You can learn anything by doing this ...

Scientists say that a simple strategy can help people learn anything, from languages to mathematics. Testing yourself on the material is more effective than studying and re-studying the material, such as reading and rereading language vocabulary (Psychological Science, November 11, 2015). Psychologists call it the ‘testing effect.’

A 2003 study by Henry L. Roediger III and Jeffrey D. Karpicke confirmed that testing makes information stay in the brain. Researcher Mark Wheeler conducted the experiment in which participants reviewed a list of 40 words five times. Another group of participants reviewed it once and took four recall tests. Then all participants took a general test five minutes later or one week later.

The results showed that participants who read the list of 40 words five times performed much better on the general test five minutes later. But participants who read the list of words once and took four recall tests performed much better on the general test one week later.

In other words, testing helped to boost long-term memory.

In a 2014 study Carola Wiklund-Hornqvist recruited 83 students in an undergraduate psychology course. The participants studied a series of psychological concepts for four minutes. Half the participants continued to study the concepts while each fact was presented on a computer screen for 15 seconds. The other half took six tests in which they had to come up with the concept descibed on a computer screen, and then they would see the correct answer. Then all participants – of both groups – took a general recall test. They did the same test 18 days later and 5 weeks later.

The results showed that participants who did the six test (test series) performed better on all three tests – immediate, 18 days, and 5 weeks – than those who only studied the concepts. Therefore the most efficient strategy for remembering something – from concepts to language – is to practice recalling it. In other words, learn something and test yourself repeatedly – immediately and in time intervals afterwards. It seems to be a lot more effective than drilling facts by looking at them or reading them. So study something, then test yourself, study, test yourself, test yourself, test yourself, and test yourself again.

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/scientists-say-this-ridiculously-simple-strategy-can-help-you-learn-anything.html

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