Learning to learn: 4 highly effective strategies

Ever found yourself standing in a store aisle, struggling to remember what you came for? Or perhaps you've experienced that heart-pounding moment during an exam when a vital piece of information seems just out of reach. We’re all prone to forgetting things, both in school and in life, which is why educators and learners are always on the lookout for strategies that strengthen memory.

Cognitive scientists have identified four strategies that are much more effective than other learning techniques you may have been using up till now: spaced learning, retrieval practice, corrective feedback, and multi-sensory learning. These front-runners have garnered a lot of attention in the academic and educational communities for how effective they are at improving learning for the long-term.

In this article, we will cover each strategy, discuss why it’s so helpful for learning, and give you tips on how you can apply it in learning and in daily life.

Spaced Learning

Spaced learning is a technique that involves spacing out learning sessions over time with breaks in between. This is in contrast to cramming, or trying to learn a lot of information at once, which is ineffective. For example, spending 30 minutes reviewing the periodic table, taking a break, then repeating this several times is more effective than trying to learn all the elements in one go.

Spacing out your study sessions is effective because it gives your brain time to review and reinforce what you've learned through repetition. This makes it easier to move information from short-term to long-term memory, where it will stay potentially forever. In other words, your brain remembers things better in the long run when you give it time to process and store the information effectively.

Researchers have tested this strategy by asking participants to learn new vocabulary words. Participants were asked to review the words again immediately (cramming condition), and again one week later (spaced learning condition). When a vocabulary test was given five weeks after that, the words remembered correctly in the spaced learning condition were 177 percent higher compared to the cramming condition (1). This large increase shows that when we space out our learning over time, we’re more likely to remember it down the road.

How can you apply a spaced learning schedule?

• Plan several study sessions with breaks: divide your study sessions into manageable segments and incorporate short breaks in between. Dedicate specific time slots for learning and ensure that breaks are included to prevent mental fatigue and optimize retaining what you learned.

• Use spaced repetition techniques: use flashcards or online platforms that use spaced repetition algorithms (for instance, Anki) to schedule review sessions in a spaced-out way. These tools can help reinforce learning by presenting information at spaced intervals tailored to your learning pace.

• Review and reflect on what you learned during breaks: take advantage of your breaks to reflect on the material you've covered. Use this time to mentally recap key concepts or visualize the information.

Retrieval Practice

Retrieval practice is when you actively recall information from memory. This involves bringing information back to mind or saying information out loud after learning. This is in contrast to passive learning methods, like re-reading, which are less effective.

When you actively bring information back to mind with retrieval practice, you help strengthen the context associated with that information, making it more accessible in the brain, and helping you remember it after a long time (2, 12). This leads to better memory for the items that are learned with retrieval practice in the long run.

In one study, participants learned texts using retrieval practice or restudying. Participants then took a memory test 5 minutes, 2 days, and 1 week after the learning session. Results were astonishing— those who learned with retrieval practice performed several times better at the one week mark compared to those that learned by restudying (2). This shows the power of retrieval practice strengthening memory for the long-term.

Retrieval practice has also been shown to improve memory for a wide range of learning material, test types, and across education levels and ages (3), and has even been shown to help people remember information better after brain trauma (4). Studies have also shown that when we retrieve information, we prevent forgetting, increase conceptual understanding, and develop critical thinking skills (5). Moreover, recent evidence also shows that retrieval practice may help reduce test anxiety in students (6), leading to better performance in school. In other words, retrieval-based learning works really well.

How can you apply retrieval practice?

• Test yourself: the best way to apply retrieval practice is to test yourself. Incorporate regular quizzing and self-testing into your study routine. You can create your own practice questions to test what you know. Or, you can write down as much as you can remember from the material without looking at the answers.

• Use flashcards and recall exercises: make flashcards with questions or prompts on one side with the corresponding answers on the other. Continuously review these flashcards, actively recalling the information before flipping to check your response (pro tip: space out the review sessions here using spaced practice for even stronger benefits).

• Explain it to others: teach a friend, family member, or study group about a topic you've been learning. Explaining concepts aloud without referring to your notes not only reinforces your understanding but also challenges you to retrieve and communicate information effectively. The basic rule is, if you can explain it in simple terms, you really know it!

Corrective Feedback

Corrective feedback is a strategy where you receive the correct answer to a question while you study. This is a critical phase in learning because, if you don’t know the correct information, you may continue learning something that is wrong. By receiving timely and specific feedback, you can get insights into where you may have gone astray. It not only points out what was incorrect but also provides clear explanations and guidance on how to course-correct.

