Active Learning Strategies
Or, how to study when you have a lot
to learn and remember in a short
period of time
What is memory?
Learning that sticks!
How quickly we forget
Review, Review, Review
Many Students Learn by Rote
• Involves verbatim memorization
(which is easily forgotten)
• Cannot be manipulated or applied to novel situations
(e.g. remembering phone numbers, dates, names, etc.)
Many Students Do Not Accurately
Judge their Learning
• They base their learning on what’s in
short term memory
• They don’t test their learning
• They’ve never engaged in an activity
that would show them that they are
overestimating their learning
What’s active learning?
Activities and strategies
that we use to improve our
memory so we can retrieve
what we’ve learned.
Learning Sticks Better When You
Make a Mental Map
• These mental maps- also known as schema –
are actual electro-chemical connections that
you grow in your brain.
• When you think and organize the information
you are trying to learn you
– Make it easier to learn
– Faster to learn it
– Give yourself a way self test that you’ve learned it.
Textbooks and lectures are organized
around thought patterns
• Understanding this can help you improve
your:
reading comprehension
selection of study strategy
ability to predict what will be on a test
• Basic Active Learning Strategy – Always figure
out the thought pattern underlying what you
are learning.
Academic Thought Patterns
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Order or Sequence
Comparison and contrast
Cause and Effect
Classification
Problem-Solution
Definition
Listing
Mixed
Combining information to
form a unique product;
requires creativity and
originality.
Evaluation
Synthesis
Using information to solve
problems; transferring abstract
or theoretical ideas to practical
situations. Identifying
connections and relationships
and how they apply.
Application
Comprehension
Restating in
your own words;
paraphrasing,
summarizing,
translating.
Knowledge
Louisiana State University  Center for Academic Success  B-31 Coates Hall  225-578-2872  www.cas.lsu.edu
High School
Memorizing verbatim
information. Being able to
remember, but not
necessarily fully
understanding the
material.
Identifying
components;
determining
arrangement, logic,
and semantics.
Undergraduate
Analysis
Making decisions and
supporting views;
requires
understanding of
values.
Graduate School
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
This pyramid depicts the different levels of thinking we use when learning.
Notice how each level builds on the foundation that precedes it. It is
required that we learn the lower levels before we can effectively use the
skills above.
Study Strategies Gold Nugget
• The Study Cycle with
Intense Study Sessions*
*Adapted from method developed by Frank L. Christ
The Study Cycle . . .
Learning System
Phase One: Preview chapters to be covered in
class… before class (Create note structure).
Phase Two:
Attend Class. Listen actively, take notes,
participate in class.
Phase Three: Review and process class notes as soon
possible after class.
Phase Four:
Repeat
Incorporate Intense Study Sessions.
Intense Study Sessions

2 - 5 minutes:
Set goals for next 40 minutes.

30 - 40 minutes:
Accomplish the goals.
Read text more selectively/highlight.
Make doodles/notes in margins.
Create mnemonics, work examples.
Create concept maps.

10 minutes
Review what you have just studied.

10 minutes
Take a break.

Repeat
Get the Most Out of Homework
• Start the problems early--the day they
are assigned
• Do not flip back to see example
problems; work them yourself!
• Don’t give up too soon (<15 min.)
• Don’t spend too much time (>30 min.)
What is an active learning cycle?
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Decide what’s important to learn
Condense this information so you can learn it
Practice rehearsing the information
Self-test
Review and self-test regularly.
Study First...
• Remember, the best way to prepare for tests
(reduce any anxiety) is to practice in the same
way you will have to perform.
• BUT, first you have to study the material.
• This means you might want to study far
enough ahead to allow yourself the time to
practice.
Practice Second
• After you’ve studied the material and know it,
practice it like you’re taking the test.
– Ask yourself the same types of questions as the
test you will take (multiple choice, essay, concept
learning)
– Time yourself
• As you practice, look for any information you
are missing or that is weak for you.
Critical thinkers evaluate own their
learning
To do this, you must:
• Realistically evaluate what you’ve learned
and what you haven’t learned
• Devise strategies to test your learning (e.g.
write about the topic, give a “lecture
about the topic”, etc.)
• Use strategies to deepen your learning
Self Test
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By yourself or with a study group
Review chapters and lecture notes
With flashcards
Write and take your own test
Practice a Little More #1
• After you’ve identified weak areas, study more
then practice again.
• If you’re unsure that you have studied
everything you need to know, get an
appointment with your instructor a few days
before the exam.
• Take a list of the things you know. Ask if the
list is complete. Do not ask...
Practice a Little More #2
• “What’s on the test?” Instead, get the facts
about the test to practice efficiently.
• So, study and practice.
Find your weak points.
Study and practice.
Practice, practice, practice #1
• See if this is true for you – The more experience you have doing something,
the better you tend to be at it.
– The less experience you have doing something,
the more difficult and overwhelming it may seem.
• Most people report that new things are more
difficult than familiar things.
Practice, practice, practice #2
• Here’s the basic rule:
• The more you practice something just the way
you will have to “perform” it, the easier it will
become to perform it.
• Many people report anxiety when they have
to perform without adequate practice…
Practice, practice, practice #3
• A true story:
• A student goes to a math class and is taught a+b=c.
She studies at home over and over again, a+b=c,
a+b=c, a+b=c.
• She gets to the test and sees the following equation:
a=b-c.
• She panics because she was not taught this in class
and has never seen this before.
Practice, practice, practice #4
• There are 3 basic kinds of tests:
– 1. Multiple choice
– 2. Essay
– 3. Concept learning (story problems)
• Each test requires different kinds of practice.
Practice for Objective Tests
• Objective tests (like multiple choice, true-false, short
answer, and matching) ask you to know how discrete
bits of information are connected.
– Like: a) 1492 connects to b) Columbus sailed the ocean
blue.
• Practice for these by some method approximating
flash cards usually is best.
Practice for Essay Tests
• Essay tests ask you to tell how things are
related or not related to each other or ask
you to show you know content.
– Compare/contrast
– Describe/discuss
• Outlining and understanding main points
and how they are connected works best.
Practice for Concept Learning
– Concept learning asks you to show you know the
concept by being able to use it.
• Math story problems
• Using a concept in a different way than was discussed.
– Studying the concepts from different angles and
views to see how they connect to each other
works best.
Concept maps
facilitate development
of higher order thinking skills
Visual Mapping
Benefits:
• consolidate information visually
• emphasize particular thought pattern:
• effective for visual and spatial learners
• Fun form of elaborative rehearsal
Chapter Map
Title of Chapter
Primary Headings
Subheadings
Secondary Subheadings
Cornell Note Taking Format*
Notes on Taking Notes,
05/18/06
Recall
Column:
Reduce ideas
and facts to
concise
summaries
and cues for
reciting,
reviewing and
reflecting
over here.
Uses of notes
• identify major points
• identify minor points
There are 4 Kinds of Notes:
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Running Text
Formal Outline
Informal Outline
Cornell Note system
*Developed by Walter Pauk