Tuesday, February 03, 2015

You're Studying Wrong | How to Fix It [CPLP Knowledge Exam]

Ever feel like you're reading the same paragraph over and over again in the ATD Learning System and none of it seems to "stick"?

Or you read a whole chapter, then quiz yourself with a CPLP practice test or flash cards, and you can't seem to recall one key concept?

You're not alone.

Many of us around the world learned how to study and take notes in a very passive way - we take notes by listening to what's being said (or what we're reading) and jot down notes on what we want to remember.

The latest research shows that taking that kind of passive, unstructured approach does not support retention or recall.

That's bad when you need both retention and recall for success on an exam...!

As friend, colleague, and scientific learning researcher extraordinaire Dr. Will Thallheimer notes:

"Realize that your learners [you!] will forget. Do everything in your power to help them [yourself!] forget as little as possible. Also, do everything in your power to help them [you!] remember in the contexts in which it is most important for them [you!] to remember [ie. you need to remember and APPLY while taking an exam]."

So - what do you do?

"Write your notes in a way where you can test your retention and understanding. Many people write notes that do a great job summarizing their materials but their notes are not designed to promote learning, retention or diagnosis of their weaknesses." - Hooman Katirai, MIT graduate (who earned a double Masters from MIT in 2006)

Active note taking helps you make meaning from what you're studying, by helping your brain organize and pay attention to the information that matters -- and jettisoning the rest.

Not sure how to take active notes?

Try the following active note-taking method from Cornell University...

Cornell Notetaking Method
Get Active! Go here to learn this method now! --- Cornell Notetaking Method

The more you can integrate what you're studying into your existing frameworks and infuse it with emotion and meaning, the better your retention.

Start with structure (like the one presented in this notetaking method) to help your brain organize concepts and identify what's important; then paraphrase what you're studying in your own words to help you establish your own meaning.

The trick is to use multiple active study methods to make the material stick

To your success!

~ trish

P.S. Leverage more study tips like this so -- 

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~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
2005 CPLP Pilot Pioneer
Founder, Owl's Ledge
Creator, CPLP Mastery Series and CPLPCOACH.com