By: SEAN YANG
Staff Writer
The previous studying methods I discussed last week are very effective for the subjects they’re suited for: SQ3R for heavy, technical reading; deliberate practice, and reflection for problem-solving. However, they’re quite ineffective for subjects that don’t have problems to solve, any reading to do, or tackle transient events. What about subjects that require lots of memorization and understanding of structures, terms, movements, stages, and everything else? How do I manage to remember all the directions, systems, parts, and their names in anatomy? How about all of the mental disorders and behaviors from psychology, or biological cycles and chemical reactions in biology and chemistry? I can’t exactly use the SQ3R method easier to learn how to fix or drive a car, either.
This is where I plan for this article to show a different approach and discipline to studying—methods that can be used everywhere with high effectiveness and efficiency overall. Whether it be anatomy, psychology, English, math, or even hands-on work such as mechanics and our auto-tech course, hopefully, these tips will aid you throughout your education—in high school, college, vocation, medical school, law school, and even into the workforce.
ACTIVE RECALL
Better known in psychology as the testing effect, active recall is a method of learning which suggests that long-term memory potential is increased when trying to retrieve information from memory in the learning period. In school, you will most likely encounter this method via practice tests and flashcards—in fact, the best tools for practicing active recall! In the aforementioned SQ3R method, this type of recall is actually practiced when you try to answer your questions right after reading a section. Active recall is applicable in many more situations because it is simply the practice of independent (without any assistance) retrieval of information—it does not require a textbook or reading material to perform. In order to effectively use this method, make flashcards or practice tests and quiz yourself periodically to gain the most benefit in the long term. This goes hand-in-hand with our next method:
SPACED REPETITION
Spaced repetition is a learning technique that utilizes and attempts to maximize the benefits of the spacing effect, a phenomenon wherein learning is more effective when study sessions are spaced out. The existence of this effect alone demonstrates that cramming is less effective compared to consistent, spaced practice. Spaced repetition and active recall, when combined, are extremely effective in vocabulary-heavy courses like anatomy and psychology, but both methods are still invaluable in any course. In its most basic form, spaced repetition is practiced by showing novel or difficult flashcards more frequently, while showing old or easier flashcards less frequently.
Exploiting the spacing effect can be done in a multitude of ways. Spacing out your study sessions is by far the most common way to demonstrate the effect—after learning new information, revisit and recall the information after some time, usually introducing “lag” into the frequency of studying. For example, after the first day of learning, you may want to study the new material a day after the introduction. Then, try reviewing it two days after that. After the second session, study for three days, five days, etc.
The effect can also be demonstrated by separating the subjects you learn in a given session. For example, you can study math concepts for an hour before taking a short break, then move on to another subject like history (or something else that is unrelated to math) for another hour before going back to history.
It is also possible to simply shuffle different topics within the same subject. For example, when solving practice problems in math, you can alternate between solving algebraic equations, and trigonometric functions, and even throw in some statistics while you’re at it (or whatever topics your math class has discussed thus far!).
COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY
Despite all of its benefits, there are some disadvantages to active recall and spaced repetition. Cognitive load theory states that our working (short-term) memory is limited and is influenced by the complexity and difficulty of concepts and problems. This means that some information will not be encoded and stored in long-term memory because your working memory can become overwhelmed, culminating in a less efficient studying practice. In certain situations, using the combination of active recall and spaced repetition simply does not provide deep-enough practice in order to effectively learn and store information in long-term memory. This is why SQ3R works extremely well in textbook settings—it provides an architecture for the student to learn deeply about a topic, thus it is highly effective in those situations.
Overall, active recall with spaced repetition is probably the most applicable study technique you can use in all of your subjects. It’s easy, reliable, and very effective, though other methods such as SQ3R and deliberate practice should be used when appropriate because they are resistant to cognitive overload. Make sure you space out your study sessions, focus on covering your weaknesses, and be consistent!