AnnaMarie Houlis
Studying can be time- and energy-consuming.
Cramming for a test, trying to learn a language or developing a new skill can be stressful at times. It can feel even more frustrating if you forget much of what you’ve learned even as you’re learning it.
A wealth of research suggests that reading and re-reading notes is the most popular way that people study. But more research indicates that reading and re-reading can give you the illusion of competence. You may not actually be retaining what you’re reading.
One analysis of 10 different study methods purports that passive learning techniques—like re-reading, highlighting and summarizing your notes—are all “low-utility” techniques. They require a lot of input for very little output.
Fortunately, there are studying techniques you can use to help you not just absorb information, but actually remember it all. Active recall and spaced repetition, for example, are two methods of hanging onto all the details.
What Is Active Recall?
Active recall, also known as active retrieval and practice testing, refers to a process of remembering information without just re-reading it or phoning a friend (read: Google). It’s a method of moving information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory by trying to recall it without referring to your notes or looking it up.
Basically, when you succeed in active recall, you can remember things from scratch.
With active recall, you ultimately store the information in the back of your mind, and you can easily tap into it when you need it—such as for an exam. It works because it stimulates your brain to recall whatever it is that you’re studying from your long-term memory.
In fact, studies show that students who use the active recall technique while studying actually outperform those who choose other studying methods on tests. Active recall is also proven to promote conceptual learning.
How to Use Active Recall to Study
Sure, practicing active recall sounds simple. But it’s not necessarily so easy. It may take time to absorb the information at hand.
The first step to be able to recall information is to review it. The review is a crucial first step in the active recall method. After all, you can’t practice remembering something that you don’t understand well enough.
For example, if you try to remember the phrase “estoy estudiando español,” it’s important to first understand that it means, “I am studying Spanish.” It’s a lot easier to remember something when you can identify what it is.
After you understand the phrase, you can practice the recall step. Close your eyes and try to remember the phrase without referring to your notes or opening up Google Translate. Active recall draws solely on your memory. The goal is to actively learn the information instead of passively reading it.
If you can’t recall it the first time you try, reread it or look it up again, and try again. Failing to actively recall answers or details helps you become acutely aware of that which requires more attention.
Studies say that the SQ3R method is an effective way of practicing active recall.
- Survey – Survey, or skim, the material you have at hand to get a basic idea of what it’s all about.
- Question – Create some questions about the topic that you have.
- Read – Read the study materials while actively trying to answer the questions that you have.
- Retrieve – Retrieve the information that you learned. This is the recall part. Do your best to formulate answers to your questions in your own words without referring to the text or study materials.
- Review – Once you’ve been able to successfully recall the information, review it all again. Summarize what you’ve taken away from it all.
The Feynman technique is another popular way to engage your brain in active recall. It involves teaching information you have learned to someone else.
As Albert Einstein famously said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
The Feynman technique involves four steps:
- Study – Study the material you have.
- Teach – Teach the topic to another person.
- Fill in the gaps – Go back and study the parts of the topic that you had trouble teaching.
- Simplify – Summarize what you’ve learned so that you can retrieve the information more easily.
Using flashcards can also help you actively recall answers from your memory. Write a detailed description, explanation or definition on one side and the topic or word on the other. After reading the detailed side of the flashcard, try to recall the answer before flipping the card.
You can also take practice tests to utilize the active recall method. Practice tests are a great way to prepare yourself for a real test.
What Is Spaced Repetition?
Spaced repetition is another evidence-based technique that can help you study better. Spaced repetition refers to periodically revisiting information.
It’s easy to forget stuff that we don’t regularly use. That’s why so many adults struggle with the long division we learned in school as kids. Not only are most of us reliant upon the calculators on our smartphones, but we also seldom use long division, if ever at all.
It’s a common misconception that the capital of Australia is Sydney. It’s Canberra. If this is news to you, you may very well forget it with time—unless it comes up in conversation often. Perhaps, you’re traveling to Sydney, and you find yourself correcting friends and family that it is not, in fact, the capital of the country. In this case, that Canberra is the capital might stick for you easier.
Spaced repetition is basically giving yourself that reminder, intentionally.
How to Use Spaced Repetition to Study
Here are some more ways to use spaced repetition to study.
Closed Book
Close the books. Every now and then, try to recall the text without referring to your book.
Flashcards
Use flashcards to help you learn facts, the same way you’d use them when practicing active recall. Instead of only using them during one study session, however, refer back to them every now and again.
Dorothy
With the Dorothy App, you don’t need to know when to study.
Dorothy leverages sophisticated artificial intelligence to predict, to the day, when you will forget information. And it sends you regular reminders for when you should study so you don’t forget.
Combining Spaced Repetition and Active Recall
Combining spaced repetition and active recall can be extra powerful. A growing body of research proves that you have the best shot at remembering and learning if you use active recall at intentional spaced intervals. It’s called spaced repetition learning.
Every now and then, you can try to recall the same information to test yourself on it. Space out your study sessions. You can increase the amount of time between study sessions as you go.
The Dorothy memorization tool helps you do it. Dorothy’s algorithms use spaced repetition to notify you at the optimal times to engage your brain in active recall. So you can focus on remembering what you’re learning—not remembering to learn it.
Other Tips for Studying and Remembering
Here are some other tips for studying—and actually remembering what you learn.
- When practicing active recall, highlight the questions you get correct in green and the ones you get wrong in red. The red questions require more of your attention in the review stage.
- Always study in a quiet place devoid of distractions. Sit somewhere where you can give your study materials your full attention.
- Find a technique that works for you. Not every technique will work for everybody. For example, some people are visual learners (65 percent of the population!). If this is the case, you should incorporate more visuals. Examples of visual aids are pictures, diagrams and charts.
Whether you’re gearing up for an upcoming exam or traveling to a foreign country and want to learn the language, utilizing active recall and spaced repetition can help.