How do we retain information so that we can be successful on an exam? This is a problem all students, to a greater or lesser extent, face. If, as I've suggested in previous posts, you spend your time leading up to the exam repeating the information in the module texts you have already worked on one obstacle. Repetition has been shown to be a successful strategy for students. It is better, testing demonstrates, to use your time taking short breaks every hour and go over the material several times. While intensive study over long periods is better than no study at all, it is not as effective as shorter periods with more repetition in terms of memory and retention.
However, in addition to breaking up the material, you can organize the module materials. This will help you remember hard to remember information. How does this work? There are 5 strategies you should keep in mind (see Schonwetter & Walker (2002), "Success Secrets of University Students", 157.) These strategies are: chunking, mnemonics, selecting out the main ideas, defining hierarchies and integrating.
Chunking is "grouping of words or ideas into categories that reflect some common element". (ibid.) For example, if you are were studying dogs, you would divide the module into types of dogs that have some common element such as herding dogs or hunting dogs. The same principle applies to management or even accounting.
Mnemonics is a learning strategy that relies on using a word cue that uses the first letter of every word to remember the names of a group of inter-related ideas. For example, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is a popular way to remember the notes of the treble clef in Music.
There are many examples of students using mnemonics in many subjects. This memory device goes all the way back to the Ancient Greeks. If you have used memonics to help learn a concept, it might might be interesting to post these ideas to this blog and we can compare them.
The next concept, selecting the main idea, is way to remember complex inter-related ideas. These ideas can often be found in the chapter headings or summaries of your text to find these concepts. Linking ideas through empirical concepts in the material allows you to remember large chunks of information that you find difficult to remember.
Let's look at another method of remember information, creating a hierarchy. When you define a hierarchy of material from the text, you put material together in large groups. Often, the textbook shows students the hierarchical order within the module subject. For example, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is just one motivational theory. When you look closely at the textbook, you can find other theories. You can map these theories on a piece of paper while you are studying to see how these these theories are inter-related.
Finally, you can integrate the new material into a larger view of the subject from your previous studies. New material fits into previously learned concepts and ideas. This is even more meaningful if your practical experience in the field, for example working as a marketer after learning marketing in school, has helped you integrate your original ideas with practical experience in a subject.
That's it until next time. Keep learning.
KB
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Studying and Memory: Part 2
"Studying is defined as the active processing of information that involves attending, acquiring, organizing and integrating information into memory."
I left you with the above quotation in my last post. Let's look at what Schonwetter is really saying in this quotation. Attending, as I would describe it, is asking relevant questions and reading class materials when you are in class. If you do not do this in a first reading of the materials, you will need to do it later when you finally do read the text. Obviously, if you don't know what the text means or understand terminology, you need to either get an explanation from the module tutor or find out some other way. If the material you study is only half-understood, it will make a great difference in the exam outcome. Module tutors are there to explain terminology but sometimes a student must go further when they do not have the background in a subject. Sometimes, basic texts from undergraduate studies must be taken out and reviewed to ensure that you know all the basics in a particular subject - say for example Finance - if it has been many years since you first studied this subject.
Acquiring is a process that involves planning and taking the time to review all your materials. This includes going through your text, highlighting headings and important terminology which you may have to commit to memory. As discussed in previous postings, you need to use effective time planning skills to ensure that you allow yourself enough time to review your text more than once.
SQR3 is part of this. This is a short form which describes the study cycle. It stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. Exam rehearsal strategies are also helpful. When you are in the exam, let's say you need to cover three subject areas in a relatively tight time frame. Pacing is important here. It will help if you write a short outline covering the major points of the question. Straying from the question that is being asked and providing large swatches of irrelevant information is going to slow you down. Not to mention that markers will only give you marks for answering the question. They will not give you marks if you write around the question. This is why an outline can be helpful and make you stay on target.
Effective studying should make the exam clearer. Obviously, you are wasting your time and the marker's time if you write a lot on an exam question that you don't really understand and ignore a question that you really do understand. In fact, sometimes while you are planning how to write on the question you do know, you may find that you suddenly understand the other question you didn't understand. What I mean here is don't waste you time in the exam. Plan what you are going to write, write as much as you can on subjects you really DO understand before attempting a question you are unsure of.
The next post is going to be about organizing material for the exam so that you will be able to commit it to memory.
I left you with the above quotation in my last post. Let's look at what Schonwetter is really saying in this quotation. Attending, as I would describe it, is asking relevant questions and reading class materials when you are in class. If you do not do this in a first reading of the materials, you will need to do it later when you finally do read the text. Obviously, if you don't know what the text means or understand terminology, you need to either get an explanation from the module tutor or find out some other way. If the material you study is only half-understood, it will make a great difference in the exam outcome. Module tutors are there to explain terminology but sometimes a student must go further when they do not have the background in a subject. Sometimes, basic texts from undergraduate studies must be taken out and reviewed to ensure that you know all the basics in a particular subject - say for example Finance - if it has been many years since you first studied this subject.
Acquiring is a process that involves planning and taking the time to review all your materials. This includes going through your text, highlighting headings and important terminology which you may have to commit to memory. As discussed in previous postings, you need to use effective time planning skills to ensure that you allow yourself enough time to review your text more than once.
SQR3 is part of this. This is a short form which describes the study cycle. It stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. Exam rehearsal strategies are also helpful. When you are in the exam, let's say you need to cover three subject areas in a relatively tight time frame. Pacing is important here. It will help if you write a short outline covering the major points of the question. Straying from the question that is being asked and providing large swatches of irrelevant information is going to slow you down. Not to mention that markers will only give you marks for answering the question. They will not give you marks if you write around the question. This is why an outline can be helpful and make you stay on target.
Effective studying should make the exam clearer. Obviously, you are wasting your time and the marker's time if you write a lot on an exam question that you don't really understand and ignore a question that you really do understand. In fact, sometimes while you are planning how to write on the question you do know, you may find that you suddenly understand the other question you didn't understand. What I mean here is don't waste you time in the exam. Plan what you are going to write, write as much as you can on subjects you really DO understand before attempting a question you are unsure of.
The next post is going to be about organizing material for the exam so that you will be able to commit it to memory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
