True or false: When it comes to learning, metacognition (e.g., thinking about thinking) can be just as important as intelligence.

  • True

    Research on growth mindset by Carol Dweck and others shows that people’s beliefs about the nature of intelligence affect their level of effort and in turn their performance.

  • False

What is the best way to learn from some text?

  • Read and reread the text.
  • Explain key ideas of the text to yourself while reading.

    Restating the text in your own words is another form of “active learning.”

  • Underline key concepts.
  • Use a highlighter

True or false: Intelligence is fixed at birth.

  • True
  • False

    This false belief is sometimes called “fixed mindset.” In fact there’s plenty of evidence that IQ can increase over time given interventions like preschool or reading to a child.

You have a test coming up. What’s the best way to review the material?

  • Circle key points in the textbook.
  • Review relevant points of the lecture in audio format.
  • Take an informal quiz based on the material.

    Quizzes are a form of “active learning” that promotes better recall.

To which of the following should you not tailor your learning?

  • Learning styles (visual, audio, etc.)

    The idea that people have different primary learning styles is a myth with no evidence.

  • Previous knowledge
  • Interests
  • Ability

True or false: Learning should be spaced out over time.

  • True

    Much research supports the idea that “spaced repetition” helps you retain knowledge over the long term.

  • False

True or false: Right-brained people learn differently from left-brained people.

  • True
  • False

    Recent brain scan research provides no evidence for the idea that individuals are left-brain or right-brain dominant in the first place, much less that this supposed difference might affect learning.