Evidence-based study techniques for academic learning and retention
Decades of cognitive psychology research have identified which study techniques reliably improve learning and retention, and which popular methods are largely ineffective. This guide covers the most effective evidence-based strategies — spaced repetition, active recall, interleaving, elaboration, and concrete examples — with practical implementation advice for graduate students and researchers.
Based on Dunlosky et al. (2013) comprehensive review of 10 learning techniques:
| Technique | Effectiveness | Effort | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice testing (active recall) | High | Medium | Strengthens retrieval pathways |
| Distributed practice (spacing) | High | Low | Exploits spacing effect in memory consolidation |
| Interleaved practice | Moderate-High | Medium | Improves discrimination between concepts |
| Elaborative interrogation | Moderate | Low | Generates explanatory connections |
| Self-explanation | Moderate | Medium | Forces integration with prior knowledge |
| Summarization | Low | Medium | Too passive; rarely deep enough |
| Highlighting | Low | Low | Creates illusion of learning |
| Rereading | Low | Low | Recognition ≠ recall |
| Keyword mnemonic | Low-Moderate | High | Works for vocabulary, not concepts |
Instead of rereading notes, test yourself:
## Implementation Strategies
Flashcards:
- Front: Question or concept name
- Back: Full explanation (not just definition)
- Tool: Anki (spaced repetition built-in)
- Rule: If you can explain it without looking, you know it
Blank page method:
1. Close all materials
2. Write everything you know about a topic from memory
3. Open materials and identify gaps
4. Focus next study session on the gaps
Practice problems:
- Work through problems WITHOUT looking at solutions first
- Check solutions only after attempting
- Struggle is productive — it strengthens memory
Cornell Notes method:
| Cue Column (30%) | Notes Column (70%) |
|-------------------|-------------------------------|
| Key questions | Detailed notes from lecture |
| After class: | Cover notes, use cues to recall|
| Summary section at bottom (written from memory) |
Distribute study over time instead of cramming:
Cramming (massed practice):
Day 1: Study 4 hours → Exam Day 2 → Forget by Day 10
Spaced practice:
Day 1: Study 1 hour
Day 3: Review 30 min
Day 7: Review 20 min
Day 14: Review 15 min → Retained for months
Optimal spacing intervals (expanding):
1st review: 1 day after initial study
2nd review: 3 days after 1st review
3rd review: 7 days after 2nd review
4th review: 21 days after 3rd review
5th review: 63 days after 4th review
Anki settings for academic material:
Steps: 1 10 (learning steps in minutes)
Graduating interval: 1 day
Easy interval: 4 days
Starting ease: 250%
Maximum interval: 180 days (for course material)
365 days (for long-term knowledge)
New cards/day: 20-30 (adjust to workload)
Mix different topics or problem types in a single study session:
Blocked practice (less effective):
Session 1: 20 calculus problems (all integration)
Session 2: 20 calculus problems (all differentiation)
Interleaved practice (more effective):
Session 1: Mix of integration, differentiation, and series problems
Session 2: Same mix in different order
Why: Forces your brain to select the right strategy, not just apply
the same procedure repeatedly
Ask "why" and "how" questions while studying:
Instead of:
"The hippocampus is involved in memory formation."
Ask yourself:
- WHY is the hippocampus particularly suited for this role?
- HOW does it interact with the prefrontal cortex?
- What would happen IF the hippocampus were damaged?
- How does this RELATE to what I learned about long-term potentiation?
- Can I think of a CONCRETE EXAMPLE of this process?
Step 1: Choose a concept
Step 2: Explain it as if teaching a 12-year-old
- Use simple language
- No jargon
- Draw diagrams
Step 3: Identify gaps (where you stumble or use vague language)
Step 4: Go back to source material for those specific gaps
Step 5: Simplify and refine your explanation
Step 6: Repeat until you can explain it simply and completely
## Semester Planning
For each course:
Hours/week = Credit hours × 2-3 (e.g., 3-credit course = 6-9 hours)
Split: 40% new material, 40% practice/problems, 20% review
## Weekly Template (Graduate Student)
Monday: [Course A] New material + elaboration notes
Tuesday: [Course B] New material + elaboration notes
Wednesday: [Course A] Practice problems (interleaved)
[Course B] Spaced review (Anki)
Thursday: [Research] Literature reading + annotation
Friday: [Course B] Practice problems
[Course A] Spaced review (Anki)
Saturday: [Research] Writing + data analysis
Sunday: Rest / light review (Anki only, 15 min)
## Three-Pass Method (Keshav 2007)
Pass 1 (5-10 min): Skim
- Title, abstract, introduction, conclusions
- Section headings and figure captions
- Decide: relevant? Read further?
Pass 2 (30-60 min): Comprehend
- Read everything except proofs/details
- Annotate key claims and evidence
- Note unfamiliar references to follow up
- Summarize main contribution in your own words
Pass 3 (2-4 hours): Reproduce
- Verify every assumption and derivation
- Mentally re-create the work
- Identify strengths and weaknesses
- Note ideas for follow-up research
## 2-Week Exam Strategy
Week 2 before:
- Review all lecture notes (one pass)
- Create summary sheets per topic
- Start Anki cards for key concepts
- Identify weak areas from practice problems
Week 1 before:
- Focus on weak areas identified
- Work through past exams under timed conditions
- Teach concepts to study partner
- Daily Anki reviews (30 min)
Day before:
- Light review only (30-60 min)
- No new material
- Prepare logistics (location, materials)
- Sleep ≥ 7 hours (memory consolidation requires sleep)
Exam day:
- Brief Anki review (10 min)
- Arrive early, stay calm