Why Active Recall Beats Rereading and Highlighting

At some point we have all wound up in this situation: lots to learn and not much time to learn it. An easy trap to fall into is combing over old notes, rereading them and tricking yourself into believing information will magically sink in. The problem is that it probably won’t.

Recent research into the subject of learning has shown passive techniques like rereading are pretty ineffective for retention. Instead, we should be focussing on active learning techniques. As the name suggests, this means actively testing your knowledge of a subject, and can be achieved through any activity in which you need to demonstrate your knowledge, so testing yourself with flashcards, having to discuss a topic with peers or having to write down everything you know from memory.

We’ll delve into why this is so much better here, as well as some strategies to maximise your learning efficiency.

Get engaged

A great thing about active recall is that it forces you to engage with the content. You’ll often be summarising information, putting it into your own words, or answering a question based on a prompt. This requires you to analyse things and draw conclusions, which in turn creates stronger neural pathways in our brain, helping us recall the information later.

Passively looking over something like a textbook means the heavy lifting is done for us; the author will be doing the analysis. Our own brain has less reason to switch on, and won’t engrain the content into memory. In fact, your brain’s focus will probably be split between what you’re reading, what you’re going to make for dinner, and what the cricket score is.

Being engaged with what you’re learning is also great for motivation. Reading the same chunks of text over and over feels like a chore - you’re unlikely to jump out of bed to do it. Using a method like flashcards gamifies the learning process to an extent, something which is intrinsically more motivating. You can also see your progress; it’ll be clear which areas you’re weaker in and which you’re stronger in. Not only will this help you target learning, but it should also give you a kick to go and fill your knowledge gaps.

Get the knowledge, use the knowledge

Active recall techniques are also a way of deepening your understanding of a topic. To break something down into its core parts means knowing what those core parts are. Sounds self-explanatory, but it’s important for learning: it’s one thing to look over information, and it’s another entirely to summarise key insights and test yourself on them. You’ll be far more likely to actually understand what it is you’re looking at rather than have a series of memorised facts.

This point extends to the real-world application of what you’re studying. It might be tempting for an exam just to memorise what you’ll need, commit it to your short-term memory, and lose it after a few beers in the pub afterwards. That’s not the point of what you’re doing, though: you should want to remember what you’ve learned permanently, using it outside of your course.

Conclusion

Active recall isn’t just about getting through exams; it’s about making learning stick. By engaging with content, testing yourself, and focusing on understanding rather than memorisation, you’re not only improving your retention but also building skills that will serve you far beyond the classroom. Whether it’s through flashcards, peer discussions, or summarising key concepts, active learning transforms the way you approach studying—making it more efficient, effective, and, dare we say it, enjoyable. So next time you’re tempted to reread those notes, grab some flashcards instead, and start testing yourself—your brain will thank you for it.