R E vision s t R at E gi E s communicat E d in s tud E nt fR i E ndly languag E
When you hear the word revision, what do you think? Whatever image this creates in your mind, this handbook aims to guide you through some of the science of learning to ensure that you are making the most effective use of your time.
By the end of this handbook, you should be able to link these two images:
What is Revision?
The prefix ‘re’ means ‘again’ and ‘vision’ means to ‘to look’ so revising is to engage with topics that have been previously learned again – this means that it is not just to do with exams and grades.
Revision
• The study of information that has been studied before.
• A set of changes that corrects or improves something.
What does Revision look like?
1. Identifying and organising you work
2. Learning your subject more deeply
3. Practising and rehearsing regularly
4. Working with that learning and applying it in different contexts.
The Science of Learning
Our understanding of how the brain works has improved hugely in recent years. The brain is sensitive to mood, to timing, to circadian rhythms, as well as location and environment. It works incredibly hard at night when you are asleep, searching for hidden links and deeper significance in the day’s events.
Memories are shaped by myelination, which involves the build-up of Myelin, the fatty substance surrounding the axon. For myelin – think insulator – it is the white matter around the axon. Every time you engage with knowledge and force the electrical impulse along the axon, you are strengthening this insulator. You are creating a superhighway in the brain, allowing increased speed and efficacy of the passing signals. This plays an important role in the formation of long-term memories.
In the simplest of terms: Neurones that fire together - Wire together. B Carey - How we Learn (2014).
“Memory
is the residue of thought”
- D Willingham - Why Students don’t like School
The harder we have to think about something and the more we engage with it, the more likely we are to remember it. What we think about we remember.
QHow should this knowledge influence my revision strategy?
The Teenage Brain Myelination
Neurones that fire together - Wire together
Forgetting is normal
Your brain is constantly filtering information and deciding what to remember. Normal forgetting – that passive decay we sometimes complain about is normal. Your brain will be making connections between previously retained information and trying to build a schema of the ideas. Carey (2014) states “The point is not that memory is nothing more than a pile of loose facts and a catalog of tall tales. It’s that retrieving any memory alters its accessibility, and often its content” So for you this means that retrieving information is the key to success revision.
Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve is a crucial piece of knowledge. How you structure your revision will determine how effective it is. Regular breaks and spacing your retrieval practice will lead to much better outcomes.
Look at the power of retrieval practice shown on these graphs.
QHow should this knowledge influence my revision plan?
Overcoming The Curve
Review 3
Notice how less is forgotten after each review!!
Graph showing the importance of regular breaks in revision
Recall curve when regular breaks are taken
Recall curve when learning continues without breaks
ti P 1 focusmulti - tas K ing is a myt H
The flip side of this is that we are in an attention economy – everyone wants our attention.
ATTenTiOn iS THe GATeWAy TO LeARninG.
If you want to learn more in a shorter amount of time, remove all distractions.
• Leave your phone in another room, there is now evidence to suggest that even having it in your peripheral vision can cause extra load on your brain
• If you are really struggling, invest in a lock box for your phone
• Set a routine for learning based on the Pomodoro effect
Discover The Pomodoro Technique and How It Works
Work for units of around 25 minutes then get up and have a short break.
• Create a study space free from other distractions eg music with words, noisy family members etc.
• Write a list of all the things that are on your mind to stop them distracting you before you start studying
• Turn off all notifications on your device
• Be comfortable - work at a well-lit desk with a chair. Any strain on the body will distract you
• Put on a hoodie! It will block your peripheral vision and help to keep you focused.
During study leave your day might look similar to this. Notice how the pomodoro effect has been built in and so are self-care moments eg shower, meals and exercise.
8.00 am Wake up, shower, dress, eat breakfast
9.00 - 9.30 am
RE-TEST: yesterday’s new material
9.45 - 10.00 am Morning Break
10.00 - 12.00 pm
STUDY BLOCKS (c30-50m bursts, 5-10m breaks)
12.00 - 12.45 pm Lunch
12.45 - 1.15 pm Check emails (only time during day)
1.15 - 2.00 pm Go for a walk / run
2.00 - 4.00 pm
STUDY BLOCKS (c30-50m bursts, 10m breaks)
4.00 - 4.30 pm Mid-afternoon break
4.00 - 5.00 pm
RE-TEST: all material covered today
KEEP CALM GET ORGANISED AND
t i P 2 - gE t o R ganis E d
& H av E a cl E a R P lan
your courses are divided into topics. you will have been given checklists from your teachers of these topics. you now need to prioritise your learning. Ask yourself the question: What are my strengths and weaknesses in this subject? Look at your marks in topic test. Review the targets that you set on your exam feedback sheets and make sure that you ask you teachers for guidance if you are not sure.
