Falling behind on homework can easily happen to students who don’t utilize an effective learning strategy. A learning strategy can help make accumulating knowledge easier and more efficient. It allows you to review information in a way that will stick. Here are some of the most commonly used strategies teachers use in the classroom:
What is an Effective Learning Strategy?
A learning strategy is a specific, step-by-step plan that helps you learn something new, develop a skill, or improve your performance. Learning strategies are beneficial when you’re learning something new — such as how to use a computer program, play an instrument, or speak another language.
Learning strategies can be straightforward, such as reading instructions and following them step by step. They also can be more complex, such as using mnemonic devices to learn lists of information.
Learning strategies can help you get the most out of your study time, whether studying for an exam or just trying to learn something new.
9 Effective Learning Strategy Tips
Several techniques can be used to improve your learning strategy. Below are some of the most common ways:
1. Create a study planner
If you get overwhelmed with all the material, you need to study, create a schedule and make sure that you follow it. It’s good to plan because it will give you an idea of how much time you need to spend on each subject and how many days you need to complete everything. It also helps you keep track of important dates and deadlines. After creating your study planner, don’t forget to write down all assignments in it so that you won’t miss anything. This will help you stay organized and focus on what needs to be done each day instead of getting distracted by other things like social media or watching TV shows.
2. Use flashcards
You can make flashcards by writing important terms or definitions on index cards, then practice using them by trying to recall them from memory after looking at them for just a few seconds. This technique works best when you test yourself by covering up one side of the flashcard and asking yourself questions about its contents without looking at the other side and then flipping.
Flash cards are one of the most effective ways of learning new things quickly. You can use these cards to learn vocabulary words and phrases easily by using them as mnemonics for memorizing them easily in no time. You can also use them as revision cards later on, just before the exam date, so that you can revise what you have learned previously during your last few weeks of studying for exams!
3. Take notes while reading
It is essential to take notes while reading or listening to any information because it will help you to remember the content for a long time. Taking notes lets you organize your thoughts, making it easier to recall the information when required.
When you read something, take notes on the material. This will help you remember it later. You can write down any ideas or information that interests you; later, when you have time, organize your notes into complete sentences for easy recall.
If you don’t have time to make complete notes, at least jot down keywords that describe an idea or term so that you can find it again later if necessary.
Read the entire article before taking notes to avoid missing any relevant information.
4. Make use of diagrams
Diagrams are excellent tools to help you understand and remember things better. Suppose you’re learning about planets. It’s easier to remember Venus is the second planet from the Sun. Diagrams can be used to explain ideas.
They help in better understanding, retention, and recall of the information. The visual representation helps in a better understanding of concepts and ideas.
5. Use pictures when studying
People learn better when seeing something, so use pictures to help you learn. For example, if you’re trying to remember the names of the oceans in no particular order, draw an outline map with them circled in the correct order.
“a picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, it’s true. Pictures are an excellent way to convey information, whether complex or straightforward. Students should take advantage of this fact and use pictures when studying.
When reading a textbook or an article, try taking notes on what you see in the pictures. You can even make up a story based on what you see in the picture. This will help you remember what you’ve read because those stories will stick with you for a long time after you’ve read them.
6. Ask questions
Don’t hesitate to ask your teachers questions about the lesson or assignment before leaving the class or during office hours. This will help clarify any doubts you have about anything related to the subject matter at hand.
Asking questions is probably an essential learning strategy for students of all ages. It can be used as a standalone technique or in combination with other learning strategies. Asking questions helps students learn by themselves and allows them to think and reflect on what they have learned.
7. Use mnemonic devices
Mnemonics are memory aids and learning strategies that help you to remember something. They are often used in education and training. When you learn something new, these strategies help you to recall it easily, even if you haven’t thought about it for a long time. This makes it easier for you to remember facts, concepts, and ideas.
8. Study with someone else who knows the subject
Working with a friend makes studying more fun than doing it alone! Studying together will improve your understanding of a concept and increase your retention level of information learned during class.
9. Create questions related to what you have read
The best way to learn is by asking yourself questions. Asking questions helps you retain information better. For example, if you are reading a biology book, ask yourself: “What are the different types of cells?” or “What is the difference between a unicellular and multicellular organism?”
