Top 10 Most Effective Learning Strategies 10. Imagery for text

Top 10 Most Effective Learning Strategies
10. Imagery for text
This technique consists of developing internal images that elaborate on the material being studied. Dunlonsky’s research showed that the benefits of mental imagery are short-lived. The strategy also does not seem to be widely applicable.
9. Keyword mnemonic
This strategy is particularly used when learning new words or a foreign language. It involves using a keyword to represent the new term. Research does not support the effectiveness of this technique.
8. Summarisation
Paraphrasing the most important ideas in a text can help to learn. However, this technique only works after students are properly trained in how to write summaries. Dunlosky suggests that this need for extensive training - which usually does not happen - reduces the applicability of the technique and that other less-demanding strategies should be chosen instead.
7. Highlighting
Despite its popularity, Dunlosky reports performance after reading and highlighting is not better than performance after reading only.
6. Rereading
Also a very popular technique, rereading seems to only help with knowing, but not with understanding. That is, it improves students’ ability to recall something as old, but does not enhance their learning for that topic.
5. Self-explanation
This strategy is used when students’ explain how new information relates to things they already know. Relating novel content to prior knowledge creates new connections and facilitates the development of schemes.
4. Elaborative interrogation
This strategy involves asking and answering Why and How questions. That is, thinking about a subject in more depth and detail, which strengthens connections in the brain.
3. Interleaved practice
Interleaving is the strategy of mixing up the order of questions across different topics. Research reveals this technique to be particularly effective in when teaching Maths and parts of the Science content. Commonly, students learn strategy A and solve a series of problems that demand strategy A, and then do the same with strategy B. Interleaving would be to learn strategy A and strategy B, and solve problems that can demand one or the other in a pseudo-random order. This way, students need to figure out the right strategy from the problem itself, which leads to a deeper understanding of the topic and better preparation for exams.