Implementing effective learning strategies is essential for students to succeed academically. Learning strategies are techniques that help students actively acquire, process, and retain new information. This article will discuss evidence-based learning strategies that students can use to boost students’ academic success.
Ultimately, powerful learning strategies should help build understanding rather than memorization of facts, giving students the confidence to apply learning to different problems and contexts, and achieve greater autonomy over their learning.
In this article I focus on seven different learning strategies that can be used on their own or in combination with one another. Although some of them seem to be suitable to specific subjects and grades, they can all be adapted to various classroom settings, grades, and subject areas to promote effective learning.
1. Cognitive Learning Strategies
Cognitive learning strategies focus on how students mentally engage with learning material. Students can use these strategies when they manipulate the learning material using indirect ways, e.g. through reasoning, analysis, note-taking, and synthesizing.
Some beneficial cognitive strategies include:
Rehearsal strategies like repeating or rewriting information to cement it in memory. Flashcards and mnemonic devices also fall under rehearsal.
Organization strategies like creating visual representations, outlines, or concept maps to structure information. This builds connections between ideas.
Elaboration strategies like summarizing, explaining concepts, or making analogies to add meaning and context. This facilitates deeper processing.
Critical thinking strategies like comparing and contrasting, evaluating credibility, and forming connections to prior knowledge. This promotes active learning and analysis.
When using cognitive strategies, students should apply techniques suited to the learning task. For memorizing key terms, rehearsal works best. For logical understanding, elaboration is more effective. Selecting appropriate strategies improves learning efficiency.
2. Metacognitive Learning Strategies
Metacognitive strategies involve planning, monitoring, and evaluating one’s learning. Students can use these strategies when they identify preferences and the need for planning, monitoring mistakes, and evaluating task success.
Key metacognitive strategies include:
Goal-setting by deciding what you want to accomplish from a learning task. This provides direction.
Self-questioning through questions that promote comprehension like “What don’t I understand?” or “What are the key concepts?”
Self-testing by practicing retrieval of information. This improves long-term retention.
Reflection on the effectiveness of learning techniques used. This allows strategy adjustment.
Metacognitive activities enable students to actively control their learning. This boosts motivation, self-efficacy, and performance.
3. Memory-Related Strategies
Students can use these strategies when they link one item or concept with another but do not necessarily involve deep understanding, e.g. using acronyms, sound similarities, images, keywords.
4. Compensatory Strategies
Students can use these strategies when they make up for missing knowledge using gestures, miming, or guessing the meaning from the context.
5. Affective Strategies
Students can use these strategies when they manage their emotions by identifying their mood and anxiety level, talking about feelings, rewarding themselves, and using deep breathing or positive self-talk.
6. Social Strategies
Students can use these strategies when they learn via interaction with others and understand the target culture, e.g. asking questions, asking for clarification, asking for conversation help, talking with a native-speaking partner, and exploring cultural and social norms.
7. Resource Management Strategies
Managing resources efficiently also facilitates learning. Helpful resource management strategies include:
Time management by scheduling, planning, and managing study time to maximize learning.
Study environment management by selecting locations and settings conducive to learning.
Effort regulation by persisting through challenges and staying focused despite distractions.
Help-seeking by identifying when and how to seek assistance from peers, teachers, or other available academic support.
Applying these strategies effectively leads to more productive study habits. This enables the mastery of learning material.
Conclusion
Learning strategies don’t simply occur with a few simple instructions but they occur and achieve their required objectives when the teachers try their best to create learning environment that makes active learning possible and put students at the center of the learning process and encourage them to take the initiative to learn.
Additionally, students should take time to reflect on their unique learning needs and styles. Then, they can develop a personalized set of learning strategies that harness their strengths.
Consistently applying suitable learning strategies will engender lifelong benefits like improved metacognition, self-regulation, and love of learning.
With the right strategies, academic success is within every student’s reach.
Author Bio:
Mohamed Ramadan – ELT Supervisor, EFL Teacher Trainer, Having a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology – Specializing in Brain-Based Learning, Owner of elttguide.com For EFL Teacher Professional Development.
