The right way to increase academic intelligence

The right way to increase academic intelligence

Misconceptions and misconceptions spread among students between the fact that they do not need to take notes while receiving lectures because they are all in the book, or that the class or text can be skipped because it is possible to get a recording to watch later, or that the student does not have to read the syllabus, because It will be reviewed at the end of the semester and last but not least it is possible to prepare for the exam the day before.

According to Psychology Today, all of these concepts make learning difficult or lead to a failure to get adequate grades in the first place, and most importantly, poor long-term learning.

Scientific research in the fields of cognition, neuroscience, teaching and learning provides basic suggestions about what behaviors students should practice and why, because there are limitations to the brain and memory systems, which should be assisted through strategies that contribute to achieving the best learning outcomes in the short and long term.

long-term memory

The brain contains about 128 billion neurons that humans use together in the learning process. Learning, a relatively long-term change in knowledge, requires the introduction of new material into LTM, which has a large capacity and can store material for long periods of time, depending on how well the material is learned. But before the information enters the LTM, it resides in WM working memory, which has a very limited capacity and short storage time.

The latest research indicates that WM working memory can only remember four pieces of information and relies on structures called the hippocampus in the brain. Depending on what the learner does, the hippocampus helps store memories in the LTM, which is basically five to six layers of neurons that cover the greater part of the brain like a spongy endothelium. What a person wants to learn is stored in this cerebral cortex. But some simple practices must be done in order to transfer information from working memory to long-term memory.

1. Attention and focus

Attention is an essential part of learning. Because of the lower capacity of working memory, the less attention one pays in the classroom, the less likely material is to transition from WM to LTM. WM amplitude also varies from person to person, which explains why some students are able to listen to music while they are studying while others cannot. Distractions such as music and movies, or even people talking around us, reduce WM capacity.

2. Take notes

The process of taking notes makes the listener actively work with the material to be learned. Assuming that the lecturer or teacher does not speak very quickly and provides time for reflection, taking good notes is an important teaching strategy. Notes help organize the material, provide a record of what needs to be learned, and working memory helps strengthen what needs to be learned. It is also important to look at the notes on the same day they are moved to support the transition of the material from working memory to long-term memory.

3. Practice remembering and retrieving information

Probably the best way to study is successive re-learning. The main components of this method include self-testing of what has been learned repeatedly with the number of test times spaced apart. Just seeing if a piece of information can be remembered causes the neurons that represent that knowledge to form stronger connections with other neurons. The stronger the connections, the stronger the memory, and the easier it is for the brain to organize information in the neocortex. One of the best ways to help the brain transfer information from WM to LTM is to practice information retrieval. The more a student trains, especially for frequent and infrequent times, the better his memory of the material is and the better the learning.

Avoid common mistakes

Many students think that simply rereading notes, highlighting a lot of them, and making flashcards to memorize key terms are good study habits, but scientific research says otherwise, as these strategies actually have very little benefit. Experts recommend attending all classes, distributed over several days a week, and that focus and attention, taking good notes, practicing the processes of remembering and mentally retrieving information are important exercises to achieve success with superiority and benefit from what has been learned in the long term.