Re-reading class notes and/or textbooks is one of the most common methods students use to study for exams.
Unfortunately, research also shows that this is one of the least effective study methods for improving students’ performance on exams (Dunloski, 2013).
Why is re-reading so ineffective? One reason is that it’s extremely passive….and passive study methods do very little to hold students’ attention. As a result, students often end up reading over a page of notes only to realize they have no idea what they just read, and needing to go back and re-read the same page again. As a study method, this is boring, frustrating, and a big waste of time.
So, why do students use passive study methods like re-reading when they’re so ineffective? One reason is that they seem easy, and take very little effort. Of course, if students end up having to re-read their notes and/or textbook several times in a row, this may take them more time than would be required for other study methods. But the illusion of ease is still there.
Another reason why students can be drawn to passive study methods like re-reading notes and highlighting is that these methods trick students into thinking they know more than they do (Karpicke et al. 2009). When students re-read their notes, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security and conclude that – since the material looks familiar – they must know it. But familiarity is not the same as understanding, and being able to recognize information does not necessarily mean that you will be able to recall it from memory.
If you want a real-life example of this, try passively looking over a map of the United States for a few minutes…then putting it away and seeing how accurately you can re-draw it, complete with state boundaries and names. Most adults find this to be quite challenging! And this is a map of the United States, which you’ve seen hundreds of times before. How much easier would it be for your student to look over a list of dates from their history class and think “oh yeah, I know this”…only to get into the test and not remember the answers to the questions?
Rather than passively re-reading notes and textbooks, students will get much better results if they use study methods that involve active recall methods, especially practice testing, to engage with the material.
Some examples of active recall study methods could include:
- Taking a practice test or quiz from their teacher, textbook, or a website online
- Practicing definitions or formulas with flashcards or Quizlet
- Teaching the material out loud to a friend or family member (without looking at notes)
- Making up their own test questions, and practicing answering them from memory
Practice testing gives students far better results than passively re-reading material, and most students also find that it is much easier to stay alert and engaged when testing themselves on the material as opposed to passively re-reading it!
How you can help:
Encourage your student to try out more study methods that involve actively recalling the information from memory. For example:
- Volunteer to quiz your student on their notes from history class.
- Ask your student to teach you the main concepts from their chemistry class, and ask them lots of “why” and “how” questions to test their understanding of the material.
- Offer to help your student put together a practice exam with questions from the teacher’s study guide, the textbook, and websites online – and use it to test their knowledge.
- Host a study session for your student and some of their classmates where they can quiz each other on hard questions before the upcoming test. (If possible, set this up so that individual students are responsible for answering the questions, so one or two well-prepared students don’t end up dominating the session.)
Or, rather than choosing one of these ideas yourself, you could simply offer to help your student brainstorm potential active recall study methods so they have some more options in mind for how to study for their next test more effectively.
Encouraging your student to find more active and creative ways to study will not only increase their understanding of the material and improve their grades, it will also make the whole learning process more interesting and enjoyable!
If you think your student could benefit from working with an Academic Coach to find the study strategies that work best for them, sign up for a free consultation here.
References:
Dunlosky, J. (2013) Strengthening the Student Toolbox: Study Strategies to Boost Learning, American Educator, 37(3): 12–21.
Karpicke, J., Butler, A., and Roediger, H. (2009), “Metacognitive Strategies in Student learning: Do students practice retrieval when they study on their own?, Memory, 17(4): 471–479.
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About The Author
Dr. Maggie Wray is a certified ADHD Coach & Academic Life Coach with a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell and a Bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics from Princeton. She founded Creating Positive Futures in 2012 to help high school and college students learn how to earn better grades with less stress. Her team of dedicated coaches is on a mission to empower students to develop the mindset, organization, time management, and study skills they need to achieve their goals.