The Brain and the Retrieval of Information While Using Certain Studying Habits Essay Example
The brain is a remarkable organ, but it is incapable of processing the billions of bits of data that it receives every second. Thankfully, our brains have filters that keep us from becoming overloaded. The reticular activating system, limbic system, and dopamine transmitters are three main brain parts that help control what information the brain takes in. Keeping yourself physically fit and well rested, as well as developing emotional awareness, are two key parts to making your brain perform efficiently. Then you can approach learning with confidence and enthusiasm. Personally, while learning I find that the best way for me to retrieve and memorize information is when I have visuals in front of me. Multimedia materials and note taking are also some popular techniques that people use to retrieve information better. But the real question is which studying habits will be beneficial towards one's future? Today there are many studies of the impact of various studying formats on memory and retrieval of information. There will always be several ways for people to learn and study, but many of them are used in the wrong environment.
Many lectures nowadays include a variety of multimedia to aid teaching and engage students in large groups. What is unknown is whether and how the nature of the input from these many multimodal instructional sources may affect persons who speak a second language, either positively or negatively. Everyday we are faced with new information and being so it is beneficial to review and practice what you have learned. Many findings were observed in the article AcademicListening and Note-Taking by Yang, Chunliang who observed six Chinese-speaking international students in their first semester studying at a Midwestern university in the United States. In the case study they recorded their development of listening and note-taking skills as well as the difficulties they encountered. The focus of the case study was on observing experiences in multimedia lecture environments, major concerns for taking notes, reasons for using L1 words in note-taking, and the relationship between one's listening methods and note-taking performances. The findings were interpreted using Baddeley's Working Memory model, in which students absorbed both verbal and visual input from lectures and then recalled prior knowledge stored in long-term memory to make connections between the new and old information before deciding what information should be noted for later review. The findings demonstrated that attention regulation was crucial for listening comprehension and note-taking in lecture settings, as well as retrieving important material from long-term memory to relate new information to existing knowledge. Visual aids, test formats, lecture pace, and classroom activities were the most important contextual elements for students' attention regulation. Learning to take efficient notes helps enhance your study and work habits, as well as your ability to retain crucial information. Students are frequently misled into believing that because they understand everything given in class, they will retain it. You will improve the abilities of selecting key material and dismissing unnecessary material when you take lecture notes and write notes from your textbook. In school I have used this method before and I have seen great improvement in my test scores.
Students' stress levels are high in the middle of a hectic semester. Short term stress affects the ability to retain information while studying and reviewing especially with finals approaching. Situations like this can become frustrating for students when they feel they are putting in the effort and getting nothing out of it. One way to overcome this obstacle is forming a more productive way of studying with more stimulation to engage students. The best way to do this is to appeal to our five senses and follow the 5 Ws and H sequence- who, what, when, where, why, and how. When appealing to the 5 senses, it signals neurotransmitters and creates synapses that go into either long-term or short term memory. If the senses are continuously flowing then your brain is more apt to be in the forefront of your memory. In the article, Germán also talks about using 6 core concepts of characterization, theme, setting, plot, social justice, and text-to-self connections when it comes to literature. In order to grasp concepts in a more effective manner, it helps to use different studying techniques. Rather than staring blankly at notes and not being able to retain information, using effective study tools promotes memorization and overall better recollection of information.
Overall, effective studying tools aid students in retaining information. However, it all starts in the classroom. The research in studying habits helps aid in the bigger picture and holistic view that retention is not just sitting in class or reviewing after class, but the system and dynamic of learning. Study habits across the board can be adaptable and fluid in ways to fit different topics and concepts. The goal is just to understand how to do so and the effort being put in is the result you will get out. When appealing to the senses and functions of the human brain, it creates an environment in one’s head that focuses on important information and infiltrates what is not needed.
Work Cited
EBSCOhost - world’s Foremost Premium Research Database Service. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://search.ebscohost.com/webauth/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1365011&site=ehost-live&scope=site&authtype=shib.
Effective note-taking in class. Learning Center. (2020, September 23). Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/.
Gobir, N. (1970, November 29). How to fend off 'educational numbness' with experiential learning - mindshift. KQED. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58698/how-to-fend-off-educational-numbness-with-experiential-learning.
