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40 CHAPTER 2TABLE 2.1
EXAMPLES OF LEARNING STRATEGIES
Learning Strategies Example Learning Behaviors
Rehearsal “I use note cards to learn
definitions of terms.”Copying material
Note taking
Underlining text
Elaboration “I try to relate new
concepts to things I
already know.”Summarizing
Note making
Answering questions
Organizational “I try to separate main
points from examples and
explanations when I read a
textbook.Selecting main idea
Outlining
Representation (mapping)name of each component near its location. Finally, we were told to
write a short sentence describing the function of each organ below its
name. I can still visualize each organ and function in the digestive tract.
Think about some content that you learned in a course and still
remember. What factors contributed to your retention of the content?
Earlier in the chapter, we discussed encoding—the process of put-
ting new information into the IPS and preparing it for storage in LTM.
The best way to prepare information for storage is to make it mean-
ingful and to integrate it with known information already in your
LTM. Some learning strategies are better than others for getting infor-
mation into your LTM.
Table 2.1 identifies a number of important learning strategies to
help you understand, learn, and remember course material. As you
review the table, place a check next to the strategies you have used
most often and circle the strategies you have used least often in school.
If you are not familiar with one or more of the terms, complete this
task after you read more of the chapter.Rehearsal Strategies
When we think of basic learning, we often imagine having informa-
tion drilled into us through endless repetition. Whether memorizing a
song or learning the capitals of each state in the United States, we have
been told by our instructors that we must practice, practice, practice. But
does it matter how we practice? Learning experts offer some advice as
to how practice can be made more effective. Research has shown that
distributed practice among frequent and short periods is more effective
than a smaller number of sessions of massed practice (Underwood,
1961). If you want to remember the presidents of the United States with-
out error, you should practice for many short sessions, chunking the list
and repeatedly saying the names. The classic all-nighter, of which I must