Better Study Strategies

Studying should be cognitively challenging, persistent and structured. Strong memory is not built easily or overnight. This article consists of links to articles relevant to learning / memory and key points from my seminar- Strategies To Maximize Learning.

How To Study

The effort required to form strong memory is often intense for students. Students often spend hours trying to master new information. Of course, methods to enhance memory are important for everyone, not just students. For example, when a friend recommends a new shoe store we want to remember the name of of it, or when going to the grocery it is important to remember the items we need to pick up. What are some strategies that can be used to strengthen memory?

Trying To Remember

In one study researchers investigated the role of intentional-encoding instructions and task relevance at study on visual memory performance (Varakin & Hale, 2014). Task relevance was manipulated by having participants keep a running tally of either the objects they were attempting to remember or an irrelevant category of objects during study. Half of the participants within each level of task relevance were further instructed to remember one category of objects for a subsequent recognition memory test (intentional memory group) , and the other half of the participants were not informed of a memory test (incidental memory group). Intentional-encoding instructions improved recognition discrimination only when participants were not already keeping a tally of the to-be-remembered objects. This result suggests that intentional-encoding instructions may improve visual memory due

Building a Better Memory

Are learning and memory completely distinct?  No; both are experienced based.  “[M]emory is the consequence of learning from an experience- that is, the consequence of acquiring new information” , asserts James McGaugh (memory researcher, author of Memory and Emotion).  Learning is a process of memory formation.  There are 2 general categories of memory: explicit and implicit.

Key Points from- Strategies to Maximize Learning (Hale, 2014):

•      Memory is the product of learning

•      Memory formation = brain change

•      All cognition, emotion, feeling, perception  and learning emanate from the brain

•      Healthy brain is imperative to maximize learning / memory

•      Mind- body is a unit- not separate

•      All cognition, emotion, feeling, perception  and learning emanate from the brain Healthy brain is imperative to maximize learning / memory   Mind- body is a unit- not separate

•      Foundations of memory include: brain health, focused attention, elaborative encoding, spaced rehearsal and testing

•      Understanding is imperative for strong memory

•      Studying should be structured: progressive, organized, spaced over multiple sessions and involve accurate evaluation