Study Prof

The fine folks over at the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium have assembled an arsenal of research-based strategies that help students focus. I’ll use their suggestions as a jumping off point, showing you how to apply the techniques to your own studies.

First up…

Thematic Instruction

Students learn better from thematic, interdisciplinary instruction — themes are a way of understanding new concepts and provide mental organizing schemes. -Northwest Education Technology Consortium

Quick! Memorize this list of numbers.

124724314158675309

For most of us, that can be a time-consuming and boooooring task. But what if memorizing this number would give you rock-hard buns and a winning smile. It won’t; but what if? What if I also told you that you probably already know this number…

12-4-7-24 – 12 months a year. 4 weeks per month. 7 days per week. 24 hours a day.

3.1415 – Pi to the 4th decimal.

867-5309 – Jenny’s number from the one-hit wonder of the same name by Tommy Tutone.

Once you know where the numbers come from, memorizing it is redonkulously simple.

The point? Having a way to organize information being learned and having a reason to learn it REALLY helps. Unfortunately, our classes may only have a passing relevance to our world, or any other for that matter.

Better teachers know that students tend to sit up and take notice when the topic at hand is related to the real world, and they can do that with a theme. They might teach percents, for example, by having students act out a mock restaurant in class where they have to calculate all the tips or they may demonstrate decision trees by applying them to winning at Blackjack. Better teachers can tie the topic at hand to something his or her students will find engaging.

Unfortunately, your Russian History prof probably doesn’t try too hard to relate Peter the Great’s struggles with the Streltsy to your future career as a trophy wife (yes, Janice, I’m thinking of you). That means it’s up to you, the student, to find the relevance of each topic and then to relate it to your interests. Good news! You are a human (I generously assume despite no real proof), which means your brain rocks at finding links where none exist. In fact, the battle is half over once you Please log in or sign up to read the rest of this content. Find out more.

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