Abstract - Why is it necessary for students to develop a metacognitive ability? Encoding, multi-relational, and recall techniques are strategies commonly used by top students, when used together in iterative learning study systems they lead to better academic outcomes. In this paper we discuss how traditionally encouraged techniques are ineffective, so to stay competitive and prevent burnout, students must find ways to make studying more manageable. This is done by switching the methods they use. The techniques discussed will ideally help the readers develop learning systems and come out with a foundation to manage academic stress effectively.
Introduction: Why students need encoding strategies
Even a decent encoding ability will make the learning process easier and less stressful. Someone's encoding abilities can be developed and practiced with methods like "priming" and developing an ability to evaluate and look at topics more holistically. Good encoding comes when a student can identify relationships within a topic or even among multiple topics. Active recall, Non-linear note-taking, and Practice questions can all be effective methods to encode topics more effectively. Encoding is the perception of information, that is our subjective interpretation of the objective information presented, often when someone learns something new it can't be recalled accurately, reasons for this are multifaceted, biases, prior knowledge, and engagement all play critical roles in the accuracy of the information you perceive.
Iterative learning: A framework for advanced learning systems
Iterative learning is an advantageous learning system because it facilitates multi-relational knowledge schemes. An iterative learning system allows you to systematically and more effectively study because they are built with active recall and spaced repetition techniques in mind. Iterative learning can be anything from simple Pomodoro sessions to full Expanding Gap Spaced Repetition, involving full-length study/recall sessions after increasing intervals of time. Iterative learning isn't one technique; rather it's a framework for existing techniques that tell you when they should be used, which ones are effective for the topic or session, for how long, and just as importantly when to take breaks. When this framework is used with efficient technique, iterative learning can improve student outcomes like grades, and time management skills, and decrease burnout rates. Iterative learning allows us to maximize the effectiveness of techniques. Iterative learning is the foundation for all cohesive learning systems, it leverages our brain's ability to form relationships, by maximizing the use of retention testing strategies, this allows you to accurately target gaps and gives you a blueprint to strategically fill them.
Rote memorization Vs. Multi-Relational knowledge
Traditional class environments don't properly facilitate effective learning. Often these environments encourage rote memorization which is ineffective when it comes to giving students their desired results and being an efficient strategy in more content-dense and conceptually complex environments. Rote memorization involves students rereading and rewriting notes, often this means the relevance, underlying significance, or relationships are never found, especially if the original notes were written verbatim. Rote memorization happens when you can't find the relationships and all information is kept isolated, this calls for more effective multi relational strategies. Multi-relational strategies are more effective because each time a relationship is formed neurons start to fire, increasing the strength of one relationship with each new relationship found within the same topic. Effective strategies for encoding include ones that determine the relationships within a topic from holistic perspectives. Relating information to prior knowledge, emotions, or other chunks within the same topic helps accurately recall topics at a later time; this means retention and knowledge mastery are the only metrics to determine effective encoding. Finding the significant relationships within a topic often goes un-emphasized which leads to poor learning outcomes in these environments, effective encoding strategies must be encouraged.
Batch recall strategies: leveraging multi-relational thinking
Effective strategies such as mind mapping, brain dumps, or practice questions leverage a student's multi-relational knowledge. Many of these strategies work to maximize the variety of relationships students see, maximizing preparedness for Higher Order questions. Mind mapping for example forces you to prioritize and express information as chunks, this helps you evaluate information as you learn more about a topic. This continuous comparison of the contrasting and intentional ranking of the importance of information gives the students new perspectives, increases their engagement, and helps students understand the context of a topic compared to another and thus the ways it may need to be recalled. Brain dumps are also advantageous for similar reasons, but understanding the differences can allow for a synergistic use of both. Brain dumping is when you use active recall to realize relationships, ideas, or main ideas within a topic, this is done by constantly going back and forth through the material to find information only in the context of another, then you try to recall that information without the aid of that material. Students who utilize Brain dumping techniques even see long-term improvements in recall speeds with different topics after just a few weeks of consistently using the technique. Mind Mapping often lacks emphasis on smaller details or less significant relationships, this is easily fixed by batch-recall techniques such as brain dumps that test the relationships made in your initial mindmaps, this system is further complemented by more targeted recall techniques such as practice questions. The format of most college exams seems to test students on the Higher Order knowledge of a topic which is why simply optimizing the questions you ask is one of the most effective techniques you can do, past papers and practice questions are efficient because they ask questions about 2 are more topics in a single question, so the information is never isolated, for this reason, most practice questions are inherently multi-relational. Asking "Why is topic A important?" "How is it related to topic B?", and "Why is this relationship significant?" are fundamental questions most other questions emulate, understanding this allows you to create, optimize, and adapt your own questions. Learning systems can be built to maximize retention. These systems work by finding the big picture of a topic and then zooming in on details. This process is called iterative learning.
Questions: Bloom's Taxonomy
Evaluative and Inquiry-Based questions are among the most effective techniques for learning conceptually difficult topics. Asking questions like "Why is topic A important?" can not only give you the definition, but the relationships, and the context it will need to be recalled, which can effectively structure your revision sessions, following up with more evaluative questions like "How is topic A related to topic B" can help you fill all gaps about a topic you may have when asked exhaustively. We ask questions all the time. The effectiveness comes when we ask them intentionally and articulate them in ways that are generative, evoking multiple answers and even more questions. Asking these specific questions leverages higher-order learning, based on Bloom's Taxonomy. Bloom's taxonomy is depicted as a pyramid structure that visualizes the different levels of knowledge mastery. At face value Bloom's taxonomy is very ambiguous, it has understanding second to last, which is very counter-intuitive, because understanding is a prerequisite to learning, what bloom's taxonomy is trying to distill is that understanding is important, however, it is vastly more effective when done unisolated and topics should only be understood in the context of a holistic understanding of context and relationships first. And worse, rote memorization is last on the hierarchy, which is the method that is most commonly used in classroom settings, confirming there is a need for more effective study systems.
Conclusion
Learning is most effective when you use effective strategies that are systematic and symbiotic. Understanding how to use effective study systems, and taking learning into your own hands is the most effective way to excel in academic settings. As classrooms become more competitive and topics become more dense, students are in dire need of effective study systems. It isn't efficient to sporadically use techniques and then not be able to replicate the same results later, just as much as it isn't useful to study for 12-hour days and then burn out for weeks on end. Efficient systems, lower stress and make everything more manageable, setting students up for academic success and more importantly academic sustainability. Students who take more holistic approaches to learning are in the top ranks of their classes, learning material, targeting detail, and exhaustive retention testing are the foundation for desired results in academic settings. Encoding is our ability to learn new information, changing the way we think about learning and being conscious of our strategies is a subfield of neuroscience called meta-cognition, developing your meta-cognitive abilities has previously been rewarding, increasing student adoption rates of this skill has improved outcomes for all fields and grade levels.