Students who are engaged and organized in their learning process succeed, but are there ways in which you, as an instructor or professor, can help enable positive learning habits? Here are five quick tips you can begin using in your course today.

1. 5Tips
for Increasing
Organized
Learning &
Engagement

2. Tip #1:
Space Learning
Out Over Time[1]
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3. Students re-exposed to key concepts on at
least two occasions—separated by several
weeks or even months—demonstrated an
increase in their ability to retain information.
3

4. • Review important content during class over the length of the course
• Use homework assignments to space out student practice
• Give cumulative midterm and final exams
Putting It Into Practice
4

5. Tip #2:
Alternate Between Worked
Example Solutions and
Problem-Solving Exercises
[1]
5

6. Students learn best if provided with worked
examples alternating with practice and
exercises that they must solve on their own.
6

7. • Provide worked out solutions for students to study alternating
with practice and exercises
• Assign “stepped out” or “multi-part” homework in which the
students must complete one step or part successfully before
moving on to the next
Putting It Into Practice
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8. Tip #3:
Use Visuals Along
with Written or
Verbal Descriptions
[1]
8

9. The human brain processes images 60,000
times faster than text and 90% of information
transmitted to the brain is visual.[2]
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10. • Use well-chosen video, graphics, charts, and other visuals when
teaching about processes and procedures
• Show multiple visual representations of the same abstract concept
Putting It Into Practice
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11. Tip #4:
Use Quizzes to
Promote Learning[1]
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12. Taking quizzes directly promotes learning
and increases the chance a student will
retain information.
12

13. Putting It Into Practice
• Pre-lecture quizzes activate prior knowledge and help develop
good study habits such as reading required course material
before attending class
• Pre-tests or pre-quizzes help students understand what they
do and do not know, and this helps them focus on weak areas
before taking a high-stakes exam
• Quizzes re-expose students to key course material
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14. Tip #5:
Help Students Allocate
Study Time Efficiently
[1]
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15. Students are often confused as to what they
really need to study. They may spend too
much time going over what they know well
and not enough time studying concepts they
don’t understand.
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16. Putting It Into Practice
• Enable students to discover their strong and weak points using
assessments throughout the course
• Help students understand where they need to spend more study
time by discussing assessment results with individual students
• Utilize tools and technologies that help students understand
their progress on their own
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17. Summary
Following these tips will do more than simply help
your students stay organized.
Each will assist in keeping your students engaged with
the course material because your students will feel
good—and not anxious—about their learning path.
They will have a clear, organized path to success and
come to class ready to learn, share, and participate.
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18. Notes
1. Pashler, Bain, Bottge, et al, (2007), Organizing Instruction and Study
to Improve Student Learning (NCER 2007-2004). Washington, DC:
National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education
Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
2. From http://www.b2bcontentengine.com/2012/08/09/19-reasons-
you-should-include-visual-content-in-your-marketing-data/, based
on research from http://www.billiondollargraphics.com/infographics.
html and http://www.webmarketinggroup.co.uk/Blog/why-every-
seo-strategy-needs-infographics-1764.aspx.
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