Approaching the end of an academic semester necessitates a multi-faceted strategy that encompasses academic, organizational, and technological considerations. To assist you in effectively managing this transition, we present a thorough guide geared towards facilitating a smooth end-of-semester experience.

This resource contains activity handouts and considerations for facilitators. This resource is part of the Teaching Excellence Toolkit to help accomplish the College Readiness Goal: I want students to feel like they belong in the course.Activity Description:Send a brief survey to students near the beginning of the term that asks them to share a little bit about past and current experiences, as well as their future aspirations. 

This free digital textbook serves as a companion to EDUC 1300/1200/1100 Learning Framework: Effective Strategies for College Success at Austin Community College. This book is an accessible and relevant way to explore the research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition, and motivation as well as factors that impact learning, and the presentation of specific learning strategies. This Open Educational Resource was remixed from a previous version found at https://courses.lumenlearning.com/austincc-learningframeworks/ by Heather Syrett and Laura Lucas. Senior Contributing Author and EditorHeather Syrett, Associate Professor and Assistant Department ChairStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Contributing AuthorsPamela Askew, ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeEduardo Garcia, Professor Student Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Edgar Granillo, Professor and Assistant Department ChairStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Laura Lucas, Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeMarcy May, Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeTobin Quereau, Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeAmber Sarker, ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Paul Smith, Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Eva Thomsen, Associate ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Suggested Attribution for ReuseSyrett, H., et al. Learning Framework: Strategies for College Success. Provided by: Austin Community College. Located at: OERCommons, https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/8434.License: CC BY-NC-SA-4.0 Revised August 2020 (Chapters 1, 4, 6, 7, and 8), August 2021 (Chapters 2 and 15), August 2022 (Chapters 1, 3, and 16)

This free digital textbook serves as a companion to EDUC 1300/1200/1100 Learning Framework: Effective Strategies for College Success at Austin Community College. This book is an accessible and relevant way to explore the research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition, and motivation as well as factors that impact learning, and the presentation of specific learning strategies. This Open Educational Resource was remixed from a previous version found at https://courses.lumenlearning.com/austincc-learningframeworks/ by Heather Syrett and Laura Lucas. Senior Contributing Author and EditorHeather Syrett, Professor and Assistant Department ChairStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Contributing AuthorsPamela Askew, ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeEduardo Garcia, ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Edgar Granillo, Professor and Department ChairStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Laura Lucas, Former Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeMarcy May, Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeTobin Quereau, Former Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community CollegeAmber Sarker, ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Paul Smith, Adjunct ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Eva Thomsen, Associate ProfessorStudent Development and General StudiesAustin Community College Suggested Attribution for Reuse;Syrett, H., et al. Learning Framework: Strategies for College Success. Provided by: Austin Community College. Located at: OERCommons, https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/8434. License: CC BY-NC-SA-4.0 Revised August 2020 (Chapters 1, 4, 6, 7, and 8), August 2021 (Chapters 2 and 15), August 2022 (Chapters 1, 3, and 16), August 2023 (Chapters 1, 16, and 17).

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this section, you will be able to:Differentiate between “job” and “career”Describe the stages of career development and identify the stage you’re currently inExplain the five-step process for choosing a careerList key strategies for selecting a college majorIdentify the relationship between college majors and career paths (both why they matter and why they don’t)Identify specific skills and transferable skills that will be valuable for your career path and how to acquire them

Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day­-to-­day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life. ­—Marilu Henner, actressLEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this section, you will be able to:Explore practices for ensuring mental health and emotional balance in your lifeIdentify sources, symptoms, and strategies for managing stressIdentify techniques for developing and maintaining healthy eating habitsDescribe the major risks of an unhealthy diet and the benefits of healthy eatingIdentify the benefits of regular exercise, for both body and brainIdentify the benefits of sleep for physical and mental healthExplain what substance use and abuse is and identify the warning signs that help may be neededIdentify sexually healthy behaviors, including protecting against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseaseIdentify the risks of sexual assault, including date rape, and where to go for helpDefine and practice safety consciousness

