Recent data suggests that much of what University students know about studying is wrong.
Cognitive scientists, including University Prof. Daniel Willingham, challenged conventional wisdom of study habits by conducting various experiments on memory and learning to determine which habits were successful and which were not. Their findings may help foster more efficient study habits for learners at any stage of life.
The researchers point out that much of the wisdom on how to study effectively and recall information is actually based on tradition and not scientific evidence. For example, there is a lack of credible evidence to support the concept of visual versus auditory learning, or even left- versus right-brain learners.
The team of scientists, led by Asst. Prof. Nate Kornell of Williams College, found that one of the main issues with current students is simply overconfidence.
"If you consistently go into the exams and think you'll do well but always feel that you do poorly, that's because you're overconfident," Kornell said.
A simple way to remedy this issue is to diagnose your knowledge by quizzing yourself, summarizing readings or trying to teach others, he said. Doing so, Kornell said, allows you to "know what you know."
Psychology Prof. Daniel Willingham said the research provides "a way to study for fewer hours with better results."
For instance, many students study for an extended period of time in one location, but research suggests that there are more effective ways to learn. If study sessions are separated by a certain amount of time, and especially a good night's rest, the ability to recall information is much more efficient. Consequently, the most effective way to remember information is to study for a few hours during the course of a week.
Willingham said although the experiments signal ways to improve study habits, it is difficult to use laboratory data to model behavior in the classroom because of the effects on motivation. In a laboratory setting, it is possible to control all variables except the one being studied, whereas this is not true in "real life" because many different cognitive factors are interacting at the same time, he added.
Willingham said cramming for tests is one area in which students' perceptions of learning match scientific data. Information can be recalled for a test the next day but is quickly lost afterward.
"The most important thing to consider while studying is not to simply take notes, but to think deeply about what things actually mean," he said.
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