Karl Note: Memorization and repetition have been, for many years, considered very poor learning techniques, yet the old truth and value with rote learning is now coming back with increased recognition that learning by repetition is NOT understanding, but just "duplication." It is an essential part of good study practice. There is no way to take advantage of "repetition" without repeating.
The multiplication tables, touch typing, piano playing, and many other subjects have long depended on repetition. Now it is become clear that there are important roles for repetition to play in the learning of ANY subject.
Many of the eCourses presented on this web site make heavy use of "repetition." Students often arrive at this site with an irrational prejudice against "rote memory." That is a shame, because rote memorization is an extremely valuable teaching technique for certain types of data.
Dyslexia and the Brain: Repetition Wires the Brain
Overcoming Learning Disorders: Building a “Pyramid of Repetition”
Repetition in Touch Typing - Keyboarding Tools and Techniques
Create Edit Quiz Test Sort Print Learn Know
REPETITION AIDS LEARNING IN CHILDREN EXPOSED TO ALCOHOL
PRE-BIRTH
Memorization: Recommended Study Technique
Dyslexia and the Brain: Repetition Wires the Brain
In the second half of the 20th century repetition, rote learning and drilling became swear words in education. Today this form of learning is considered to be “out of style,” “ghastly boring” and even “mindless.” “Having to spend long periods of time on repetitive tasks is a sign that learning is not taking place — that this is not a productive learning situation,” states Bartoli in the Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1989.
Such statements as these, however, contradict the latest discoveries by neuroscientists, who have found that repetition is important in the “wiring” of a person's brain, i.e. the forming of connections or synapses between the brain cells. Without these connections, the brain cells are as useless as batteries standing in a row next to a torch. Only when the batteries and torch are connected, can they produce a shining light.
The thing that wires a child's brain, say neuroscientists — or rewires it after physical trauma — is “repeated experience.” Without such repeated experience, key synapses don't form. And if such connections, once formed, are used too seldom to be strengthened and reinforced, the brain, figuring they're dead weight, eventually “prunes” them away.
| Dyslexia Symptoms & Dyslexia Signs is sponsored by the Audiblox Dyslexia Program. |
| Learning Disabilities Online |
Overcoming Learning Disorders: Building
a “Pyramid of Repetition”
BY DR. JAN STRYDOM & SUSAN DU PLESSIS
|
The first learning principle in overcoming learning disorders is to understand that learning is a stratified process. The second learning principle of great importance is to understand that learning cannot occur without repetition. More specifically, a “pyramid of repetition” has to be constructed. If one systematically and regularly does repetition with a learner, it will gradually become possible for the learner to learn more and more with fewer and fewer repetitions. |
As far as one can go back in history, repetition — also called rote learning or drilling — has been the backbone of successful teaching. But this is no longer the case:
The jewel in the crown of American pedagogy has long been Columbia University's Teachers College. Its patron saint, and of American education more generally, is John Dewey, whose idea of school as engines of social change led his disciples in the 1920s and 1930s to define their task as replacing the rigid, the authoritarian, and the traditional with a school centered on the child's social, rather than his intellectual, functioning. The child would be freed from the highly structured school day, from testing, rote memorization, and drill. Books were to take second place to projects, reading to “life experience.” Cooperation would replace competition; the emphasis would be on the group rather than the individual. The elementary school pupil would learn about here and now, his neighborhood rather than places in the far-off past. The school was to be a socializing institute where children learned through active experience.
One consequence of Dewey's influence was that repetition, rote learning and drilling became swear words in education. Today this form of learning is considered to be “out of style,”2 “ghastly boring”3 and even “mindless.”4 “Having to spend long periods of time on repetitive tasks is a sign that learning is not taking place — that this is not a productive learning situation,” says LD expert Bartoli.5
We would like to ask the critics of repetition and drilling if they have a driver's license. If they have, we would like to know how they got it? Did they just jump in the car one day and off they went? No, the fact is that they repeated over and over — drilled and drilled and drilled — the same actions up to a point where they became automated. Only then were they able to drive a car successfully. Why then, do they expect from children to learn successfully without repetition and drilling? Repetition creates confidence and builds a basis, a kind of springboard for them to conquer higher cognitive skills. One has to build that first and then branch out into “creative” and “critical” thinking and other approaches. They need a base for the higher functions. Today, however, children are required to think “critically” (a sacred cow in education) while they haven't learned anything to think critically about. As Professor Roger Shattuck so rightly states, public schools in the United States — and elsewhere — have put the cart before the horse.6 Maybe what they really did was that they drowned the horse and burned the cart. In recent years, neuroscientists have discovered that repetition is important in the “wiring” of a person's brain, i.e. the forming of connections or synapses between the brain cells. Without these connections, the brain cells are as useless as batteries standing in a row next to a torch. Only when the batteries and torch are connected, can they make a shining light.
