Active Recall
Active recall involves actively trying to remember information without looking at your notes or materials.
- How to use it: After studying a topic, close your books and try to recall key concepts or facts from memory. Test yourself regularly, either through flashcards, quizzes, or simply writing down what you remember.
- Why it works: It strengthens memory by forcing your brain to retrieve information, which reinforces learning and improves retention.
The Feynman Technique
Named after physicist Richard Feynman, this technique involves teaching what you’ve learned in simple terms.
- How to use it: After studying a concept, try to explain it to someone else or pretend you are teaching it. Use plain language, and if you get stuck, go back to the material to clarify your understanding.
- Why it works: Teaching forces you to break down complex ideas into simple parts, helping you identify gaps in your knowledge and solidifying your understanding.
Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is a visual way of organizing and connecting ideas or concepts.
- How to use it: Start with a central idea and draw branches to related topics, subtopics, and details. Use colors, keywords, and images to make it more memorable.
- Why it works: Mind mapping helps you see relationships between ideas, improving comprehension and aiding in memory retention by engaging both visual and logical parts of the brain.
Interleaved Practice
Interleaving involves studying different topics or subjects in one session rather than focusing on a single subject.
- How to use it: Instead of studying one topic for an entire session, mix related subjects or concepts. For example, if you’re studying math, alternate between algebra, geometry, and calculus.
- Why it works: Interleaving helps you apply concepts in different contexts, improving your ability to differentiate and apply what you’ve learned across various scenarios.
Self-Explanation
Self-explanation involves explaining how and why you solved a problem or understood a concept.
- How to use it: While studying, explain out loud or in writing how you arrived at an answer or how a concept works, step by step.
- Why it works: This forces you to process the material more deeply, identify gaps in knowledge, and build stronger connections between ideas.
Spaced Repetition
Spaced repetition is a method of reviewing information at increasing intervals over time.
- How to use it: After learning something new, review the material again after a day, then after a few days, a week, and so on. Flashcard apps like Anki or Quizlet are designed for this purpose.
- Why it works: It combats the “forgetting curve” by reinforcing information just as you are about to forget it, improving long-term retention.
Written by Piper Johnson
01/17/2024