Learning & Memory and Study Skills Test

metacognition

understanding what you know/amount of self awareness of knowledge

Elaboration, Distinctiveness, Personal, Appropriate to Retrieval

Principles to achieving deep processing

Automaticity

so highly processed it becomes a habit

Overlearning

studying beyond just “learning” the material but able to have quick recall

Question Generating

strategy for deep processing; writing and answering your own questions

Concept Map

strategy for deep processing; creating a sort of structure to link concepts together and make connections between them

summary, memory cues, engaging

why is physically writing notes in lecture more effective?

orienting task

a method that either directs towards shallow or deep processing while studying

set goal, agenda, participation, ask questions

what are four effective group study habits?

overestimation of knowledge

what is the “problem” that often arises with metacognition?

meaning, familiar

looking over notes, highlighting full sentences/bold words, notecards with direct definitions are all ineffective study methods because they don’t focus on _____, but rather just make the material ______.

Desirable Difficulties

study strategies that are not easy but result in better processing and comprehension and memory (ex. self testing instead of just highlighting textbook)

Generation Effect

creating your own answers or solutions instead of being presented with them and the long term benefits of doing this (ex. writing essays, teaching others, rewrite powerpoint slides from memory)

semantic network model

linking topics with related ones to better understand the meaning of those topics; represents how our knowledge is organized in our mind —> web with nodes (concepts) and links (relationships)

maintenance rehearsal

memorizing items via repetition that are then stored in short term memory (ex. repeat phone number)

elaborative rehearsal

information is repeated and also connected with other material; integrating new material with existing knowledge. review and practice with this type of studying ensures long term memory

shallow processing

uses a structural type of encoding (emphasizing only the physical structure of the stimulus) ex. Is the word written in all capitals?

intermediate processing

uses a phonemic type of encoding (emphasizing only what a word sounds like) ex. Does the word rhyme with dog?

deep processing

uses a semantic type of encoding (emphasizing the meaning of the verbal input) ex. Would the word fit into this sentence…?

visual imagery

effective method to create meaning in topics by creating a image to remember a concept or a flow chart

Method of Loci

method of using visual imagery; connecting new concepts to already familiar images (like your house or the street you live on) this enhances memory effectively

Mnemonics

can be helpful to create some meaning, is more of a systematic strategy for memorization that involves a pattern of letters or words to remember a subject

Dual-encoding theory

memory is enhanced by using both semantic and visual codes; the more ways we encode something into our brains (ex. both listening to the lecture and handwriting notes) the more likely we are to remember the subject and retrieve the information later on from LTM

Self-referent encoding

relating information to personal things in your life, therefore making the subjects more meaningful to you which then improves recall later on

what you think about while studying

what is the single most important factor while studying?

speed-comprehension trade off

reading faster often means that you remember less because comprehension takes time

durable learning

learning that lasts a long time or is retained into long term memory

spaced learning

not cramming, studying early and repeated retrieval leads to better long term memory

repeated retrieval

constant and repetitive recall of information

interleaving

switching between different subjects or types of problems during one study session, then doing the same thing in future sessions (this focuses on a repetition of the same topics on different days)

blocking

studying one topic or group of items at a time before moving onto the next

storage strength

how well-learned something is; especially being able to retrieve in the long term —> more important type of strength rather than just retrieval strength (strong storage strength comes with a strong retrieval)

retrieval strength

how accessible something is, can be just in the short term… a strong retrieval strength does not guarantee a strong storage strength

distinctiveness

making clear differences between the topics you are studying

appropriate retrieval/application

retrieving in the way your teacher expects you to on the exam