1. At the Beginning#
Let me be more transparent here. Every student wishes to achieve a better grade when it comes to college courses. To obtain a grade, we still follow the standard test or exam-based evaluation system for most courses, especially introductory-level ones. In terms of learning, understanding, and mastering knowledge, this exam-based approach might not always be the best way to assess a student’s understanding of the material. But that is a topic for another discussion.
In the test or exam, you will be given several well-defined questions. For example, you might be given A, B, and C, and you need to solve for D. In class, you will learn the step-by-step procedure to find D when you have A, B, and C. You only need to understand what A, B, C, and D are, and remember what the procedure to get D from A, B, and C is.
If your goal is just to pass the course, this level of understanding will likely suffice for most questions in the assignments and exams. To achieve this, you need to practice with example questions so you can memorize the material and become familiar with variations of the questions that might be asked. For example, another question might give you A, B, and D, and require you to solve for C.
Practice and repetition are key to solving these types of problems. If you ask an experienced taxi or Uber driver, they can memorize the routes and maps for an entire city-something that might seem impossible when they first started. For instance, navigating the complex layers of Lower and Lower Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago becomes second nature with enough experience.
But if you wish to have a true learning experience and more fun, you need to aim to achieve the second level of understanding of the materials. In addition to understanding what, you need to understand why. Most of the teaching materials will focus on explaining the why aspect. This is the true learning process.
The majority of learning happens at this level because it allows us to practice critical thinking rather than just receiving knowledge. Using the above example, suppose the procedure to get D contains three steps. Why do we have these three steps, and why can we move to step 2 after obtaining the results from step 1? These are the types of questions that deepen understanding and foster real learning.
Let me use another recent example I encountered: Sudoku. If you don’t use logic, you could still solve a Sudoku puzzle by trial and error. In this case, you don’t need to know why a particular number should go in an empty square-you only need to know the rules of Sudoku. However, to achieve the second level of understanding, you need to use logic. By doing so, you will understand why you can or cannot place a particular number in a certain empty square. This approach is not only much more fun but also more efficient for solving the puzzle.
Lastly, I want to talk about the third level of understanding the materials, using the A, B, C, and D example. To fully master the materials, in addition to knowing what and why, you need to understand what if …, and then what?-this involves conditional forward thinking[1].
For example, what if we have A, B, and E? Can we still get D or something else? Or if we drop C, can we still get D? Once you reach this level of understanding, you will gain a glimpse of the entire picture of the materials. However, due to the nature of this course, this level is not our primary focus, and no questions at this level of understanding will be tested.
1.1. Pass the Course#
Again, this is an introductory-level course, which means the tests and exams are not designed to select or filter students. The number one reason students fail this course is that they do not complete the assignments on time. There are both individual assignments and group assignments, managed through different learning systems. These assignments come with detailed instructions (e.g., some assignments require the use of SPSS software) and examples, all accessible on Brightspace.
To pass the course, students must read and understand all the instructions and complete all the assignments on time. This is especially important for group assignments and milestone assignments. Missing deadlines for these assignments can result in significant penalties, including heavy penalties for late submissions that carry over to future assessments. For example, if you miss the deadline for group assignment 1, it may prevent you from completing assignments 2 or 3, either because assignment 1 was not submitted or was submitted late.
Remember!
Complete all the assignments on time! Please check the due dates and the different learning systems every day!
Remember!
Make sure to participate in the group assignments. If you don’t, there will be heavy penalties at the end of the group project!
The assignments serve as checkpoints to determine if you need to spend additional time outside the classroom or lectures to digest the course materials or practice further in order to pass the course. Naturally, this additional time will vary based on your background and how much you need to catch up. If you need help, you are always welcome to attend office hours or email me. I will explicitly point out where you may be lacking and guide you accordingly.
1.2. Build the Foundation#
If your goal is not just to pass the course but to build a solid foundation and gain a strong understanding of the course materials (know the what and why), you should not only complete the assignments on time but also spend time reading and digesting all the course materials on your own or with the help of other resources.[2] Attending lectures will aid your understanding of the materials.
If you are a good reader, you simply need to allocate sufficient time and might require occasional outside help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you struggle. If reading is more challenging for you, one effective strategy is to divide the materials into smaller, logical sections, with each section focusing on one main idea. Then, try to read and digest these smaller sections one by one. Use the corresponding assignment questions to check your understanding. However, since this approach involves dividing the materials into smaller pieces, it requires revisiting them more frequently, so try to plan and review daily.
1.3. Master the Materials#
Due to the time constraints and scope of this course, most of the materials are not designed or developed to facilitate full mastery of the subject. However, I will highlight which core concepts and ideas are essential to master or worth exploring further. Additionally, I may post some bonus or supplementary topics for further reading.