10 Learning Strategies for Students & Why They Work

Learning new material isn’t always easy, especially as concepts get more complex. Decades of cognitive research have revealed practical ways to make learning more effective. The best learning strategies help you understand challenging concepts, retain information for longer, and make better use of your time.

This guide covers 10 learning strategies that support long-term retention and academic success. You’ll learn how each strategy works, why it matters, and how to apply it when you’re learning challenging material.

Activating prior knowledge

Activating prior knowledge is a simple but highly effective strategy to use right before a reading assignment or a class lecture. It involves brainstorming what you already know about a new topic before you dive into the details. According to decades of cognitive research, new information is easier to learn and remember when you connect it to what you already know. To apply this learning strategy effectively:

• Scan the headings in the upcoming chapter, lecture notes, or syllabus.
• Jot down two or three things you already associate with the subject.
• Connect the new topic to a familiar daily habit, hobby, or past class.

Chunking

Chunking involves breaking down dense, unfamiliar information into smaller, digestible segments. When you break a textbook chapter or similar information into chunks, you can process and review one concept at a time. To put chunking into practice:

• Divide the material into logical sections. Use textbook headings and subheadings to identify groups of related concepts.
• Study one section at a time. Pause after each section to process what you’ve read.
• Check your understanding. Write a short explanation in your own words or answer a practice question without looking at the text. Revisit anything that’s unclear or difficult to remember.

Annotating texts

Annotating involves adding notes, questions, and comments to a text as you read. Instead of passively moving through a textbook chapter, you actively engage with the material by identifying key ideas, questioning unfamiliar concepts, and connecting new information to what you already know. To put this learning strategy into practice:

• Identify key ideas. Highlight important concepts, definitions, or evidence, but avoid marking entire paragraphs.
• Ask questions. Write questions on sticky notes beside confusing passages or claims you want to understand better.
• Make connections. Add brief notes that connect new information to concepts you’ve already learned.
• Summarize key points. After reading a section, explain its central idea in your own words, and connect it to the broader topic.

Active recall (retrieval practice)

Active recall, also called retrieval practice, involves pulling information from memory without looking at your notes or textbook. Instead of simply rereading material, you actively test what you can remember. This learning strategy strengthens your ability to retrieve information when answering questions or applying concepts in an exam. Active recall can take several forms:

• Flashcard drills
• Practice tests
• Chapter review questions
• A summary written from memory
• Explaining a concept without referring to your notes

Distributed practice

Distributed practice, also called spaced practice, is a learning strategy that you combine with active recall. Instead of reviewing material during one long session, spread out your review sessions over multiple days with increasingly longer intervals between each session.

Distributed practice enhances the impact of active recall by making it increasingly more challenging. According to cognitive science, the additional effort makes your brain better at retaining and recalling information. For example, you might learn the information in one textbook chapter over three sessions:

• Session 1 (Day 1): Read through the brand-new material once at a moderate pace to get a high-level overview of the concepts
• Session 2 (Day 2): With your textbook closed, write a brief summary from memory to test your initial retention, and then reread the chapter to compare it to your summary.
• Session 3 (Day 5): Work through practice questions or flashcards to retrieve information without looking at your book or notes.

Dual coding

Dual coding combines verbal and visual information so that you have two ways to make sense of new information. A visual representation, like a diagram or image, helps you organize information and recognize relationships between ideas.

You can practice dual coding by reviewing the visual aids in your textbook or by creating your own. Both are useful, but the latter is more effective because it requires more effort. If you’re making your own visual representation, choose a format that fits the data:

• Venn diagram or comparison chart to evaluate differences
• Flowchart with arrows to show cause and effect
• Mind map to connect related ideas to a central theme
• Timeline for historical events or steps in a process
• Labeled diagram for the parts of a system or organism

Real-world examples

Real-world examples connect what you learn to a tangible person, situation, or event outside of the classroom. Abstract ideas can be difficult to understand until you connect them to familiar or realistic situations. Your motivation to learn a concept also increases when you understand when it might be useful. As you’re reading a chapter or taking notes during a lecture:

• Think about your personal experiences, current events, or popular culture to find a matching scenario.
• Write down a specific instance of the academic concept in daily life.
• Explain how the example illustrates the concept and why the connection makes sense.

Self-explanation

Self-explanation involves explaining a concept, process, or solution in your own words instead of simply memorizing the information. This learning strategy helps you identify gaps in your understanding and connect individual facts to the bigger picture by working through the reasoning behind them.

As you’re learning, pause after a difficult paragraph or new concept and ask yourself:

• How would I explain this idea to someone else?
• Why does this step or process work?
• How does this concept connect to something I already know?

Collaboration

Collaboration involves working with a study partner or study group to unpack complex material alongside other people. When you try to explain an unfamiliar concept to someone else, you find out where your own understanding is shaky. Hearing how other people interpret the material can also clarify points you might have missed.

Reflection

Reflection means taking a few minutes after a class, reading assignment, or independent learning activity to think about what you learned and what you still need to work on. Regular reflection helps you recognize gaps in your understanding, identify which learning strategies are most helpful, and decide what to focus on next. After a class or learning activity, ask yourself:

• What felt confusing or challenging?
• Which ideas do I understand well, and which do I need to revisit?
• What helped me make sense of the material?
• What’s one thing I can do to strengthen my understanding?

Frequently asked questions about learning strategies

What is passive learning?

Passive learning (rather than active learning) occurs when students receive information without any interaction, response, or immediate practice.

For example, when students listen to a lecture or read a textbook without actively participating or responding, the learning is passive rather than active.

Because it involves minimal participation or effort, students are less likely to understand and retain the information.

Curious about active learning strategies for yourself or your students? Quillbot’s AI Chat can help you brainstorm ideas.

What is active reading?

Active reading involves engaging with a text by interacting with the ideas rather than passively scanning the words. Active reading strategies include:

• Surveying the headings and key terms before reading
• Annotating questions, comments, and reactions in the margins
• Summarizing sections or paragraphs in your own words
• Connecting the information to your own experiences and prior knowledge

Curious about other forms of active learning? Ask Quillbot’s AI Search to show you a list of research studies from educational experts.

Other interesting articles