Also be aware of:
• The ‘Illusion of fluency’ just because the material was easy to pick up, doesn’t mean you have a good working knowledge of it.
• Spending hours constructing an unrealistic revision plan – ask your tutor for help here, use a template or an app. There are some suggestions in this guide.
• Leaving the more difficult content to last.
• Trying to revise something you don’t understand – ask for help, make use of the Saturday support sessions.
o R ganising you R l E a R ning
Unfortunately, whilst we can make memories and learn information, we also forget it!
We can also lack motivation and we don’t have unlimited time.
Revision Schedules
You need to know your subject content and be able to divide your time up between the different units. There are some key principles that you need to remember when you are putting your revision timetable together.
Spacing and Chunking
You should space out revision so that you are covering topics more than once and returning to them on a regular basis. Using Spacing instead of cramming can result in a 10% to 30% difference in final test results. The science behind spacing is linked to Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve and our understanding of the formation of memories by neurones firing together more frequently.
Step 1: Plan and prioritise
In order to build Spacing into your revision you should start, using a study schedule that includes regular spaced study sessions for each topic. It’s also important at this stage to
identify the most critical concepts, pieces of information and skills that will require more frequent review and practice. You should use the topic checklists that your teachers have given to you and ensure that you have allocated more study time to these concepts.
Step 2: Chunk information
Breaking down the content into smaller, manageable chunks to study during each session will help prevent you from getting overwhelmed by the amount of information to study, and allows for focused, targeted learning. Don’t just write Maths in your revision planner – identify a particular unit eg Algebra then Notation, vocabulary and manipulation.
Chunking helps enhance memory capacity due to the nature of grouping concepts together. This allows for meaningful connections to be made, making information faster to recall from memory.
Mind maps can be very useful here to see how different pieces of information link together.
Step 3: Mix and match concepts
Rather than focusing on a single concept for an extended period, you should alternate between different concepts during their study sessions to get the benefit from the Spacing Effect. This approach, known as Interleaving, improves your ability to identify patterns and make connections between concepts. It also keeps revision more interesting. You brain likes to be entertained and given a variety of different stimuli.
By challenging the brain to switch gears and adapt to different subjects, you will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the material. Think of it like interval training in the gym – this has been shown to be far more effective in improving fitness.
3 ways to avoid common Spacing mistakes
While Spacing is an incredibly effective learning technique, it is important to acknowledge some factors that can influence its efficiency, such as:
1. Time your spaced schedule wisely
Optimal Spacing occurs when study sessions are strategically spaced out. Longer intervals between sessions usually results in better retention. You should avoid scheduling sessions too closely together and allow for adequate time intervals between each session. Whilst there isn’t a perfect gap, as it will depend to some extent on you as an individual, a gap of a 4-5 days is required for the impact of spacing to be more powerful.
2. Utilise spaced repetition apps
Whilst devices can be distracting, they can be used to good effect in revision if you are disciplined.
To enhance the advantages of Spacing, consider utilising spaced repetition apps. Apps like Quizlet or Memrise are specifically designed to implement the principles of Distributed Practice. You also have access to Seneca and Educake which can be used in the same way.
Pomodoro Technique take regular study breaks
Using the Pomodoro effect will improve your focus and retention of information. You should train your self to sit for 25 minutes sessions to start with and build up to a maximum of 50 minutes. The breaks that you take are important to your ability to remember, regular breaks to allow their brain to rest and process the information. These short breaks help maintain focus and prevent mental fatigue, enabling better retention and understanding of the material. but you must be strict with yourself and keep an eye on your timings.
Best revision apps
Remember there are no short cuts to success. In this guide we have covered ways to increase the effectiveness of your revision, but you will have to put in the hours. An App is only an aide to your learning. Don’t let your device distract you. Turn off all notifications.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a great way to make sure all your revision is at your fingertips, as you can pop your notes onto digital revision cards within the app.
