Things to know

by John Bandler

Here is a page to jump off to other "Things to Know" pages, see the links at the bottom.

"Things to Know" pages have multiple short questions and answers. They are study aids for students and learners. And a place for me to draw quiz and assignment questions from.

The goal is for students to learn important concepts, especially foundational concepts that provide footholds for learning more complex concepts. This is the learning concept of "scaffolding", where you start low, learn basic things so you can build knowledge and get to more complex concepts eventually.

I used to emphasize these only in class, quizzes, and assignments, but more was needed because by the end of the semester, some students still had not learned some essential concepts or facts.

By providing this study page and linking to it, I give students easy opportunities to study, which means they can learn better and possibly remember long after the course is over.

These are all short Q&As and cannot be expected to capture all nuances of terms and concepts, nor substitute for full college or graduate level learning. They are a starting place, not a final destination. See my article on scaffolding, layering, and learning (link below).

I am focusing on the lower scaffold levels lately, because I realized how many students are not getting to Level 1. For example, students cannot possibly understand the complexities of cyberlaw or criminal law if they do not know the three branches of government. Also, Level 1 and 2 are easiest to assess in a quick in-class quiz.

I know...

Yes, I know everyone learns differently, some don't like quizzes, some blank during a quiz (or when called on). No method of assessment is perfect, no method of learning is perfect.

But this is life and learning, and we need to get to know ourselves and find a way to learn and understand things, and to be able to communicate what we know. That means being able to read, understand, retain, and then communicate what is in our brain. Sometimes even under stress.

Links:

This page is hosted at https://johnbandler.com/things-to-know, copyright John Bandler, all rights reserved.

Posted 6/1/2023 based on years of assignments and quizzes. Updated 3/18/2025