Effective Study Methods to Boost Student Success

"Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding." ~ William Arthur Ward

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Life is all about constantly learning new things, acquiring new skills and striving to grow every single day. Whether you're learning a foreign language or trying to improve your math skills, it is not only what you learn, but how you learn that matters. Teachers and tutors play an invaluable role in facilitating the learning process and shaping confident, independent learners. As an educator, your role extends beyond merely delivering lessons—it also involves guiding students on how to study effectively. By teaching students impactful study methods, you can ensure that they’re not just acquiring new information, ideas and concepts, but also maximizing their knowledge and potential.

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Class management software like Classcard can streamline your daily administrative tasks like class scheduling, online bookings, invoicing, attendance tracking, and more, so you can focus on teaching powerful learning strategies for students.

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You and your learners may already be using some of these study methods without realizing it. For example, we often use the blurting method (explained below) as a revision strategy. Incorporating these easy study strategies into the learning process can greatly enhance learning effectiveness.

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Here are some of the best study methods and learning strategies that you, as a teacher or tutor, can introduce to your learners:

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The best study methods and learning strategies for students

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1. The Second Brain Method

The average person consumes around 74GB of data per day (roughly equivalent to watching 16 movies!) and this number is increasing by around 5% every year. Be it from TVs, computers, cellphones, billboards, books, newspapers, or conversations, we’re facing an unprecedented information overload. Add to this the academic facts that students learn in the course of their education, and it seems clear why we’re often mentally exhausted and why we struggle to recall the right information when needed.

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This is where the second brain study method comes in. The second brain is like a personal knowledge repository, which allows you to organize information effectively, and in turn, access and apply it at the right time. This productivity hack involves storing any useful information which you may require in the future—quotes, lists, screenshots, voice memos, meeting notes, web pages, documents, and much more—in an external system. This frees up your brain for important tasks such as creativity and problem-solving, in turn boosting productivity.

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The whole process of building a second brain can be captured by the C.O.D.E framework—Capture, Organize, Distill, Express—developed by Tiago Forte.

• Decide what you want to capture, from personal to job-related information.
• Choose an organization app like Google Keep, Notion, Coda, or Roam Research to record notes, tasks, to-do lists, etc.—a digital commonplace for storing all your ideas and information.
• Capture useful information in one place before deciding where to put it. Be selective with the information that you are capturing, capture only the most important and useful ideas.
• Organize the collected information into pages and sub-pages (similar to creating boards on Pinterest.) The PARA system (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) could help you identify the most immediate and actionable information.
• Distill the raw information and highlight the important ideas and concepts after organizing them.
• Express the collected inputs and information as something tangible.

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The second brain study method saves time and effort, prevents information overload, and frees up mental space for creativity and problem-solving, which in turns boosts productivity.

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2. Blurting Method

The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries define the word "blurt" as ’to say something suddenly and without thinking carefully.’ This is precisely what the blurting method entails. The blurting method is a useful revision technique. It is a simple and quick way for students to test their understanding about a topic.

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In this method, students first read through the study material or content, such as notes or presentations. They then put them away and write down or ‘blurt’ everything that they can recall about the topic from memory, in any order or sequence. After that, they compare the ‘blurted’ notes to the original notes to identify errors and gaps in knowledge. Students may then repeat the blurting process.

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The main objective of the blurting method is to identify areas of weakness and work on improving them. It may help learners save time in the future by avoiding the need to revise concepts that they already know thoroughly.

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This study technique utilizes the active recall method, which is a proven and effective learning approach. By focusing on active retrieval rather than passive learning, the blurting method not only clarifies understanding but also boosts memory.

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3. Feynman Technique

“I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.” – Richard Feynman

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Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist known for his contributions to quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics (QED), and particle physics. 

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The Feynman technique of learning simplifies and solidifies the comprehension of complex concepts. This is one of the most effective study methods and it consists of a simple four-step approach to grasp a concept thoroughly.

• Choose a concept to learn - Choose a topic that you want to learn and write down whatever you know about it.
• Teach it to someone else - Test your understanding by trying to teach the topic, in the simplest terms possible (easy language, no technical jargon), to someone with no prior knowledge of the same. It could even be an imaginary child.
• Review and understand - While explaining the topic, identify where you’re unable to present ideas clearly. These are your knowledge gaps and areas of weakness. Revisit these gaps from the study materials and delve deeper for better understanding.
• Organize and simplify - Once you’ve reviewed the concept again, further simplify the notes and explanations to make the topic even easier and clearer to understand. You could use easy-to-understand visual aids, diagrams, comparison tables and more to help organize and illustrate your thoughts and points.

