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Reading Strategies I Used for an Art History Course

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The Course’s Weekly Structure

  • 3-6 recorded lectures
  • 0-1 podcasts
  • A lot of readings 
  • 1 discussion board
  • 1 500-1000 word essay 

I attempted to tackle this course a few different ways.

Approach 1

I watched all of the videos, did all of the readings more or less start-to-finish, then I did the assignments. This worked when there were only 3 recorded lectures, but in the next few weeks, it became unfeasible.

Approach 2

I watched all of the videos on 1.5x speed, took notes on them as if they were all equally important, and I skimmed the readings. Still super time-consuming. 

Approach 3

After a few weeks, I realized that only two or three of the videos and readings were relevant to each assignment. So, I used the assignments to figure out what my professor wanted me to take away from the module, and I approached the module in a 5-step process.

  1. Skim the assignments for the week (with the goal of understanding what your professor wants you to take away from this week’s material). 
  2. Watch every recorded lecture on your preferred speed, paying more attention to ones relevant to the assignment and taking notes. 
  3. Skim the introductions, conclusions, and headings of each reading to see if they are necessary for the assignments.
  4. Open relevant readings in Adobe Acrobat and take notes on them, spending more time on sections that will help with the assignments
  5. Do the assignments.

This was my favorite approach because it wasn’t time-consuming and I was able to gain a decent understanding of the material. However, for courses in a similar format, you probably don’t need to do even that much work to be successful in the class... On super busy weeks, I could have only watched two recorded lectures, done zero readings, and still completed the assignment, receiving the same grade I would have if I had used the approach outlined above. 

The main takeaway? Learn with a goal in mind. If you don't have one of your own, figure out what your professor's learning goal for you is and remember it while you're watching lectures and doing readings.