When one considers learning and studying, one should always keep in mind that there are three aspects that are important:
STUDY SKILLS:
The ability of any student to study successfully depends to a large extent on their fundamental study skills, that is, their ability to concentrate, to perceive correctly and accurately, as well as the ability to remember what they have perceived.
Study skills should not be confused with study techniques and study methods. The difference between these can be explained using the game of soccer as an example. To be a soccer player, a person FIRST has to master the fundamental soccer skills, for example passing, heading and dribbling the ball. Only after that can techniques and methods be taught. In the same way, to be a good student, a student must FIRST master fundamental study skills.
Mnemonic training is often done without considering this sequential way of learning. A mnemonic is a specific reconstruction of the target content intended to link new information more closely to the learner’s existing knowledge base and thus facilitate retrieval. There are a variety of mnemonics, including keywords, pegwords, acronyms, loci methods, spelling mnemonics, phonetic mnemonics, number and sound mnemonics, and Japanese “Yodai” methods. An example of an acronym is remembering the word HOMES to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. The purpose of the number sound mnemonic is to remember strings of numbers, such as phone numbers, addresses, locker combinations, or historical dates. To use them, students must first learn number-sound relationships: 0=s; 1=t; 2=n; 3=meter; 4=r; 5=1; 6=sh, ch og soft, 7=k, c hard og hard; 8=fov; and 9=p. To remember the date of 1439, for example, the student uses the associated consonant sounds, t, r, m and p, and will insert vowels to create a meaningful word or words. In this case, the word “tramp” can be used.
There are, however, at least two problems with improving memory through mnemonic instruction. The first problem is, as already stated, that it ignores the sequential form of learning. Mnemonic instruction is largely instruction in rote techniques, which should be taught only AFTER the rote skill has been learned. It can be compared to a person being taught soccer tactics such as the “wall pass” while not yet properly mastering the skill of passing the ball. As stated in ‘Knowabout Soccer’, “No matter how good your passing technique is, if the quality of your passing is poor, your technique will not be effective.” The second problem is that by teaching memory on crutches alone, the result is, as Scruggs and Mastropieri state, “in more complex applications, attempts at generalization [are] However, if memory SKILL is taught, the student can apply it in any situation.
TECHNICAL STUDY:
There are three learning techniques that can be used to make studying more successful.
1. Association: This is probably the most important and effective of all learning techniques, of which the mnemonic is probably the most used association technique.
2. Thinking in images: one is able to remember much better what has been seen in the mind’s eye than what has been thought in abstract terms. Therefore, one should always consciously try to think in terms of images.
3. Reduce the frequency of brain waves: the brain usually vibrates at 20 cycles per second or more. Dr. Georgi Lozanov was probably the first to discover that if the frequency of brain waves is reduced, more effective study becomes possible. He discovered that playing slow baroque music could reduce the frequency of brain waves. José Silva was probably the first to discover a method to reduce the frequency of brain waves at will.
STUDY METHODS:
Most students have a bad habit of studying alone the day before a test or exam. There are two serious disadvantages associated with this study method:
1. There is never a regular practice of study skills.
2. It has been found that within 24 hours, on average, one forgets up to 80% of what they have learned. However, if the study material is reviewed after 24 hours, it takes 7 days before 80% is forgotten again, and if another review is done at this point, it takes 30 days before 80% is forgotten again. %.
Research has shown that if the correct pattern or review of studied material is followed, memory consolidation is significantly improved and the total time spent learning is drastically reduced. The following pattern of initial study and subsequent revision will certainly give excellent results:
1. Establish a schedule that is divided into study periods of 30 minutes each. On the first day that this new schedule will be implemented, take the first study period to thoroughly learn some study materials. It should be short enough that it can be absorbed in only about 15 minutes. Once the full study program is up and running, as you will soon realize as you read on, one only has about 15 minutes in each 30-minute study period to study and absorb new material. The rest of the time is spent reviewing previously learned material. The work must be summarized and thoroughly studied in these 30 minutes. Take a 5-minute break at the end of the study period.
2. Check after 5 minutes. Take 3 minutes of the next study period to review the study material from the previous study period, before summarizing and fully studying the new material.
3. Review after 24 hours. Take 3 minutes to review the material that was studied the day before. Then take 3 minutes to review the work that was studied 5 minutes ago, before going back to study and summarize new material.
4. Review after 7 days. Take 3 minutes to review the work that was reviewed 7 days ago, before reviewing the work that was reviewed the day before, and then reviewing the work that was reviewed 5 minutes ago.
5. Review after 30 days. Take 3 minutes to review work that was already reviewed 30 days ago, before reviewing work from 7 days ago, then 24 hours ago, then 5 minutes ago.
6. Review after 120 days. Take 3 minutes to review work studied 120 days ago, then work studied 30 days ago, before reviewing work 7 days ago, then 24 hours ago, then 5 minutes ago.