Benefits of using retrieval practice to learn for exams -
Helps you lock information into memory - The very act of pulling a piece of information out of your memory means you can remember it more easily later on.
Helps you find the gaps in your knowledge - By testing yourself, you’ll have a better idea of what you know and where you need to do more work.
Helps you apply information to new contexts - it’s not just about learning the facts, studying using retrieval practice makes it more likely that you will be able to figure out unfamiliar problems based on what you know.
Strategies for memorizing for exams with retrieval practice -
Write what you know from memory on a blank sheet - a plain sheet of paper is a very under-rated study tool! Put your books away, then scribble down everything you can remember about a topic.
Draw concept maps from memory - A concept map links ideas together visually, putting ideas in boxes, and linking them together with arrows to show how they relate.
Practice questions - Make a list of their own “quiz questions” they know they will need to be able to answer to prove they know that topic properly. Then they put their notes away and take the quiz.