{"id":24,"date":"2020-07-03T04:55:20","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T04:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/learning-hacks\/?post_type=chapter&p=24"},"modified":"2020-07-07T04:28:53","modified_gmt":"2020-07-07T04:28:53","slug":"whats-the-best-use-of-my-limited-time","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/learning-hacks\/chapter\/whats-the-best-use-of-my-limited-time\/","title":{"raw":"What's the Best Use of My (Limited!) Time?","rendered":"What’s the Best Use of My (Limited!) Time?"},"content":{"raw":"
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The Hack<\/h3>\r\nThe most efficient way to learn something is by practicing.\u00a0 This turns out to be a much better use of time than other study techniques like rereading or highlighting.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\"aThe Story<\/h3>\r\nIt turns out that human beings learn by doing.\u00a0 You've probably experienced this yourself - you might feel like you understand something when you're sitting in lecture or reading about it in your textbook, but then you start doing the homework and realize that you haven't quite gotten it yet.\u00a0 It's not until you actually practice the concept that you're learning that it really starts to stick in your brain.\r\n\r\nYour experience is backed up by tons of research on learning.\u00a0 Over and over again, learning science research has shown that people learn by doing.\u00a0 While reading or watching a video about a concept may make you feel like<\/em> you understand, it's the act of practicing the concept that actually creates the connections between neurons in your brain.\r\n\r\nPractice can take many forms.\u00a0 For example: answering the practice or self-check questions in an online course like this one, or answering homework questions or working problems at the end of a chapter in your textbook.\u00a0 Even making up practice questions for yourself after you read a page of content is effective practice!\r\n

The Research<\/h3>\r\nWhen researchers compared practice with other study techniques like rereading and highlighting, here's what they found:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Study Technique<\/strong><\/td>\r\nUsefulness<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Doing practice questions<\/td>\r\nHigh<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Spacing out your practice over time<\/td>\r\nHigh<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Rereading<\/td>\r\nLow<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Highlighting<\/td>\r\nLow<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Summarization<\/td>\r\nLow<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nWe talked about practice in this learning hack.\u00a0 We\u2019ll tell you about how to space out your practice over time in an upcoming one.\u00a0 We\u2019ll also talk a little bit about why techniques like highlighting are not as useful.\r\n

The Source<\/h3>\r\nDunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students\u2019 Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4\u201358. doi:10.1177\/1529100612453266\r\n\r\nHattie, J. A.C. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New York, NY: Routledge.\r\n\r\nAmbrose, Susan A.. (Eds.) (2010)\u00a0How learning works :seven research-based principles for smart teaching\u00a0<\/i>San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass,","rendered":"
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The Hack<\/h3>\n

The most efficient way to learn something is by practicing.\u00a0 This turns out to be a much better use of time than other study techniques like rereading or highlighting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"aThe Story<\/h3>\n

It turns out that human beings learn by doing.\u00a0 You’ve probably experienced this yourself – you might feel like you understand something when you’re sitting in lecture or reading about it in your textbook, but then you start doing the homework and realize that you haven’t quite gotten it yet.\u00a0 It’s not until you actually practice the concept that you’re learning that it really starts to stick in your brain.<\/p>\n

Your experience is backed up by tons of research on learning.\u00a0 Over and over again, learning science research has shown that people learn by doing.\u00a0 While reading or watching a video about a concept may make you feel like<\/em> you understand, it’s the act of practicing the concept that actually creates the connections between neurons in your brain.<\/p>\n

Practice can take many forms.\u00a0 For example: answering the practice or self-check questions in an online course like this one, or answering homework questions or working problems at the end of a chapter in your textbook.\u00a0 Even making up practice questions for yourself after you read a page of content is effective practice!<\/p>\n

The Research<\/h3>\n

When researchers compared practice with other study techniques like rereading and highlighting, here’s what they found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Study Technique<\/strong><\/td>\nUsefulness<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Doing practice questions<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spacing out your practice over time<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rereading<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Highlighting<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Summarization<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

We talked about practice in this learning hack.\u00a0 We\u2019ll tell you about how to space out your practice over time in an upcoming one.\u00a0 We\u2019ll also talk a little bit about why techniques like highlighting are not as useful.<\/p>\n

The Source<\/h3>\n

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students\u2019 Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4\u201358. doi:10.1177\/1529100612453266<\/p>\n

Hattie, J. A.C. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New York, NY: Routledge.<\/p>\n

Ambrose, Susan A.. (Eds.) (2010)\u00a0How learning works :seven research-based principles for smart teaching\u00a0<\/i>San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass,<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Original<\/div>