Learning right: study tips under the microscope

Sarah Hofer, Professor of Teaching and Learning Research at LMU, researches individual learning processes and how they can be supported. In a video interview on Instagram, she gives her take on learning tips from LMU students. Here are her answers:

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Learning tip: repeat the subject matter out loud

“This is definitely a useful learning strategy, especially when you do it in your own words. Automatically, this forges connections between the new information and information already stored in your memory. In addition, repeatedly recalling the information reinforces the memory traces, making subsequent retrieval easier. And you discover or notice very quickly where you’ve not yet understood something and need to do some revision. So yes, it’s a very good strategy.”

Learning tip: highlighting important passages

“It makes sense for sure when you’re trying to pick out the important bits of a manuscript while reading. It’s not about decorating a text with bright colors – that’s not effective learning – but about really engaging with the text and its contents.”

Learning tip: caffeine can help

“Caffeine certainly stimulates attentiveness and the ability to concentrate, but naturally different people have individual limits beyond which it becomes too much. The important point here is to know yourself and what helps your concentration. It can be a certain level of coffee. But it can also be gentle music in the background or a tidy desk.”

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