The thing that wires a child's brain, say neuroscientists — or rewires it after physical trauma — is “repeated experience.”7 Without such repeated experience, key synapses don't form. And if such connections, once formed, are used too seldom to be strengthened and reinforced, the brain, figuring they're dead weight, eventually “prunes” them away.8
But mere repetition is not the end of the story. There must be enough repetition for a beginner learner. A beginner learner must start by repeating a limited amount of material many times over and over. Gradually, less and less repetition will be necessary to master new skills and new knowledge. This principle is especially noticeable when teaching mentally handicapped children. Since 1993 we have been actively involved in research in this area. (Click here to download a video on this matter.)
When teaching the mentally handicapped we follow a very intensive program, with counting being one of the first things to teach them. Especially in the initial stages, a large part of the daily program is used for this activity. This activity is also a good example to illustrate the above-mentioned principle.
When Chrizan B., an 8-year-old who had an IQ of 65 at the onset of intervention, was taught to count, it took three full days to teach her to count from one to three and back. On the fourth day, “four” was added. Chrizan immediately became completely confused and could no longer count from one to three. It again took three full days to teach her to count from one to four and back. When “five” was added, the same thing happened. She became completely confused and could no longer count from one to four. Again it required three days to teach her to count from one to five and back. Gradually, however, less time was required to add new numbers and she no longer became confused when new numbers were added. From eleven onwards, it took two days to add a new number and from twenty onwards, more or less one day was needed for every new number. From thirty onwards it was possible to add more and more new numbers on a daily basis.
Below are Chrizan’s IQ scores when she started treatment and again 12 weeks later. In the left-hand column are the scores she obtained during the first assessment and in the right-hand column the scores of the reassessment:
| VERBAL TESTS | |||
| Vocabulary | 8 | 8 | |
| Comprehension | 9 | 10 | |
| Verbal Reasoning | 3 | 3 | |
| Problems | 8 | 8 | |
| Memory | 3 | 8 | |
| VERBAL IQ SCORE | 71 | 79 | |
| NON-VERBAL TESTS | |||
| Pattern Completion | 3 | 5 | |
| Blocks | 3 | 7 | |
| Absurdities | 10 | 10 | |
| Form Board | 4 | 10 | |
| NON-VERBAL IQ SCORE | 65 | 79 | |
| TOTAL IQ SCORE | 65 | 79 | |
The point is that much repetition was needed before Chrizan could count from one to three, one to four, and one to five. Gradually, however, it became easier and easier, until very little repetition was needed to add new numbers. No doubt it is the same with normal children, as the following story, taken from Nurtured by Love: A New Approach to Education by Suzuki illustrates:
Since 1949, our Mrs. Yano has been working with new educational methods for developing ability, and every day she trains the infants of the school to memorize and recite Issa's well-known haiku. [A haiku is a short Japanese poem, consisting only of three lines.] Children who at first could not memorize one haiku after hearing it ten times were able to do so in the second term after three to four hearings, and in the third term only one hearing.9
This means that, if one systematically and regularly does repetition with a learner, it will gradually become possible for the learner to learn more and more with fewer and fewer repetitions. It is almost as if a “pyramid of repetition” has to be constructed first.
The importance of this “pyramid of repetition” is also seen in the learning of a first language. According to Dr. Beve Hornsby, it has been found that a child who is just beginning to talk must hear a word about 500 times before it will become part of his active vocabulary, i.e. before he will be able to say the word.10 Two years later, the same child will probably need only one to a few repetitions to learn to say a new word.
