To become an active learner, here are some tips you can follow:
1- Start using active learning techniques.
These techniques include several active learning styles, and you can start by applying the following:
- Write what you already know.
- Ask critical and analytical questions about the information you receive or read.
- Jot down the main points in your own words and style.
- Summarize what you’ve read.
- Explain what you learned to someone else.
- Complete all practical activities for the course; do not just read.
- Participate in the course discussions by sharing your thoughts and asking questions.
2. Work on improving your memory.
We can use a range of things to help improve our memory, such as pictures and colors; memorizing different languages; organizing and arranging information in a way that makes it easier to memorize; and repeating information until it is fixed in long-term memory.
For example, here are some great ideas that you can rely on to have a better memory and retain information longer:
- Summing up.
- Reducing the amount of information by extracting important information and then rephrasing it again.
- Read aloud.
- Using flashcards, which are cards with information on both sides and are used as a memorization aid. Each flashcard carries a question on one side and an answer on the other.
3. Work on increasing your focus.
Lack of focus while receiving information is one of the most important problems that many students face. As a result, working to improve your focus will enable you to engage in more effective active learning.You can increase your focus by doing the following:
- Create a comfortable study environment free of distractions.
- Turn off or put the phone away.
- Listen to music that helps you focus.
5. Develop a study plan.
Planning is very important, whether it is in your practical life or during learning, as it helps you to arrange your ideas and goals and thus enters you into the active learning cycle. You can begin studying planning by doing the following:
- Set a study schedule and stick to it.
- Divide your work into parts that have a beginning and an end.
- Focus on an entire section or topic at a time.
6. Set specific goals.
- Before you begin each study session, decide what you intend to achieve.
- Write down your goals, for example: “summarize pages 40–65” or “complete half of the questions in the first assignment.”
- Set yourself a time limit, for example: “I will sum up Chapter 2 in 40 minutes.”
7. Take breaks.
The importance of taking breaks is that you will remember better if you study for shorter periods and then summarize what you have learned. If you take breaks, you will undoubtedly learn better at the beginning and end of each study period.
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In conclusion, the application of active learning methods has become a must in order to achieve the best possible educational experience, whether in schools or universities, as the importance of this type of learning has increased until it has imposed itself and its methods have begun to replace traditional learning methods that depend mainly on the teacher. And what about you? Was your educational experience similar to that of active learning? Do you think that this way of learning will really contribute to providing a better experience for students? Share your opinion in the comments.
Read also: Active learning: what is it and what are its methods?
