Jeff Greene’s work in studying and teaching about how people learn is the subject this week of “Focus Carolina,” a series that explores the work of UNC-Chapel Hill faculty.
In the taped interview and accompanying story on the Chapelboro.com website, Greene describes that people generally don’t have deep understanding about how they learn. Typically, students who have been successful in their school careers often hit a point in college when material becomes more difficult and past strategies don’t work, Greene says. That presents an opportunity to help students by teaching them learning tactics that are based on learning science, he says.
This work also contributes to peoples’ ability to navigate the widening world of online information, he says, helping them learn how to evaluate online information and to determine what sources are reliable.
In the interview, Greene offers some tips on how to be more effective at learning, such as taking breaks during study sessions and to use flash cards for people to test themselves.
“Try to think about something else, try to walk around and kind of let your mind wander a little bit,” he says. “Very often when we tell students to test themselves with those flashcards, we actually tell them to do that after that 10 minute break.”
The “Focus Carolina” feature also appears on the UNC-Chapel Hill website, and a shorter version will appear in a future print edition of the University Gazette. Audio from the series airs on the WCHL radio station during the week.