Research has shown that people are more likely to remember feedback that is different from their expectations, or is surprising. This can happen when we receive feedback on something we thought was correct, but turns out to be wrong, known as a high confidence error. One study showed that when provided with surprising feedback, participants really remembered the content of the feedback that surprised them (7), helping them avoid making that mistake again later. This means that when feedback surprises us, it sticks in our memory better. So, mixing in unexpected feedback can help us remember things more effectively when we're learning.

How can you apply feedback?

• Review right away: while you’re studying, double check your answers with the correct answers to ensure what you’re learning is accurate.

• Ask others for feedback: get feedback quickly after completing an assignment while it’s still fresh in your mind. Ask for feedback that is specific and constructive. This will help you see areas for improvement.

• Reflect: think about your work and self-assess your performance before receiving external feedback. Try to identify your own errors and areas where you can improve.

Multi-sensory Learning

In our every day life, we constantly interact with the world through different senses, such as sight, sound and touch. Multi-sensory learning leverages this fact by using our sensory modalities for learning. For example, you might learn about the solar system through visual diagrams, auditory explanations, and hands-on activities. Or, you can learn about history through visiting historical sites and doing reenactments to bring the past to life.

Multi-sensory learning works well because it caters to different learning styles and encourages deeper involvement with the material. Research shows that engaging multiple senses during learning can greatly enhance how well we understand and remember things (8). By incorporating sight, sound, touch, and other sensory experiences, we're essentially giving our brains more pathways to encode and process the information. This multi-sensory approach leads to stronger neural connections, which results in better understanding, better ability to remember, and higher achievement.

How can you apply multi-sensory learning?

• Integrate sensory input: use visuals, discussions, hands-on tasks, and movement to engage different senses during learning.

• Hands-on learning: plan experiments, group activities, and projects to encourage active participation and exploration. This will help you think about the topic in a different way, leading to new ideas.

• Personalize learning: make learning work for you. Think about how you learn best and what helps you the most. When you know what works for you, you can engage with the material better and be more motivated to learn.

All together now

Spacing, retrieval practice, feedback, and multi-sensory learning are strong enough on their own, but using them together can give you even more bang for your buck. For example, you can start by retrieving information aloud or by writing it down and spacing out these retrieval sessions over time, which will strengthen what you remember at the next session (9, 10). Adding multi-sensory elements, such as visual aids or hands-on activities, while you retrieve information can add another element to help you engage with the material in a new way, leading to better memory (8). And, getting corrective feedback on time during these sessions helps correct any errors (7) so you can make sure the right information sticks in your brain.

Educators around the world eagerly promote the use of these four strategies in classrooms and universities across all ages and topics to promote effective learning (9, 10). And, there is a general desire in the academic community to push for educational programs such as learning applications to be based on these strategies (e.g., 11). By designing learning interventions or applications using scientifically-backed strategies, learning is guaranteed to be effective, leading to improved performance in studies or work.

Takeaways

Every day’s a school day in life and we can maximize our learning abilities by using these four learning strategies. Spaced learning, retrieval practice, feedback, and multi-sensory learning are some of the most effective strategies we have today because they help create strong memories that can be remembered better in the future. These strategies also go beyond the classroom and can be applied in every day life. So, the next time you’re headed to the grocery store, try rehearsing the items you need to yourself — and never forget the butter again!

References

1. Sobel, H. S., Cepeda, N. J., & Kapler, I. V. (2011). Spacing effects in real‐world classroom vocabulary learning. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25(5), 763-767.

2. Roediger III, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological science, 17(3), 249-255.

3. Agarwal, P. K., Nunes, L. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2021). Retrieval practice consistently benefits student learning: A systematic review of applied research in schools and classrooms. Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1409-1453.

4. Sumowski, J. F., Coyne, J., Cohen, A., & DeLuca, J. (2014). Retrieval practice improves memory in survivors of severe traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 95(2), 397-400.

5. van Peppen, L. M., Verkoeijen, P. P., Heijltjes, A., Janssen, E., & van Gog, T. (2021). Repeated retrieval practice to foster students’ critical thinking skills. Collabra: Psychology, 7(1), 28881.

6. Agarwal, P. K., D’antonio, L., Roediger III, H. L., McDermott, K. B., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Classroom-based programs of retrieval practice reduce middle school and high school students’ test anxiety. Journal of applied research in memory and cognition, 3(3), 131-139.

7. Fazio, L. K., & Marsh, E. J. (2009). Surprising feedback improves later memory. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16(1), 88-92.

8. Shams, L., & Seitz, A. R. (2008). Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in cognitive sciences, 12(11), 411-417.

9. Roediger III, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice. Perspectives on psychological science, 1(3), 181-210.

10. Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(9), 496-511.

11. Reber, T. P., & Rothen, N. (2018). Educational App-Development needs to be informed by the Cognitive Neurosciences of Learning & Memory. npj Science of Learning, 3(1), 22.

12. Karpicke, J. D. (2017). Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Grantee submission.