How to revise for science GCSE
In the last post, we talked about some of the most common and ineffective revision methods you are using right now. Today I’ll share the number one most effective revision method you should be using to revise for science GCSE. It is known as active recall and it is the most effective technique for learning. Karpicke and Blunt (2011) showed that active recall produced 50% more efficiency in recalling learning when compared to concept mapping. Concept maps are a variant of mind maps, a common method used to learn science subjects.
So, what is active recall? Active recall is as the name suggests. You actively put in the effort to learn and recall the study material so that you drive information into your long-term memory. This is far more effective than passive techniques such as re-reading and highlighting which we discussed in the last post. Active recall has been tried and tested over the years, so it will be safe to say that it will work for you. Technique coupled with spacing your studies over time is probably the most powerful way you can learn.
Here are a few ways you can implement this technique.
1. Force your brain to think
One of my KS3 students had an upcoming end of year test and so I was helping her revise for a physics topic. After we had gone through the topic together, to make sure she understood, I got her to write down as much as she knew about the particular topic. Without looking at her notes, she wrote down everything she knew about pressure, the definition, equation, units and so on. When she was unsure about something, I insisted that she tried to recall the information from memory as much as possible. Then finally she went back through her notes and use that to fill in the bits she has missed out.
This is essentially what active recall is and that’s generally how you should be revising. Review your notes, retrieve the information from memory and fill in the parts you found difficult. Do this over and over again until the information goes in your long-term memory. It’s not fancy, it’s very simple but it works.
2. Practice testing
Practice testing is any revision technique that encourages the student to challenge themselves so that the brain can recall concepts and information learnt. Doing this gives a clearer understanding of where knowledge is lacking. Practice tests help us retain more information as it converts our short-term into long term memory
A very good example of practice testing methods is going through past paper exam questions. At the end of a unit, it would be wise to find science past paper questions on that unit and test yourself. You can also practice the questions at the end of your student book spread. Or why not make up questions for yourself as you’re reviewing your notes and then answer them a day or two later to see what you’ve learnt? These questions can also serve you later when revising for tests and exams.
3. Take notes the Cornell way
There are various ways of taking notes. You might jot down the most important points of a chapter and go through them religiously, or focus on the keywords. Some even prefer drawing as a way of taking notes. But, according to researchers, there is one way of note taking that trumps all others. It is known as the Cornell Method.
Here’s an example of what to do. Divide your page into 3 sections. The last section is relatively small and should occupy the bottom1/3rd of the page. The remaining part of the page will form the other columns.
In the second column, you can take notes and paraphrase as you normally do. Then use the first column to write key questions and keywords based on your syllabus or anything you wish to remember while learning this material. Use the small column, at the bottom of the page to write a short summary of what you’ve learnt.
This is an effective note-taking technique because the entire notetaking process is active. And, the questions you’ve formulated will help you in subsequent tests and exams.
| Questions & Keywords | Note taking |
|
Formulate Questions Write and define important key terms
|
Make notes Base your notes on the key Learning Outcomes from your teacher or your student book. |
| Summary
Write a brief summary to review the topic or chapter you have learnt. |
|
Fig 1: The Cornell Note Taking Method
4. Space out your study sessions
Spacing out your revision is known as distributed learning or spaced repetition. This method is based on the idea that you space your study sessions over time with increasing gaps between each session. If you do this effectively, you will get two main benefits:
i) You will drive information into your long-term memory.
You need to study over several sessions and do this in increasing intervals. For example, if you study today, review your notes in two to three days’ time and then in about a weeks’ time. Do this using the active recall method I described in point number 1. After this, you’ll find that you need to study less often as the information will start to go into your long-term memory.
ii) You focus on learning parts of the topic that you find difficult more often rather than the areas you are comfortable with. As you study, you’ll be able to identify areas you are not comfortable with. This means you can focus more on these in subsequent study sessions. A good revision tool to use is flash cards. You simply put easier topics at the back of the pack and the more difficult ones at the front. So, when you come to revise you will start with the front of the pack.
5. Teach someone else
Teaching is one of the best ways to learn. Because you’ll be sharing your knowledge with someone else, you have to make sure you fully understand the content as you review it.
And, if you get a study partner you, can both teach each other. This allows you to gain additional knowledge and understanding where you have gaps.
Note that teaching doesn’t have to be formal. A five minutes explaining a topic you have learnt to someone else is fine. In school, homework such as PowerPoint or poster presentations are also good teaching methods. So, take advantages of these when they come up.
Conclusion
These techniques to help you revise for science GCSE have been backed by experiments. They have worked for a large batch of students all over the world. Studying does need a lot of focused attention and the will to learn but the techniques mentioned will certainly help you get there.
Happy studying!
References
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121111216.htm
- 10 Steps to earning awesome grades, while studying less – Thomas Frank
