12 Optional IT setup | I-O
I-O: Optional independent reading. We will not cover this chapter in the lab class. We would however recommend to read this chapter in your own time (especially the first two sections!).
12.1 Note-taking
Imagine you read a chapter in a textbook and finally understand something you never understood before. Will you remember your insight? You might think that of course you will. Well, unfortunately, you might not. Not only do we tend to forget things we learned, but we also tend to believe we won’t forget them (Koriat et al., 2004).
Therefore, we would recommend to write things down. This could be on paper or electronically. Electronic notes of course have the advantage that you can search them later. In addition, you can add tags to them, which also makes it easier to find relevant information later. I personally use Evernote, but there are a large number of similar tools available, some of them completely free. In fact, one of them comes with Microsoft 365: OneNote1. You could also just use Word. Or you have a look at this very detailed comparison of many different note-taking apps. The point is: It doesn’t matter so much which tool you use, as long as you use it!
For more ideas on how to become a sophisticated learner, we would highly recommend reading this article on learning effectively by Bjork et al.
12.2 Internet search skills
There are various ways to refine searches with Google. You will find some useful tips for improving your Google search skills in this Guardian article. However, if you really want to dive deep, read this article on Google advanced search operators.
12.3 From Windows to macOS
If you have recently switched from Windows to macOS, here are some webpages to help you make the transition:
- Mac tips for Windows switchers from Apple.
- 25 Must-Know macOS Tips from MacRumors.
- A Quick Guide to Using a Mac for Windows Users from MakeUseOf.
- 13 macOS Tips for Windows Users from PCMag.
12.4 Syncing OneDrive and your computer
If you install the desktop version of OneDrive on your computer, you have the option to sync files in the cloud and on your computer. The advantage of this is that you can work offline and make changes to files in your local OneDrive folder. Once you come online again, OneDrive will detect these changes and upload the most recent version of your files to the cloud.