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4. Retrieval Practice

Simply put, retrieval practice is a learning strategy where students actively remember and recall information from memory instead of merely re-reading and reviewing it. It not only helps enhance learning effectiveness but also strengthens memory and boosts long-term retention. The retrieval method can be put into practice by quizzing yourself, using flashcards, solving problems related to the subject, taking practice exams, or explaining concepts to peers.

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By forcing your brain to retrieve information, you create a ‘desirable difficulty’. This strengthens the connections between different facts in your brain, making it easier for you to remember them later, improving long-term memory and performance.

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5. Leitner system

The Leitner system is a flashcard-based, spaced repetition study technique, which was developed by Sebastian Leitner, a German psychologist, in the 1970s. It is a widely-used study method for improving long-term memory retention.

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The Leitner study method utilizes flashcards, which are organized into 3 or 5 boxes or groups based on how well the material is known and understood by the learner. Each box represents a different level of knowledge and familiarity with the material, ranging from Box 1 (containing new or unfamiliar information) to Box 3 or Box 5 (consisting of well-understood concepts).

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Here's how the Leitner method works:

• Prepare flashcards for the concepts you want to learn. Create 3 or 5 boxes, and assign each box a frequency for when to review the flashcards (for example, Box 1 for cards to be reviewed daily, Box 2 for cards to be reviewed every other day, Box 3 - once a week and so on.)
• All flashcards begin in Box 1. Review each card, and move it to Box 2 if answered correctly. If answered incorrectly, the flashcard remains in Box 1. The concepts which remain in Box 1 may be unclear or difficult and need to be studied frequently. The cards which have moved on to Box 2 contain information which you understand better and can revise every other day or as per the frequency assigned to Box 2.
• Move to the next box and follow the same process on each study day. Each time you answer a question correctly, move the flashcard to the next box, and if you answer incorrectly, move the flashcard to the previous box. The cards which graduate to the next box contain concepts you are familiar with and can be reviewed less often. The cards in the same or previous box require more revision and will appear more frequently.
• Follow the same method on the assigned study days till all the flashcards have progressed to the last box.

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The Leitner study method helps learners optimize their time and effort by focusing their study efforts where they’re needed most. Moreover, the spaced repetition system stimulates our brain by accessing information stored deep within over a longer period of time, reinforcing memory.

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6. Pomodoro Technique

I’m sure you’ve heard about the Pomodoro technique! This clever time management method was invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 80s. The Pomodoro method aims to improve productivity and focus by dividing work or study sessions into 25-minute segments called "pomodoros." Here's how you can use it:

• Identify a task or project to work on.
• Set a timer for 25 minutes, which represents one pomodoro.
• For those 25 minutes, focus completely on the task.
• Once the timer goes off, take a small 5 minute break.
• Repeat the cycle until you finish your task. After every 3 or 5 pomodoros, you could reward yourself with a longer break.

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The Pomodoro study technique helps students maintain consistent motivation and concentration by breaking study sessions into smaller, manageable chunks, while taking regular breaks helps prevent procrastination and burnout, all-in-all improving productivity and learning effectiveness.

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Benefits of Effective Studying Techniques

In today's dynamic, fast-paced world, where learners are constantly bombarded with information, using effective study methods to learn and retain information is crucial. Teaching students about these learning strategies will:

• Increase student confidence and motivation.
• Enhance memory and knowledge retention.
• Improve understanding of complex material.
• Boost focus and concentration.
• Provide measurable improvement in results.

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However, different people learn in different ways, and what works for one person may not work for another. It's important to remember that everyone has unique learning preferences and study strategies that work best for them. You may need to experiment and reflect to find the strategies that resonate best with your learners. Consider factors like personality traits, the subject you're teaching, and the learning environment when choosing which study method works best.

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Ultimately, effective study strategies allow you to empower learners to take control of their education, making the process more enjoyable and rewarding. By embracing the right learning strategies, students can maximize their learning potential, adapt to new challenges, improve academic performance, and cultivate a love for lifelong learning.

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Leveraging these study strategies, combined with the powerful features provided by Classcard, is a guaranteed game changer for your teaching and tutoring business. If you’re keen on elevating student outcomes and redefining learning, book a free Classcard demo today! We promise, you’ll love it!

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