Tips for effective home study.
Effective adult distance learning higher education.
Home Study for Adults & Professionals
Bircham International University believes in the self-organization of the home study learning process.
We consider you mature enough to feel free to follow Bircham International University home study guidelines, or decide your own method of home study, as long as you fulfill the requirements outlined in the distance learning degree program. Whatever method you choose, take care not to demolish the mental processes of learning and assimilation outlined by the BIU home study pedagogy.
A degree is not just a piece of paper; it is the representation of certain qualified skills that you are expected to have. During your life, or in your professional career, whenever you come across problems needing to be solved, it will be this capacity that will allow you to do it successfully, not the piece of paper that identifies you as degree holder.
HOME STUDY ORGANIZATION TIPS
1. Create a home study routine.
Make yourself follow a home study routine by striking a balance between comfort and sacrifice. Do not push yourself too hard, but do not procrastinate either. If at some point, you lack the energy or motivation to fulfill your daily home study goals, try reading for just ten minutes. Probably, you will not accomplish much in those ten minutes, but you will reinforce the habit of reading and creating a home study routine.
2. Set weekly goals.
Two and a half hours four days a week is a reasonable amount of time to complete your distance learning degree program successfully. Three days per week can be devoted to reading and taking notes (for around two hours) followed by writing a quick first-draft conclusion based on your notes. Use the fourth day to fully review your previous reading and/or producing your final academic work.
3. Be persistent.
Sometimes, there will be personal or professional situations in the course of your home study that will prevent you from meeting the weekly goals. In such cases, try to make up for it another day, without falling behind in the home study set goals for the program. Do not worry about how long the whole program will take you. Just meet your weekly goals and keep your motivation alive. Success is finishing the program, not starting it.
4. Turn home studying into a pleasant experience.
Learning should become a pleasant and enriching process. Life is not only about working and studying. It is very important to enjoy your free time while completing your program, so you will not feel that studying is taking up your life. There is no hurry; the time it will take you to complete the program will not affect the university's appreciation of your work. Do study in a comfortable and well-illuminated environment. There will be no teachers asking you to turn in homework or to meet home study goals, unless you request so.
5. Develop a sense of responsibility.
BIU's home study pedagogy is not effective for everybody. It is quite efficient for students and professionals with a certain level of responsibility, people who wish to learn, to improve, and to excel. Nobody but yourself will monitor the way you study at home. You are allowed to use textbooks for reference when producing the reports, but you should be careful not to overdo it. You are encouraged to follow our pedagogical guidelines.
No matter what technology supports the education process, learning occurs only as a result of the active processing by our biological brain. More info...
Tips for effective home study.
Free schedule of assignments
HOME STUDY FREE SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
Unless you request in writing, Bircham International University assumes that you have opt for a free home study schedule; in other words, a free schedule of assignment submission.
1. Why?
Bircham International University students’ profile is one of highly skilled and motivated adult learner and/or professional. In this context, BIU assumes that these students have an adequate level of responsibility and motivation to work out their own home study learning schedule, and do not need detailed tutoring and guiding to meet the requirements of their academic work. There are plenty of personal and professional commitments that may interfere with the study time of a fixed schedule of home study assignments. BIU does not consider it fair to establish an academic penalty if a fixed schedule of assignments is not met. Bircham International University believes that self organization is undoubtedly the best option for adult students, because it provides time freedom and reduces stress throughout the study.
2. Follow up.
Bircham International University will not be contacting you unless you request advice, tutoring, and/or submit any academic work for correction. In this case, your corresponding BIU office will keep track and find the best way to deal with your request. The home study free schedule of assignments is meant to help you organize yourself the way you consider best, however, BIU’s intention is not to develop an impersonal and detached home study experience, so we do encourage you to contact us any time to resolve any questions, comments, or feelings related to the progress of your study.
