If you are a student or someone like me, who loves to learn and explore new fields you probably ask yourself a question: What are the most effective ways of study and learning?
The question is also important for those who teach others and prepare lessons or learning. By answering this question we can save ourselves and others a lot of time and ensure learning is productive. Some of the strategies below will also encourage you to action the learning concepts which is a great way of development and raising of understanding.
The solutions are based on psychological research and gather the list of best practice skills for successful learning.
The first tip is called Spaced Practice.
It is scientifically proven that one long intensive learning session is less effective than a number of shorter sessions. For example, 5 hours of one session would be better spread out into 5 single hours over a period of 2 weeks. It is scientifically proven, that you will learn more this way within the same amount of time (or even less) if the work is suitably divided in time. It will also be less stressful and less tiring. I often used to make this mistake that was often resulting in long intensive long learning before an important exam or test, which has made me more tired and made the whole process a lot less enjoyable. Therefore, it is a good idea to make a plan and schedule short study sessions into your learning calendar. It's also important to brief yourself on the previous topics you have already covered in order to refresh some information. But, don't re-read your notes as it's considered ineffective. Use the other below ways for more effective learning.
To summarise this section the key is to keep short and consistent sessions of learning over time.
The second strategy is called Interleaving.
Don't study one idea, problem or topic for too long. Switching between them will be more effective because it will bring and highlight the similarities or differences between topics. This technique is also often used in problem-solving as it can help to choose the correct approach to the issue at hand. This way of learning will encourage you to link ideas between the topics in your learning. However, you must ensure that you study enough information to understand the topic clearly before you switch.
Don't spend the entire session on one topic, but don't switch too often either. Try to make links between ideas as you move within them.
The third tip is called Elaboration.
In this strategy, you ask yourself questions about "how" and "why" things work. And potentially find the answers around your experiences. Try to find the answers to your questions within your study materials and connect your Why? and How? questions to your daily activities. This forces you to understand and explain what you are learning and connect it with what you already know. This is a very powerful way of remembering the information later. You can start by notes with a list of ideas that you need to learn than ask yourself the questions on how the ideas work and why. Then you can go through the study materials again and try to answer the question to yourself.
Strategy four: Concrete Examples
Use specific, concrete examples. Relevant examples help to understand and demonstrate concepts and ideas. Human memory hucks up better on concrete information. Therefore we should always look for real-life examples we can relate to. Using abstract terms to explain ideas is not very helpful. A specific example to explain the idea is much of a better choice. You can collect examples from the textbooks and notes, or collect them from your team or teacher. Thinking of your own relevant examples is most helpful for your learning.
The fifth tip is called Dual Coding
Combine verbal material with visual. This will give you a great way of understanding and remembering the information later on. Try to find any images in your study materials and try to make the links between them. Both how the image represents the text and test is represented in the image. Look at the visuals and try to explain in your own words what they mean. You can even take the words of the study material and draw your own picture of them. you can also try to create different ways to resent the information.
The last study skill is Retrieval Practice
Recall what you know. This one is definitely worth mastering. Practice retrieving in your head what you already know about a topic. Write down or sketch out everything you know. Retrieving information this way helps you remember what you have learned and makes it easier to remember later on. But also, improvement comes with practice. This exercises also highlight what you don't know and where you should focus your study further. The best ways of doing this are to take as many study practice tests as you can. Or just start with a blank piece of paper and empty your brain. Write down everything you know, draw sketches and link all the ideas together. Make sure you do it a while after you have learned something, so put away your notes. Thank write down what you know. You can also check the study materials again against what you have written, to check what you have got right or wrong. That's perfect feedback and shows you where you need to get better.
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