Comments on: To Really Learn, Quit Studying and Take a Test

By: wilnerfuddle

wilnerfuddle — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:11:39 +0000

These ideas are not new, despite the research.
There was similar research posted in Science in 2007 or so about test-taking and reterieval.
And good students already know this. Back in the 1980s,my physics professor told us that instead of memorizing and doing problems, we should be making up practice tests to reinforce the concepts; take them like the real test. That’s how I aced physics. and chemistry and biology . .

By: Aaron (The US Version)

Aaron (The US Version) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:22:08 +0000

I agree with the article. This summer, one of the courses I took was Learning and Memory. It seems that testing oneself repeatedly does yield the best results, which explains why things like flashcards are so popular among students. Tests force you to really search your memory and work at putting together facts to get the answers right. Repetition, in and of itself, is a somewhat limited practice unless it is combined with testing or quizzing. My current pattern for learning my subjects revolves around the use of flashcards and quizzing myself. When I get a question wrong, I review that info again, wait a bit, then try to replicate my answer later. There’s little point in reviewing the things you already know well, and your time is better spent on the material that’s tough for you.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:49:33 +0000

Anna — my apologies for my vagueness. Yes, I did indeed mean a person with savant -type autism, and not all people on the autistic spectrum. But of course that’s only one example. If anyone, of any diagnosis or none, just remembered isolated facts, this would be a narrow definition of learning.
Regards, Glenn.

By: Ross

Ross — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:31:56 +0000

I’ve always found the best way to revise was to do practice papers.

By: Ijz

Ijz — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:36:44 +0000

There was a video here recently about superior autobiographical memory (http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/01/60-minutes-documentary-superior-autobiographical-memory/)
I recall a scientist saying that stressful events seem to make more lasting impressions.
I can imagine a test being somewhat stressful and hence increasing your memory retention about it.

By: Berber Anna

Berber Anna — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:00:49 +0000

Glenn, I’d like to think that despite my autism, I’m not just a depository of facts. I mean, I like knowing things, but I love understanding things. Or did you mean savants with classical autism by ‘an autistic person’?

By: Coldman

Coldman — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:00:50 +0000

I guess this sounds pretty logical, considering the fact that I’ve learned the most in any education I did during the exams.

I guess practice exams is the way to go, huh?

By: Glenn

Glenn — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:17:44 +0000

So that’s “To really REMEMBER…” rather than “To really LEARN…” then. Learning is more than just recalling facts — it’s about putting them together in sensible ways. An autistic person can remember thousands of facts, but that would be a very narrow definition of what it means to truly learn.

By: andy clark

andy clark — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:02:50 +0000

how did they assess the other 2 methods – surely tghey had to test them as well haha

By: Taffy

Taffy — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:55:07 +0000

Hey Derren. I love your blog posts but this one a few years late!

Nice post though.

Any chance you can post a bit more about mind manipulation and memory techniques? Would be handy in work!!

Keep it up my Jedi Master