{"id":324,"date":"2021-04-09T16:34:26","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T14:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papervideo.co.za\/blog\/?p=324"},"modified":"2021-04-12T11:08:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T09:08:59","slug":"effective-study-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papervideo.co.za\/blog\/effective-study-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"Effective Study Techniques and Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yes, there are in fact effective study techniques that can help learners retain information better and they\u2019re not based on fiction or chance, but years of scientific research.<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Study smarter not harder. We\u2019ve all heard or read the saying at some point in our lives, but what does \u201cstudying smart\u201d actually look and is there, in fact, a science to prepping for your exams. Studying comes naturally for some while others find it challenging. Regardless of your love or hate for the books, effective techniques that help absorb info is a different concept entirely, and it’s one that educators and psychologists have researched for years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying \u201cright\u201d starts with understanding<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a small obsession amongst educators, phycologist and physicists to understand the concept of absorbing information quickly and keeping it locked away for as long as possible. While there has been an endless debate, one thing they can all agree on is that the work should be understood first and foremost.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If learners aren\u2019t understating the material, they\u2019ll find it difficult to retain it which is why tutoring platforms have been becoming increasingly popular, helping learners understand over and above simply studying the material. Paper Video<\/a>\u2019s is one such platform where learners from grade 8 to 12 can unpack challenging subjects like Maths, Physical Science, Life Science and Accounting through video lessons, past exam papers and teachers that help explain the work.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying effectively is not just about getting information into our brains to pass an exam, it about saving time and effort, and remembering the work well-beyond that final paper. Plus, once you understand what you\u2019re learning studying will feel like a breeze.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find study techniques that work for you.<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are no one-size-fits-all approaches when it comes to a study technique that works, and \u201cLearning Styles\u201d is a concept that is slowly but surely being taken off the table. For those who don\u2019t know, \u201cLearning Styles\u201d is a theory that indicates whether or not people are Visual, Auditory, Read & Write or Kinaesthetic learners. New research published by the American Psychological Association stated that there is no scientific evidence to support this concept.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an article published by the Atlantic in 2018, Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia made a compelling case whereby he stated: \u201cPeople have different abilities, not styles. Some people read better than others; some people hear worse than others. You can\u2019t visualize a perfect French accent, for example.\u201d He went on to say that people should not think of themselves as visual, verbal or some kind of learner, \u201cEveryone is able to think in words; everyone is able to think in mental images. It\u2019s much better to think of everyone having a toolbox of ways to think, and think to yourself, which tool is best?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you know what study technique works?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

With no clear recipe to success amid all the mind maps, rhymes, notes and re-reading, and if not for a \u201clearning style\u201d how can we tell what works and what doesn\u2019t?  Luckily there is science and proven research that tells us what techniques should do and how they should affect learners. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask yourself:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Does the technique help me engage with the material (not just reading)?<\/span><\/li>
  2. Does the technique help me track my progress, (a test of some sort)?<\/span><\/li>
  3. Does it involve repetition?<\/span><\/li>
  4. Does it make me more efficient?<\/span><\/li>
  5. Am I retaining\/remembering information? <\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Scientifically backed Study Techniques<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Remembering or retaining information is a challenge that can be traced back to when German Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus first identified the \u201cthe forgetting curve\u201d in 1885. It was and still is, a hypothesis that highlights how information or knowledge that gets stored in the brain is lost over time if the individual does not attempt to retain it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, to us in the 21st Century, it might not sound so ground-breaking, people forget things. But back then, Ebbinghaus identified a problem and gave it a name and scientists love nothing more than to solve a good problem. That\u2019s why they dedicated their careers to finding ways that can help humans study better and retain information successfully and here are a few of our favourites.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Interval studying<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Call it what you may: the spacing effect, distributed practice, spaced repetition or interval studying, it\u2019s a method that was identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus in his book: Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology<\/em>. While Ebbinghaus identified the forgetting curve<\/em> he also gave us a snapshot on how to overcome it: Spaced out repetition.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A study by the American Psychological Association showed that the method was 96% more effective than massed repetition, otherwise known as cramming (Cepeda 2006). Conclusion? Spacing out your studies over several short periods helps you remember better, so stick to short bursts, but keep them focussed. It\u2019s not about how much time you have, but what you do with your time that counts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. The Leitner technique<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The technique was created by German science journalist Sebastian Leitner and is a learning technique based on flashcards. The technique also adopts interval studying as part of the method, so learners will be studying in short spaced-out bursts. The technique uses several boxes to help track the flashcards you need to study, and each box represents the amount of time and effort learners would need to spend on certain cards.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s how: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n