Study Skills: Approaches to Learning, Brain Capabilities, and Mind Mapping

This report discusses the importance of study skills in a learner's life, different approaches to learning, brain capabilities relevant to academic study, and how mind mapping can aid in storing and retrieving information. It includes references to relevant books and journals.

Study skills

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Discussing how people learn and different approaches to learning:............................................3
Explaining the capabilities of the brain and relevance to academic study:.................................5
Discussing how mind mapping can be used as an aid to storing and retrieving information:.....6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Study skills are most important term for every learner, it becomes essential for learner to
gain skills that allow them to focus on career development. Study skills simply means ability to
examine things or topic and gain max. knowledge, it is very clear that academic skills does
matter when it comes to career process. Every learner interact with different element and with
the help of learning pattern, learner try to understand the concept. Study skills may include
effective listening and reading, memorization, note taking skills, testing and even time
management skills allowing student to explore area of development (Cottrell, 2019).
Almost every individual have their own style or methods of learning, some learn through
interaction, some with experience and others with reading or in systematic way. Educator
believes that learning is continuous process, every learner build an ability to keep learning new
things. This report will discuss process of how people learn and different approaches to learning
that allow people to learn. Later this report will discuss capabilities of the brain to learn. At last
this report will discuss mind mapping which can be used for storing and retrieving information.
MAIN BODY
Discussing how people learn and different approaches to learning:
Every learner have their own ability to learn and explore different area of learning, it
becomes important to understand how one individual interact with things around them. Learning
is challenging process where learner have to be active in order to gain max. knowledge and
skills, it is very clear that each individual adapt the world in their own way and gain knowledge
according to their preference (Cottrell, 2020). People learn from different approach, process and
methods, learning can be seen when individual interact with something. For example; if a learner
attended an event then learning can be seen in the form of experience. There are different
approaches to learning, these are;
Behaviouristic approach: This is one of the most common but important type of learning
approach where learner try to explore their own behaviour and gain max. knowledge.
Behaviouristic learning aim towards change that occur due to some event, it is very clear that
behaviour of an individual change with change in event (Caesar and et.al., 2016). For example; if
learner attended any module, then their behaviour will be changed according to amount of
knowledge they have gained. If tutor provided positive feedback to learner then their behaviour

will be positive and learning will be affected, same-way negative feedback push learner to bring
improvement and keep learning.
Social learning: This one is most common, every learner interact socially with each other, this
interaction allow person to gain max. amount of knowledge. It becomes important for learner to
keep interaction on while exploring learning, this simply means learner need to examine what
others are doing or saying and have to act accordingly (Duran and Dökme, 2016). For example; a
toddler try to learn from their parent, they try to catch motion of parent and how they interact
with children. Social learning aim to observe social world which means learner have to focus on
other people as compared to understanding their own behaviour.
Cognitive learning: This is important type of learning approaches where learner try to
memorize and remember, this is not an process of memorizing, rather, individual have to
examine each topic carefully and become stable. Cognitive learning focus on mind and brain
ability to manage memories. It becomes important for learner to bring bigger piece of
information to reach at final conclusion. For example; if learner try to learn new language, then
their brain will bring bigger piece together and provide final sentence. Cognitive learning is an
ability to explore new area or new learning, learner become active when they adopt cognitive
learning approach.
Constructivist learning: This is another common type of learning approach that allow learner to
become effective learner, with the use of self reflection, learner try to explore what happened in
an situation and how this impacted the ability of learner. It is very clear that learner try to make
connection with memorize they have experience in the past, learner try to become active while
reflecting their experience of an event. For example; if an student attended academic session then
they try to reconstruct memories and try to reflect what happened how this helped in learning and
gaining knowledge in the process.
Experiential approach: This is one of the most important element in the process, experiential
approach means learner try to learn something from experience. Learning is effective when
learner try to examine experience they have faced or experience from event, it is very clear that
experiential approach demand learner to become effective because learner try to explore
experience of an event that already been happened to them (Khalil, Abdel Meguid and Elkhider,
2018). Learning from experience is important part, learner need to focus on what is already

happened with them and how they can become effective while exploring past event, experiential
approach is considered as best learning.
Explaining the capabilities of the brain and relevance to academic study:
Every learner have different capabilities of learning, their brain power is different from
each other allowing them to become effective in learning. It is very clear that capabilities of
brain does matter when it comes to learning, not only each learner have different brain power but
each learner have their own learning style which impact brain functioning (Langer, 2016). For
example; bright student in academic session are more intelligent because their brain capabilities
is much stronger whereas a weak student might have less brain capabilities in learning. However,
it depends on interest of learner, each subject and area have different interest which impact
learner and their ability to learn. There are different brain capabilities which promote academic
learning, these are:
Attention and concentration: This is one of the most important brain capabilities that allow
learner to explore area of learning, attention simply learner have to pay attention to things and
details allowing them to learn. For example; if an learner is available in an event then they need
to pay attention to event and have to maintain concentration to gain max. knowledge (Parikh,
2016). Paying attention is powerful brain capabilities that is important when it comes to
academic study, learner have to pay attention in classroom and words of tutor to explore learning
effectively in the classroom.
Self monitoring: This is also an brain capabilities, every learner try to self monitor themselves
to understand where they are lacking behind. Learner try to carefully examine their ability and
make improvement accordingly, it is very clear that self monitoring is an ability which only few
learner have, they understand themselves and bring those strategies that will improve their
learning. For example; in classroom, an average student will try to monitor themselves and
understand how they can bring improvement to compete bright student. Self monitoring is
capabilities that highlight weakness of learner.
Speaking: Speaking is well-defined brain capabilities that promote learning, student have to
focus on speaking as they can gain more knowledge in what they speak and how they interact
with social world. Speaking is brain capabilities that focus on learning, if a person is speaking
then they are gaining max. knowledge and skills. For example; in a classroom, person who speak
or learner who communicate with others and tutor have more brain capabilities of learning, they

