Dr. Bloch's 12 Steps For Academic Success

How to Prepare Tables and Other Study Aids

I find preparing tables to be a very effective tool for learning.

The table provides a global view and allows for easier comparisons of a particular characteristic for a number of agents under study. However, tables can be very intimidating if a huge number of objects are being compared at once.

To make the table friendly, I suggest that no more than 15 variables should be listed - and at most, four agents should be compared in each table.

For example, if you have 12 agents (bacteria, viruses, compounds etc) I would prepare three tables with four agents per table. By dividing the display of the 12 agents on three pages, the information will not look as intimidating (see table 1 where all 12 agents are listed - then compare with tables 2, 3 and 4 with four agents per page).

Example Table 1
In this table 12 agents (A-L) are compared to nine characteristics in the vertical column to the extreme left. In this manner 108 bits of information are displayed. Frankly, I would find this to be very intimidating and not reader friendly. In tables 2, 3 and 4 only four agents are compared at a time and this a better approach for the learner. Please see Tables 2-4

Name of Agent: A-L

Morphology

Structural Components

Site(s) of replication

Extra cellular products

Diseases (produced)

Assays or clinical tests

Drug(s) of Choice

Opportunistic agents

References and date of entry

General comments

Example Table 2 Four agents (A-D) are compared with respect to the characteristics listed (vertical column at the left of the table)
Name of Agent: A-D	A	B	C	D
Morphology
Structural Components
Site(s) of replication
Extra cellular products
Diseases (produced)
Assays or clinical tests
Drug(s) of Choice
Opportunistic agents
References and date of entry
General comments

Example Table 3 Four agents (E-H) are compared with respect to the characteristics listed (vertical column at the left of the table)
Name of Agent: E-H	E	F	G	H
Morphology
Structural Components
Site(s) of replication
Extra cellular products
Diseases (produced)
Assays or clinical tests
Drug(s) of Choice
Opportunistic agents
References and date of entry
General comments

Example Table 4 Four agents (I-L) are compared with respect to the characteristics listed (vertical column at the left of the table)
Name of Agent: I-L	I	J	K	L
Morphology
Structural Components
Site(s) of replication
Extra cellular products
Diseases (produced)
Assays or clinical tests
Drug(s) of Choice
Opportunistic agents
References and date of entry
General comments

Table 5 In this case the table is modified to show selected information about four states in the United States of America. This can be an assignment in elementary school or you may have been selected to appear on the Jeopardy television program. However, more specific information is obtained about each of those four states and other states below by clicking on the following link http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763765.html To produce a similar array for all 50 states in one table would not be reader friendly!
States	Alabama	Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas
Population	4,557,808	663,661	5,743,834	2,779,154
Governor	Bob Riley	Frank H. Murkowski	Janet Napolitano	Mike Huckabee
Capital	Montgomery	Juneau	Phoenix	Little Rock
# U.S. Representatives	7	1	8	4
Nickname	Yellowhammer State	“The Last Frontier” or “Land of the Midnight Sun	Grand Canyon State	The Natural State
motto	Audemus jura nostra defendere (We dare defend our rights)	North to the Future	Ditat Deus (God enriches)	Regnat populus (The people rule)
State Flower	camellia	forget-me-not	Saguaro cactus	appleblossom
State Bird	yellowhammer	Willow ptarmigan	Cactus wren	mockingbird

Table 5a Testing your recall of the information in Table 5 First read the information in table 5, then several hours or days later fill in the blanks in the table below. If you miss any of the correct choices please review the information to ensure your complete recall of the material.
States	Alabama	Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas
Population	4,557,808	663,661	5,743,834	2,779,154
Governor	Fill in	Frank H. Murkowski	Janet Napolitano	Fill in
Capital	Montgomery	Fill in	Phoenix	Little Rock
# U.S. Representatives	7	1	Fill in	Fill in
Nickname	Fill in	“The Last Frontier” or “Land of the Midnight Sun	Fill in	The Natural State
motto	Audemus jura nostra defendere (We dare defend our rights)	Fill in	Ditat Deus (God enriches)	Regnat populus (The people rule)
State Flower	Fill in	forget-me-not	Saguaro cactus	Fill in
State Bird	yellowhammer	Fill in	Fill in	mockingbird

As an alternative to the use of tables, altering copies of the original lectures can be just as beneficial.

As an illustration we will briefly return to the learning objective on innate and adaptive immunity. In this case you want to make sure that you do not forget the important points. Therefore, you have made a copy of those objectives and you have intentionally omitted words or phrases in the objectives (called altered objectives).

Since you are a very diligent student, you have re-read the objectives and 30 minutes later you test your understanding by filling in the blanks in the distorted copy (the altered objectives). This basic approach can be easily applied to any of your subjects. If diagrams are involved, make or copy the original and omit, include or delete information. Several hours, or days, later use the altered copy to test your understanding of the information by comparing your written responses to the original unaltered table and/or diagram etc. Please see below:

Example of "Unaltered Objectives"

Innate immunity refers to antigen-nonspecific defense mechanisms that a host uses immediately or within several hours after exposure to an antigen (def). This is the immunity one is born with and is the initial response by the body to eliminate microbes and prevent infection.

Unlike adaptive immunity, innate immunity does not recognize every possible antigen. Instead, it is designed to recognize a few highly conserved structures present in many different microorganisms. The structures recognized are called pathogen-associated molecular patterns and include LPS from the gram-negative cell wall, peptidoglycan, lipotechoic acids from the gram-positive cell wall, the sugar mannose (common in microbial glycolipids and glycoproteins but rare in those of humans), bacterial DNA, N-formylmethionine found in bacterial proteins, double-stranded RNA from viruses, and glucans from fungal cell walls. Most body defense cells have pattern-recognition receptors for these common pathogen-associated molecular patterns (see Fig. 1) and so there is an immediate response against the invading microorganism. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns can also be recognized by a series of soluble pattern-recognition receptors in the blood that function as opsonins and initiate the complement pathways. In all, the innate immune system is thought to recognize approximately10³ molecular patterns. All of this will be discussed in greater detail in upcoming sections.

Example of "Altered Objectives"

Fill in the information on the dotted lines after you have read the unaltered objectives above to test your understanding of the material.

Innate immunity refers to ………………… defense mechanisms that a host uses immediately or within several………. after exposure to an antigen (def). This is the immunity one is born with and is the initial response by the body to eliminate ……………………………….. infection.

Unlike adaptive immunity, innate immunity …………………………. possible antigen. Instead, it is designed to recognize a few ……………………….. structures present in many different …………………. The structures recognized are called pathogen-associated ………………….. and include LPS from the ………………. cell wall, peptidoglycan, ………………..acids from the gram-positive cell wall, the sugar ……….. (common in microbial glycolipids and glycoproteins but rare in those of humans), bacterial DNA, N-………………..found in bacterial proteins, double-stranded ……….. from viruses, and glucans from fungal cell walls. Most body defense cells have pattern-recognition …………….. for these common pathogen-associated molecular patterns (see Fig. 1) and so there is an ………………response against the invading microorganism. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns can also be recognized by a series of soluble ………………….. in the blood that function as………….. and initiate the complement pathways. In all, the innate immune system is thought to recognize approximately…………molecular patterns. All of this will be discussed in greater detail in upcoming sections.