The common thread which brings us all to this social networking collective is Education.

Education is ever evolving – different techniques are developed and utilised in order to pass on knowledge to those who have a desire to learn. There are many interesting theories out there and its good to research these and explore them further – a technique which works well for one individual might not be as useful to another.

One interesting learning / teaching theory was developed by Dr Georgi Lozanov, who is a Bulgarian educator and psychologist.  He developed what he calls ’suggestopedia’ back in the 1960’s.

Suggestopedia, is a methodology which is incredibly successful, particularly in the teaching of foreign languages.  Suggestopedia involves the use of baroque music such as Mozart.  This music, (played at approx 60 beats per minute) had a calming effect on students and made them happy, yet alert and relaxed in their learning environment.  Studies have shown that students subjected to this stimulus could study for longer periods and had a much higher rate of retention. Dr Lozanov understood that when this music is played at the right tempo it activates both the left and right side of the brain – the brain is effectively in its optimum state for learning and retaining this new information.  He understood that music activates the right hand side of the brain and when the student is reading aloud this also activates the left side.

According to research and studies conducted on this technique, experts have found that the learning potential was increased by 5 times.  Dr Lozanov has proven conclusively that by using this technique foreign languages can be mastered with 85% – 100% effectiveness in 30 days, when the ususal period for learning a language is approx 2 years which is an incredible statistic.

Why not try this next time you hit the books and see how effective it is for yourself!

Learning Styles

One of the most important issues to figure out when taking a distance learning course is what learning style best suits you.  You need to ask yourself: how do I best learn information?

To find out what your preferred learning style is, visit this website to take the VARK questionnaire:
www.vark-learn.com
This system shows to what degree people rely on sight, sound, reading, writing and moving images to learn and absorb information.

Everyone perceives, processes and organizes information in different ways.  Understanding what learning style works best for you can help in the way that you study, especially when it comes to preparing for exams.  Listed below are the three main learning styles that you may fit into with a brief list of tips to help you study:

Sight

If you are a visual learner, you should try the following things:

• Use mind maps to help you link facts or topics together
• When revising, read over your notes and write them out again
• Draw charts and diagrams to summarize important points
• Visualize images, numbers and facts in your mind
• Use a highlighting pen in books and notes

Sound

If you absorb more information when you hear it, make sure you try the following:

• Talk through what you are reading either aloud on your own or with a friend
• Repeat important facts and figures back to yourself again and again
• Record group study sessions or lectures and play them back while you study
• Listen to music while you study

Movement

If you are a kinaesthetic learner and learn best when you are moving around, try these tips:

• Move around as you look at your notes and revise
• Take frequent study breaks
• While exercising, mentally go through your notes