Study technique: conscious, effective learning

By: Anna Birk Hellenes, 3IBH

Many students find it quite tricky to "absorb" information and to make it stick. The purpose of this section of the newspaper is to make you aware of psychological and neurological concepts of permanent learning. By being aware about what the world of science knows about our brain, as well as our own experiences with learning, one can find good strategies handling obstacles when it comes to learning. After reading this small article, I want you to be conscious about how you work, and what may be improved. Ultimately, you can end up spending much less time on non-related material, and perhaps even enjoy some of the exciting parts of learning.

It is well known that awareness and repetition of material strengthens pathways in the brain where information flow automatically. However, before you had learned for example how to ride a bike perfectly, you most likely found it relatively hard. This is because such permanent patterns of pathways in the brain were not yet established. However, now it probably comes as naturally to you as breathing. You are less aware of how hard the seat feels, how the cold air finds its way through your hair etc., as a consequence of your brain focusing less of its consciousness on the act of riding the bike, as you have done it so many times before. It is an act which in some sense has become normalized because of repetition. The required motoric movement has been learned and become part of your long term memory. You can access this skill whenever you want, in contrast to something in which you have not yet repeatedly practiced and learned. Here is some information about how study techniques can help you to access your long term memory (LTM).

While short term memory (STM) is easily accessed, 80% of what you have learned in for instance class will vanish within 24 hours, if not making these memories long term memories (LTM). In order for this to happen, repetition is crucial. You can repeat by using visual material such as maps, tables, drawings etc. You may read material loud and discuss with friends, or perhaps rehearse whenever you are on the move. Find what fits best. You may be a “visual”, “auditory” and/or “haptic” (you cannot sit still) learner, which varies from person to person. Be creative, because research show that the more brain areas that are activated during learning, the easier the learning process, and the more you will remember. You have probably experienced that if taking notes by hand, you remember so much more than if writing it on the computer. It causes more brain activity, put in a simple way.  In other words, as a general rule of thumb, the larger area of the brain that is actively used while learning, the better.

This, of course, requires that you are conscious about what information you are actually reading or listening to. For most people, it does not really work out staying up late watching your favourite TV-show while also acquiring understanding of why a particle theoretically is not necessarily a wave. But the photon you just read about was massless… does it not have energy, because E=mc²? And there you go… many people’s experience with quantum physics.

Now, let’s look at a concrete study technique method, namely SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite, review). Many students have fount this very useful, and it can be used both when reading books or notes.

1: Survey.

Use five minutes to scan the material: look at headings and subheadings to see the organization of ideas/information. Look at visuals, and read introductions and summaries. Now, you know what it is about, and when you read through it, it is already your second time.

2: Question.

Ask yourself what the main points of the chapter are, and keep this question in mind when reading, in order to filter out what you should and should not focus on.

3: Read

Be an active reader. After you have read a paragraph, you may underline,. Be selective (thumb or rule: do not underline more than 20% of the text). Additionally, in your own words, summarize important concepts in the margin. Use your own words.

4: Recite.   

For every page or so, recite main points while not looking at the text.

5: Review.

Read over notes/the chapter every now and then, interpret and try to find linkages in information, like supporting facts/counterarguments (if analytic interpretation is required for your test, exam, presentation etc.) for the main ideas.

  

Do you have some thoughts about your working techniques as they are today? Maybe you can practice SQ3R? When using this method, be prepared that it is a bit more time consuming in the start. However, when getting used to it, you learn the technique like you learned to ride the bike, and it becomes a rather nice habit for effective learning. Remember: quality over quantity. It is much better to be aware and open for information than to exhaust yourself reading a whole book that you do not understand.

Sources/further reading:

http://www.answers.com/topic/electrochemistry,

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002261.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulator_(genetics)

http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/Neuroscience%20Commentary%20FINAL.pdf

http://psychology.about.com/od/biopsychology/ss/neuronanat_5.htm

http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/p/Brainstem.htm

http://www.lifepathunlimitednobleduo.com/?p=358

http://www.academictips.org/acad/tipsforeffectivestudying.html

http://www.oby.no/?page_id=3

http://unina.stidue.net/Universita'%20di%20Milano/Biotecnologie%20e%20Bioscienze/Lecchi/Bio%20Avanzata2010/bibliografia%20Schiavon/COLLINGRIDGE%20BLISS.pdf

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/20/11/3993.full