Health
How to do ACTIVE RECALL Effectively?
4 Techniques worked for me
When you read notes, only a small fraction of the data is registered in your memory. The rest vanishes even before you close the book. If you use passive learning methods like reading notes, summarizing, highlighting, or listening to lectures or podcasts, this article is exactly for you.
In this article, you’ll learn how active recall builds a strong memory and the exact methods I used in medical school to get great results.
What is Active Recall?
Mark is reading some notes.
Some of his brain areas seem to be highly active. The occipital cortex creates images of what he sees, but the interpretation of written words is done by the angular gyrus and the fusiform cortex. After the analysis, data is sent to the hippocampus to be stored as memory.
You can stimulate muscle growth by doing exercises. Similarly, the best way to develop a strong memory is by stimulating the hippocampus.
How do you do that?
The answer is active recall.
Reading notes will stimulate the visual areas of the brain, but the hippocampus will not be effectively stimulated. That is why re-reading is inferior to active recall.
So, how can Mark stimulate his hippocampus?
He should close the book and try to recall what he learned. This time, he is recalling not from the book but from the hippocampus. This will stimulate the hippocampus and strengthen his memory. Every time you do this, the memory will become even more powerful.
How to Do Active Recall Effectively
Method 1: Questions
First, learn the concepts from your resources and write down your notes. Then, create a list of questions based on those notes. Each time you study, try to answer these questions without looking at the notes.
If you can answer them well, bravo! You have created a strong memory. Otherwise, study the notes again and have another go at the questions. You can also create flashcards with questions on the front and the answers on the back.
Method 2: Anki
Use a spaced repetition tool like Anki. Anki is a flashcard app where you can enter questions on the front and answers on the back. The smart thing about Anki is that it is based on spaced repetition.
It will show you the same set of questions at increasing time intervals. That means you have to recall the notes today, then three days later, then seven days later, and so on. This is the ultimate study technique since you are incorporating spaced repetition and active recall together.
Method 3: Multiple Sensory Pathways
Utilize multiple sensory pathways for active recall. Let me explain. Don’t just recall using your mind. I always recall by writing on a whiteboard or speaking out loud.
Sometimes, I pretend to teach the concepts to a group of imaginary students. This way, my brain gets stimulated through multiple sensory pathways.
Method 4: Practice Questions
When you are taking practice questions, you are recalling information from memory, so it is a form of active recall. On the other hand, this will test your understanding of the concepts.
You will also learn to recall information under stress, like in an actual exam.
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