When you practice and teach others course material, it is easier to remember the information and recall it later on.

You’ve likely heard that study groups are a good idea, but do you know why they are? There are a few keys to making study groups productive and efficient (and not just another outlet of your precious minutes).

 

The Learning Pyramid

First, familiarize yourself with the learning pyramid, a diagram indicating how much information you can retain using different methods.

• Lecture alone leads to the least retention
• Demonstration still has you retaining less than half of the material
• Practice by Doing and Teach Others help you retain the most knowledge and enable you to apply it to tests, assignments, and group discussions

Students who engage frequently with course material throughout the term are more likely to do better in future courses. Here’s why:

• There’s more time to process information and commit it to long-term memory
• Courses continue to build on this foundation of knowledge
• The more you know now, the less you’ll have to review in the future
• Students who study 1–3 weeks right before final exams are more likely to forget, shortly after the exam, what they’ve learned

UBC Science students have told us that study groups are the number one thing that helped them do better in their courses. Here’s how you can make the most out of study time while taking advantage of the online platforms you’re already used to.

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Steps to Establish a New Study Group

When Hosting the Study Group…