Is summarisation the silver bullet for effective learning we once thought it was?
Over the last month or so, when supporting teachers with metacognition and study skills, especially notetaking (summarisation), I am often asked what recommendations I can provide for teachers to help their students use this study skill more effectively.
Summarisation, often lauded as a potent learning strategy, involves students distilling information into concise forms.
There is the Cornell Notes strategy that older students can be taught, but how many of us were taught this strategy? What should teachers recommend for younger students?
Recent academic studies question its efficacy, showing that while summarisation can be effective in classroom settings, its actual impact is questionable.
I thought I would return to the original paper, Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques (Dunlowsky et al, 2013) and provide some insight.
Despite its classroom feasibility, summarisation has a ‘low-impact’ according to academic reviews. Its effectiveness relies heavily on the existing skill levels of the student. Essentially, proficient summarises gain more, but less-skilled summarisers may not benefit without intensive training!
