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 Studying with
Multiple Sources The majority of Indian students
are "holistic" learners.
They learn
more easily if they see
the whole
picture first,
then learn
the
details as a part of the whole
Sandra J Fox,
1944 Oglala Sioux |
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Course information can be delivered
through a variety of formats:
Lectures
by teacher or guests |
Textbooks |
Fictional
story/novels |
Interviews and
biographies
eyewitness accounts or commentaries |
Duplicates/hand-outs
of (text) chapters, magazine articles |
Original source
material
as diaries, government documents,
proceedings, minutes |
Electronic media
such as videos, radio programs |
Internet
web site pages, discussion groups |
Stahl, et al (1998) found that using multiple-text sources
can only be effective if we are taught to use them properly. As
beginners, we tend to be more consistent in what information we select from
short, well-constructed texts. Longer, less structured documents tend to
be more confusing.
Text books
- provide a foundation of facts and viewpoints to provide
an overview
- sequence information and facts to understand issues
- create a context for comparing and understanding other
sources
- are written in a neutral, objective tone
Problems with a single text
for a subject or course include:
- information is often "academic"
lacking the drama of real life experience, adventure, and experimentation
- bias is hidden or concealed
ignoring competing facts, priorities, minority viewpoints
- a single interpretation limits how reported facts are
prioritized/sequenced
restricting viewpoint (Euro/Caucasian) or subject testing (white male)
- original/eyewitness sources of information are
secondary to interpretative accounts
Additional readings and alternative sources
of information can assist you to
- create a richer understanding
with additional information and perspective
- interact or engage with facts, actors,
circumstances
of the material
- practice and familiarize
yourself with new subject vocabulary and concepts
- process opposing, even conflicting,
points of view in order to assess, evaluate, defend
Conflicting information however can impede your learning,
unless you can
- analyze it for commonalties
- reorganize or synthesize
your model for understanding it
- consider the impact of, and evaluate, conflicts
- filter it with athe context presented in the
basic text
Some Recommendations:
- Read your text
to provide the factual framework from which to begin
(see also
Taking notes from a text book)
- Proceed to shorter, more focused sources
of information expecially if you are inexpereinced in the subject
- Practice with multiple texts to
improve your evaluative skills:
- compare and contrast your sources
- analyze them for bias or viewpoint
- note when and where they were written, and how that
affects the viewpoint
- Understand the connections
between events, actors, and circumstances rather than learn a series of
"facts" which can be easily be forgotten
- Use in-class or on-line discussion time
to test your understanding and ask questions!
Inspired and adapted from the study "What Happens When
Students Read Multiple Source Documents in History?" Co-authors: Steven A.
Stahl, Cynthia R. Hynd, Bruce K. Britton, Mary M. McNish (University of
Georgia) and Dennis Bosquet (Clarke County School District) as found at
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/clic/nrrc/hist_r45.html (May 11,
00).
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