Unit 1: Learning how to learn - Basics
Active Recall
How do I study effectively?
Here we want to show you how learning is scientifically proven to be more effective. That way you can learn more in the same amount of time and get better grades on your finals at the end! The key to this? - Active recall!
What does that mean?
Studies have shown that learning processes are significantly more successful when test participants actively remember content instead of passively consuming it. So it's more effective to quiz yourself or explain something from the lecture to someone else
than to read the material and highlighting it, for instance. Furthermore, it is easier to notice when you are still unsure about certain parts of the content, because they are more difficult to explain. This tip alone will save you a lot of time. Of course, the
questioning and active recalling is more demanding, but it is much more productive, because your brain can really build up knowledge during this time.
By the way:
Self-tests and quizzes are effective even if you didn't know anything
about the subject matter beforehand - as long as you look up the answers afterwards: The brain remembers the importance of the content and then memorizes it more effecively when you look it up.
Here are some specific suggestions on how you can implement
the Active Recalling method - alone or with others. Click on the hotspots to learn more!