Study Skills

Learn how to learn properly

What are three key aspects of learning that are universally acknowledged?

1. Learning requires memory so that the information we learned is present when necessary

2. we need to keep learning and remembering our entire life, be it in school or through our experiences in life

3. learning is an acquired skill, with the most effective strategies being often counterintuitive

Why are massed practice and rereading considered ineffective learning strategies?

They are considered ineffective due to it essentially being single minded repetition in an attempt to brand the information into memory, a generally time expensive and fruitless endeavor.

How does retrieval practice enhance learning, and what are its benefits?

Retrieval practice means recalling information from memory when required. This practice can be done with flashcards for example. This method strangers memory and interrupts forgetting through recalling needed information, for example for simple quizzes. Through periodic practice, one has an easier time remembering information.

What are some of the alternatives to simple note-taking and summarizing?

There are many effective methods to replace note taking, among which are flashcards, Visual aids…

 Explain the 1% method used in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.

This method refers to minuscule changes to personal habits on a daily basis. Through a 1 Percent increase in effectivity, one becomes 37 times more effective within a year. However, this also works the other way around. In this same manner, bad habits can be developed.

 What is the testing effect, and how does it relate to learning?

Also known as the Retrieval Practice effect, is the strengthening of our memory achieved by testing ourselves on the knowledge we wish to keep, retrieving needed information from our memories via retrieval practice. The testing effect is a centerpiece of the learning process, present in most tasks given by the teachers.

 Explain the term the Plateau of Latent Potential.

We think that our learning process should rise on a linear scale, but Outcomes of the process are delayed. leading to the uneven curve. This leads to the so-called “Valley of disappointment”, in which we are tempted to give up due to lack of results.

What long-term benefits does retrieval practice provide compared to cramming for exams?

The long term benefits include enhanced knowledge retention, improved learning efficiency and better exam performance (Constant testing leads to reduces stress and nervousness)

How does delayed feedback after tests influence learning?

 Being given feedback by an outside observer leads to the strengthening of retention in a larger margin than testing alone and the delay in feedback seems to produce a brief enhancement to long term learning, as spacing time improves retention.

What conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between knowledge retention and the effort required for retrieval?

There is a strong positive correlation between the effort required for retrieval and knowledge retention. The more effort expended in retrieving information from memory, the stronger the memory trace becomes, leading to improved long-term retention.

What are desirable difficulties in the learning process?

Desirable difficulties are learning strategies that, while initially challenging, ultimately enhance long-term learning and retention. These strategies often involve creating obstacles or challenges that force the learner to engage more deeply with the material.

What is the process of consolidation? Explain.

Consolidation is the process of strengthening mental representations for long-term memory. During this process, the brain is reorganizing and stabilizing new memory traces.

1. Newly encoded information is temporarily stored in short-term memory, which has a limited capacity

2. A cellular process that strengthens synaptic connections between neurons. During LTP, the synapses become more efficient at transmitting signals, making it easier to retrieve the associated memory.

3. The information is stored in the long-term memory

Explain the method called “write and learn”

 The "write and learn" method is a technique that involves writing about a topic to enhance understanding and retention. By physically writing down information, you engage in a more active learning process compared to simply reading or listening. The effect is further enhanced by writing the information in your own words, not just repeating what you saw or heard

 Explain the myth of Errorless Learning.

The myth of Errorless Learning suggests that learning occurs without making mistakes. It proposes that learners should be guided to correct responses, minimizing opportunities for errors. While this approach can be effective in certain contexts, especially for individuals with specific learning challenges, it's not universally applicable or always beneficial

The Cornell Method

• organizes notes into easily digestible summaries

• During class, notes are taken in the main section. 

• After class, the cue section is used for review, writing down key points, prompts, vocabulary words, and study questions. 

• The summary section at the bottom is used to highlight the main points

The Mapping Method

• visual method for organizing class notes, 

  • particularly useful for learning about relationships between topics

• Starting with the main topic at the center, Branching out into subtopics, Adding detailed information under each subtopic and Continuing this pattern as needed

The Sentence Method

•  involves writing down each topic as a jot note sentence

• works well for fast-paced lessons covering a lot of information

• Writing down important information emphasized by the teacher in sentence or point form

• Starting a new sentence or point for each new detail

• Using headings to organize points by main topics

Explain the term false consensus effect.

This Term describes the event in which one assumes that others share their belief.

Explain the term imagination inflation

The term refers to the tendency of people who, when asked to imagine an event vividly, will sometimes begin to believe, when asked about it later, that the event actually occurred.

Explain the term fluency illusion.

Fluency illusions result from our tendency to mistake fluency with a text for mastery of its content

“Memory has some similarities to a Google search algorithm.” Explain.

The more you connect what you learn to what you already know, and the more associations you make to a memory (for example, linking it with a visual image, a place, or a larger story), then the more mental cues you have through which to find and retrieve the memory again later.

Explain the term curse of knowledge.

This Term refers to our tendency to underestimate how long it will take another person to learn something new or perform a task that we have already mastered.

Can you explain in your own words the Dunning- Kruger effect?

Named after David Dunning and Justin Kruger. Incompetent people lack the skills to improve because they are unable to distinguish between incompetence and competence. They overestimate their own competence and, failing to sense a mismatch between their performance and what is desirable, see no need to try to improve.

Explain the learning model of peer instruction developed by Eric Mazur.

• learning model that incorporates active learning and student engagement

• Pre-class preparation: Students study materials before class.

• In-class presentation: The instructor briefly presents a core concept.

• Conceptual question: Students answer a multiple-choice question testing their understanding.

• Peer discussion: If many students get it wrong, they discuss their answers with peers.

• Re-polling: Students answer the same question again after discussion.