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You be the Professor Assignment
Morgan Allen
Department of Psychology, Liberty University
PSYC 101: General Psychology
Georgianna Cary
September 24, 2025
You be the Professor Assignment
Effective studying is a skill students must develop if they wish to achieve success in any
rigorous academic setting. By learning how the human brain processes and stores information,
efficient study strategies can be developed. Several successful strategies include implicating
active learning techniques, utilizing spaced practice, and avoiding multitasking during study
sessions.
Active learning techniques allow one’s brain to retain a higher percentage of information
than simply regurgitating material. The brain most efficiently encodes information when it is
received through multimodal means (occurring across two or more senses) (George et al.,
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2023.) Rather than rereading notes or textbooks, students should engage with the material
through self-testing, summarizing concepts in their own words, listening to the material, or
teaching it to someone else. Utilizing these strategies strengthens encoding and retrieval
processes, making it more likely that the information will be recalled accurately when needed
(George et al., 2023).
While multitasking has its benefits, it can be counterproductive when studying. Because
the human brain has a limited attention span, attempting to study while texting, listening to
music with lyrics, or scrolling social media can significantly reduce comprehension and retention
(George et al., 2023). This is because multitasking creates cognitive interference, where the
brain switches rapidly between tasks rather than processing them efficiently.
These repeated shifts result in a higher likelihood of errors, shallow memory formation, and
slower processing times (George et al., 2023).
Cognitive overload can be avoided by using spaced practice or distributing study sessions
over time rather than cramming all at once (Pan,
n.d.). Spacing out learning allows for memory consolidation, the process by which short-term
memories are strengthened into long-term storage. Additionally, interleaving, or mixing topics
during study sessions, improves the ability to distinguish between similar concepts and
enhances problemsolving skills (Interleaving: Boost learning by mixing it up – Retrieval Practice.
(n.d.).) A deep level of processing that stores information in the long-term memory is known as
elaborative rehearsal-- it involves connecting new information to what one already knows
(George et al., 2023). By creating meaningful associations with information present in long-term
memory, a deeper understanding of new information can be facilitated.
In summary, students should focus on strategies that actively engage the brain, such as
self-testing, spaced practice, interleaving, and elaborative rehearsal. These approaches take
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advantage of how memory is encoded and consolidated, promoting long-term retention and
understanding. Minimizing distractions and avoiding multitasking is crucial in maintaining the
quality and efficiency of study time. By understanding how the brain learns, students can
transform study sessions from passive review into powerful, productive learning experiences.
References
George, S., Kelley, B., & P , R. (2023). Introduction to psychology from a
Christian worldview (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt
Interleaving: Boost learning by mixing it up – Retrieval Practice. (n.d.).
Unleash the Science of Learning. https://www.retrievalpractice.org/interleaving
Pan, S. C. (n.d.). Spaced Practice. Psychology.ucsd.edu.
https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduateresources/
academic-writing-resources/effective-studying/spacedpractice.html