Without building this “pyramid of repetition” first, later learning will always be time consuming and prone to failure. Unfortunately educators have ignored this learning principle and have removed most of the repetitive work that used to form part of education for so long. With few exceptions, this change is seen as a step forward. Doreen Kronick, in her book New Approaches to Learning Disabilities, stated that we “overlooked what our common sense told us, which was that the poems that we had learned in school were useless for helping us to remember what we needed to buy at the supermarket.”11
It seems that people, like Kronick, who regard this as a step forward, are wrong. Maclean et al., for example, found that knowledge of nursery rhymes among 3-year-olds was a significant predictor of later prereading skills even after the children's IQs and their mothers' educational levels were partialed out.12 Even stronger evidence of Kronick's wrong assumption is the “explosion” of “learning disabilities” all over the Western world.13 One of the reasons for this explosion is that repetition or drilling has been dropped out of the school system. As Kronick said — the memorizing of poems would not help you to remember what to buy at the supermarket. What she does not realize — and many others too — was that by reciting and repeating these poems over and over we were building this pyramid of repetition. Therefore it was not useless at all!
Educators should take into account that the learning material, that children are expected to master, continually becomes more, and more difficult, year after year. Unless the teaching methods take note of this — and due to the removal of repetition or drilling modern-day teaching methods do not — it is inevitable that they will start battling, sooner or later. One can compare this to the story of Milo, the famous Greek wrestler from the sixth century B.C. He is said to have carried a calf on his shoulders every day from its birth and eventually to have carried the grown cow around the Olympic stadium. Like the calf inexorably grew and therefore became heavier and heavier, the learning material, that children are confronted with year after year, also becomes more, and more difficult. The fact that Milo carried the calf every day, however, made it possible for him also to carry the grown cow. The repeated carrying of the calf had a permanent effect on Milo. In the same way repeated learning experiences also have a permanent effect on the learner.
In regards to building a “pyramid of repetition” there are two very important factors that should be kept in mind: The first is that there is great individuality among different people, and even within the same person, in the amount of repetition required to learn something. The amount of repetition that is enough for one person, may not necessarily be enough for another. The amount of repetition that a certain person requires in mastering a certain skill, may not necessarily be enough to master another skill. Mrs. Butler might need ten lessons to master the skill of driving, Mrs. Brown might need twenty, Mrs. Lane thirty and Mrs. Jones forty. Mrs. Jones, who struggled to learn to drive, may, on the other hand, need only ten lessons to become expert at sewing. One should note, however, that Mrs. Jones was not diagnosed as “driving disabled” because she needed forty lessons!
The second important factor is that one should not lose sight of the stratified nature of learning. If a child has not yet mastered the skill of counting, ten thousand repetitions in adding and subtracting will not teach him to add and subtract. The child needs to learn how to count first, although he may need more repetitions to master this skill than some other children.
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The Audiblox program, a development by Dr. Jan Strydom, is based on the principles that learning is a stratified process and that a “pyramid of repetition” has to be constructed. Audiblox can be applied one-on-one and in a group setting. Teachers, tutors and therapists in the USA, who want to learn more about Audiblox are recommended to visit the Audiblox.com site. Parents, who want to use Audiblox at home, and other interested parties are recommended to visit the Audiblox2000.com site. |
REFERENCES:
Kramer, R., “Inside the teachers' culture,” The Public Interest, 15 January 1997.
Bremmer, J., “What business needs from the nation's schools,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 19 April 1993.
Bassnett, S., “Comment,” Independent, 14 October 1999.
Dixon, R-C. D., “Ideologies, practices, and their implications for special education,” Journal of Special Education, 1994, vol. 28, 356.
Bartoli, J. S., “An ecological response to Coles's interactivity alternative,” Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1989, vol. 22(5), 292-297.
Skube, M., “Professor out to put 'learning' back into education,” The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 12 March 2000.
Nash, J. M., “Special report: Fertile minds from birth, a baby's brain cells proliferate wildly, making connections that may shape a lifetime of experience. The first three years are crucial,” Time, 3 February 1997.
Polaneczky, R., “How kids get smart: The surprising news,” Redbook, 1 March 1998.
Suzuki, S., Nurtured by Love: A New Approach to Education (New York: Exposition Press, 1969).
Hornsby, B., Overcoming Dyslexia (Johanesburg: Juta and Company Ltd., 1984), 43.
Kronick, D., New Approaches to Learning Disabilities. Cognitive, Metacognitive and Holistic (Philadelphia: Grune & Stratton, 1988), 9.
