Study Smarter, Not More

“I studied a long time.”

“I really studied hard.”

This is what I often hear from students when asked if they are prepared for a quiz or test. It is not uncommon for students to equate the amount of time spent studying to effective studying. Effective studying can take hours but it needn’t. If students spend too much time reading over textbooks and notes they are probably wasting time and brain energy on passive studying habits. Passive studying may result in the memorization of facts but is unlikely to lead to the ability to understand and apply what’s been learned – which is almost certainly what the teacher is going to require for the test. Don’t misunderstand me: There are definitely times when studying is about memorization, such as with multiplication tables, names and places, definitions, and spelling words. True learning, however, involves more than the basic retention of facts: It requires the conceptual understanding necessary to apply knowledge to new situations.

Retained facts are the foundation to build understanding. When students take the facts they’ve memorized to the next level, conceptual understanding, they can then apply the constructed framework of understanding to new situations. Understanding the type of learning required is the key to studying smarter: Retention to memorize facts; understanding to connect facts into a framework; application to take this framework and apply it to new situations, activities, and information.

Retention. Studying to retain information is the simplest form of learning.

When to use it:    vocabulary, spelling, multiplication table, steps in solving equations, historical events. 

Strategies for Retention. Strategies for retention include chunking, rehearsal, categorizing, spacing, and interleaving.

-Chunking information into 5 or 7 items supports students’ limited working memory.

-Rehearsing, better known as “practice makes perfect,” is done to reinforce learned material. Ideal activities are: solving math problems repeatedly, writing out information several times, creating and reviewing index cards for terms and vocabulary over several sessions. Ideal rehearsal is 8 to 20 times depending on the difficulty of the information and students’ ability.

-Categorizing information is an excellent strategy for retention. This strategy is a special form of chunking in which information is divided into manageable pieces and by themes that make sense to students, e.g. dividing vocabulary by syllables, prefixes, suffixes, nouns, verbs, adjective, etc.

-Spacing study sessions over several days strengthens the retrieval connections in the brain. When information travels the brain pathways over and over, it is increasingly easier to recall.

-Interleaving supports focused attention and the brains need for novelty. Researchers have found that students’ ability to remain focused during studying is enhanced when students mix practice of several related skills. are divided into 20-30 minuteduring st on memory

Understanding. Developing a framework for linking facts results in understanding how information fits together and why.

When to use it: In all subjects to recognize main ideas and compare/contrast concepts

Strategies for understanding. Students can develop their understanding by teaching others what they know, create essential questions and respond to them during reading, and/or connect ideas using visual organizers/mind-maps.

-Teaching others what you know requires students to develop a organize information and deliver it with precise vocabulary.

-Essential questions is an active reading strategy whereby students turns all section headings in a text into questions. After reading, students answer the essential questions with information contained within each section.

-Visual organizers/mind maps help students visualize the connections between characters, ideas, processes, timelines, ect.

Application. Applying facts and concepts to new situations, activities, and information is the ultimate aim of learning. Application depends on having a solid foundation of facts and understanding.

When to use it: All subjects provide opportunities to apply retained and understood knowledge by using skills in real situation or projects

Strategies for application.  Application strategies include the processes for solving word problems/real world problems.

-processes

- find data that supports hypothesis.

Studying Smarter is more than just “doing.” Studying smarter requires students to have thought in advance about why, where, how, when, and what they study. They have established routines for preparing to learn and during learning. Routines can include when and where the studying takes place, prioritizing what is studied, and identifying what, how and why strategies are used. And most importantly, routines are established for ensuring the brain is ready to engage in learning.

References

Akyürek, E., Kappelmann, N. , Volkert, M. & Van Rijn, H. (2017). What you see is what you remember: Visual chunking by temporal integration enhances working memory. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, .29(12), pp.2025-2036.

Birnbaum, M. Kornell, N. Bjork, E. & Bjork, R. (2013). Why interleving enhances inductive learning: The roles of discrimination and retrieval. Memory & Cognition, 41(3), pp.392-402.

Bude, L., Imbos, T., Van De Wiel, M. & Berger, M. (2011). The effect of distributed practice on students’ conceptual understanding of statistics. The International Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning,.62(1), p.69-79.

Carvalho, P. & Goldstone, R., (2014). Effects of interleaved and blocked study on delayed test of category learning generalization. Frontiers in Psychology, 5.

Haggart, W. & Juhasz, C. (2002). Homework and Kids: A Parent’s Guide. Arlington: Performance Learning Systems.

Kurniawati, A. & Paidi (2018). The influences of peer tutoring method to improve conceptual understandin. Journal of Physics: Conference Series,1097.