Use the KWL Method to Remember What You Learn
One method for faster, more interesting learning experiences is popular in elementary schools, although it works for all ages: the KWL chart. A diagram is easy to construct, but it helps make your study sessions more fruitful by making them more interesting. All you need is a notepad and pen the next time you read, watch, or listen to new material. (For $10, you can even get a notebook full of pre-made KWL diagrams so you don’t have to draw them yourself.) Here’s how it works.
What is a KWL chart?
KWL stands for Know, Want to Know and Learn. Its use is popular among primary school teachers, but universities also recommend it for more mature students. It’s easy to use since all you need is paper and pencil, but it actually has a complex history and basis: KWL diagrams are part of the constructivist teaching method, which is based on constructivist theory, or the belief that people learn more. when they are you are actively participating in a meaningful process of knowledge construction, rather than just passively receiving information. Simply put, constructivists believe that you learn more when you interact with material rather than just reading or listening to it. Small studies in academia have also shown that KWL charts are more effective for reading comprehension than traditional passive methods.
This is all well and good, but what you’re interested in is what KWL charts can do for you and your learning, not necessarily the story of why teachers love them.
How to use KWL chart
Using one of them is simple. It is similar to the SQ3R method in that you will use pencil and paper to take notes as you study. Create three columns on your piece of paper and label them “Know,” “Want to Know,” and “Learn.” (If you have one of those KWL notebooks I mentioned, this is already done for you.) With or without a ready-made notebook, try doing this by hand rather than digitally, as handwriting is more memorable . While it’s easier to do this in a word document, and you might even think you should do it so you don’t have room for all your ideas, the limited space offered by physical paper is a good thing : as is the SQ3R method. , you want to do this on small chunks of material, such as a chapter or a short piece of text, rather than focusing on too large an area.
Before you start reading a particular chapter or section (or watch part of a recorded lecture, listen to an assigned podcast, or whatever), write everything you already know—or think you know—about it in the “Know” column. Then go to the “I want to know” section and write down what you would like to know or get from the material. If you don’t know much about a topic, you can write that you want to know what it is or jot down general questions, but for an easier way to set specific goals, look at things like chapter subheadings, summaries, or tables in your materials and base your questions on them. For example, if your chapter has a graph showing that a certain disease is more common in a particular country, one of your questions might be why this is so.
As you review the material, pay close attention to anything that might help you answer the questions you wrote in the “Interesting” section. Take notes elsewhere on the page if necessary because when you’re done, you’ll reflect on what you’ve learned, review the materials and your notes, and note it in the last column. You can write what you learned in general, but make sure this column also includes answers to the questions you asked in step two.
Try it for a variety of purposes, even for personal recreational reading. KWL works well not only for improving reading comprehension, but also for taking notes during a lecture, participating in a class activity, attending a seminar, or even just watching a documentary. The whole goal is to keep you focused and curious while you consume the information so that you stay engaged while trying to find answers to the original questions you asked.