Maclean, M., Bryant, P., & Bradley, L., “Rhymes, nursery rhymes, and reading in early childhood,” Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, vol. 33, 255-281, cited in K. E. Stanovich, “Learning disabilities in broader context,” Journal of Learning Disabilities, May 1989, vol. 22(5), 287-297.
Kramer, “Inside the teachers' culture.”
Repetition in Touch Typing - Keyboarding Tools and Techniques
Click on an underlined topic, or
scroll down.
Program Repetition & Learning
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All keyboarding programs must provide a means for repetition. That is, the user should be able to re-key an exercise until they are satisfied with their performance. Touch typing skills are motor reflex skills, that can only be developed with practice, and any program should have "encouragements" to enhance the learning opportunity. |
Note: I am NOT talking about games. I am a keyboarding
teacher and I am opposed to games. A positive learning environment is needed in
which enjoyment occurs via the learner's accomplishments. Games create the wrong
learning atmosphere. Programs that ask the learner to "zap the aliens" or "type
while racing" distract from the learning environment. Users can and will respond
in a positive manner if the keyboarding program is correctly designed.
Adult learner need a program that provides a variety of exercises designed to
keep their interest so they will be willing to practice longer. Repetition in
keystrokes is needed, but this should be on a variety of subjects so that
boredom does not occur.
One way of accomplishing this is to utilize a "learning guide" such as a "Little
Professor" as a private instructor. For example, if the learner is in an
advanced exercise, and the computer is designed such that it detects that
missing a keystroke pattern (not just errors, but patterns of errors) , this
fact can be personalized by a "messenger" that tailors the information to the
user's needs.
For example, the learner can be asked if he/she wants to practice a
"troublesome" key. If "yes" is clicked, a mini review exercise can provide an
opportunity to improve performance. The user is not always referred back to
re-key the same material over, and over again. The educational "balance" is that
repetition is desirable, but not to the point of creating boredom.
For the past three decades we have taught keyboarding
to thousands of people. We captured the proven techniques about a decade ago,
and are applying these teaching techniques in our program.
A step-by-step approach is taken and each keystroke is introduced, one at a
time. There are individual pictures of all key reaches, reinforced by "flashing
keys." This will guide your fingers from their assigned home row keys, to the
correct key until your fingers know what to do.
In addition to the pictures, the little professor flashes the key you are to
lift your finger from, and the key you are to strike. He then monitors that you
do it correctly. A target speed is presented for each exercise which will
increase as skills are developed.
After completion of an exercise, the learner is given an opportunity to save the
exercise on a personalized "report card."
Errors are analyzed, and if a problem is detected, the learner has an
opportunity to practice the troublesome keystroke utilizing "Back to the
Classroom, mini-exercises.
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Opportunities for Improvement
| In learning or teaching, please do not think of errors as something
horrible. The educational philosophy should be to view errors in a positive
sense. That is, errors are Mother Nature's way of telling us there are
opportunities for improvement. Mistakes are a natural part of the learning
process. When the user first begins the process of seriously learning keyboarding, the program should balance errors, which tend to naturally occur, with the learning need of "encouraging" the user to type faster. Here are some guidelines that might be useful. |
Exercise # |
Target Speed |
Error Limit |
| 01 - 19 | 15 | 30 |
| 20 - 99 | 15 | 25 |
| 100 - 179 | 20 | 20 |
| 180 - 200 | 20 | 15 |
| 201 - 250 | 25 | 15 |
| 251 - 300 | 30 | 13 |
| 300+ | 30 | 8 |
Note that we are NOT suggesting that errors be ignored.
Rather, we are suggesting that in the beginning, learners should
concentrate on using the correct finger to strike a
key, and not be overly concerned about errors.
So, initially the keyboarding program should be very liberal and allow exercise
to be recorded that has up to 30 errors (remember, this is for only six lines of
type). The reason for this is that we find that true beginners are often nervous
and "Error Prone." However, that soon changes.
Each time the user starts a new exercise, they are shown a report card on the
exercises completed. They are encouraged to re-key an exercise whenever desired
to improve their speed and accuracy. As they progress further along, they are
more strongly encouraged to type both quickly and accurately.
