Active Recall

The study tip for this week is active recall. Active recall is a study technique that forces you to pull information from your memory, rather than just reading notes off of a page. This is why it is considered active, because you are not just passively reviewing your notes. You are consciously attempting to remember all the information that you have learned. This is an excellent technique to move information into long-term memory. 

One of the more obvious ways to do active recall is through flash cards. Most people know flashcards because of vocabulary. You write the word on one side of the card and the definition on the other side of the card. You then create a deck of cards with all of the new words that you are trying to learn and flip through the cards as you pick up new vocabulary. 

This technique is useful for more than just vocabulary. You can use this technique for dates, people, etc. Even for philosophies. You can put the philosophy on one side of the card, and the 3 main points of that philosophy on the other. You can also start with either side of the card. So going back to the vocabulary example, you can read off the definition and then give the word. You can also read the word and give the definition. This ensures that you will be able to recall the information on the day of the test, no matter how the question is worded. 

Another way to study with active recall is to give yourself a practice test. This allows you to practice your new knowledge but also to become more comfortable with taking tests. Before the day of the test, try to practice with not only the information but also the method of testing. To do this, you might want to ask your instructor what the test looks like. Will it be multiple choice, short answer, or an essay? It could be a mixture of these as well. Then, you create the same style of questions to be your practice test.

This still qualifies as active recall because you are consciously grabbing the information from your memory instead of just passively reading over your notes. This also helps you write out your answers and thoughts, in a way that flashcards don’t always allow for. So, not only are you more likely to remember the information but you have practiced how best to write out the information. This can also lead to you remembering more details and can help build your confidence before the test.

Active recall is a great way to study for a test and confirm what you know. There’s many ways of doing it, so find which way works best for you and give it a try.