Spread the word about how to learn: (1) study a little bit often and (2) take lots of mini-practice tests

Two techniques appear to work well in transferring information to LONG TERM Memory...

What is effective?

The best strategy is to plan ahead and not do all your revision on one subject in a block before moving on to the next - a technique called "distributed practice".


What is not effective?

research finds that learning strategies we do commonly employ, like rereading and highlighting, are among the least effective.

Read more: Best, Worst Learning Tips: Flash Cards Are Good, Highlighting Is Bad | TIME.com http://ideas.time.com/2013/01/09/highlighting-is-a-waste-of-time-the-best-and-worst-learning-techniques/#ixzz2leew3sqd


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The BBC covered this article with this article



Here is an excerpt from the paper:

One of the most powerful techniques is distributing practice on tasks. ... spaced or distributed practice could have been implemented a century ago .... hundreds of studies have shown that distributed practice leads to more durable learning. Certainly some blocked practice might be necessary for initial learning, but then practice schedules for problems should be intermixed.

Retrieval practice (or testing) is another powerful and general strategy for learning: If students practice retrieving information, they can keep it in an accessible state (at their mental fingertips, as it were) and can then retrieve and use the information ...

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LINK TO THE PAPER



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Here is an editorial piece....  If I put the link here, you might not click.   So please read this article now.

HERE IS THE LINK to the article

Here is the link to this article






HEre is an extended excerpt from the BBC article:

"Students who can test themselves or try to retrieve material from their memory are going to learn that material better in the long run", says Prof Dunlovsky.

"Start by reading the text book then make flash cards of the critical concepts and test yourself.

"A century of research has shown that repeated testing works."

This is because the student is more engaged and it is harder for the mind to wander.

He adds: "Testing itself when you get the correct answers appears to produce a more elaborative memory trace connected with your prior knowledge, so you're building on what you know".