However, if the program detects that the learner is consistantly missing a
keystroke pattern, the learner is given an opportunity to practice specialized
exercises to overcome the troublesome keystroke.
For keyboarding teachers:
For my class: I have students go all the way
through ALL the 500+ exercises if they have time. Then I ask them to strive for
accuracy on the timed writings.
Re-Key Exercises as Needed for "C" Grade
| Exercise | Target Speed |
Error Limit |
| 1 minute timed | 30 | 6 |
| 3 minute timed | 30 | 18 |
| 5 minute timed | 25 | 22 |
(Re-key exercises as needed for "A" grade.)
NOTE: This excludes programming exercises and numeric
exercises.
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Skills Check List
| All learners must maintain a "professional" posture and a positive
attitude. I realize that may sound "trite" to non-teachers, but as a
teacher, I fully believe in the importance of a professional learning
environment. And yes, I am one of these "old timers" who support a dress
requirement. If you do not appear professional, and if you do not act
professional, then how can you expect people to "BE" professional. |
The key to mastering touch typing is that the learner
must "concentrate on what they are doing!"
Helping learners to "concentrate" and "stay focused" is difficult. Most learners
cooperate with you, but some people have to be constantly reminded to "sit up
straight," "quit talking," "concentrate on the task," and "keep your feet flat
on the floor."
Others seem to have their eyes on everything but the screen, and it is amazing
that they are able to learn anything about which finger should strike a key, let
alone how to type accurately. If you are dealing with such learners, the below
"feedback" form will be of assistance. (Wait a moment before printing the form).
Word Wacker - Skills Check List
| Topic | Needs Work |
About Right |
Great Job |
| Keystroke Patterns | |||
| Strikes keys with quick motion. | [] | [] | [] |
| Types with a steady, even rhythm. | [] | [] | [] |
| Strikes Enter key without looking. | [] | [] | [] |
| Keeps fingers on home row keys. | [] | [] | [] |
| Strives for accuracy. | [] | [] | [] |
| Posture | |||
| Sits erect. | [] | [] | [] |
| Feet flat on floor. | [] | [] | [] |
| Wrists up. | [] | [] | [] |
| Elbows in. | [] | [] | [] |
| Attitude | |||
| Follows directions. | [] | [] | [] |
| Completes exercises on time. | [] | [] | [] |
| Is prepared for class. | [] | [] | [] |
| Has work well organized. | [] | [] | [] |
| Has a good attitude. | [] | [] | [] |
If you would like a copy of this specific form, without
having to print out this ten page document, then click on the "Little
Professor." Only the Skills Check List
will be displayed for printing.
 |
Click on the little professor to print the check list. Then
"back" to return here. |
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Keyboard Pictures
| There are often times when a picture of the
keyboard will be useful. Several are provided below. These are large black
and white jpg files (about 110k) because a high quality, full-page picture
is needed for a realistic keyboard. Click on the small picture for a full size picture. Print it, then "back arrow" to return to this program. I prefer the dark, full-page landscape layouts. |
Dark keyboard; all keys shown
|
Dark keyboard; few keys shown
|
Light keyboard; all keys shown
|
Light keyboard; few keys shown
|
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NimbleFingers - Flash Cards
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Suppose the basic finger keystroke patterns have been mastered and the learner is trying to build speed. The little professor will again be of assistance, but this time, not with music. He will display common words to encourage the learner to think and then to type the word as a whole. |
The objective of the Flash Cards exercise is
to develop motor reflex patterns. Flash cards train you to think and type words
as a whole, not as individual letters in the word.
That is, in the word "the" instead of thinking of the individual letters "t",
"h" and "e", think the whole word "the" and type the whole word "the." Do not
think of, and then type, the individual letters. Flash cards will vastly improve
your touch typing speed.
Flash Cards randomly produces hundreds of words and brief phrases
to develop your skills. Numerous options can be selected, such as capitalizing
the first letter of the word, entering the period after the word, entering a
period and two spaces after the word, or touch typing the word followed by a
comma. The little professor will guide the learner through well over a million
combinations.