Once you’ve uploaded your flashcards, you can use them to play different games and test yourself in lots of different ways, so it’s perfect for keeping revision interesting.
Anki
Anki takes flashcards to the next level. This app uses advanced techniques to space out your studying, helping you remember things for longer.
Seneca
If you’re studying for GCSEs or A-Levels, then Seneca has lots of content pre-loaded into the app, so you don’t even have to spend time uploading it yourself!
You can complete quizzes, word fills and games whilst being rewarded for the number of tasks you complete.
TO GeT ORGAniSed
evernote
Evernote allows you to compile all your notes into one place. You can take pictures of handwritten notes, scribbles on a post-it note and your teacher’s whiteboard and turn them into digital documents. You can then edit these documents to turn them into useful revision notes.
TimeTree
Having a revision timetable and prioritising certain subjects is key to exam success. TimeTree is a calendar app that’s a handy visual aid to see which tasks you need to complete each day and when you have a deadline coming up.
You can colour code each subject or task, create notes and set yourself reminders.
TO STAy On TRACk Forest
Forest is designed to keep you off your phone and focus on revision. You can plant a tree which will only grow if you leave your phone alone for a set period of time. If you go on your phone, the tree dies.
It’s surprising how motivating it can be to see your forest grow as a result of your hard work!
TO LOOk AFTeR yOURSeLF
Calm or Headspace
If you’re feeling anxious about your exams or need help switching off from revision, these apps can help. They have a range of mindfulness and meditation techniques that can ease anxiety and help you sleep or relax.
t i P 3 - s om E t E c H niqu E s
a RE mo RE E ff E ctiv E
t H an ot HER s
you have limited time, and you want to use it effectively. What might seem like the easy option in terms of revision, may not be a good investment of time.
Many studies have been completed on revision, and we now know that passive revision is largely ineffective. You must engage with the material in an active way (eg much more than just reading & highlighting), test yourself and retrieve the information at regular intervals if you want it to become part of your long term memory.
These are the techniques that we recommend. Details of each one are given in the next section.
do
• Use Cornell method to take notes
• Use regular retrieval practice eg. Selftesting, exam papers, mini- whiteboard work to recall what you have just covered
• Use model answers to see the level of understanding that is needed
• Spaced practice
• Elaboration talk it out – tell it to the duck
• Flash cards – especially with the Leitner system
• Mind maps
• Tarsia Puzzles, especially in Maths and physics
• Use technology sensibly as a part of your revision eg Seneca quizzes, Educake and Maths
• Dual coding – a picture really helps you to remember.
• Story telling don’t
• Simply re-read notes without engaging with them
• Highlight notes and expect to remember them
• Stay up late cramming information – you are likely to forget what you have covered and the sleep deprivation will stop you thinking clearly in the examination
• Work without a break for an extended length of time. This will be ineffective and counterproductive.
m
a K ing R E vision R E sou R c E s
Active revision means you engaging with your subject knowledge. While there is a place for using material that has been prepared for you, such as knowledge organisers. The magic ingredient is how you interact with the resources. Making revision resources helps you to consolidate your understanding of topics and organise your knowledge. if you make effective revision resources, then you know what you need to know and you understand it all.
Cornell notes
In this method, you divide your paper into three sections: notes, cues, and summary.
Your notes section is for the notes you take during class or in summary from your class notes. You can structure them however you like, but most people like to use the outline method.
Write your cues section either during or directly after you have summarised the information.
This section can be filled out with main points, people, or potential test questions. Use this section to give yourself cues to help you remember larger ideas.
You can write your summary section directly after class or revision session, or later when you’re reviewing your notes. Use this section to summarize the entire lecture or the main points of revision.
The benefits of this technique are that you are interacting with the knowledge. You are doing more than just re-reading your notes. Plus you are more likely to remember your own words than something someone else has written.
You are identifying the most important points and setting it out in a way that you are more likely to remember it. You can use the cues/ questions as prompts to test yourself on the content.
Top tips
• Make points stand out using colour, images or subheadings
• Test yourself by covering up the notes section and using the cues as a prompt.
Challenge yourself!
Cover up the key points and see if you can use your summary to create an extended mind-map of the topic.
Topic Title :
Summarise into 10 key words only
Summarise into less than 50 words
Key points from your lesson
Flashcards
Flash cards are one of the simplest, but most effective revision tools. You can make them online using an app or go back to basics with small cards. There are pros and cons to both techniques. Why not use both?
