How to Get the Most Out of Studying: Part 3 of 5, "Cognitive Principles for Optimizing Learning"

Summary

Dr. Stephen Chew's video emphasizes the importance of deep learning strategies over shallow ones for effective studying in college. He outlines principles like elaboration, distinctiveness, and personal experience to achieve deep processing. Chew also advises against rote memorization unless required, and stresses the significance of automaticity, overlearning, and ongoing skill development for successful academic performance.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Effective studying in college requires not only motivation and time but also the use of effective learning strategies.
• 🧠 Shallow learning focuses on memorization, whereas deep learning emphasizes meaning, comprehension, and visual imagery.
• 🔗 Elaboration in studying involves making meaningful associations between concepts and prior knowledge.
• 🌟 Distinctiveness helps by contrasting concepts to understand their key differences.
• 💡 Relating concepts to personal experiences can enhance understanding and memory.
• 📚 Practicing retrieval and application of material is crucial for deep processing.
• 🚫 Avoid memorizing isolated facts unless the teacher specifically tests on exact wording.
• 🔄 Automaticity refers to skills that become effortless and unconscious through practice.
• 📈 Overlearning involves studying material beyond the point of initial mastery to ensure quick and easy recall.
• 🔍 The next video will explore applying deep processing principles to note-taking and textbook reading.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video series by Dr. Stephen Chew?

The main topic of the video series is how to study effectively in college, focusing on the principles of effective learning strategies.

What does Dr. Chew emphasize as the key to effective studying?

Dr. Chew emphasizes the importance of using deep learning strategies that focus on meaning, comprehension, and visual imagery, rather than shallow learning strategies like memorization.

What are the basic principles Dr. Chew mentions for achieving deep processing?

The basic principles for achieving deep processing are elaboration, distinctiveness, and practicing appropriate retrieval and application of the material.

What does elaboration mean in the context of studying?

Elaboration in studying means making meaningful associations between the concept being studied and related concepts or prior knowledge to enhance learning.

How does distinctiveness help in the learning process?

Distinctiveness helps by making clear contrasts between the concept being studied and other concepts, helping to understand the key differences among related concepts.

Can you give an example of how to apply distinctiveness in a psychology class?

An example of applying distinctiveness is when learning about short-term and long-term memory, focusing on their key differences such as capacity and rate of forgetting.

What is the importance of relating concepts to personal experience in deep processing?

Relating concepts to personal experience helps in making the learning more meaningful and memorable, as it connects abstract ideas with real-life situations.

What does Dr. Chew suggest as an alternative to reading the material over and over?

Dr. Chew suggests closing the book and notes and recalling as much information as possible, writing it down, explaining it to a friend, or using review questions and tests.

Under what circumstances should one memorize isolated facts according to Dr. Chew?

One should memorize isolated facts if the teacher tests over the exact wording of those facts, which is an exception to the general advice against memorizing without understanding.

What are automaticity and overlearning as discussed by Dr. Chew?

Automaticity refers to a process that can be done without conscious thought due to high practice, while overlearning means studying material beyond the point of initial recall to make it quick and easy to remember.

Why is developing effective college-level study skills considered effortful and time-consuming?

Developing effective college-level study skills is effortful and time-consuming because it involves not only developing new skills but also overcoming the automatic and overlearned high school skills.

What is the role of overlearning in preventing forgetting and facilitating recall?

Overlearning plays a crucial role in preventing forgetting by reinforcing the material to the point where it can be recalled quickly and easily, which is particularly useful for critical information needed in the future.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Effective Study Strategies in College

Dr. Stephen Chew introduces the third video in a series focused on effective studying in college. He emphasizes that mere desire to learn and time spent studying are not enough; students must employ effective learning strategies to succeed. The video discusses the importance of deep learning strategies over shallow ones, such as memorization, and explains the principles of deep processing, including elaboration, distinctiveness, and personal experience. Dr. Chew provides examples of how to apply these principles, like differentiating between short-term and long-term memory. He also advises against rote memorization unless the teacher tests for exact wording, and stresses the importance of practicing retrieval and application of material. The video concludes with an introduction to the concepts of automaticity and overlearning, explaining how automatic processes can be developed through practice and how overlearning can prevent forgetting and facilitate easy recall.

05:03

🔍 Deep Processing and Overlearning for Optimal Learning

In the second paragraph, Dr. Chew continues the discussion on deep processing, outlining it as a set of principles for achieving deep learning. He addresses the negative impact of bad study habits that are automatic and contrasts them with the benefits of good study skills that become automatic with practice. The paragraph also highlights the significance of overlearning, which involves studying material beyond the point of initial recall to ensure quick and easy recollection later. Dr. Chew sets the stage for the next video, where these principles will be applied to practical learning situations such as note-taking and textbook reading.

