FocusFlow LabThe problem with highlighting
In a well-known review of ten common study methods, John Dunlosky and colleagues rated highlighting and re-reading as low utility: they don’t do much for long-term memory (Dunlosky et al., 2013). Highlighting feels productive because the page looks worked on, but your brain only had to decide what looked important, not remember it.
What works better: active recall
Active recall means pulling information out of your memory instead of reading it again. Each time you recall something, it gets easier to recall the next time. The same review rated practice testing as one of the two most useful methods.
Turn your notes into questions
- Split your page: a narrow column on the left, notes on the right.
- After a lecture or chapter, write a question in the left column for each main point. “What are the three causes of…?”, not “Causes”.
- To review, cover the right side and answer each question out loud or on paper.
- Check, and mark the ones you missed. Those are your next review.
Keep it short
You don’t need beautiful notes. A question you can answer in ten seconds is better than a paragraph you’ll never read again. If you’re copying a sentence word for word, stop and ask what question it answers.
Space the reviews out
Answering the questions once helps. Answering them again a day later, then a few days later, helps much more. The spaced review calendar gives you the dates and adds them to your calendar.
Watch the video
Watch on the FocusFlow Lab YouTube channel
Source: Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1).