{"id":122331,"date":"2026-07-29T15:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/?page_id=122331"},"modified":"2026-07-29T15:22:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:22:00","slug":"4-active-learning-strategies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/4-active-learning-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"4. Active Learning Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not all strategies are equally suitable for every type of material. For this reason, it may sometimes take time to select the right strategies, and mistakes may occasionally be made in the process. This is neither a tragedy nor unusual, but after success or failure, it is important to reflect on what you tried to do and what you could change in the way you study. The solution is not always to study more; sometimes, simply changing your strategy will make the difference.<\/p>\n

Flashcards<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flashcards are a strategy through which a considerable amount of material is memorised during the process of creating them. They are made by writing a question on one side of a card and the answer, definition or explanation on the other. It is advisable to include only one question on each card. You should then learn the content written on them. If there is a larger amount of material, it is recommended to study 10 to 15 cards at a time. After a while, you will probably know the answer as soon as you see the question. Make sure to say the answer aloud rather than only in your thoughts, as you cannot be certain that the information has truly been memorised until you can successfully reproduce it.<\/p>\n

Creating abbre<\/strong>vi<\/strong>ated no<\/strong>t<\/strong>es<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is essentially a synthesis of everything important related to a particular topic. It is done by writing a concept on a sheet of paper and then briefly noting everything relevant from the literature and your notes. This approach involves studying the material in depth, which represents a higher level of learning because it enables the integration and connection of different pieces of information. This type of learning is useful for both written and oral examinations.<\/p>\n

Gr<\/strong>ou<\/strong>p study<\/strong><\/p>\n

Group study has proven to be very useful, provided that certain rules are followed. It is important that each group member is responsible for preparing materials, such as flashcards or abbreviated notes, that all members have an equal share of responsibilities and that it is established in advance what each member knows or does not know, as well as what still needs to be worked on. Group study should never be reduced to the work of the most successful members. An additional benefit of group study is that each student is responsible for preparing the study material thoroughly and effectively so that they can explain it clearly to their colleagues.<\/p>\n

Ch<\/strong>ap<\/strong>ter study technique<\/strong><\/p>\n

The so-called four steps of studying a chapter are a learning strategy that many people find useful when mastering individual chapters. It should be combined with other techniques so that the material can be connected with other content.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. step \u2013 reviewing the chapter<\/em>. This step involves recalling everything you already know about the topic ahead of you. The chapter is then reviewed by reading the title, introduction, main sections and summary or conclusions. You should also examine images, diagrams, tables and similar elements. In this way, you will gain a general understanding of what the chapter is about.<\/li>\n
  2. step \u2013 asking questions<\/em>. Once you have reviewed the chapter, you will be able to formulate questions about its content. Questions help you remain focused on the material. Use the chapter sections or subheadings to create questions by reformulating them into question form. When doing so, use words such as who, what, when, where, why or how.<\/li>\n
  3. step \u2013 r<\/em>eading<\/em>. Read each section or subsection of the chapter to find the answer to the question you have asked. While doing so, you may realise that you need to change the question or ask additional questions. Be flexible.<\/li>\n
  4. step \u2013 writing<\/em>. Write each question and its answer in a notebook. Read each answer to ensure that it answers the question you asked.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When using this technique, it is advisable to complete all the steps for each subheading before moving on to another section or subsection.<\/p>\n

    Mnemonics<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Mnemonics are specific mental strategies for improving memory, intended to make it easier to learn information that we would otherwise forget. They help us connect material that may appear unrelated and provide effective cues for recall. It has been shown that mnemonics can improve memory by as much as 200%! The choice of mnemonic technique depends on individual preferences and skill in using such techniques, as well as on the type of material being learned.<\/p>\n

    The simplest form of verbal mnemonic is abbre<\/strong>vi<\/strong>ation<\/strong>. It reduces the amount of information we need to remember by creating easily remembered acronyms, such as CIA, IMF and IBM, which are formed from the first letter of each word. Therefore, instead of remembering entire words, we remember one distinctive abbreviation.<\/p>\n

    One visual mnemonic is the so-called spatial page arrange<\/strong>m<\/strong>ent method<\/strong>. The basis of this mnemonic technique is arranging notes on a sheet of paper in a spatial layout that is suitable for memorisation. Remembering where information was positioned helps us recall that information because we can visualise it when reproducing the material we have learned.<\/p>\n

    A very popular mnemonic technique involves bizarre imagery<\/strong>. In addition to reducing the number of units that need to be memorised, bizarre imagery makes the material more distinctive than ordinary learning material and therefore more resistant to forgetting. Give free rein to your imagination and create unusual, creative, wild and unexpected images that you can associate with the material you are learning. It is even better if you have fun in the process. The more unusual, the better, but remember that the aim is to make memorisation easier, not merely to have fun.<\/p>\n

    The best-known mixed technique is the keywo<\/strong>r<\/strong>d meth<\/strong>o<\/strong>d<\/strong>, which is most commonly used when learning foreign languages. It is based on combining rhyme or sound with the most vivid and unusual imagery possible. The process involves two steps. First, an association is established between the foreign word being learned and a word in one\u2019s native language that sounds as similar as possible to the foreign word or to a prominent part of it. An interactive image is then created that connects the keyword with the foreign word being learned.<\/p>\n

    We hope that <\/em>t<\/em>hese suggestions will be useful in impro<\/em>v<\/em>ing your own stu<\/em>d<\/em>y skills. Do not forget that life itself is a continuous process of lear<\/em>n<\/em>ing, as is learning how to study, that some things are learned through tr<\/em>i<\/em>al and er<\/em>r<\/em>or, that failure is an integral part of li<\/em>f<\/em>e and that you should not be too hard on yourself if some things are difficult at the begi<\/em>n<\/em>ning.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Not all strategies are equally suitable for every type of material. For this reason, it may sometimes take time to select the right strategies, and mistakes may occasionally be made in the process. This is neither a tragedy nor unusual, but after success or failure, it is important to reflect on what you tried to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-122331","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122331"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122333,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122331\/revisions\/122333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffos.unios.hr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}