try to solve any query or question that arrive in their mind with the help of speaking skills. It
becomes important for learner to speak and gain knowledge.
Emotion: This is one of the most common type of brain capabilities that allow learner to learn
something about the world, emotion is important part of human behaviour this allows learner to
explore learning. However, emotion is broad concept, learner with ability to analyse emotion get
effective learning. It is very clear that every learner have their own ways to interact with emotion
and act accordingly, controlling this emotion promote learning to allow learner to maintain
stability in the academic process.
Discussing how mind mapping can be used as an aid to storing and retrieving information:
Mind mapping is one of the most basic method or tool that allow learner to explore area
of development, mapping of thought and process allow individual to become stable in further
process. This simply means mapping the pathway and understanding what needs to be done is
important element in the academic process (Aziz and Yamat, 2016). Mind mapping can be used
as storing and retrieving information as this allow learner to create a pathway that keep storing
memory and that allow learner to retain stored information. There are certain use and importance
of mind mapping that is considered by the learner, these are:
Main idea: Mind map consist of main idea, these ideas need to be more than five. Mapping is
only possible when learner is clear about the chosen topic, main idea is area where learner place
keyword. For example; if learner is planning to create mind map for digital marketing then they
have to add one main idea which means they are clear about the topic. Next they have to add four
different idea as well to provide basis to mind map. Main idea allow learner to store and retrieve
information which they can use later or continue when they left the mind map.
Generating root: This is one of the most important use of mind map that allow learner to
generate root that reach to final part, root is activities which need to be completed that will allow
learner to become effective in learning process learner in learning something new. For example:
if learning is planning to focus on academic skills then they need to perform certain activities
which help them to become effective (Bukhari, 2016). Activities may including attending class
or explore feedback from tutor, root generation is important part where learner gain max.
knowledge and skills.
Visualizing: This is an important element or use of mind map, it is very clear that mind map
consist of main idea and activities which means learner can visualize things and retrieve

information stored in the mind map. Every learner create mind map to get clear vision about their
progress, it becomes important to focus on adding new things, every mind map consist of key
element which make the process more clear (Yew and Goh, 2016). Visualize help in storing
every essential details, this can be used to manage important topic and allow learner to become
effective in the academic session.
Topic and sub topic: Mind map is full of topic and subtopic that including every essential
details which help learner to become effective, creating an mind map is simple process but
learner need to be clear about the roots or activities. Mind map help in storing and retrieving
information because mind map is divided into small topic which consist key element or subtopic
covering every essential information, mind map can be used as key tool.
CONCLUSION
This report has discussed study skills and its importance in the learner's life, study skills
are key process or element that bring easiness to the academic process, it becomes important to
gain study skills and become effective in the process. Later this report has discussed how people
learn, learning is important process of human life, this allows learner to become effective and
help them to gain max. knowledge. Every learner has different approach of learning to include
behaviourist approach, social learning, constructivist approach, cognitive approaches and many
other approach that help learner to learn new things with new interaction.
Later this report has discussed brain capabilities which help learner to gain max.
knowledge and allow them to learn new things in the process, brain capabilities may including
attention and concentration power or capabilities that allow learner to become effective and help
them to learn new things. At last this report has discussed how mind map can be used as aid to
storing and retrieving information, mind mapping is important process that allow learner to get
clear vision on key topic they will be covering.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Aziz, A.B.A. and Yamat, H., 2016. The use of mind mapping technique in increasing students’
vocabulary list. Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 4, pp.105-113.
Bukhari, S.S.F., 2016. Mind mapping technique to enhance EFL writing skill. International
journal of linguistics and communication, 4(1), pp.58-77.
Caesar and et.al., 2016. The Benefits of Adopting a Problem-Based Learning Approach on
Students' Learning Developments in Secondary Geography Lessons. International
Education Studies, 9(2), pp.51-65.
Cottrell, S., 2019. The study skills handbook. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Cottrell, S., 2020. Teaching study skills and supporting learning. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Duran, M. and Dökme, I., 2016. The effect of the inquiry-based learning approach on student's
critical-thinking skills. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology
Education, 12(12).
Khalil, M.K., Abdel Meguid, E.M. and Elkhider, I.A., 2018. Teaching of anatomical sciences: A
blended learning approach. Clinical Anatomy, 31(3), pp.323-329.
Langer, E.J., 2016. The power of mindful learning. Hachette UK.
Parikh, N.D., 2016. Effectiveness of teaching through mind mapping technique. The
International Journal of Indian Psychology, 3(3), pp.148-156.
Yew, E.H. and Goh, K., 2016. Problem-based learning: An overview of its process and impact
on learning. Health professions education, 2(2), pp.75-79.
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