Learning to Learn
Written by Mark Fitzgerald
MAE 2010 Volume: 5 Issue: 8 (October)
Students receive information in numerous ways. Teachers teach in various styles and modes. But when exactly does the learning take place? The simple answer is that it depends on the student. Everyone learns and processes information differently. The longer answer is that research has shown that there are some commonalities to learning that are worth considering.
According to the NDT Resource Center, most students learn best when there is a logical sequential, delineated lesson that provides objective and systematic steps to do the assignment. This type of student benefits from the use of rubrics so that they can better follow lectures and assignments.
Some may prefer to listen to lectures or online discussions, while others may be partial to seeing diagrams, slides and other visual aids. Others may understand the material best by writing it down and reading about it. Tactile learners tend to learn best through interaction and experience—engaging actively with material by experimenting with it and performing exercises. Yet, understanding what motivates you and what drives your learning is fundamental to mastering the course material.
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
A recent study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that a large number of students have taken ineffective study skills from the pre-Internet era and moved them online. Students still “mindlessly over-copy long passages verbatim, take incomplete or linear notes, build lengthy outlines that make it difficult to connect related information, and rely on memory drills like re-reading text or recopying notes,” the study noted. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Ken Kiewra, an expert in study methods and one of the authors of the study, the research demonstrated that “achievement really takes off when students are prompted to use more powerful strategies when studying computer materials.”
How and when students study impacts what they learn and remember. Acquiring, organizing, synthesizing and using information and ideas becomes fundamental to the process. Also, a strong body of research has found that studying distinct but related skills or concepts in one sitting, rather than focusing intensely on a single topic, can improve learning outcomes.
“We have known these principles for some time, and it’s intriguing that schools don’t pick them up, or that people don’t learn them by trial and error,” Robert A. Bjork, a psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently told The New York Times. “Instead, we walk around with all sorts of unexamined beliefs about what works that are mistaken.”
SMART SELECTION
There’s no question that personal discipline, organizational skills, attitude and the ability to self-monitor also weighs heavily into the process of studying and learning. “Learning occurs best when important information is selected from less important ideas, when selected information is organized graphically, when associations are built among ideas and when understanding is regulated through self-testing,” added Kiewra, a professor of educational psychology. This method of learning, called SOAR (Set goals, Organize, Ask questions, Record your progress), complements how the brain processes information and involves selecting key lesson ideas, organizing information with comparative charts and illustrations, associating ideas to create meaningful connections and regulating learning through practice.
These findings were based on research generated through two experiments. Undergraduates were first questioned about how they study computer-based materials. Then they either read an online text and were asked to create study materials on their computers that reflected their preferred way to study, or they were prompted to use all or parts of SOAR study methods. The results revealed that the first group of studiers scored lower on tests measuring fact and relationship learning than the second group.
Kiewra pointed out that because students spend more and more study time on computers, it is important for them to learn better ways of processing and make use of information. “Teachers need to help students dispel crippling studying myths such as highlighting, outlining and rehearsal, and instead teach them strategies that help them succeed,” he said.
GOOD HABITS
Other research has supported the obvious: that almost any form of studying is better than not studying at all. Even cramming the night before a test has shown to yield favorable results. The problem is that short-term retention only goes so far. “With many students, it’s not like they can’t remember the material [later],” observed Henry L. Roediger III, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis. “It’s like they’ve never seen it before.”
One tip is to make notes and summaries each week to reinforce retention. Research has found that students who take careful notes each week throughout the semester and synthesize information so they understand it do much better than students who study the week before a major exam.
Revisiting and relearning the material helps reinforce a student’s capacity for long-term learning. “The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning,” said Nate Kornell, a psychologist at Williams College. “When you forget something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.” Of course, one of the ultimate goals is to help students move beyond academic learning and embrace the kind of practice that leads to lifelong learning. This involves instilling such skills as goal planning, prioritizing, listening and retaining information, which can prove very valuable in the context of finding meaningful employment and interacting with decision-makers.
UNDERSTANDING ONE’S PROCESS
Another recommendation is to know your process: how and when you work best. Is it in the morning in at a quiet desk? Or in the evening with a friend? “Some students find sound distracting and some find it calming,” recognized researchers at NDT. “It may be beneficial to have several study areas established. One where the noise level is kept to a minimum and one where some background noise is present.”
Peer learning also can render major benefits for those who are inclined to interact effectively with classmates on projects. Studies have shown that students who study with their peers often achieve better grades than those who do not. This can also help improve the process of learning and spur one’s motivation to succeed.
A word of caution however: Stay focused on the purpose of the meeting and don’t give in too much to extraneous conversation. “Some people need to have continuous movement as they are studying, such as tapping their fingers or foot on the floor, fooling with their hair, using a stress ball, or chewing gum,” the NDT study acknowledged. “This is absolutely natural, but if they are not alone studying, make sure they do not distract others.” ♦