Of course, we can't describe the process of "learning to learn" in detail in this text; there are week-long courses for that. We can only invite you to apply various concepts and activities to your learning processes.
In a 2013 article in the American journal " Psychological Science in the Public Interest, " ten common learning techniques were examined and compared for their usefulness. The paper is quite long at 55 pages, so we've summarized the interesting and sometimes surprising results here:
| Learning technology | usefulness |
| Writing summaries (summarization) | small amount |
| Highlighting text | small amount |
| Keyword method (keyword mnemonic) |
small amount |
| Visualize the material (imagery use for text learning) |
small amount |
| repeated reading (rereading) | small amount |
| instead of “in one block” “alternating” learning (interleaved practice) |
medium |
| Learning through lots of questions (elaborative interrogation) |
medium |
| Explain the material to yourself (self-explanation) |
medium |
| Simulate test situations (practical testing) |
high |
| Learning in multiple intervals (distributed practice) |
high |
Of course, it's important to remember that everyone has their own individual learning style, and just because a learning method has been shown to be ineffective in a scientific study doesn't necessarily mean it won't work for you. So, if you want to figure out how to learn best, it's worth experimenting with the different techniques a bit before simply adopting one.
Here we will only describe in more detail the two techniques whose efficiency was rated as "high":
Distributed Practice
Have you ever wondered whether it's better to tackle learning material in large chunks all at once or to split it up over a longer period of time? Researchers discovered the optimal way to structure study sessions. It all depends on how long you want to retain something. You learn most effectively when you repeat the material at intervals of about 10 to 20 percent of the time you want to remember it. So: If you need to learn something in a week – for a test, for example – then you should repeat the material every 12 to 24 hours. If you need to master something in five years – for an exam, for example – then you should repeat the material every 6 to 12 months.
By the way, the distributed practice method works best when the information needs to be learned intensively and over a long period of time.
Practice Testing
Not only do test situations create test anxiety and are viewed as a necessary evil, they also represent a beneficial learning technique, at least according to this study and many others. The researchers found that while multiple-choice tests are effective, practice tests that require more detailed answers are even more effective for learning success.
How can you use this? You can create flashcards or use special testing software. Some textbooks already provide questions, but the technique is especially effective when the learner comes up with their own questions. Overall, this method is significantly more time-efficient than, for example, repeated reading, and also much more effective.
Intensive learning requires intensive brain work. That's why we developed BRAINEFFECT FOCUS , which is specifically tailored to the brain's needs during stressful study and exam periods.
Source:
Dunlonsky et al.: Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013(14) pp. 4-58
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