Task: Generating ideas and planning
There are numerous websites offering guidance about essay planning, including those mentioned on the BUBL LINK Catalogue of Internet Resources. More are available from student support centres at most universities such as the University of Southampton's Learning Differences Centre Word document on essay planning.
The University of Sheffield English Language Teaching Centre and Learning and Teaching Services have produced an interactive on-line guide on a wide range of study skills for students with dyslexia and one section includes essay planning. The World of Dyslexia Ltd college and university site have pages for staff and students.
Gallaudet University has an on-line check list. The university specialises in supporting deaf and hearing impaired students, so some questions are about English language including grammar and spelling checks.
Some students use mind or concept mapping to help generate and remember ideas. Maps can be shared with others by using mappio.com or even created on line with MindMeister or for a different look try gliffy
For lists and sticky notes - Windows Vista has them as part of the operating system - the Mac has Stickies as well. There are many free ones on-line such as Jjot
Others use digital recorders or their mobile phone voice recorder and digital camera. OneNote is also being used as it can carry all the information in one file whether it is a picture, text or audio note and all can be searched.
Issues students have with this task
- Forgetting ideas for assignments or missing appointments
- Essay planning takes too long
- Mind mapping for planning
- Organising ideas and notes
- Organising thoughts for reports
- Essay planning in collaboration.
- Putting thoughts into the right order
- Reading paper based work
- Dragon NaturallySpeaking for getting ideas down.
- Finding places
- Writing a CV first time around
- Using MSN rather than Forums for planning
- Structuring written work
- Thesaurus difficulties
- Planning appointments and tasks
