Pros And Cons Of Increasing Attention Without Increasing Study

In Increasing Retention Without Increasing Study Time, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, Doug Rohrer and Harold Pashler examine how information retention is affected by both the duration of study session, as well as the optimal distribution of study periods. They also explore alternate methods of studying that prove to be effective. There is much conversation regarding academic failure and this was true in an assessment in which only half a class were able to answer simple questions. Researchers believe that the cause is forgetting the information and there are many proposed solutions to this in terms of academic strategies. For the majority of academic history, it has been stated that studying a long amount of time …show more content…
According to research, spreading study sessions out is more efficient than massing study time together. This is known as the spacing effect. This would allow one to process the information studied, then revisiting at a later time and strengthening this knowledge. A simple way to implement this concept, is to study the concept for 25 minutes, resting for 5 minutes, then repeating again. After this, a quiz or problem set should be done to determine if the information fully grasped. If so, one should revisit the quiz or problems a week later to determine if this knowledge is still strong. Retrieval methods have been proven to be effective in recalling previously learned information. To practice this skill, I could use a blurt method. This could be done by writing down main concepts and ideas using the PowerPoint slides and book, then going back without information and simply filling out as much information as one can recall about each concept. I can then go back and compare my notes to what I wrote. This way, I know what information I still haven’t grasped well and could go back and use other methods to study. I could do this process over and over until I recall all the necessary …show more content…
Instead, researchers suggest looking to other strategies that are effective and efficient at performing well. One of the biggest factors of efficient studying is the amount of time spent studying, as well as the distribution of time. ___insert tactic for time___ Aside from time logistics, the strategies used to study are also significant. One method is through retrieval methods, by writing down overall concepts and ideas, then going back and writing out as much information as one can remember without looking at notes. Another way to study effectively is by doing practice problems for a certain section, while also including problems from previous sections shuffled in. Lastly, a self-assessment, be it for a section or entire unit, is an effective way of recalling information and preparing for an exam. Despite overlearning being a long standing tradition in the academic realm, it has been found to be an ineffective and inefficient way of studying. There is no doubt that overlearning can be useful in some situations, but when it comes to academics, other strategies should be used in order to perform