What are learning strategies ?
Learning strategies are working aids that are geared to the learning goal and are intended to enable the learner to learn, retain and give back learning material in a targeted manner, as well and as quickly as possible. In the form of an individual action plan they serve as an aid for an efficient learning process with good results, which can be achieved in many different ways. The learning strategies can be very different, as they are adapted to the respective learning type and learning conditions and each person has very different learning strategies. Synonym for learning strategies are also the terms learning methods and learning techniques.
What learning strategies are there?
There are very different learning strategies. In the relevant technical literature all learning strategies are divided into three groups. These are explained in the following.
The first group concerns cognitive learning strategies that are related to all processes of information intake. In this strategy, new information is processed by dividing it, for example, into meaningful smaller learning packages. Furthermore, it is also possible to mark important terms in order to reduce and structure the learning material to the essential.
Mindmaps, index cards, tables or sketches with the learning content can also be created for this purpose. In addition, the process of memorization also belongs to this strategy group. For most people, this only happens by regularly repeating the learning material.
This is possible by learning a sequence part by part (for example, vocabulary) or by memorizing the whole sequence (for example, poetry). You can recite the content again and again in your mind, recite it aloud and control your knowledge with index cards. It is also possible to combine the learning material with other emotional events (building mnemonic bridges) and to think up stories on different topics.
Another way to memorize knowledge is to link the new learning material to already existing knowledge. The second learning strategy group is the metacognitive learning strategy, which describes the control of learning behavior and learning progress. Its goal is the critical and self-reflective handling of one’s own learning progress.
This includes the creation of learning plans, which specify exactly when and what learning content is learned, so that one’s own productivity can be controlled quickly and easily. This control also allows a change or optimization of the learning process (regulation), but requires a realistic and thoughtful assessment. In order to monitor learning, one can use the strategy of auditioning or explaining the newly learned content to others for control.
The learning strategy, which refers to resources, is the last group and includes one’s own activities such as self-management, effort or concentration. The learning environment, i.e. the framework, is also considered and described as an external learning strategy. This also includes the social form, it can be learned in groups or in a library with other people.
This can promote not only motivation, but also the exchange of knowledge. In addition, attention should be paid to the design of the learning location so that it is quiet, offers little distraction, etc. Furthermore, the emotions, i.e. the effort one puts into learning and the willingness to learn, play a decisive role and thus describe the internal learning strategy.
A possible strategy to increase motivation is to keep reminding oneself why one is learning, to write down goals that can only be achieved by learning. We also recommend our site to you:
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There are many different learning strategies that are effective in different ways for everyone. In psychology, it is known that content can be learned particularly well by heart if you have an emotional connection to it.
It is therefore useful to think up mnemonic devices for certain topics or to link them to a real situation from your own life. Furthermore, the human brain is always looking for stimuli. You can make use of this when learning by adding bright colors, sketches or tables to learning posters.In addition, new knowledge is particularly well received in the memory if it is based on already existing knowledge, therefore one should learn in a meaningful, sequential order or tie up to other knowledge.
