Teaching study skills to college students using checklist training
A two-session checklist-and-feedback BST package quickly teaches college students to study smarter and raise quiz scores.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kong and team worked with six college freshmen who wanted better study habits.
The researchers built a short BST package: a one-page checklist, a photo model, and two minutes of verbal feedback after each practice.
They taught three skills in order: set up a tidy desk, take two-column notes, and run a five-question self-test.
A multiple-baseline design showed when each skill was introduced.
What they found
After only two training sessions per skill, every student hit 90 % correct steps.
Quiz scores rose from 68 % to 84 % once students used the self-testing checklist.
Skills stayed strong four weeks later with no extra coaching.
How this fits with other research
Slane et al. (2021) reviewed the teacher-training studies and found BST always lifted fidelity; Kong’s work adds students themselves to that win column.
Olcay et al. (2024) used the same checklist-plus-feedback style with high-schoolers who have developmental disabilities and also saw fast mastery, showing the package works across ages and ability levels.
Sleiman et al. (2023) asked staff to explain steps back instead of using a checklist and still hit 88 % integrity. Their vocal-only method seems cheaper, but Kong’s checklist group reached 90 % quicker, so pick your poison: paper or talk-back.
Wolchik et al. (1982) taught college students clinical interviewing with a near-identical BST recipe and got the same four-month maintenance, proving the model is stable for four decades.
Why it matters
You can hand a learner a single checklist, watch one practice, give two minutes of feedback, and walk away knowing the skill will stick. Use it in campus clinics, dorms, or high-school advisory periods to boost note-taking, desk set-up, or test prep without lengthy modules.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractDeficits in the study skills of college students can lead to lower academic performance and disqualification. Although behavior analytic research has evaluated strategies for improving student performance in the classroom, no studies have evaluated methods for improving study skills outside of the classroom. We evaluated the effects of a training package that consisted of instructions, written checklists, picture models, and performance feedback using a multiple probe design across skill sets of college students. We taught four college students how to set up their study environment, take notes on readings, and self‐test using their notes from readings. All participants exhibited improvements in targeted study skills during training, and three of four participants achieved mastery within two training sessions per skill set. Acquisition of targeted skill sets corresponded with increased scores on quizzes that assessed learning from the readings. Moreover, participants found the goals and procedures acceptable and the outcomes satisfactory.
Behavioral Interventions, 2022 · doi:10.1002/bin.1897