3. Minimum requirements.
Bircham International University does not stipulate a minimum or maximum time for completion of any home study academic assignment. However, you should submit at least one report per year in order to keep your student file active. If you do not submit any work or notice over this period of 12 months, your student status at BIU may be inactivated and/or canceled. Once your student file has been canceled, you will lose your student rights as well as all the tuition fees paid.
4. Contact data update
You may also move and complete your home study degree program from anywhere in the world as long as you keep your BIU office updated with your contact data.
Although home study free schedule proves to be the best choice, Bircham International University may provide you with a home study fixed schedule of assignments in order to help you organize your studies through the establishment of weekly goals.
Fixed schedule of assignments
HOME STUDY FIXED SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
You may request the home study fixed schedule of assignments anytime, although if you do not meet the home study schedule goals on three occasions, you will be automatically reassigned to a home study free schedule.
The home study fixed schedule of assignments is set per report required by your degree program. You have the freedom to follow the free schedule for some of the reports assigned, and the fixed schedule for the others. Choose always whatever suits your needs best.
Week 1: 15 Hours - Reading: Start reading. Comprehensive reading of the assigned textbook.
1 Hour - Key concepts: Email submission of the key concepts of the first 150 pages approx.
1 Hour - Advice: Teacher's feedback and guidance upon request (email or phone) along the reading.
Week 2: 15 Hours - Reading: Continue reading. Comprehensive reading of the assigned textbook.
1 Hour - Key concepts: Email submission of the key concepts up to page 300 approx.
1 Hour - Advice: Teacher's feedback and guidance upon request (email or phone) along the reading.
Week 3: 15 Hours - Reading: Continue reading. Comprehensive reading of the assigned textbook.
1 Hour - Key concepts: Email submission of the key concepts up to page 450 approx.
1 Hour - Advice: Teacher's feedback and guidance upon request (email or phone) along the reading.
Week 4: 15 Hours - Reading: Finish reading. Comprehensive reading of the assigned textbook.
1 Hour - Key concepts: Email submission of the key ideas of the subject (table of contents).
1 Hour - Guidance: Teacher/student set up of the synopsis objectives and development of the key ideas.
Week 5: 5 Hours - Writing: First synopsis without textbook assistance. Email submission of synopsis draft.
2 Hours - Guidance: Teacher's guidelines to ensure student comprehension and detect understanding errors.
Week 6: 4 Hours - Writing: Synopsis review with textbook assistance and teacher's guidelines.
1 Hour - Monitoring: Teacher's monitoring to ensure student comprehension and progress.
Week 7: 4 Hours - Writing: Final synopsis writing with textbook assistance. Text review to ensure summary accuracy.
1 Hour - Evaluation: Email submission of the reviewed summary. Teacher's evaluation of the synopsis.
Week 8: 1 Hour - Guidance: Teacher's feedback and final comprehension guidelines about the textbook contents.
2 Hours - Discussion: Teacher/student selection of the appropriate case study or an illustrative example.
Week 9: 5 Hours - Writing: Analysis of the case study. Email submission of the case study conclusions.
2 Hours - Discussion: Teacher's advise and email discussion about the student arguments and criteria.
Week 10: 4 Hours - Writing: Writing of the final report integrating key concepts, synopsis and conclusions.
1 Hour - Advice: Teacher's guidance upon request (email or phone) along the report writing process.
Week 11: 4 Hours - Writing: Final formatting, production and submission of the report.
1 Hour - Advice: Teacher's guidance upon request (email or phone) along the report formatting process.
Week 12: 3 Hours - Evaluation: Teacher's evaluation of the submitted report. First correction results.
Week 13: 3 Hours - Evaluation: Supervisor evaluation of the submitted report. Second correction results.
1 Hour - Feedback: Final grade. Improvement and assessment comments about the evaluated report.
Tutoring and advice
All questions related to the presentation of written assignments, doubts concerning textbook comprehension, knowledge level, etc., as well as any administrative procedure should be addressed to your Bircham International University Office. This latter will coordinate taking care of your questions with the appropriate member of the instructor's team. More info...
BIU OFFICES - Distance Learning Higher Education - Contact ...
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