Get smarter, faster; why the active recall strategy is your study ally

Ask any student what is the most critical aspect of learning and you will get a unanimous: Memory retention. And yet it evades learners! What is the solution? Active recall is a powerful technique that science has proven to work wonders in improving how well we retain information. The approach adopted brings about the stimulation of memory while learning by retrieving information without the use of materials. In other words, testing oneself rather than passively reviewing or rereading material.

How does it work?

Active recall works by reinforcing the neural connections every time a student recovers that piece of information. What happens when you force your brain to remember something? You are teaching it how to find that information quicker and easier next time. According to cognitive psychology research, all these retrievals result in far better retention of this information in long-term memory than methods such as rereading or highlighted notes, which only offer short-term recall.

The benefits

It is effective because it makes learning an active process. Deep understanding and a longer retention period can come when active recall makes learners work with the material. This technique helps one retain knowledge better and identify possible gaps in knowledge so that subsequent efforts may be better focused. Besides that, active recall has proved to be especially effective in preparation for those kinds of exams that require higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills.

How to incorporate it into daily learning

Fortunately, it is easy to introduce active recall into one’s daily study routine.

Flashcards: Probably the simplest, yet one of the most powerful, methods for active recall. On one side, write a key term or question, and on the other side, write the answer or explanation. Students by testing themselves can regularly with these cards to force the brain to recall information.

Self-testing: After covering any subject, close the book and write down everything you remember about what you have been learning. This doesn’t just reinforce what you learnt; it also points out what you should study again.

Teaching others: Telling others, be it peers or even yourself, what one learnt is also active recall. Teaching automatically requires one to recall information from memory and organise it before the exam, thus enhancing the process of learning and retaining information.

Practice problems: Problem-solving that is free from looking at your notes or book is considered an intensive active recall, particularly efficient in subjects like Math and Science.

Use of applications: Several digital applications have been made to assist one in active recall. Most of them employ algorithms that space repetition according to the strength of retention with the intent of optimising the learning curve.