Learning is the starting point for everything you want to achieve in your life, so it behooves you to develop strategies for learning better and more efficiently. You want to avoid learning pitfalls and maximize your outcomes.
Let's start with a common myth.
For further details on the learning style myth, check out this Veritasium video:
So, if learning styles are a myth, which learning strategies should you be using? Watch the short video below to find out. Click the x in the top right when done.
Below are additional learning myths, how to avoid them, and what to do instead to maximize your learning potential.
Myth #2: Learning is mostly a passive process. You listen to a lecture and absorb the information.
While lecturing is an effective and widely used teaching method, listening is an active process. Many students think that simply sitting in class or highlighting material in the textbook is enough to solidify the information for recall on an exam.
"Active listening" is engaging with the material and requires effortful focus on the speaker. Luckily, there are several key aspects of active listening to make learning more engaging and effective.
To learn how to become an active learner and make the most out of the time you spend in the classroom, watch the short video below.
Myth #3: Cramming is the best way to learn and retain information before an exam.
Cramming is a myth! Cramming generally consists of reading through your notes, sometimes many times, very close to an exam. It is a commonly used "learning method" because studying for a course has been avoided or not prioritized, sometimes because you do not enjoy the content.
Research has shown that though you may remember information long enough to get through an exam, you will likely not be able to recall the information in the following days, weeks, or months.
If cramming is a learning myth, how can you avoid it?
In addition to making a plan early, some other ways to avoid cramming last-minute for an exam can include:
1. Spacing out your study time: you will retain more information if you spread studying over days, instead of studying the same amount of time in a single day.
2. Don't just "review" your notes by rereading and/or highlighting them: when you think that you have learned a topic or idea, try practicing, recalling, or applying the concept. You'll have to do this during an exam, so why not practice in advance?
3. Make studying more pleasant and easier to approach: Study little bits every day to make information more approachable and less overwhelming. The less you want to avoid studying, the easier it will become!
Myth #4: Sleep is unnecessary for retention of new information.
Did you know that poor sleep habits have been linked to lower GPAs, decreased learning and memory among undergraduate students?
How well we sleep impacts numerous physiological processes in our bodies that manifest in our daily moods, judgement and decision-making abilities.
Awareness is key. Watch below to learn more about what happens when we sleep (or don't) and how to improve our sleep routines.
Watch the video below to learn why you need good, regular sleep to maximize your learning potential.
Myth #5: Multitasking allows you to study and learn more efficiently.
Research conducted at the Stanford Memory Laboratory showed that students who try to simultaneously learn and use digital media at the same time are worse at completing simple memory tasks.
The reality is that multitasking is not even possible. Your brain only allows you to do one thing at a time. You are simply task switching, which is an inefficient way to learn any material that requires your unwavering attention.
To be truly efficient in committing information to memory you should remove distractions such as cell phones, social media, and anything else ( for example, TikTok, YouTube videos) and focus exclusively on the topic at hand.
Apply these techniques to become a better and more efficient learner to achieve your goals. Good Luck!
Clemson University Contributors:
Lindsey Beebe, Scott Brame, Jess Hartshorn, Paul Hoke, Chelsea McKelvey, Tony Nguyen, and Sharon Sheridan
References
"Active Learning," Springfield College, 2022, https://springfield.edu/arc/academic-success-strategies/active-learning.
Arthurs, Leilani and Bailey Kreager, "An integrative review of in-class activities that enable active learning in college science classroom settings," International Journal of Science Education 39, no. 15 (2017): 2073-2091. https://doi-org.libproxy.clemson.edu/10.1080/09500693.2017.1363925.
Deslauriers, Louis, Logan McCarty, Kelly Miller, and Greg Kestin, "Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom," Applied Physical Sciences 116, no. 39 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821936116.
Freeman, Scott, Sarah Eddy, Miles McDonough, Michelle Smith, Ndozie Okoroafor, Hannah Jordt, and Mary Wenderoth, "Active learning improves student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics," Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 111, no. 23 (2014). https://doi-org.libproxy.clemson.edu/10.1073/pnas.1319030111.
Linneman, Judith A. "Share, show, and Tell: Group Discussion or Simulations Versus Lecture Teaching Strategies in a Research Methods Curse," Teaching Sociology 47, no. 1 (2019): 22-31. https://doi-org.libproxy.clemson.edu/10.1177/0092055X18799405.
"Teaching Success and Active Listening," Mr. A Music Place, January 10, 2021, https://mramusicplace.net/2021/01/10/teaching-success-and-active-listening/.
Uncapher, Melina, and Anhtony Wagner, "Minds and brains of media multitaskers: Current findings and future directions”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 1 2018.