Study Mapping to Increase Metacognitive Reading Skills for Test Taking

Background: Postsecondary students read as little as 20% of their assigned course readings. Reading develops students' inferential skills for exam preparation and test taking. Students with higher inferential skills are more likely to notice discrepancies at deeper levels of understanding and directly relate what they are reading into nursing care. Method: Study mapping is an educational strategy aimed at increasing students' inferential reading skills and abilities to organize multiple sources of information for test taking. Students can be taught a three-step process where they connect what they know with what they learn in class and their course readings. Results: Students described the benefits of study mapping, how they adapted it to fit their learning, and its effect on their test-taking skills. Conclusion: Practical learning strategies that encourage active learning and focused reading can improve students' metacognitive strategies for test taking.