in which concentration and temperature is affected by velocity distribution (Burmeister, 1993).
My method to avoid plagiarism is to always keep track of all the information I get and when I got it. Then I would re-write the information by paraphrasing it, however I would first understand the information I was reading and then I would explain it more simply. This is because Einstein said, “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.”. By doing this, I am able to fully understand the knowledge I am adapting so I can avoid changing the meaning of the work I was researching. After I have finished drafting my work, I would check if I have plagiarised by using an online plagiarism checker. If I had any work which seemed plagiarised, I would re-write it again. So far, this method of avoiding plagiarism has work quite well.
However, I have researched on other ways to avoid plagiarism. It is important to know what is considered plagiarism and what is not, to be able to know how to avoid it. If I am using an author’s specific word or words, it is essential for me to put it in quotation marks and that I credit the source. Even if I used my own words, if I am using information or ideas gained from a source, I must document the source. The ideas of an author may also be a specific theory or method, a process or the traits of a medical condition. If the author provides a source for these ideas, I must acknowledge the source. However, sometimes I do not need to cite sources. This is when the information I am writing is common knowledge. General common knowledge is factual information that is considered it be in the public domain. Examples of this are the dates of birth and death of important historical figures, other historical events etc. In general, information that can be referenced from multiple sources can be considered inside the public domain. Another type of common knowledge is field-specific common knowledge. This is common knowledge only within the field or specialty. Fact, theories or methods that are known to the readers within the field are types of field-specific common knowledge. For example, I would not need to cite Newton 2nd Law of motion in a physics paper as it is a commonly known law in physics. However, I will have to make sure that the theories that I do not cite are well known by my readers as well (The Writing Center, 2018).
By understanding what plagiarism is and how it is possible to commit it, it had become easier to avoid it. Now when I research anything related to a topic, I will take down the source, check if the information is common knowledge and if not, I will cite the source. I will more often than not paraphrase the knowledge and refrain from quoting a source, unless it is something needed to be quoted. It is also important to note that when I paraphrase, I should make sure that I do not change the meaning of what I am paraphrasing. To conclude, it is extremely important to avoid plagiarising to maintain my academic integrity and steps must be made to prevent it.
In conclusion, if I ever commit plagiarism I know that it will affect my academic integrity. If I am deemed a plagiarist, my reputation and future work will lose its legitimacy as I would have lost all my credibility. I also know that as a student, that it is my duty to learn all the subject matter and gain all the abilities needed in my course, therefore I must avoid plagiarism.
Bibliography
Child1st Publications LLC, 2018. 16 Characteristics of Kinesthetic and Tactile Learners. [Online]
Available at: https://child1st.com/blogs/resources/113559047-16-characteristics-of-kinesthetic-and-tactile-learners
[Accessed 11 October 2018].
Lincoln Land Community College, 2014. Characteristics of Learning Styles. [Online]
Available at: http://www.llcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Characteristics-of-Learning-Styles.pdf
[Accessed 18 October 2018].
Smith, M., n.d. Sleep Needs. [Online]
Available at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/sleep-needs-get-the-sleep-you-need.htm
Jiji, L. M., 2006. Heat Convection. Heidelberg: Springer.
Bejan, A., 2013. Convection Heat Transfer. 4th Edition ed. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Vjatkin, A. A. & Kozlov, V. G., 2014. Effect of viscosity on convection and heat transfer in rotating horizontal cylindrical layer of liquid, Perm: s.n.
Bahrami, M., 2015. Simon Fraser University. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sfu.ca/~mbahrami/ENSC%20388/Notes/Forced%20Convection.pdf
[Accessed 17 November 2018].
UNSW Sydney, n.d. What is Plagiarism?. [Online]
Available at: https://student.unsw.edu.au/what-plagiarism
[Accessed 17 November 2018].
The Writing Center, 2018. How to avoid plagiarism. [Online]
Available at: https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_plagiarism.html
[Accessed 17 November 2018].
Burmeister, L. C., 1993. Convective Heat Transfer. 2nd Edition ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons .Inc.