Developing a solid foundation in basic concepts is vital in learning new things. This will make it much easier and more intuitive to learn advanced concepts. Associative learning is also helpful for improving memory storage and retrieval. For example, reading introductory chapters in a course can help you understand the material.
Focusing On One Concept At A Time
One way to learn advanced concepts quickly is to focus on one picture at a time. This is known as the focus listing method. While it may be difficult at first, focusing on one concept will help you memorize it more effectively. To do this, first, choose a vital image or term to study. After that, write down five to 10 essential words for understanding this concept. Try to keep this activity to two to three minutes.
Writing Down What You Want To Know
Regardless of your learning style, writing down what you want to know when learning advanced principles or concepts can be beneficial. Color-coded writing helps you review important ideas. For instance, you are writing in red, highlighting essential information. Another method is to use mind mapping, a system that enables you to organize information in a visually appealing way. Mind maps start with a central idea and branch out from there.
Explaining The Material Aloud
Explaining the material aloud strengthens your understanding and helps you remember the details. You can do this with your classmates or with an imaginary audience. Regardless of who you explain the material to, it is crucial to ensure that the explanation is easy to follow. In addition, it is helpful to avoid using technical terms and introduce metaphors whenever possible.
Self-testing
Self-testing is a method of learning that is highly effective when done in the absence of a teacher. There have been hundreds of experiments showing that students who regularly practice answering practice questions are more likely to learn advanced concepts and retain information more effectively. However, most students prefer to take as few tests as possible.
The study concluded that students who self-test view learning in a different way than those who do not. They also value other course resources more. However, the study’s results are inconclusive because it relies on student self-report data, which might not accurately reflect actual study habits. However, it did reveal a correlation between self-testing and student evaluations of course resources. Students who self-tested scored higher on practice examination questions than students who did not self-test.
Distributed Practice
The distributed practice has several benefits. The most obvious one is that students can eliminate mistakes and retain knowledge more effectively if they redo practice questions in order. Interestingly, this strategy has also been shown to impact first-check correctness positively. In addition, it can increase students’ focus and concentration, allowing them to spend more time on each question.
In addition to ensuring that students have enough time to study, distributed practice can also increase the likelihood that they will remember material better than if they only learn it once or twice. The distributed approach can be complex because students often forget the material, but the process will force them to retrieve the information from memory, strengthening their memory.
