Growth mindset

Research by Carol Dweck at Stanford University has shown that those who see intelligence as capable of training and improvement, react to academic difficulties by working harder and trying out new strategies. Her research stresses that students need a ‘growth mindset’ – and that this mindset should be fostered by teachers and lecturers. With a ‘growth mindset’ performance genuinely improves. This is one key evidence based study method.

Believe in yourself

It is often claimed that self-confidence is critical to intelligence. Hoffman and Spatariu demonstrated this experimentally in 2008, in a study in which undergraduate students were given a mental multiplication task. The study showed that not only ability but also belief in their own ability, called ‘self-efficacy’, contributed to performance.

Forgive yourself for procrastinating!

Procrastinating is leaving study to a later time. It can lead to stress and sleepless nights – and ultimately poorer performance on papers or in exams. Michael Wohl and colleagues followed 134 first year undergrads through their first two sessions of mid-term exams. They found that those who had forgiven themselves for procrastination prior to their first mid-terms were less likely to procrastinate before to the second lot of exams and tended to do better as a result. Those who took a more self-critical attitude did less well.

Good Sleep

Numerous studies have shown that lack of sleep impairs the ability to learn new information. In one study, participants were given the task of remembering a set of pictures of people, landscapes, scenes and objects. Half had slept normally the previous night whereas the other half had been kept awake. When tested two days later, the sleep-deprived students recognised around 20% fewer pictures in a recognition memory test. That’s a big effect.

Napping

Related to the getting a good night’s sleep, many studies have shown that naps as short as ten minutes (e.g. after lunch) can reduce fatigue and boost concentration and mental alertness. A recent study by Dayong Zhao and colleagues has shown that the most effective napping technique is to do it lying down – not slumped forward at a desk!

Pacing your study

Periodic reviewing is more effective for remembering it long term compared to cramming.  An intriguing study in 2007 by Rohrer and Pashler showed that the optimal time to leave course material before reviewing/revising it is 10 to 30 per cent of the period you want to remember it for. So, for example, if you were to be tested eleven days after first studying something, the optimal time to revisit it would be a day later. If it’s three to four months from your initial study of the material to an exam, then reviewing the material after 15 days is optimal.

Feedback from testing yourself

The ‘testing effect’ is a powerful finding in laboratory studies of learning. The time spent answering test questions and getting correct vs incorrect feedback is substantially more beneficial than the same time spent re-studying that same material. According to Nate Kornell of UCLA, testing ‘creates powerful memories that are not easily forgotten’ and it allows you to diagnose your learning. It is important to do the testing after a suitable interval – such as described above. Self-testing when information is still fresh in your memory, immediately after studying, doesn’t work. It doesn’t create lasting memories and gives a false sense of confidence.

Handouts prior to lectures

According to a study by Elizabeth Marsh and Holli Sink, students given Powerpoint slide handouts before a lecture made fewer notes but performed the same or better in a later test of the lecture material than students who weren’t given the handouts until the lecture was over.