Learn and Retain by Doing One of the most proficient learners I have ever met during my college education is a student within the information systems program at my university. For those of you, like me, who don’t speak this language let me just explain that information systems is a combination of a tangible technology program, a web design and development program, an SEO program, and a database support program. That’s right – a computer nerd. One of those people who got all excited when Google announced their new glasses. So why would this kid who spent all his time surfing the web and having “tech days” with his buddies be more proficient at learning than a student who was memorizing anatomy terms or one who was writing research papers or one who was faithfully attending lectures every single week? The difference lies not in the material studied, but in the manner of study.
Stats It’s been common knowledge for the past fifty years that students retain only 5% of the information they hear in lecture, 10% of the information they read, and only 30% of what they view in a demonstration. Yet, this grouping of reading, attending lecture, and viewing demonstrations is a common structure used for educational purposes. I must note here that this article is not designed to critic our current system of education in the US and send out a cry for education reform. Instead, I wish to emphasize that although we cannot automatically fix all the problems within the American educational system, we can fix our own, personal educational system. How many students enter a class with the paradigm that they are going to absolutely master the subject material? This number is most likely very limited in comparison to the number of students who enter a class with the paradigm of memorizing all the information for the test so they can achieve an “A” at the end of the semester.
Hands on Learning My information system friend taught me that the power of learning is held within our own hands and that this power, coupled with a correct understanding of the learning process, can produce dynamic results. He was not just at a university to get a degree in National City – he was there for the purpose of obtaining tangible skills and knowledge that would help him as he entered the workforce so he needed to master the material that he studied.
Research has proven that the way to retain 90% of what we learn is to either teach or immediately use the recently acquired information. Doing so allows us to not only repeat the information, but to learn from mistakes that we make, to view the information from another lens, and to answer questions that clarify our own questions. Going back to the example of my information systems friend, I want to share some information regarding his learning habits. Every Saturday my friend had a “tech day” with a buddy and they taught each other something web-related that they had learned that week. My friend also would watch youtube videos to understand a skill he was learning and then immediately practice what those videos had demonstrated. For all group projects, my friend was the “tech guy” so he was continually using these newly acquired skills for projects and homework assignments. He worked in the university career center with a database that required his knowledge of information systems. And let’s not forget how he helped explain tech concepts to other students who were not as tech-savvy as himself.
Relevant to Any Subject The types of activities in which my friend engaged are not just limited to computer nerds – they are relevant for any subject. University professors often encourage students to form study groups so they can teach each other the material and more fully retain it themselves. So what is the lesson to take away from this discussion? Whether you are in a web design and development program or an English literature program, you can follow the same steps to be a successful student and master your area of interest. Photo Credit: E-infopages, Collegecultures