Learning as a Process - Part 7 of 7

We  have made it to the end of this series!  To recap, let's look at the overall picture of learning for students:
Stage 1 - Comprehension
Before you even start to learn, you have to comprehend what you are reading, hearing, writing down, etc.  At this stage you should be able to restate what you are learning in about the same words used by the lecturer or textbook.
Stage 2 - Understanding
This is a higher level than simply comprehending.  At this stage you should be able to:

• Explain or restate in your own words.
• Work with the information in a variety of ways - take notes, convert into study guides, etc.
• See how various pieces of information fit together.
• Apply the information to a new situation.

Stage 3 - Storage
Now you have to get the information firmly implanted in your long-term memory.  This is what takes multiple exposures with a variety of strategies spaced out over time.  In many cases, stages 2 and 3 happen simultaneously and over time.
Stage 4 - Retrieval
At this final stage you should be able to remember the information with very little prompting.  It is important to practice retrieval through self-testing.  The more often you retrieve the information the easier you will be able to do so on the exam.

Learning is not simple, it takes time and effort.  But by understanding how it happens, you can make sure you are using your time and effort wisely to gain the best results.

Future blogs will include:

• Reading and learning using eBooks
• Signal words
• Book review of How we Learn, by Benedict Carey

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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.