Ontario International Canadian School equips students with ‘omni-study’ skills

Ontario International Canadian School (OICS), located in Dubai’s Uptown Mirdif, is taking its learning environment to new heights as it announces a core focus on ‘omni-study’ skills, alongside its rich Canadian curriculum.

Ontario International Canadian School is placing immense efforts on making studying multi-dimensional for it students. It encourages an approach that involves a comprehensive study schedule and regular progress tracking, alongside a range of other methods that will help students achieve their academic goals.

“We make it a point for our students to become equipped with an array of skills that allow them to tackle lessons, assignments and additional course materials with vigor and confidence,” shares Mr. Ron Hodkinson, Principal of Ontario International Canadian School. “Now more than ever, students deserve a holistic learning environment and a dynamic arrange of skills. We aim to teach them what to study, as well as how to do it effectively.”

Hodkinson says that everyone has heard the age-old advice of “the earlier you start, the more headway you make on revision ahead of exams”, but advises that there is more to effective studying than a rigid or one-step approach. Ontario International Canadian School recommends the below methods when it comes to making notes for studying purposes, to further support revision:

• The Cornell Method: Uses specialised page divisions, to map out in-class notes, possible exam questions, key facts and a summary of each class
• The Mapping Method: Essentially creates a mind map to help break down information from the key ideas of a class
• The Outlining Method: This sorts information into a highly organised set of notes, whereby each topic is clearly broken down into subsections and further divisions
• The Charting Method: Uses tables to clearly define the relationship between different points introduced
• The Sentence Method: Where everything covered in a class or a chapter is written in shorthand and numbered for later reference

Hodkinson also suggests the Traffic Light method of studying, which helps students identify the subject material they are comfortable with, and delgate additional time to more challenging areas. “Using the stop light colours to help students differentiate between what they know and what they don’t, involves drawing a red dot beside foreign information, which can be tackled with the help of teacher or a peer. A yellow dot beside information, can be used by students to indicate an area that needs a little more work, which can be done in their own time. Finally, a green dot beside the information signifies strengths, whereby students can even offer their asssistence to others,” he explains.

Additionally, Hodkinson advises students to make a point of setting time periods of study aside for themselves. “The key in this case is timing. The sessions need to be brief, around 30 minutes, which allows students enough time to delve into the information, but not long enough for them to lose interest. The breaks also need to be carefully timed, as students will lose focus if these are too long,” he says.

When it comes to examinations, Ontario International Canadian School encourages students to be confident about what they do know when going into tests or exams. “It is easy to fall into the trap of fearing what you may not know, leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed. Overcoming this and maintaining a confident attitude is what is going to get students through exams at any level,” concludes Hodkinson.