Effective Learning - Part 3 of 3

Once more – learning requires a variety of study approaches, repetition and time.

The final piece of the learning puzzle is to space your learning out over time – sometimes called Distributed Practice.  Information needs time to become firmly embedded in your long-term memory, and this does not happen after just one exposure.  This is why cramming for an exam does not work.  No matter how much you work with the material, it is within only one study session and there is no time for the information to settle in.

Here are some ways to space your learning over time:

* As mentioned before, review all information for the exam at least once a week.  This is above and beyond the class-by-class review and learning.

* Take particularly difficult material and condense it onto study cards. Then review those cards 20 minutes at least 5 days a week.

*Use extra 15 to 20 minutes you have during the day to review class information.

*When preparing for an exam, start at least a week in advance and study every day.

* For a foreign language, practice every day.

* For math, do a few problems every day.

Remember – all three parts are equally important for successful learning: variety, repetition, and time.

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

Effective Learning - Part 2 of 3

Remember our definition of learning: learning requires varied and repeated exposure spread out over time.

The previous blog looked at a variety of strategies you can use to work with the material you want to learn.  This blog will examine the idea of repetition. When you first encounter information, you are using your short term memory or working memory.  When you are taking an exam or recalling the information in other situations, you are retrieving it from your long-term memory.   It takes multiple exposures to the information in order to get the information into your long-term memory.

Here are some ideas:

* Review your notes after every class (make corrections, add information to make more clear),
then do something else with the information to begin to learn it.

*At least once a week, review all of the notes that will be on the next test.  Again, do more than just reread.  This is a major point of repetition.  While reviewing and studying notes after each class is important, you need to extend this so that you are working with the information as many times as possible before the exam.

*Be sure to go to all classes – this, obviously, is an additional exposure.

*Take advantage of all extra study opportunities – SI, review sessions, tutoring, study groups.

The more you hear, read, think about and work with the information, the more solidly it will be embedded in your long-term memory and the easier it will be to retrieve it for the exam.

Next blog – Distributed Practice.

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

Effective Learning - Part 1 of 3

There are three parts to successful learning:

Variety

Repetition

Distributed Practice (spaced out over time)

 

Let’s look at Variety.  In order to truly know and understand something (beyond memorization!) you have to work with it in different formats - you have to do more with the information that just read it over and over.    Here are some things to try:

Restate the information in your own words – maybe even do this out loud.  You could take it one step further and explain it to someone else.

Rewrite the information – don’t just copy, but reorganize it and put into your own words.  Outline the information; make a review chart, study cards, practice test.

Add some color – color code your study cards, highlight key points in your note, make a concept map with each branch a different color

Add sound – read your notes out loud, sing notes to a favorite tune

Add movement (large muscle) – record your notes and listen while you exercise, get together with a friend and quiz each other as your exercise

Add movement (small muscle) – remember that writing is movement so any idea above from “Rewrite”

above involves muscle movement; manipulating the information into study cards or charts also involves movement

The important thing is to work with the information in several different ways – not just the same thing all the time.

Next post we will look at the importance of repetition – one of the keys to learning!

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

Advice from Your Professor

As you begin the 2014 winter/spring semester, here is some advice I wish my students had followed last semester:

Go to class!  In the event that you have a problem later on in the semester, I will be more inclined to help you if you have demonstrated your interest in learning and in my class.

Keep the handouts you receive.  Some students are constantly asking for replacements.  One important personal characteristic is to be able to keep track of your belongings.    You should have learned this in elementary school!

Don’t constantly have side-bar conversations in class.  You will not know what is happening and the people around you are annoyed and distracted by you.

Pay attention the first time.  It wastes everyone’s time when information has to be repeated because you were not paying attention.

Put your cell phone away!  You cannot do two things at once – read and send texts and pay attention to the class.  You will constantly be behind.

Try to have a pleasant expression on your face.  Look interested!  Keep in mind the impression you are giving to others.

These are small things, but they communicate a lot about who you are as a student and how much you care about your education. 

Happy 2014!  Here’s to a successful semester!

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.