From Memorizing to Understanding: The Power of Conceptual Connections
Have you ever spent hours studying and still struggle on your test? I often hear from students how frustrated they are by studying hard but feeling like nothing sticks. Today's post will help with that.
Unfortunately, many people believe spending more time studying will lead to better results. Not necessarily. Studying more effectively will lead to better results.
If you find yourself in this situation, it might be because you haven't given the information a home in your brain. Here's what I mean…
Picture this: Your brain is like a closet. When you're taking a test, you're basically standing in front of that closet, trying to grab the right pair of jeans (aka information) with your eyes closed.
Scenario 1: The Organized Closet
Everything's hung up, color-coded, and sorted. You know exactly where those funky jeans are. Your hand goes right to them. That's what we want our brains to do during a test - reach for info and grab it instantly.
## Scenario 2: The Closet Disaster
Now imagine all your clothes in a giant pile on the floor. Good luck! You're digging, getting frustrated, and probably pulling out the wrong stuff. That's your brain when information isn't organized well.
Here’s the big idea: When we study without creating proper connections (or "schema" in brain-speak), we're basically tossing information into a messy pile. You know it’s in there somewhere, but good luck finding it when you need it.
The Solution? Conceptual flashcards to help you develop your schema or container.
There are two ways to use flashcards. The most common way is to use them to memorize details and vocabulary. But, another way is to understand concepts and create connections between concepts. If you find yourself forgetting information that you've studied, conceptual flashcards might be your ticket.
Conceptual flashcards are flash cards that clearly define a big idea or concept and connect it to other information that you've already been taught or other information from your life. The definition and the connections are the game changers here. The connections develop your schema or container.
HOW TO CREATE CONCEPTUAL FLASHCARDS
First - Make sure you understand the themes or concept fully.
- Identify what you already understand about a subject.
- Ask questions about the topic (or review the questions provided by your teacher or class readings)
Second - create comparisons, metaphors, analogies, or connections to your living experiences. Questions you can ask are:
- What do I know about the concept?
- How does this relate to something I already know?
- This concept is just like(insert an analogy or a metaphor). What is it?
Third - Create juicy flashcard prompts on one side of your card:
- SCHOOL TERM is a (metaphor).
- The (analogy) is just like SCHOOL PROCESS TO BE REMEMBERED.
Fourth - Write the answer on the back of the flashcard and explain WHY it fits the metaphor or analogy.
SEE FOR YOURSELF WHY THIS IS SO POWERFUL
Let’s go back to Step 2. Let me demonstrate why this works as a memory tool.
I bet you that you can get a broad understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in just a moment. And, you'll have a memory hook because of the analogy I'm about to share.
Ready?
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are like a rechargeable battery system in your cell phone (the cell). Photosynthesis is the solar charger that captures energy from the sun and stores it in the battery (glucose). Cellular respiration is like using the battery's stored energy to power your cell phone (the cell). Once the battery is drained, the cycle repeats, with photosynthesis recharging it again.
Can you see how this might work in real time? Now...
Most students create flashcards about the stages and elements of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. And, because these processes are often taught separately, their relationship isn't always clear or is easily forgotten.
If you make conceptual flashcards based on the analogy I shared above, you'll have a much better chance of understanding and remembering these two concepts, right?
But, here's the grand prize: You know those trick questions your teacher puts on your tests? The ones that weren't on the study guide? They're usually probing your conceptual understanding of the material. How would you answer this trick question about photosynthesis and cellular respiration based on our analogy?
Test question: “If all plants suddenly stopped performing photosynthesis, would cellular respiration in animals and humans be immediately affected? Why or why not?"
Based on our cell phone analogy, hopefully you'd answer, "No," because it will take a moment for the battery to run out. The cell phone can run until the battery dies. That means there isn't an IMMEDIATE effect. But there will be eventually.
Are you pumped?! Do you see the magic in this approach?
Conceptual flashcards are like giving your brain a closet makeover. They help you hang up ideas in the right spots, creating a system that makes sense to you. When test time comes, your brain knows exactly where to look because you have taken the time to understand the concepts and their relationships. You can now grab your favorite pair of jeans with your eyes closed.
Let me know what you're going to do with this information. You could:
- Take a look at your current flashcards. How many are just plain old fact-memorization cards?
- Pick a subject you're struggling with. How could you turn those boring facts into conceptual connections?
- Try creating some flashcards using the prompts we talked about earlier. See how it levels up your understanding.
Here's to a great school year,
Dynell
