Session 10: Study Methods
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Part 1: Utilizing Effective Study Methods
A new report published in 'Psychological Science in the Public Interest,' found that some studying techniques — things most of have used for years like underlining and reading notes out loud— didn't always result in good grades. A 2013 study called “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques” and published in “Psychological Science in the Public Interest,” a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, evaluated the 10 most commonly used learning techniques and concluded the following about effectiveness: |
TASP Links |
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Least Effective Study Techniques:
*Highlighting and underlining *Rereading *Summarization *Keyword mnemonics — using keywords and mnemonics to help remember course material *Imagery use for text learning — creating mental images to aid in recall |
Moderately Effective Study Techniques
*Elaborative interrogation — asking “why” questions to make connections between new and old material. *Self-explanation —providing your own explanations for problems while learning material *Interleaved practice — mixing different kinds of problems or material in one study session |
Highly Effective Study Techniques
*Practice testing — allowing students to test themselves, including: · actual or virtual flashcards, · doing problems or · questions at the end of textbook chapters, or · taking practice tests *Distributed practice — studying material over a number of relatively short sessions. |
Least Effective Study Techniques
Summarization and imagery use for text learning have been shown to help some students on some criterion tasks, yet the conditions under which these techniques produce benefits are limited, and much research is still needed to fully explore their overall effectiveness.
Keyword mnemonic is difficult to implement in some contexts, and it appears to benefit students for a limited number of materials and for short retention intervals. Most students report rereading and highlighting, yet these techniques do not consistently boost students’ performance, so other techniques should be used in their place (e.g., practice testing instead of rereading).
Test Anxiety has been linked to poor performance as one 2011 report found that an estimated 35 per cent of students were so nervous before writing exams or tests that it impaired their performance, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Cram sessions or all-nighters do not seem to benefit students either. The report found 60 per cent of college students in the U.S. stayed up all nightduring some point in school, and this method was linked to the lowest grades.
Highly Effective Study Techniques
Practice testing should be completed as a low-stakes or no-stakes practice or learning activity outside of class from summative assessments that are administered by an instructor in class.
Students mass much of their study prior to tests and believe that this popular cramming strategy is effective. Although cramming is better than not studying at all in the short term, given the same amount of time for study, would students be better off spreading out their study of content? The answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” The term distributed-practice effect refers to the finding that distributing learning over time (either within a single study session or across sessions) typically benefits long-term retention more than does massing learning opportunities back-to-back or in relatively close succession.
The report, published earlier this year, was written by John Dunlosky and Katherine A. Rawson of Kent State University, Elizabeth J. Marsh of Duke University, Mitchell J. Nathan of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Daniel T. Willingham of the University of Virginia.
Part 2: Day of the Exam
1. Arrive Early. Know the location and time of your exam. Arrive early to get enough time to settle down before the exam starts.
2. Be Awake. Get a good night’s sleep, shower, chew gum, or have a caffeinated drink.
3. Eat Breakfast. It’ll be more difficult to concentrate if you’re hungry. Don’t eat anything that may upset your stomach.
4. Bring Extra Writing Utensils. You never know when your pencil is going to break or your pen is going to run out of ink.
5. Bring all Essential Test Materials. Calculator, notes (if allowed), etc.
6. Go to the bathroom. Minimize distractions during the test.
7. Wear Comfortable Clothes. You’ll want to be comfortable taking the test
8. Bring any Necessities. Bring a water bottle, tissues, cough drops, etc.
9. Look Over your Notes. Review important information before the test to refresh your memory.
10. It’s just a Test. Remember that you studied hard and have confidence in yourself
Adapted from College Tips
Tasks to Complete
Create a practice test and/or a study sheet and quiz cards for your first test. Consider using apps like Study Blue to aid in the process.
Learning Links Advice on How to Study in College – USNews
5 Hot Final Exam Tips for College Students – About.com
Summarization and imagery use for text learning have been shown to help some students on some criterion tasks, yet the conditions under which these techniques produce benefits are limited, and much research is still needed to fully explore their overall effectiveness.
Keyword mnemonic is difficult to implement in some contexts, and it appears to benefit students for a limited number of materials and for short retention intervals. Most students report rereading and highlighting, yet these techniques do not consistently boost students’ performance, so other techniques should be used in their place (e.g., practice testing instead of rereading).
Test Anxiety has been linked to poor performance as one 2011 report found that an estimated 35 per cent of students were so nervous before writing exams or tests that it impaired their performance, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Cram sessions or all-nighters do not seem to benefit students either. The report found 60 per cent of college students in the U.S. stayed up all nightduring some point in school, and this method was linked to the lowest grades.
Highly Effective Study Techniques
Practice testing should be completed as a low-stakes or no-stakes practice or learning activity outside of class from summative assessments that are administered by an instructor in class.
Students mass much of their study prior to tests and believe that this popular cramming strategy is effective. Although cramming is better than not studying at all in the short term, given the same amount of time for study, would students be better off spreading out their study of content? The answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” The term distributed-practice effect refers to the finding that distributing learning over time (either within a single study session or across sessions) typically benefits long-term retention more than does massing learning opportunities back-to-back or in relatively close succession.
The report, published earlier this year, was written by John Dunlosky and Katherine A. Rawson of Kent State University, Elizabeth J. Marsh of Duke University, Mitchell J. Nathan of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Daniel T. Willingham of the University of Virginia.
Part 2: Day of the Exam
1. Arrive Early. Know the location and time of your exam. Arrive early to get enough time to settle down before the exam starts.
2. Be Awake. Get a good night’s sleep, shower, chew gum, or have a caffeinated drink.
3. Eat Breakfast. It’ll be more difficult to concentrate if you’re hungry. Don’t eat anything that may upset your stomach.
4. Bring Extra Writing Utensils. You never know when your pencil is going to break or your pen is going to run out of ink.
5. Bring all Essential Test Materials. Calculator, notes (if allowed), etc.
6. Go to the bathroom. Minimize distractions during the test.
7. Wear Comfortable Clothes. You’ll want to be comfortable taking the test
8. Bring any Necessities. Bring a water bottle, tissues, cough drops, etc.
9. Look Over your Notes. Review important information before the test to refresh your memory.
10. It’s just a Test. Remember that you studied hard and have confidence in yourself
Adapted from College Tips
Tasks to Complete
Create a practice test and/or a study sheet and quiz cards for your first test. Consider using apps like Study Blue to aid in the process.
Learning Links Advice on How to Study in College – USNews
5 Hot Final Exam Tips for College Students – About.com