Flash cards are small cards with a question or prompt on one side and the answer on the reverse side. They are great for testing yourself or getting someone else to test you.
Flashcards are best for factual information eg dates, vocabulary, labelled diagrams, Key words and definitions. They are less useful for complex material like processes that can not be easily split up.
Once you have made the flashcards it is important that you use them regularly. When using them start with them in one pile. When you work through them, saying the answers out loud, put in one pile the ones you get right and then in another pile the ones that you struggled with. Keep repeating this process until you have got all the cards correct.
Leitner system
One technique that you should try with the flashcards is the Leitner system. This forces you to review the information that you are less familiar with.
https://youtu.be/d9u3KxGCio8
Mindmaps
A mind map is a useful strategy because it helps you organise information around a single topic or concept. You start with putting the topic in the middle of the page. Then from there you have different themes/subtopics coming from it from which you can make notes around.
Advantages of using mind maps:
• Can be used for variety of tasks –note taking, essay plans, revision.
• Easy to add ideas at a later date.
• Help to see links between different factors. This is especially important for writing essays.
• Can add pictures and symbols to make things more memorable. Dual coding can make a real different to your ability to remember the information.
• Can be used to condense lots of information
knowledge Organisers
Knowledge organisers (KO) are a super resource that you may have been given from your teachers or found online. They are particularly useful at GCSE as they often have all of the key knowledge on one page and save you time in getting all of the information together.
Unfortunately, just because you have a KO it does not mean you will simply remember the information. You will need to use the techniques that were discussed at the start of the booklet to get the neurones firing together and therefore wiring together.
You can turn your KO in to flashcards, Mindmaps, use blurting, or as a resource for others to test you on the content. The most important point to remember is that you must retrieve the information frequently for it to become a memory and therefore useful for you in an examination setting.
At GCSE there are knowledge organisers available for all your subjects. Strategies for using knowledge organisers for self-quizzing include:
1. Copy out a section but leave blanks, then cover the KO and fill in the blanks from memory.
2. Draw/write out a section from memory.
3. For a table of keyword definitions, cover the definition and write the keyword, or vice versa.
4. Use the KO to write quiz questions that you can then test yourself on, or ask someone to quiz you.
5. Do a “brain dump” of everything you know from a topic and then use the KO to check if you’ve missed anything and add to it.
Top Tip
Have a mini white board to hand that you can use to write out your knowledge and test yourself.
l E a R ning
if you learned effectively, then you know that you know it all!
Blurting
What is blurting?
Blurting is a form of retrieval practice, a technique where you actively retrieve information from memory. Blurting involves writing down all the information you can remember on a topic (it doesn’t matter about the order or if it’s correct at the start) then going back to your notes to find out what you’ve missed or got wrong. Then you study the topic again, paying extra attention to the parts you didn’t remember the first time and keep repeating this process until you remember everything you need to know for your exam. A whiteboard is a fantastic resource to have to hand.
How to blurt
1. Familiarise yourself with the topic
Read your notes until you’re at the point where you feel you understand the information and remember some of it – you don’t need to remember everything just yet!
2. Blurt it out
Reading your notes only helps you remember so much so this is where we go a step further and start blurting. Cover or hide your notes and grab a blank piece of paper. Start writing down everything you can remember from your notes.
Invest in a whiteboard to save some paper if you want to be a little more sustainable.
did you know...
The blurting method is so effective because it uses active recall. By testing yourself over and over you’re learning in an active way that makes your memory work harder! This helps you store the information in your long-term memory, so it comes flooding back in your exam.
‘Neurones that fire together wire together’
3. Mark your work
Take another look at your notes and see what information you missed during your blurt. Add the information you missed to your blurting paper in a different colour so it’s easy to see what you need to remember next time.
4. keep going
Hide your notes and previous blurt and go again! Keep repeating the topic until you feel like you remember everything and can recall it in an exam.
5. Use the pomodoro technique and take regular breaks
Blurting is quite an intense revision method and asks your brain to work extra hard so make sure you do it in short bursts and take lots of breaks. Don’t blurt yourself into exhaustion!
