With the exam season approaching, a greater emphasis is placed on revision, preparation strategy, and learning techniques by teachers, educators, and experts. Revision charts, highlighter pens and sticky notes around the room are some of the methods people use to ensure information stays in their mind.
Dunlovsky further stated that the best strategy is to plan ahead and not do all the revision on one subject in a block before moving on to the next, a technique called “distributed practice”.
Highlighting notes in bright colours may feel productive, but researchers have cautioned that it can offer little benefit for comprehension, and may even hinder deeper understanding when used as the main revision strategy. READ MORE | Exam Revision Guide: Study Techniques Backed By Experts However, according to Prof John Dunlovsky, of Kent State University, there is not enough information about how memory works and therefore which techniques are most effective. Because the student is more engaged and it is harder for the mind to wander, the researcher said, this is.
As per the survey, only two of the 10 techniques that were examined turned out to be really effective: testing yourself and spreading out your revision over time.
Psychologists in the United States have warned that many favourite revision techniques will not lead to exam success, according to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). “Students who can test themselves or try to retrieve material from their memory are going to learn that material better in the long run”, Prof Dunlovsky said. “Start by reading the text book then make flash cards of the critical concepts and test yourself,” he noted. “A century of research has shown that repeated testing works,” he said.
