Effect of self-selected study methods on learning.

Investigated whether the noting of ideas in a text (by underlining, highlighting, or taking notes) is a mediating variable between importance and the learning of those ideas. Three other variables that may affect the process and product of studying were also examined: ability, prior knowledge of the task and text provided by means of prereading main idea questions, and periodic retrospective probe questions asked of subjects during the studying process. Results indicate that noting information has little effect, independent of importance, on the recall of that information. In addition, prereading questions were found to reduce the amount of unimportant information subjects in all ability groups noted; they also improved the recall of important information for the lower ability group. Asking subjects to describe their strategies while studying reduced the amount of information they noted and had some effect on recall. Results were interpreted to mean that providing students with information about the task and text is most beneficial for lower ability students, that verbal reporting during reading affects both the process and product of studying, and that effective studying involves far more than simply underlining or note taking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)