Keywords

💡Effective studying

Effective studying refers to the use of strategies that maximize learning outcomes. In the video, Dr. Stephen Chew emphasizes that it's not just about the desire to learn or the time spent studying, but the application of effective learning strategies that leads to success. The script illustrates this by contrasting shallow learning strategies, which focus on memorization, with deep learning strategies that prioritize meaning, comprehension, and visual imagery.

💡Learning strategies

Learning strategies are systematic approaches to acquiring, understanding, and retaining new information. The video discusses the importance of using effective learning strategies over ineffective ones to ensure study success. For instance, Dr. Chew explains that using deep learning strategies naturally leads to learning, whereas shallow strategies might result in failure despite extensive studying.

💡Deep learning strategy

A deep learning strategy is an approach that emphasizes understanding the underlying meaning and connections within the material being studied. In the script, Dr. Chew describes how this strategy involves focusing on meaning, comprehension, and visual imagery, which contrasts with shallow learning strategies that are more about memorization. The video suggests that deep learning strategies are more effective for long-term retention and application of knowledge.

💡Shallow learning strategy

Shallow learning strategy is characterized by a focus on surface-level aspects of learning, such as memorization, without necessarily understanding the deeper meaning. Dr. Chew points out in the video that even with high motivation, using a shallow learning strategy may not lead to effective learning, as it lacks the depth of understanding provided by deep learning strategies.

💡Elaboration

Elaboration is the process of making meaningful associations between new concepts and existing knowledge or related concepts. The video script explains that the more associations one can make, the better the learning outcome. For example, relating short-term and long-term memory by their functions and differences is an act of elaboration that enhances understanding and retention.

💡Distinctiveness

Distinctiveness in learning refers to the clarity of differences between related concepts. The script uses the example of differentiating between short-term and long-term memory by focusing on their key differences, such as capacity and rate of forgetting, which helps in better understanding and distinguishing between the two.

💡Retrieval practice

Retrieval practice involves actively recalling information from memory, which is a critical component of deep learning. In the video, Dr. Chew suggests that instead of passively re-reading material, students should close their books and notes and attempt to recall information, which strengthens memory and understanding.

💡Automaticity

Automaticity is the state of a process being so well-practiced that it can be performed without conscious thought. The video discusses how both good and bad study habits can become automatic, and that developing effective college study skills often involves overcoming automatic high school habits that may not be suitable for higher education.

💡Overlearning

Overlearning is the process of studying material beyond the point of initial mastery to the point where recall is quick and easy. The script explains that overlearning can help prevent forgetting and facilitate fast and effortless recall, which is particularly useful for critical information that will be needed in the future.

💡Personal experience

Personal experience is used in the video as a method to relate abstract concepts to one's own life, making the learning more relatable and memorable. Dr. Chew gives examples of forgetting names at parties (short-term memory) and remembering getting lost in a mall as a child (long-term memory) to illustrate the practical applications of memory concepts.

💡Overcoming automaticity

Overcoming automaticity refers to the effort required to change well-practiced but potentially ineffective habits. The video script discusses how developing effective college-level study skills can be challenging because it involves not just learning new skills but also unlearning and overcoming automatic high school habits that may hinder learning at a higher academic level.

Highlights

Effective studying requires more than just desire and effort; it necessitates the use of effective learning strategies.

Ineffective strategies can lead to failure despite long and hard study sessions.

Deep learning strategies focus on meaning, comprehension, and visual imagery, as opposed to shallow learning strategies that emphasize memorization.

Deep processing is essential for effective study and can be achieved through certain principles.

Elaboration involves making meaningful associations between concepts to enhance learning.

Distinctiveness requires understanding the key differences among related concepts.

Relating concepts to personal experiences can aid in the learning process.

Practicing retrieval and application of material is crucial for deep processing.

Memorizing isolated facts is only necessary when exact wording is tested.

Good students adapt their study strategies based on the principles of deep processing.

Automaticity refers to processes that can be performed without conscious thought due to extensive practice.

Developing effective college skills involves overcoming automatic high school habits.

Overlearning involves studying material beyond the point of initial recall to facilitate quick and easy recall later.

Overlearning is beneficial for critical information that will be part of more complex future learning.

The principles of deep processing can be applied to common learning situations such as note-taking and textbook reading.

The video series aims to operationalize deep processing into practical study techniques.

