Flashcards have been around for a long time. The book *Reading disentangled*, written by Favell Lee Mortimer in 1834, is considered the first book based on the principle: chapter 1 shows pictures with letters, and chapter 2 only the letters, with an instruction to the teacher “that the child should continue to name the pictures from the first chapter”. In the 1970s Sebastian Leitner presented a simple, effective way to drill facts. It is easy to see how useful this is for cramming words in a foreign language, but flashcards work just as well for mathematical formulas, for example.
Cognitive categories
Jargon
Words you do not quite understand, or perhaps do not understand at all, can be a major obstacle to learning. In texts you will find two different kinds of language: jargon and abstract language.
The Robot
The Robot: discover the order or the fixed steps in tasks, so you can carry them out better. With the learning strategy *The Robot* you look for a fixed order, a plan, steps, or other kinds of regularity that you can use when you solve a task. It is a bit like watching what happens so you can write instructions for a robot. That helps you see order and structure in certain tasks, and to do those tasks faster and with fewer mistakes from then on. Method: You look for regularities, standard methods, or a fixed sequence for a set …
Mnemonics: remembering facts (what) or procedures (how)
Mnemonics is an umbrella term for methods that help you remember things more easily. Names, dates, shopping lists, bits of text … The starting point is: Data with little or no structure, or with a structure that is too complex, is easier to remember if you can attach it to a structure you already know. An example: you have to remember this string of letters: AUGEBAVERCAPRINDESSINE. It looks random. If you recognize four French words, auge – baver – caprin – dessine, it is already easier. Notice also that the first word has 4 letters, then 5, and so on, …
Mind Map
A mind map helps to visualize structure and context. It also shows what are superior and subordinate aspects to a concept. If you make a good mind map, it will show you how balanced a text or presentation really is. Using a mind map is a useful learning strategy both during reading, as well as a “reminder” to be able to quickly see the overview and the whole, which typically comes in handy just before a test or when writing a report. The mind map in today’s sense was invented by Tony Busan, a British author, also known through the …
V6 Mathematical problem solving
V6 is a technique where you go through a math problem or math text in a decided, fixed order, to retrieve important information to solve the problem. Read the text and question. What kind of information do you need from the text? Read the text again and list the data. Find out the order in which you will do the task. Carry out the task. Check as you go whether the procedure still looks right, and check if the answer could be correct. Many students first read the math problem globally, and then immediately start working on the solution. However, …
The Sequencer
Finding sequences and order in the material you read, will help you retain the information because of the structure you discover. The more sequences you discover, the better you will remember and understand the reading material. When you discover a sequence in the text, give some thought to the reason why it is ordered that way, such as: importance chronology size from hot to cold from dark to light … Making a clear list helps you remember concepts better because you see them in relation to each other. If you find that some concepts do not fit, that in itself …
The Eraser
The learning strategy The Eraser consists of gradually covering more and more of the original material, while repeating and filling in what is covered, until you finally remember it all. Simple? Simple! Start by setting up the learning material, e.g. the events in a timeline, an entire form, table, list or whatever it may be. Put a piece of paper over some items to begin with, or you can blank out what you have written; try to fill in the correct information from memory. Keep covering more and more keywords and words until you are happy with the result. You …
Word web
Cramming a definition without actually understanding what it means, makes it difficult for you to remember it. Truly understanding a definition, and the words that make up that definition, is also about putting it in context and perspective. This learning strategy, Word Web, helps you do just that: putting words in a context that you already know. The Word Web is about creating links from what you already to what you must know. Alternative 1: Choose the word or definition you want to learn. Write it down in the middle of a sheet. Think about what other (difficult) words or …
The Six Thinking Hats
The learning strategy Six Thinking Hats was developed by Edward de Bono, and is about how you think. De Bono categorizes thoughts as follows: White: Information, facts – as many and as much as possible, without interpretation and meaning: Keep it objective Red: Intuition, emotion: Subjective Black: Caution and what-ifs: Find weaknesses Yellow: Hope, creativity, see the positive: Find opportunities Green: Ideas, Solutions: Find solutions Blue: Organization and meta-thinking (thinking about thinking): See the big picture The method takes into account how the brain works and works from the assumption that the brain is affected by chemical substances. These are …