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NimbleFingers - Numeric Pad
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I bet you are thinking: "So, now are you going to tell me it will be easy to learn how to use the numeric pad?" Answer the question for yourself. Pretend you have a common hand-held caculator laying on the desk before you. |
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Do you think you can master the keystrokes shown? You bet you can! The "trick" is to think of using a caculator and soon you will have mastered the numeric pad. Every attempt is made to make the exercises interesting by using data dealing with housing prices, and expensive equipment. |
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![[MemorizeIt Box]](../images/MemorizeGreenMoss.jpg)
Memorize·It is a multimedia flashcard application that allows you to create your own decks of flashcards incorporating text, sound, pictures, and drawings. Using several testing methods: multiple choice, true/false, type-in and honor system, Memorize·It can be used for any subject from preschool to medical school. Cards can be easily moved between decks or copied to build new decks. Interactive quizzing with Memorize·It automatically keeps track of the hardest cards and allows you to focus on exactly what is hardest for you. Decks can be printed front and back on five styles of perforated card stock paper. By using Memorize·It you can study or teach any subject. Memorize·It allows you to easily create the cards with exactly the information you need to study. All this for only $25 (for a limited time - regularly $39).
If you've ever used flashcards before and have something you need to learn quickly, then Memorize·It is for you. The whole idea of learning is centered around repetition. The more you practice something, the better you get and the more you know about it. Memorize·It takes this idea to a whole new level with the ability to consistently focus on the cards which give you the most trouble.
Repetition plays a vital role in the retention of information. This Kent State study guide for college students talks of the importance of repetition in learning. An Exam preparation guide from the Kildare Nationalists also touches on the importance of repetition and "practicing recall". The biology department at the University of Texas at Austin has a study guide which notes the importance of writing down notes and repetition, although they do recommend trying to gain understanding instead of rote memorization.
There a many other examples of the importance of learning through repetition. In most cases the process is to first write something down, then repeatedly review it. The creation of the flashcards with Memorize·It is the writing down part, and the quizzing and testing (repetition) is what Memorize·It does best.
Memorize·It includes all the tools you need to quickly and easily create your own flashcards. It includes card editing features which allow you to place pictures, text, drawing, and sound on any card. All the standard drawing tools and patterns are included
The second way to create whole decks is by using a word processor. You create a text file with all the cards included and import the file into Memorize·It. All the cards are created automatically and Memorize·It centers all the text for you.
The main design goal of Memorize·It is to help students quickly study the information which is important to them. There are many time saving features which enhance a students ability to create their own flashcards efficiently and quickly. A design with students in mind from day one.
In most cases, creating the flashcards with Memorize·It is faster than doing it by hand!
While Memorize·It was created to allow the easy creation of flashcards on any subject, it didn't stop people from asking us for flashcards decks. We listened and have created a cdrom called "Memorize·It The Complete Collection" containing all the flashcards we have created over the past 10 years.
Flashcards in Memorize·It come in four different types.
- Honor System
- You answer the card aloud or to yourself, turn the card over to see if you got the answer correct. Memorize·It asks you if you answered the card correctly. The computer uses your answer to score the card as hard or easy.
- Multiple Choice
- You are allowed to enter up to 5 choices (A-E). The computer automatically keeps track of the card score as you quiz.
- True False
- You create a true false question and the computer automatically keeps track of the card score as you quiz.
- Type-in
- A one or two word answer to a given question. The answer must be typed exactly as it appears, or it will be scored incorrectly.
Memorize·It flashcards are actually four sided.
How can a piece of paper have anything more than two sides you ask? Well, when you print the cards, they are two sided, but every electronic Memorize·It flashcard has a hint and a why card as well. You create the hint and why card exactly as you would the front and the back of the card. While quizzing, you are given the choice to look at the hint while you are looking at the front of the card. You are also given the choice of seeing the why card while looking at the answer.
There are several quizzing methods you can use in Memorize·It.
Take your flashcards with you everywhere you go.
While Memorize·It is a great electronic flashcard system, that doesn't mean most of us keep our computer with us and turned on 24 hours a day. Memorize·It includes a flexible printing system which will allow you to take your flashcards with you and quiz yourself anytime anywhere.
The most popular printing style is to print your cards on perforated paper. This cheapest is business card paper and index card paper, but sizes go as large as post cards.
If perforated paper is out of your budget, then you can have Memorize·It draw the cut lines when it prints. You can print on a heavier stock paper and cut out the cards with scissors.
