Study Psych Do Study Guides Review Notes Do Extra Credit Prepare for Test
Strategizing resources leads to improved exam scores, according to Stanford scholars
A study from Stanford psychology scholars institute that college students employing a strategic approach to the utilize of study resources improved their exam scores by an average of one-third of a letter of the alphabet grade.
Patricia Chen is lead author on a paper that shows that a psychological intervention encouraging students to employ available written report resources in a strategic way made them more likely to perform better in class. (Prototype credit: 50.A. Cicero)
Despite access to a trove of learning resources – including textbooks, online references and homework assignments – some students routinely fall short of their functioning expectations.
The solution may not exist to work harder, but more strategically. That'south the primal takeaway from new research led past Stanford scholars, whose study published in Psychological Science institute that applying a strategic arroyo to studying helped higher students improve their exam scores by an average of one-third of a letter grade.
Inspiration to strategize
The written report was inspired by meetings that pb author Patricia Chen, a postdoctoral research fellow in Stanford's Department of Psychology, had with less-than-enthused students afterward they received their exam grades. Many of these students, she noticed, lamented their poor performances despite the smashing deal of effort that they had put into studying. The archetype complaint seemed to be, "I studied really hard, and I'm just every bit smart every bit [some other educatee]. I don't empathise why I didn't do well."
In response, Chen would ask these students, "Describe to me how you studied for the exam." From the responses, Chen gleaned the insight that many students – intelligent and willing to work hard – fall short of performing to their potential because they don't utilize a strategic arroyo to their learning.
"Blind effort alone, without directing that try in an effective style, doesn't always become yous to where y'all want to go," Chen said.
Ability of self-reflection
The research team, which included Desmond Ong, a Stanford doctoral student in psychology, homed in on one important aspect of strategic learning – engaging in self-reflection to identify and use resource wisely. Prior research supports the general apply of metacognition, or "thinking about 1'due south own thinking," as a successful means to improve learning and academic performance. But, before their studies, it remained to be seen whether specifically strategizing about one'south resource utilise would causally ameliorate students' bookish functioning.
The researchers developed a "Strategic Resources Utilize" intervention that blends educational and social psychological theories. The intervention, according to the study, "prompts students to think deliberately about how to arroyo their learning finer with the resources available to them."
The intervention was administered through brief online surveys sent to college students in an introductory statistics class about one week before their exams.
Students in the control group received a business-as-usual exam reminder. Students in the intervention grouping received the same exam reminder and a short Strategic Resource Utilize exercise: They were asked to think about what they expected to be on the upcoming examination and and then strategize what kinds of resources they would use to study most finer. Following this, the students were asked to explain why each resource they chose would exist useful to their learning and then describe how they planned on using their chosen resources.
In two studies, students who strategized their resource use before studying outperformed comparable classmates in the control group by an average of one-third of a letter course in the grade. In the first study, students scored an average of 3.45 percentage points higher in the class, and in the second study, the average departure was four.65 percentage points.
Why was the intervention and so effective? The researchers plant that the brief intervention exercise made students more than cocky-reflective about how they approached their learning. In plough, this metacognition enabled students to utilize their resources more than finer, as their self-reports showed.
"Information technology's non merely near using a greater number of resources for studying. The of import point here is using resource more effectively," stressed Ong.
This strategic thinking besides provided students with other psychological benefits, including feelings of empowerment regarding their teaching. Students who had taken the intervention perceived a greater control over their learning and expressed fewer negative feelings almost their upcoming exams.
Chen emphasized information technology is important to consider the specific class surroundings before implementing the Strategic Resource Utilize intervention. The researchers note that the intervention has been tested – and found constructive – in resource-rich environments, where students have access to textbooks, lecture notes, online resources, teaching administration and other tools. But it is nevertheless unknown how well the intervention would work in resources-scarce environments. In resource-scarce environments, said Chen, it might be meliorate for educators to focus on providing "a basic repertoire of resource" first.
A strategy for life
Chen proposes that the principle behind Strategic Resource Use tin can be applied beyond academics, including parenting, losing weight or learning a new skill at piece of work.
"Actively self-reflecting on the approaches that you are taking fosters a strategic stance that is actually important in life," she said. "Strategic thinking distinguishes betwixt people of comparable ability and effort. This can make the difference between people who reach and people who accept the potential to achieve, but don't."
Chen offered one more slice of communication: "Strategize how yous want to effectively direct your efforts before you pour your energy into it."
The report, "Strategic Resource Employ for Learning: A Self-Administered Intervention That Guides Self-Reflection on Constructive Resources Use Enhances Bookish Operation," was as well co-authored by Omar Chavez, a graduate pupil at the University of Texas, and Brenda Gunderson, a senior lecturer at the Academy of Michigan.
Source: https://news.stanford.edu/2017/05/08/studying-strategically-equals-improved-exam-scores/
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