Mastering Learning: Strategies for Deep Understanding and Long-Term Retention

This is an all-encompassing guide on how to be more pro-active in your learning experience, as a student who needs to prepare for online exams with institutions like UNISA. This guide works well for modules like PYC4805 – Developmental Psychology and PYC4802 – Psychopathology, which are both online written essay-based exams.

Here we uncover how you can take full responsibility for your learning process, as well as different study techniques that can be layered to ensure you deepen your ability to recall information for the exam. Additionally, we give some tips and advice to set yourself up for success. Learning is more than simply absorbing information; it is an active, reflective, and personal process.

Metacognition

Central to this journey is metacognition. This is one’s ability to think about their own thinking. Metacognition involves planning your learning tasks, monitoring your understanding, identifying and reflecting on mistakes, and adjusting strategies to fill knowledge gaps. When practiced consistently, metacognition allows learners to become more aware of how they learn best, and fosters greater independence and adaptability. It intertwines with active learning, forming a dynamic cycle of learning, reflecting, and revising that promotes deeper understanding and mastery over time.

Layering Different Study Techniques:

One of the most commonly used — but often misunderstood — study techniques is highlighting and underlining. While these methods can be effective, their impact lies in the way they are used. Passive highlighting, done mindlessly or excessively, adds little value. Instead, these tools should be used actively. During the first reading, focus on grasping the content, using highlighting only if it keeps you engaged. On a second pass, begin circling or underlining key terms or ideas that need clarification or emphasis. This active engagement with the text supports comprehension, laying the foundation for stronger memory retention.

In connection with this, rereading plays a crucial role, particularly when unravelling complex or unfamiliar content. It is important to ensure comprehension before attempting to commit information to memory. We must truly understand the content, correctly, so that we can place it into our memory. Rereading allows the learner to revisit ideas with fresh perspective, noticing details that may have been overlooked during initial readings. This repetition supports deeper organization of information in the brain, enhancing both understanding and recall.

A structured technique that encapsulates this process is the 3R Method: Read, Review, Recite — which encourages the learner to engage actively with material in cycles, reinforcing memory through continuous interaction. This can be seen as (1) Reading (2) Re-reading and (3) reading or recalling the information out loud.

Another powerful technique for enhancing understanding is through visual learning, especially using tools like mind maps. This involves placing a central concept in the middle of a page and branching out into subheadings, keywords, and supporting ideas. The use of colors, shapes, and spatial arrangement in creating these diagrams not only enhances creativity but also strengthens visual-spatial memory, making it easier to recall the structure and content of the material. In addition, using clear headings and structured outlines helps in organizing information logically, further supporting memory and comprehension.

For a more challenging but highly effective method, students are encouraged to engage in active recall. This technique involves closing textbooks and notes, and attempting to retrieve information from memory — whether by writing it down or saying it aloud. One might choose a topic, such as a theory or concept, and then try to recall every detail related to it. Speaking out loud can help reinforce connections, while visualizing one's notes supports recall through mental imagery. This strategy mimics the process of retrieving information during tests, helping to strengthen the memory pathways that lead to long-term retention.

An extension of this is the Feynman Technique, a method developed by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. The technique has three steps. First, ensure a genuine understanding of the concept. If the foundation is flawed, any effort to remember it will only reinforce incorrect information. Second, focus on simplifying the content. Use cue cards, mind maps, or cheat sheets to write out the topic in your own words. If you can simplify an idea, you are far more likely to remember and build upon it. Finally, put yourself in the position of a teacher. Teaching someone else — or even pretending to — forces you to clarify your thinking and identify any gaps in understanding. The key throughout is simplicity; if you can’t explain it simply, you may not truly understand it.

Perhaps one of the most underrated but effective techniques is self-testing, especially under exam-like conditions. When students take practice tests in timed settings without notes, they not only test what they know but also reinforce their ability to retrieve it under pressure. This method doubles the likelihood of long-term retention. Moreover, learning shouldn't be confined to memorization; applying knowledge through questions, discussions, and teaching transforms passive knowledge into active understanding.

Tips and Tricks for success:

Beyond technique, certain lifestyle factors also play a vital role in learning. Sleep, for example, is essential. Without adequate rest, the brain struggles to consolidate memory and process information effectively. Students who push themselves too hard without sufficient sleep may find their efforts counterproductive. Another important habit is ongoing recall throughout the day — mentally reviewing themes, speaking concepts aloud, or writing them out when idle. Additionally, mnemonic devices — such as acronyms, rhymes, or image associations — are especially useful for remembering lists or sequences, allowing complex information to be condensed into simpler, memorable formats.

In conclusion, effective learning is an active, intentional process. By developing metacognitive awareness and integrating strategies like active reading, rereading, mind mapping, active recall, teaching, self-testing, and maintaining healthy habits, learners can significantly deepen their understanding and improve long-term retention. Learning is not a passive event; it is a craft — one that, when honed with care and strategy, empowers individuals to master not just content, but the process of learning itself.

Written by Josie Burnett, September 2025

A researcher focused on writing a research proposal on a laptop.