The Four Learning Strategies
Learning something new is a process that has many stages and steps. You need to know these stages to understand how learning takes place entirely. The four stages of learning are:
1. Visualization
Using mental images to organize and understand information. This is one of the most effective ways to learn because we use this strategy naturally when we think. For example, if a teacher asks you to multiply two numbers, instead of just trying to remember them or do it in your head, try seeing a picture of the problem in your mind first. When you see it visually, imagine it happening in front of your eyes as if it were happening. Then solve the problem using this picture as a guide. This helps you remember what needs to be done and makes solving easier later on when no visual aid is available.
2. Auditory learning style
Auditory learning style, also known as auditory processing or listening skills, refers to a person’s ability to hear, understand, and remember spoken language. It is one of the four main learning styles identified by David A. Kolb’s experiential learning theory.
This style of learning is best suited for people who are good at listening and remembering things they have heard. They learn faster when they hear someone speak than when they read or write something down. Auditory learners typically do well in school since lectures are usually delivered orally by teachers or professors.
3. Kinesthetic learning style
Kinesthetic learning style refers to the ability to learn by doing. The person who uses this learning style gets the best results when they can touch, feel or manipulate an object or experience. If you are a kinesthetic learner, you must experience something to understand it. This is why it might be difficult for you to learn from reading a book or listening to a lecture. However, once you experience something firsthand, you can retain information quickly. Consider the following examples of kinesthetic concepts:
- You are trying to explain what a sunset looks like but can’t find words to describe it adequately. You could ask someone else if they have ever seen one so that they can help explain what it looks like. Once they tell you about their experience, you may be able to understand what one looks like better than if they had just described it verbally (which is a verbal method).
- You have difficulty explaining how your car works since so many parts and moving pieces are involved that make up its operation. To help yourself understand these concepts more clearly.
4. Reading/Writing
Reading is the process of understanding and interpreting visual symbols to gather information. It involves different levels of comprehension, such as literal, inferential, analytical, evaluative, and critical reading.
Reading is usually done with a purpose or goal in mind. For example, a student may be asked to read an article so that they can answer a question or complete an assignment. Reading also involves making predictions about what might happen next. The reader may also want to learn more about the topic discussed in the text. Reading is active and passive because it involves both thinkings (active) and receiving information (passive).
How Do Students Learn Best?
Some are visual learners, auditory, and tactile learners. To teach effectively, teachers need to know how their students learn. They can use appropriate teaching methods. A student learns best when they are interested in the subject.
Students learn best when they desire to know and understand the material. They are motivated to learn by their interests, curiosity, desires, and needs.
In addition, they need to be able to concentrate on the material being presented, and they must have the sufficient background knowledge to understand what is being taught for them to be able to relate it to previous knowledge they already possess.
This means that the content of your presentation must be engaging and relevant to students’ lives. You must also ensure that you provide enough background information so students can better relate what is being taught in class back to what they already know or have learned.
The answer may lie in how we teach them. There are many different ways to approach teaching, from traditional lectures to flipped classrooms, where students learn outside of class and then watch videos during class.
Visual learners learn best by seeing and doing things. They prefer hands-on activities and visual aids such as graphs, charts, and diagrams. These students remember what they see better than what they hear or read. Visual learners can be helped by using a variety of colors in their notes, handouts, and textbooks. You can also ask them to draw pictures or diagrams on each notes page. To ensure that your visual learners fully understand what you are teaching them, use images in lectures, discussions, and other projects whenever possible.
Auditory learners learn best by listening to lectures and discussions rather than reading textbooks or looking at charts. They remember what they hear better than what they see or do themselves because it engages all three senses (sight, hearing, and touch). Auditory learners tend to have good memories of conversations and jokes since both involve spoken words, which provide them with more information than written ones.
Students who learn best by doing something physically will benefit from kinesthetic learning techniques such as hands-on activities that involve movements such as creating something with their hands or building something with blocks or LEGOs.
Bottom Line
These points should clarify how important it is to focus on an effective learning strategy. It can help you tackle your homework head-on while ensuring that you don’t fall behind and don’t bite off more than what you can chew. It works for all students, regardless of their strengths, weaknesses, and study habits. It will help prepare them for future exams and assignments, which will see them sail through without worrying about falling behind in terms of grades or losing out on college credits.