Students who study actively get better grades, study says

New research is showing that the length of time that a student spends studying for their tests is not as important as the methods they are using to learn the material and their tendency to ask for help, according to The Wall Street Journal. Most people depend on passively rereading textbooks or notes independently as a way to commit material to memory and while it will improve scores more than someone who hasn’t studied, more active approaches can produce dramatic improvements.

Proactively asking for help when one doesn’t understand the material taps into what is known as self-regulated learning which is when a person can determine how well they are performing as well as set and reach goals. During a 2017 study at St. Louis University, for example, students demonstrated active learning by watching supplemental learning videos on YouTube and asking their professors questions during office hours. These students were more likely to get the highest marks on their work, but less than 20 percent of students made use of the resources.

Another study from the American Psychological Society showed how using retrieval practice allowed students to achieve higher grades on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT along with reducing their levels of anxiety. With this method, learners can form groups and quiz each other on concepts and facts that will likely be on the test. Forcing the brain to recall the information repeatedly can deepen learning within a shorter amount of time.

Many students would benefit from merely putting more effort into preparing for an exam by taking time a week before to identify the kind of questions they will encounter, collect the material they will use to study, and form a strategy. Having a week will allow the learner to take advantage of the fact that studying is more productive in smaller chunks of 45 minutes each day rather than one massive marathon session.