CONNECTIONS
VERBaL PROCESSING NON-VERBaL PROCESSING
workiNg memory
WORDS KNOWLEDGE ImaGES
loNg term memory
dual Coding
“A picture paints a thousand words”. This is a very simple idea, by presenting learners with new information in two different formats: Pictures and words (auditory and visual) they are much more likely to store them in their memories.
is it simply just adding a picture?
At the simplest level – yes but think about how annotated diagrams and maps can help you remember information. Using funny pictures that you have created yourself may also help. You may have an image in “your mind’s eye”, basically a picture in your mind.
This is the power of the emoji. We all communicate using images in our text messages, using dual coding is an extension of this.
9
Study Skills
The video How to Memorize Fast and Easily, listed in the end of this guide, shows how using dual coding and building a story helps you to remember information.
Test yourself frequently
Testing your knowledge is really important. Forcing yourself to recall information strengthens the myelination on the neurons and means that you are making stronger memories. Use a variety of techniques to test yourself.
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9
Blurting has already been mentioned. You can also be the teacher and teach the topic to a relative or friend. If no one will listen just “tell it to the duck” forcing yourself to explain what you are thinking all helps you remember. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
s W ans and P a P a J o H ns
Final thoughts
Thank you to dr Tharaka for these ideas. dr T keynote Speaker & TV doctor who has visited Bromsgrove and shared his expertise with us.
At the start of this guide, we said that you should be able to link SWAnS and Papa Johns.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF for short, is a protein in the brain that is crucial for learning and adaptability. A central function of BDNF is to help neurons and neural adaptation survive. When BDNF is present, we are better able to learn, we can learn faster. Importantly, you control your BDNF levels.
Sleep
Sleep is essential to the memory process. While you are sleeping this is when the brain decodes all of the information that it has been given and removes what it does not think is important – but builds strong links for the information that it values.
Quality sleep – Missing out on sleep reduces BDNF levels, especially since much of your BDNF comes from the hippocampus which is highly active when you get deep sleep.
Water
Drinking water improves your mood and helps you to focus. Studies have shown that that drinking water and staying hydrated improves our ability to execute a task, by improving both memory, attention and decision making.
Activity
Exercise – Slotting in a workout four times a week has been shown time and again in research to increase BDNF levels in the brain. This provides a cumulative effect over time, helping not just physical fitness, but also mental fitness and memory as well.
nutrition
Healthy nutrition – Unfortunately, that super tasty combination of sugars and fats (such as chocolate, donuts, ice cream, cookies, etc.) has been shown to reduce BDNF levels. The key is to cut down on sugars as they also have many other nasty effects to our health. Aim for a balanced diet with a rainbow of vegetables.
Stress
Cortisol one of the main stress hormones interferes with BDNF. Whilst a certain amount of stress is important to keeping you motivated, if you think you are not focusing due to stress then you should try some of the self-help techniques that we have mentioned in this guide or ask for help. Remember there is always someone that you can turn to.
ta KE a W ay a P a P a Jo H ns
Attention – what you concentrate on you remember. keep distractions to a minimum.
Plan a granular revision plan for each day that you stick to
Active retrieval practice
Practice makes permanent
Activity “work hard, play hard”
E ful lin K s
To access any of the links in this brochure please copy and paste the urls below into your browser.
The Learning Scientist podcast: https://www.learningscientists.org/learning-scientists-podcast/2017/9/6/episode-2-retrieval-practice
Discover The Pomodoro Technique and How It Works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmkqcma-xxI&t=71s
Leitner system:
https://youtu.be/d9u3KxGCio8
How to memorize Fast and Easily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nFkQ4cQhmE
Gizmo - The easiest way to learn: https://gizmo.ai/
How to memorize Fast and Easily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nFkQ4cQhmE
To access any of the links in this brochure please copy and paste the urls below into your browser.
Evernote: https://evernote.com/
Timetree: https://timetreeapp.com/intl/en
Forest: https://www.forestapp.cc/
Calm: Calm - The #1 app for meditation and Sleep
Headspace: meditation and Sleep made Simple - Headspace
alex Quigley’s Top Ten Revision Strategies: https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/2018/01/top-10-revision-strategies/
The Science of Revision: Nine Ways Pupils can revise for exams more effectively: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/apr/19/students-revise-exams-revision-science
Five Proven Hacks to helps students tackle revision: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/apr/12/five-proven-hacks-to-help-students-tackle-revision
Revision Techniques: the good, the OK and the useless: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22565912
