Preparatory Skills Development

Overview

Course description

This course will assist the student in developing the skills necessary to be a successful student in post-secondary education. It provides instruction for individual skill development, assistance in setting realistic educational goals and facilitating the development of an individualized learning plan to be utilized by the student in future educational programs.

Course content

Learning Skills Development

- notetaking

- organizing of notes and other materials usually required in a college course

- test-taking strategies

- memory techniques

- listening skills

- reading skills for comprehension

- communication skills

Personal Skills Development

- time management

- stress management

- communication skills

- problem-solving for classroom and college life

- management of test anxiety

- management of emotions at an acceptable level for success in a college setting

- development of personal short-term and long-term goals

Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills

- making inferences

- comparing and contrasting

- drawing conclusions

- summarizing

- determining the main idea

- differentiating fact and opinion

Post-Secondary Orientation Strategies

- understanding role and function of the Assessment Centre, Counsellors, Services for Students with Disabilities, Access Aides, Registrar, Library Services

- using and making maps

- understanding teacher expectations in a post-secondary institution

Learning activities

Instruction will be modified to meet the needs of the individual learner and may include:

instructor presentations
small group workshops
class discussions
teacher-directed learning
tutorials
individual study/reading and writing assignments
utilization of adaptive equipment and computer programs
visits to classes at Douglas College; “sitting in” on other classes – academic, career and upgrading
videos/films/audio tapes
guest speakers
use of Library and Career Resource Centre at Douglas College
role play
self-awareness exercises
field trips and on-campus visits

Means of assessment

A mastery model of on-going evaluation will be used. A student will have completed the course when he/she has demonstrated through satisfactory completion of exercises and assignments that the course objectives have been achieved. Where formal tests are used, mastery will be defined as a score of 80% or more.

Progress will be monitored on a regular basis by the instructor in consultation with each student. The student will be expected to maintain regular attendance, actively participate in all classroom activities, and complete assignments as directed.

Learning outcomes

To develop study skills appropriate for success at post-secondary institutions with emphasis on those skills generally needed by adults with a head injury.
To develop self-management skills.
To develop higher order/critical thinking skills.
To learn how to transfer skills learned in this program to course work in other classes at Douglas College or other post-secondary institutions.
To familiarize students with post-secondary expectations and procedures, teacher expectations, applications, registrations and other procedures.
To set realistic educational goals and to develop an individualized learning plan for future use by the student.

Requisites

Prerequisites

CPHI 0100

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

September 2004 (Current)