Diversity: the art of thinking independently together. —Malcolm Forbes, entrepreneur, founder of Forbes magazineLEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this section, you will be able to:Define diversity and identify many aspects of diversityDifferentiate between surface diversity and deep diversity, and explain the relationship between the twoDefine and apply principles of cultural competencyExplore the positive effects of diversity in an educational settingDefine accessibility and identify implications of accessibility on campus and in communitiesIdentify strategies for responding to instances of prejudice and hate

The cost of college should never discourage anyone from going after a valuable degree. –Arne Duncan, former United States Secretary of EducationLEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this section, you will be able to:Establish financial goalsIdentify strategies for creating and maintaining a budgetDescribe available options for paying for collegeDescribe the benefits and risks of creditDevelop financial literacy skills to prepare for your financial future

The cost of college should never discourage anyone from going after a valuable degree. –Arne Duncan, former United States Secretary of EducationLEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this section, you will be able to:Establish financial goalsIdentify strategies for creating and maintaining a budgetDescribe available options for paying for collegeDescribe the benefits and risks of creditDevelop financial literacy skills to prepare for your financial future

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this section, you will be able to:Define critical thinkingDescribe the role that logic plays in critical thinkingDescribe how critical thinking skills can be used to evaluate informationApply the CRAAP test to evaluate sources of informationIdentify strategies for developing yourself as a critical thinkerIdentify applications in education and one's career where creative thinking is relevant and beneficialExplore key elements and stages in the creative processApply specific skills for stimulating creative perspectives and innovative options Integrate critical and creative thinking in the process of problem-solving

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Describe the theory of multiple intelligences and identify your preferred intelligencesDescribe the relationship between emotional intelligence and self-regulationIdentify the types of thinking that contribute to successful intelligenceDefine multimodal learningApply multimodal approaches and a growth mindset to learning tasks

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Identify and describe the three basic functions of memoryDifferentiate between sensory, short-term, and long-term memoryIdentify and describe methods for information retrievalDescribe the forgetting curve and its implications for learningDescribe strategies for deciding which course content to learn and retainRecognize and apply strategies for strengthening your memory

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Explain why regular class attendance class is important.Understand the stages of the listening process.Identify effective listening strategies.Identify effective participation strategies.Identify strategies for obtaining content from a class you missed.Evaluate different teaching styles and how your personal learning style fit with each.Define active learning.

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Explain why taking notes is important.Use the four primary methods of note taking: lists, outlines, concept maps, and the Cornell method.Apply strategies to make note-taking more effective.Organize your notes into effective study guides.Use teacher handouts to complement your notes.Determine what to do with your notes after the course is complete.

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Explain how reading in college is different from reading in high school.Identify common types of reading tasks assigned in a college class.Describe the purpose and instructor expectations of academic reading.Identify effective reading strategies for academic texts using the SQ3R System.Explore the Anatomy of a Textbook.Develop strategies to help you read effectively.Explore strategies for approaching specialized texts, such as math, sciences, and specialized platforms, such as online text.Identify vocabulary-building techniques to strengthen your reading comprehension.

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Understand the role of tests in the Learning Cycle.Define test anxiety, identify sources of test anxiety and techniques for preventing and controlling it.Identify long-term study strategies.Become familiar with different types of tests and test formats.Implement specific test strategies for before, during and after a test.Identify strategies for answering typical kinds of test questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer and essay).Understand the importance of academic integrity and the consequences of dishonesty.Effectively evaluate your test results and correct your mistakes.Use your test results as a study guide.

LEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this chapter, you will be able to:Describe the importance of good writing skills.Define “academic writing.”Identify key differences between writing in college and writing in high school or on the job.Identify common types of writing tasks in a college class.Define what instructors expect of a college student’s writing.Understand and utilize writing-process steps in the development of academic writing.Differentiate between revision and proofreading, and explain the value of each.Know where to get help with your writing.Identify strategies for ethical use of sources in writing.Understand the special demands of specific writing situations, including in-class essays, group writing, and online.