Bad study habits can become automatic and hinder the development of good study skills.

Good study skills, once automatic, are beneficial in any learning situation.

Transcripts

Hi, I’m Dr. Stephen Chew. I’m a professor of psychology here at Samford University.

This is the third in a series of five videos on how to study effectively in college.

Effective studying is more than just a matter of having a desire to learn and devoting sufficient

time and effort. Students have to utilize effective learning strategies. If they use

ineffective strategies, they can study long and hard and still fail. In this video, I’ll

explain the basic principles of how people learn best, and how you can apply these principles

to improve your study effectiveness. As we saw in the earlier videos, you can be

highly motivated to learn, but if you use a shallow learning strategy, you simply won’t

learn. Shallow learning strategies focus on superficial

aspects like memorization. But if you use a deep learning strategy which focuses on

meaning and comprehension and visual imagery, then you will learn whether you intend to

or not. So if deep processing is the key to effective

study, how do we accomplish this while we’re studying? Here are some basic principles for

achieving deep processing, and a question which will allow you to satisfy each principle.

First, elaboration means making meaningful associations between the concept you are studying

and related concepts. The associations can be among concepts you are studying or with

your prior knowledge. The more meaningful associations you can make, the better you

will learn. Next, distinctiveness means that you make clear contrasts between the concept

you are studying and other concepts. You need to understand the key differences among related

concepts.

Say you’re in a general psychology class and you are learning about short-term and

long-term memory. You elaborate the two by relating them together. They both hold information

for later use. You also emphasize the distinctiveness between the two by focusing on the key differences.

One has a limited capacity and the other has an unlimited capacity. One has very rapid

forgetting. The other has much slower forgetting.

Finally, you relate it to your own personal experience. I meet people at parties. I forget

their names a few seconds later because of short-term memory. I still remember that time

I got lost in the mall as a child because of long-term memory.

The last aspect of deep processing is practicing appropriate retrieval and application of the

material. By appropriate, I mean that you practice recalling the information and using

the information in the way that your teacher expects you to be able to do. If the teacher

expects you to solve real-world problems, then you need to practice recalling and using

information in that way. If your teacher expects you to analyze hypothetical situations, you

need to practice doing that. Instead of reading the material over and over, close your book

and notes, and recall as much of the information as you can. Write it down. Explain it to a

friend. Take advantage of questions the textbooks often have at the end of a chapter that ask

you to review the information. Or, take advantage of textbook websites that often have review

tests. Now one thing I have told you not to do is to memorize isolated facts. Here is

the exception to that rule. If, for some reason, your teacher tests you over exact wording

of isolated facts, then memorize isolated facts.

So these are the basic principles of deep processing. Effective study strategies take

advantage of some or all of these principles. Good students have multiple ways of studying

depending on the teacher and the subject, but all their study strategies are based on

these principles. You will have to figure out the best study strategies for yourself,

and in the next video, we will discuss some possibilities. But no matter what you do,

they should be rooted in these principles. Here are two other important concepts you

need to understand for effective learning: automaticity and overlearning. An automatic

process is one that is so highly practiced that you can do it without any conscious thought

or effort. Like driving a familiar route, where you arrive at your destination without

even thinking about it. Any task that is practiced enough can become automatic, including study

skills.

When you get to college, you bring high school skills that are automatic. Developing effective

college skills involves not just developing more effective skills, but overcoming those

high school skills that are automatic and overlearned. Overcoming those high school

skills is a big reason why developing effective college-level study skills is so effortful

and takes so long. For most students, it takes conscious effort over weeks or even months.

I have had students who have seen immediate improvement using the principles of deep processing.

And if that happens to you, be pleasantly surprised. But for most, it is a process of

ongoing improvement. You need to develop these skills and practice them over a long period

of time. The good news is though, once they become automatic they will be helpful to you

in any learning situation. A concept related to automaticity is overlearning.

Overlearning means that you don’t just study material until you can just recall it. You

keep studying it over and over again until you can recall it quickly and easily. Overlearning

information helps prevent forgetting and it makes recall fast and easy. If you are studying

critical information that you will need to know in the future as part of more complex

learning, it is a good idea to overlearn it. In this video, we have operationalized deep

processing into a a set of principles you can use to achieve deep learning. I also talked

about the pitfalls of bad study habits that are automatic and the advantages of good study

skills that are automatic. Finally, I talked about the importance of overlearning critical

information. In the next video, we will use these principles

for deep processing and apply them to common learning situations. We’ll be looking at

how to take notes using deep processing and also how to use deep processing while reading

a textbook.