Effective College Learning
by Jodi Patrick Holschuh and Sherrie L. Nist

Review by Ireta Ekstrom, FaCIT

This text is an interesting contribution to a long list of ‘study skills’ books for first-year college students. Effective College Learning is written by two faculty members from the University of Georgia who specialize in improving the ability of college students to study and learn.

Although this book follows many of the usual conventions for students by including chapters on organization, stress and attitudes toward learning, the organization and format are fresh and appealing.

Bright colors denote each chapter with the pages color coded at the edge for an easy visual index. Questions and self-assessments at the beginning of each chapter connect the learner to the material from the beginning of the reading. This book is meant to be used as a workbook – it is a good method of keeping students actively engaged and moving forward. Within each chapter are short bursts of information with frequent sidebars that focus on study tips, monitoring learning, using technology, moving what they are learning out of the classroom, summaries and vocabulary building.

Chapters also contain cases that may be done in groups during class or as pre-work for each class. The cases are short, but well written and require more than copying a sentence from the book as an answer.

Another addition is Add to Your Portfolio, which is material tailored to each chapter and includes information students may need as they continue through college. For example, Chapter 1 has a listing of services that may be needed: the Library, Learning Center, Bookstore and Health Services. There is room for the student to include the location, telephone number and hours for each as a ready resource.

The primary emphasis of the book is on learner characteristics (five critical areas), tasks that students are asked to do (different tasks require different approaches), strategies that students must use (an active learning repertoire), and approaching the various types of texts and reading they will encounter (science reading patterns are different from literature reading patterns).

The strongest features of this book are the use of current learning theories as the basis for the book and the emphasis on a holistic approach moving students toward lifelong learning.

If you teach freshman classes or returning students you will almost certainly find material within this book that can be used as part of your syllabus or as you teach how to succeed. Talk to students about how your class may differ from their other classes and the best study and learning methods that will help them be successful. In that regard, I think the book is not only for freshmen – we can all learn from it.

Title: Effective College Learning
Authors: Jodi Patrick Holschuh and Sherrie L. Nist
Price: $ 49.20
Publisher: Pearson Longman
Year: 2007
Pages: 400
ISBN-13: 978-0321395436