The Office of Academic Enrichment

The resources on this page will teach you the basics of Learning Science and some science-based learning strategies. We also share materials and other resources to help you level up your learning.

WATCH:

While this video is about a physical skill, the same process takes place in your brain when you are trying to learn new information and skills in a college class. NOTE: Stop the video at 2:20.

PRACTICE:

Check your understanding of the video and rewatch it if you miss any questions. Click here for the answers.

1. Where does muscle memory live?
2. When you are first learning something new, your brain is like what?
3. How do you strengthen pathways in the brain?
4. What do we call the brain’s ability to strengthen the connections between neurons?

What comes to mind when you think about studying? Highlighting your textbook or notes? Reading and re-reading lecture slides? Sitting in the library for hours the day before a test, trying to stuff as much information into your brain as you possibly can? In one survey, re-reading was listed as the most commonly used strategy by college students (Karpicke et al., 2009). However, re-reading (textbooks, notes, slides) is one of the least effective learning strategies, and in the long run, a huge waste of time!

In contrast, self-testing is a far more effective learning strategy due to the testing effect; practicing retrieving information from memory makes is far easier to find and that information again at a future time–during a test, for example. Brown et al. (2014) explain that “repeated recall appears to help memory consolidate into a cohesive representation in the brain and to strengthen and multiply the neural routes by which the knowledge can later be retrieved.” Neuroplasticity in action!

WATCH:

PRACTICE:

1. Take 3-5 minutes to write or type everything you can remember about how self-testing affects learning. A short free-written reflection after you learn something new is a way to take advantage of the testing effect!
2. Create test questions for a current unit you are studying. Use a Google Doc or create flashcards (on paper or in an app). Use the questions to test yourself and continue adding new questions as you move through the unit.

So far, you’ve learned that learning happens best with repeated self-testing. Another important element is how you space out your learning sessions. Spaced repetition, or spaced practice, is when you spread out your learning sessions at increasing time intervals. Although recalling the information each session may be challenging, this is exactly why spaced repetition works. Learning must be effortful to be effective in the long term. Spaced repetition forces you to reconstruct the knowledge or skill from your memory, which then creates more and stronger pathways in your brain, making it easier to retrieve in the future.

For a quick explanation, WATCH:

For a more detailed explanation, WATCH:

PRACTICE:

1. For a current class, make a list of topics or concepts you will be tested on. Create a schedule of when you will review and/or test yourself on each one. Remember to set these sessions up at increasing intervals. For example, if you have a test in three weeks, you might spread them out like this:

• Day 1 (initial learning): Read textbook and/or attend lecture & take notes.
• Day 1 (later): Test yourself to see what you can remember from class. For example, free write for a few minutes about everything you can remember. Then check against your notes or your professor’s slides to see what you missed.
• Day 3: Re-format your notes, combining reading notes, lecture notes, and any slides available. Identify key ideas that you’ll need to test yourself on.
• Day 6: Create self-testing materials: create flashcards (paper or in an app like Quizlet, Anki, or Notion), predict test questions, and/or gather any questions from your textbook or professor’s materials.
• Day 10: Test yourself using the testing materials you previously created. Identify gaps in your knowledge and review relevant content.
• Day 15: Test yourself using the testing materials you previously created. Identify gaps in your knowledge and review relevant content.
• Day 20: Test yourself using the testing materials you previously created. Identify gaps in your knowledge and review relevant content. Your goal the day before the test is to be able to explain the content relatively accurately.

However, please remember this strategy is meant to be flexible and can span weeks or even days (in a pinch). Just remember, space it out and test yourself!

2. Download a spaced repetition app and set it up for a unit you are currently trying to master. There are many such apps; some are free, but others are not. Here are a few to check out:

• Anki
• Quizlet
• Notion (Notion has spaced repetition templates)
• Brainscape

Many students tend to spend a long block of time on an assignment or specific topic in an attempt to stay focused on the subject at hand. This is called blocked practice. While that seems to make sense, blocked practice can often lead to boredom, frustration, and diminishing returns. Counterintuitively, switching between topics and tasks during a learning session, or throughout the day, is more effective for long-term retention of information. This is called interleaving, and it can help you build stronger and more complex networks in your brain. 

For a quick explanation, WATCH:

For a more detailed explanation, WATCH:

PRACTICE:

Make a study plan for a current class that uses interleaving. Identify a 3-4 hour block of time in the coming days and plan which topics you will focus on and how you will mix them up. As you interleave, observe what happens and how it feels, then make adjustments for the next study session.

• Six Strategies for Effective Learning from The Learning Scientists
• Oregon State University’s Academic Success Center Learning Corner
• Effective Studying and Learning Playlist by Thomas Frank