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6 days ago · verb. To enhance something means to improve its value, quality, or attractiveness. [...] See full entry for 'enhance' Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. Definition of 'learn' learn. (lɜːʳn ) verb. If you learn something, you obtain knowledge or a skill through studying or training. [...]
Jan 26, 2022 · Jan 26, 2022. 8 minute read. Dr. Mark A. McDaniel. How do we learn and absorb new information? Which learning strategies actually work and which are mere myths?
- Overview
- Improve Your Memory
- Keep Learning New Things
- Learn in Multiple Ways
- Teach What You Are Learning
- Build on Previous Learning
- Gain Practical Experience
- Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
- Use Distributed Practice
- Take Tests
There are a number of different strategies that can boost memory. Basic tips such as improving your focus, avoiding cram sessions, and structuring your study time are good places to start, but there are even more lessons from psychology that can dramatically improve your learning efficiency.
Strategies that can help improve your memory include:
•Getting regular physical exercise, which is linked to improvements in memory and brain health
•Spending time socializing with other people
•Getting enough sleep
•Eliminating distractions so you can focus on what you are learning
One sure-fire way to become a more effective learner is to simply keep learning. Research has found that the brain is capable of producing new brain cells, a process known as neurogenesis. However, many of these cells will eventually die unless a person engages in some type of effortful learning.
By learning new things, these cells are kept alive and incorporated into brain circuits.
So, if you are learning a new language, it is important to keep practicing the language in order to maintain the gains you have achieved. This "use-it-or-lose-it" phenomenon involves a brain process known as "pruning."
In pruning, certain pathways in the brain are maintained, while others are eliminated. If you want the new information you just learned to stay put, keep practicing and rehearsing it.
Another one of the best ways to learn is to focus on learning in more than one way. For example, instead of just listening to a podcast, which involves auditory learning, find a way to rehearse the information both verbally and visually.
This might involve describing what you learned to a friend, taking notes, or drawing a mind map. By learning in more than one way, you’re further cementing the knowledge in your mind.
For example, if you are learning a new language, try varying techniques such as listening to language examples, reading written language, practicing with a friend, and writing down your own notes.
One helpful tip is to try writing out your notes on paper rather than typing on a laptop, tablet, or computer. Research has found that longhand notes can help cement information in memory more effectively than digital note-taking.
Another great way to become a more effective learner is to use relational learning, which involves relating new information to things that you already know.
For example, if you are learning a new language, you might associate the new vocabulary and grammar you are learning with what you already know about your native language or other languages you may already speak.
For many students, learning typically involves reading textbooks, attending lectures, or doing research in the library or online. While seeing information and then writing it down is important, actually putting new knowledge and skills into practice can be one of the best ways to improve learning.
If it is a sport or athletic skill, perform the activity on a regular basis. If you are learning a new language, practice speaking with another person and surround yourself with language-immersion experiences. Watch foreign-language films and strike up conversations with native speakers to practice your budding skills.
Research suggests that making mistakes when learning can improve learning outcomes. According to one study, trial-and-error learning where the mistakes were close to the actual answer was actually a helpful part of the learning process.
Another study found that mistakes followed by corrective feedback can be beneficial to learning. So if you make a mistake when learning something new, spend some time correcting the mistake and examining how you arrived at the incorrect answer.
Another strategy that can help is known as distributed practice. Instead of trying to cram all of your learning into a few long study sessions, try a brief, focused session, and then take a break.
So if you were learning a new language, you might devote a period of time to an intensive session of studying. After a break, you would then come back and rehearse your previous learning while also extending it to new learning.
While it may seem that spending more time studying is one of the best ways to maximize learning, research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you better remember what you've learned, even if it wasn't covered on the test.
This phenomenon, known as the testing effect, suggests that spending time retrieving information from memory improves the long-term memory of that information. This retrieval practice makes it more likely that you will be able to remember that information again in the future.
- Good Practice Encourages Student – Instructor Contact. Frequent student – instructor contact in and out of classes is an important factor in student motivation and involvement.
- Good Practice Encourages Cooperation Among Students. Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. Good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated.
- Good Practice Encourages Active Learning. Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to instructors, memorizing assignments, and spitting out answers.
- Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback. Knowing what you know and don’t know focuses learning. Students need appropriate feedback on performance to benefit from courses.
Deep learning occurs when students use study strategies that ensure course ideas and concepts are embedded into long-term, rather than just short-term, memory. Building your study plans and review sessions in a way that helps create a conceptual framing of the material will serve you now and in the long run.
The authors define enhancing meaning as “creating challenging, thoughtful learning experiences that include student perspectives and values. The motivational condition for enhancing meaning also creates opportunity for increased engagement and successful learner outcomes.
Aug 2, 2022 · Research on the psychology of learning has highlighted straightforward ways of enhancing learning. However, effective learning strategies are underused by learners. In this Review, we discuss key...
