University Park, Pa. -- Students may access more than 20 free online learning modules designed to provide an introduction to college-level learning and help ensure their academic experience is a positive one. The iStudy for Success! modules, outlined at http://istudy.psu.edu online, focus on areas in which first-year students often need to build skills, such as study methods, note-taking, oral presentations and time management. Originally developed at the Jack P. Royer Center for Learning and Academic Technologies for use in first-year seminars, the modules have been adapted for use in Penn State's Course Management System, ANGEL.

Each iStudy for Success! module contains an introduction, objectives, directions, references and a topic summary. Activities make use of ANGEL's quizzing feature, as well as the "My Notes" tool. The modules incorporate multimedia resources, student-centered activities and student conversations from virtual team meetings to teach concepts that will help students prepare for a successful first year of study.

Anyone with a Penn State Access Account can import one or more of the modules into an ANGEL group for independent study and self-improvement. The ANGEL version of the modules is being administered by Teaching and Learning with Technology, a unit of Information Technology Services.