Effective Studying in Medical School: Evidence-Based Study Strategies: https://www.learningscientists.org/
The Learning Scientist provides 6 Effective and Evidence-Based Strategies for Learning: Interleaving, Dual Coding, Concrete Examples, Spaced Practice, Elaboration, and Retrieval Practice. You can take these strategies and apply them in an effective way for your learning.
- Spaced Practice: Spacing out your study sessions and reviewing information multiple times during different periods of time. 5 hours of studying throughout the week total is more effective than 5 hours before the exam. Resources Medical Students use for Spaced Practice are Anki decks.
- Retrieval Practice: Recalling information you studied without looking at your notes to see what has actually been retrieved in memory. Resources Medical Students use for Retrieval Practice are Anki decks.
- Interleaving: Switching the order of topics or ideas reviewed in a study session. This study strategy allows you to make connections within the topics or ideas that you are studying by reviewing in different orders. Example: ABC, BAC, ACB. Resources Medical Students use for Interleaving are Anki decks.
- Dual Coding: Using different modalities to study; combining verbal and visual modalities is a very effective in learning new material. Resources Medical Students use for Dual Coding are Sketchy Medical, Boards and Beyond, Pathoma.
- Concrete Examples: Linking topics to examples to help you better understand the topic. Start by looking at the examples provided in your TBL slides, and then create your own examples.
- Elaborative Interrogation: Asking yourself questions and answering those questions about the topic by reviewing notes but ultimately aim to answer without notes through retrieval.