Printing front and back typically takes two passes and requires that you under stand which side of the paper your print prints on from the paper tray. Once you know this, just tell Memorize·It to print all the fronts of the cards. Take that paper, turn it over and put it back into the paper tray. Tell Memorize·It to print out all the backs of the cards. Separate the cards and your done.
Click on the image to see a full screen version.
Avery Business Card Style with Art History Decks
Avery Business Card Style with Art History Decks
Avery Index Card Style with Art History Decks
Avery Index Card Style with Art History Decks
The creator of Memorize·It, Wood Harter, wrote this application for himself to study art history in college. Later he created a version with sound (and graphics!) so he could study German vocabulary while living in Germany in 1991. He's since used this for spelling words with younger family members, and most recently for the GRE.
We have reports of students around the world using Memorize·It for every kind of subject imaginable. The most popular subjects include law school, medical school, foreign language, biology, anatomy, kids spelling words and pilot training.
Here is the laundry list of subjects: Anatomy, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, CPA, English, Flags of the World, French, Geography, German, GRE, History, Japanese, Law, Morse Code, Mathematics, Medical School, Pilot Training, Psychology, Russian, SAT, Sign Language, Spanish, Spelling, Sports, Vietnamese.
We've create a version of the Memorize·It Quizzer in Java which will allow you to attach the flashcards you create with Memorize·It to a web site. It is free to users with a valid Memorize·It serial number. Just contact us for details.
Windows Requirements
Intel Pentium or higher, Windows 95, 98, me, NT, 2000, XP, 16MB RAM, Windows compatible sound card (recommended).
For schools needing site licensing, we offer a network 10 pack for $99. This allows you to put Memorize·It on 10 different computers. Call for details.
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Schoolroom
Edition
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In 1995 we created a version of Memorize·It especially designed for teachers. The Schoolroom Edition added the capability to automate testing and grading in the classroom over a computer network, or through a system of floppy diskettes. You can take the same questions students are studying with Memorize·It and place them in a test format. Automate the administration and testing of the students and spend your valuable time teaching. We are still in the process of updating the Schoolroom Edition to 4.0. If you are interested in more information, please contact us. If you are one of the many users of the Schoolroom Edition and would like to see a certain feature added, get your ideas in now while were still working on it.
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Recommended Study Techniques The conscientious use of proven study methods can help students to improve their mastery of subject materials and to improve their grades. Becoming familiar with subject materials is not the same as learning them. In a physiological sense, although LEARNING involves understanding, it is initially mostly a matter of REPETITION. The more exposure students have to their subject materials, the greater their chances of retaining and using that information. The more times a neuronal circuit (pathway) is excited (used) in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) the more that circuit is facilitated (remembers). When students begin to study any of the sciences, such as microbiology, physiology, biology, zoology, botany, and anatomy, they must recognize that: 1) most of the information presented will be "new" to them, and 2) much of the vocabulary used to present this information will be unfamiliar. Studying a new course "in a different language" is more difficult than taking a "more conventional class". It is somewhat similar to studying the history of Czarist Russia with the instructor lecturing on the history in Russian. You would obviously need to master the language before you can master the history. Therefore, when studying any of the sciences as well as many other subjects you must learn the language in order to master the information. The following techniques can be useful in any class where there is a large volume of information being presented and much of the vocabulary is new. 1) Establish a schedule (similar to your class schedule) and extend it for a full 24-hour day, 7 days a week. Know when you have free time to study and use it. Schedule regular study times for yourself. Don't waste time sitting in the campus center, lounging on the lawn or watching mediocre TV. When you need to play, do so energetically, and when its time to study, do so intensely. Don't try to play and study at the same time. Studying can be enjoyable even if it is work.
