10 Learning Principles

To understand something you must be interested in it. You need to find ways to make the information relevant, interesting and important Ex. find way to make it kinesthetic, study partner, doing research, teaching it to someone else to make it personal.

Having a positive attitude, believing that you will get it right the first time. (being positive that you will remember)

The understanding of new material will depend on how much of it you already know.

(connecting old and new knowledge) The more you increase your basic knowledge, the easier it is to build new knowledge on this background)

Determining the most important information. Select main ideas before you add the supporting details. You can use: major headings, bold print and italics, summaries and questions. Concentrate on both verbal and nonverbal clues: repetition of ideas, numbering of items

You are able to remember/learn better if you group ideas into meaningful categories of fewer than 7 items, since you can only remember five bits of info at a time. (use selectivity) EX: break down 25 items into five groups of five Use mnemonic devices : Acronym, Acrostic, Poems/Jingles

Saying ideas out loud in your in your own words to strengthen synaptic connections and to get immediate feedback.

Transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory because you are involved in the material. If you can say the information in your own words then it means you're grasping the idea.

Making a mental picture of what needs to be remembered. You remember pictures for much longer than words because 90% of the brain's sensory input is visual and the brain's quickest response is to color, motion, form , and depth. EX: Illustrate notes

Tying new information in with something you already have stored into you long-term memory.

Intentionally making a connection to the basic background you have established. EX: learning a new date - being the same date as when you graduated or close to it.

Taking ownership of new information by allowing time for neuronal pathways to be established. EX: take notes in class, asking questions in class, reviewing notes, stopping after each paragraph you read, writing jeopardy questions,visualize, recite, make flash cards, practice tests

A series of shorter study sessions distributed over several days is preferable to fewer but longer study sessions because the connections in your brain are strengthened by the number of times you use them.