The three golden rules of revision

Did you know... There are better ways to revise than others?

That’s right! The neuroscience on this is very clear: our brain responds best to a certain type of learning. Our namesake (The CODE) is thanks to these very methods which are designed to code information into your head like a computer.

At The CODE we are passionate about spreading the word on the 3 Golden Rules for learning and revision. Keep reading for a breakdown of each of the three rules and how you and your student can use them in their every day.

RULE NO.1 : SPACED INTERVAL LEARNING

Spaced interval learning states that information is more likely to be committed to memory when we revisit the information over time. The method of spaced repetition was first conceived of in the 1880s by German scientist Herman Ebbinghaus who created the 'forgetting curve' - a graph portraying the loss of learned information over time. Ebbinghaus showed that this can be curbed by reviewing such information at several intervals over a period of time.

DO NOT CRAM!

(There is no evidence to support it) Instead: start revision 2-3 weeks earlier. Schedule gaps between studying the same subject. Pair different subjects together so you have a contrast and spaced repetition in action.

RULE NO.2 : RETRIEVAL PRACTICE

Retrieval practice is the practice of testing the knowledge you need is present and correct! The reason this is such a golden rule is because this is the ultimate form of ACTIVE REVISION, i.e. revision that creates and strengthens neural pathways. Reading and copying out notes has been proven to be inactive revision and will not help performance in exams. Instead, students need to walk through the fear and TEST THEMSELVES by ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

Here are some useful sites to use for retrieval practice:

• Revision World (practice papers: revisionworld.com)

• Physics and Maths Tutor (practice papers: physicsandmathstutor.com)

• BBC Bitesize

• Quizlet

• Seneca

RULE NO.3: DUAL CODING

Dual Coding is a theory by Allan Pairio that states that the mind processes information along two different channels; verbal and nonverbal. Therefore when studying, it is important to learn information in these two forms.

For example, if revising Biology, remember to not only learn the key words and vocab, but also pairing them with a picture or diagram to demonstrate what the word means.

QUICK TIP!

Try dual coding with mind maps! With every bubble you create, draw a little image or doodle next to the word or bubble to represent its meaning. The images do not need to be pretty or neat, they just has to make sense to you, the drawer!

Learn more from our online revision course, available here:

https://the-code-education.xperiencify.io/online-revision-course/learn-more/