3) Complete all reading assignments before the lecture and/or laboratory session(s) on that topic. You will find this makes the lecture and laboratory material easier to understand. You will get more out of your class time and understand the material more thoroughly. Consider rereading sections, especially if the test materials are based on the text rather than lecture content. 4) As appropriate, be prepared to ask questions on points that are unclear to you after they have been presented in class. Probably others in class are unclear also. 5) Form study groups with other students in your class. "Teaching" each other will increase your understanding of the information. Using information that you have just been exposed to by explaining it to others is one excellent method of learning. Making and reinforcing new physiological connections occurs as you speak the words and concepts. 6) Make sure your notes are complete. Do they accurately represent the information being presented? Most students write down less than half of the lecture material they receive orally, and this is often not adequate. If necessary, share notes with another student and/or invest in a small tape recorder and record lecture and laboratory presentations and reviews. Taped information can be reviewed before the next class session, and will allow you to fill in any gaps present in your notes. Reviewing taped lectures increases accuracy, and allows for REPETITION of the subject material even if it is time consuming. For example consider this, if your notes have only 60% of the material you need to learn, what is the maximum you are likely to achieve on the test. 7) Use flash cards for vocabulary. REPETITION IS LEARNING. Write each new term on one side of a 3X5 card along with the word define. On the other side of the card write out a complete definition for the term in the form of a question, leaving a blank space for the term being studied. This method will allow you to study for both definition and fill in the blank type questions as well as other formats. If you need to identify objects or species, try putting a picture or drawing on one side and its name or relevant information on the other. You will find that flash cards take time to make up, but are highly effective if used properly. For best results, do not attempt to put too much information (more than two new terms) on a single card. Review your stack of flash cards often; stick them in your pocket to review whenever you have a moment. As you master some of the cards, place them aside and concentrate on the ones you still need to "learn" until all the cards are mastered… then take a deserved (short) break! 8) Review is repetition; REPETITION IS LEARNING. Review each night before the next day's class. Pick up points on quizzes by studying for quizzes as hard or harder than you study for tests. Review several weeks ahead for finals. Often there is too much material that accumulates during the semester to cram at the last night. Get ahead of the crowd. Try simply reading and re-reading your notes from beginning to end at least three or four times a week. It will take less time each time you read them, and is more REPETITION. If you have reviewed ahead of time you have time to ask the instructor questions while others are feebly cramming. 9) Rewrite your lecture notes. It is time consuming but it is repetition. REPETITION IS LEARNING. Look up unclear portions. Write a second set of notes which contains only that information you could not immediately remember from your original notes. 10) Study efficiently; learn quickly what to expect in the way of testing from your instructor. Concentrate on what you need to learn, especially if time is short. If the instructor tests directly from lecture materials only, don't waste time excessively studying other sources of information, like the textbook. Does your instructor provide study guides, practice or sample tests to review or conduct review/study sessions. Take advantage of any or all provided. 11) Set small, attainable study goals (completing homework on time, "acing" the first quiz… or the second. If you are successful in attaining your initial goals, you will be encouraged to formulate and accomplish additional goals. Success feels good! 12) Review some schoolwork each evening before going to sleep. This is usually a very efficient learning technique as there is little or no interference with the formation of memory. This method is particularly valuable when trying to comprehend difficult subjects.
14) Become interested in the subject area. Find aspects that are fascinating. Apply the material to your life and situation to make it "real". Think positive thoughts about the value of learning this information for meeting your future needs. It is harder to study if you dislike the subject and think that the information is useless. If necessary, ask your teacher to help you discover how the subject is relevant to your life. These techniques, when used properly, yield a high degree of
success. If you force
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Copyright 2002
Sierra College Biological Sciences Department
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2)
Understand your physiology. Recognize when you are really alert and when you
are sluggish mentally (like after meals or perhaps in the afternoons). STUDY
ACCORDINGLY! Study when you are alert and have higher "energy" levels, not
when you are tired or when you are bored doing everything else, first.
Find some quiet study area to meet on campus where you can discuss what you
have learned. Schedule time to meet together to review materials, compare
understandings from class time, study materials and test each other. 
13)
Consider an attitude change or perspective change. When you start a new
class do you assume you must prove yourself on the first test? Do you assume
it is an uphill battle to achieve your first high grade? Consider this
instead… you already have an "A" on the first day that you arrive to class.
Therefore, all you have to do during the semester is to maintain your "A".
Is that not easier than "bringing your grade up".
yourself to use them (over and over again), establish a regular pattern and
follow it, you will be successful. "Hit and miss" study habits result in
"hit and miss" learning and yield "hit and miss" grades. Consider your role
as a student analogous to a sharpshooter; with practice you can be one of
the best, but without it you're just average. The more you learn to really
study, the faster you will learn. The more you practice these studying
skills, the easier it will get and the better you will be at it. Being a
student that studies is work; it is a rewarding job.