6 Effective Learning Strategies For Effective Learning
Are you good at your studies? Are you certain that your learning methods are appropriate? If it’s a no. You can learn how to study effectively. Did you ever know that if we could be taught how to study? It turns out that, it’s possible. There are lots of effective learning strategies which you could adapt to for better learning. The cognitive psychological scientists Yana Weinstein and Megan Smith who have done a lot of research about how people study have given a detailed explanation of those effective learning strategies and lot more on their website. They have done a lot of research and came up with six effective learning strategies for effective learning. If we apply these strategies into our studies, there is a good chance of actually learning and remembering our study material. Here we discuss these six effective learning strategies. Let’s dig into the topic.
SIX EFFECTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES BY WEINSTEIN AND SMITH
Spaced practice
This may be a method which is somewhat familiar to students and teachers. The majority of the students wait until the previous day or the evening before the exam to begin learning. At times you would do fine in that test and would have performed well on it. But after some days or weeks later, if you are to take the same test you’d be blank about that topic most of the information would have vanished out of your own mind.
It’s said that you should forget a little bit so that you are able to learn it by recalling again. If we would like to improve the durability of our learning, We should divide our research material and space it out over a number of days. This method requires you to begin studying before certain days or even weeks based on the amount of material. With this method, you can remember what you have forgotten by revising a small portion, and this makes it possible to strengthen your memory.
Even teachers can introduce this method in their teaching just by recalling the topic that was taken last week. This makes the students sharper and helps to memorize the topic.
Retrieval practice
One of the wrong impression made by us would be that simply re-reading of study materials like notes, and textbooks are referred to as studying while it’s not. Practicing such way of studying makes you believe that you understand something at the same time you don’t. In retrieval practice, we don’t utilize study materials instead we attempt to retrieve or recall what you know by writing it out or maybe drawing it or explaining it to others and later you can check your materials for accuracy. In this method, you will be testing yourself. With this method, you are able to picture the information stored in you, and it helps to memorize for longer.
Parents and teachers can help students in this method. Parents can help their child just by asking about what did they learn at school today. As a parent, it’s not important that you ought to understand everything they are saying just hear them and allow them to retrieve it. Teachers can help their students by telling them to share what they have learned with their peers by keeping the books aside. With this practice, we would feel like we have learned something and it makes us feel good.
Elaboration
This is maybe a great effective learning strategy. In this method, we ask questions regarding the topic to ourselves. With this method, we would now get a much better clarification about the topic. For instance, if we are studying about the motion of the boat above water. We could ask ourselves question like why do the fans of the boat be in certain shape? Why is the base of the boat is just like to that of a fish? Then explain ourselves with the answers and later you may refer to the material to make sure that it is accurate. This method is similar to an elaborative interrogation. With this method, we would be able to make a connection with the topic rather just recalling the information. Teachers can also help students in this method. After completing the topic for the day teachers can ask a few related questions and make them discuss with each other and refer their books and find a connection with the question and answer them.
Interleaving
This strategy is somewhat the same as space practice. In this method, we mix up the topic we are studying. For instance, if you’re focusing on physics and you’re performing the problems in magnetic induction rather than performing ten problems in magnetic induction, we should mix it up with different problems of power, work, etc. rather than focusing on a single topic. This could be hard and you would be wrong most times however, this would train yourself to apply different strategies for each problem and prepare yourself better for a test.
Concrete examples
It’s one of the best effective learning strategies. It can be utilized while studying and also in a classroom.
With this method, we use our ability to generate an example that supports the topic. That’s to craft an example yourself which is an application of the topic and you would get an idea of what you have learned. Its a much better way than referring to the given example in the text and assessing how it applies to the context. However, you may refer to it prior to creating an example on your own.
Teachers can also use this method while teaching. They can make the students to provide an example of the topic by discussing with their peers and teachers can later correct those examples and help them understand more. Teachers can also compare different examples given by the students and give them deeper knowledge about the topic.
Dual coding
This strategy uses two medium for learning just like using a visual aid to relate the text. If you are provided with words and visual, do not ignore the words and only refer to the images. What you need to do is, you should compare them and analyze how they are linked and how the words are describing what the visual portrays. You could even draw or create infographics whenever you are studying this can help you remember what you have learned just by looking at the drawings.
Teachers also can use this method while teaching. They could use picture slides, images, infographics, etc. while teaching and the students can relate the words to the picture. Teachers can also make the students to make a drawing about what they have learned, and they are able to imagine a picture and portray it, plus they would learn effectively.
Conclusion
These effective learning strategies will show the desired result only if we apply it into our learning strategy in a combined way. Perhaps it may not show the expected effect if practiced alone. Even teachers can include it in their teaching and enhance the learning of their students. Hard work is the key importance of learning. We would achieve success only if we are willing to do the hard work and implement these strategies in our learning without skipping any of them.
