Wine Opener: Strategic Approach to Learning Better & Remembering Longer
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Explain 2 study habits wine students commonly use to prepare for an exam
- Define Practiced Retrieval, Reflection, and Elaboration
- Identify 2 ways in which Practiced Retrieval leads to better learning of wine
Chapter 1 Content Summary
Learning is Misunderstood: Why Is It Just Not Sinking In
Mastering a vast body of work is difficult and requires a solid study plan. For most students of wine, traditional study habits include reading the text, highlighting, taking notes from the text followed by re-reading the material. Yet, by exam time, many students feel unprepared wishing they had more time to re-read the material. The problem of “It’s just not sinking in” is a universal one that often leads to little or no retention- even if the student is given more time to re-read the material (Brown, Roediger III, and McDaniel, 2014). A common companion to re-reading text is what researchers call massed practice or cramming (Brown, et al., 2014). It is based on the idea that repeat exposure to single bits of material will eventually make it stick. In truth, cramming is a form of temporary memorization that often affords student with meaning results during test time, but eventually falls short for long-term learning (Roediger III, 2014 ). In other words, after cramming for a test students forget what they learned pretty quickly. When it comes to learning about wine, the trap of memorizing and forgetting happens more often than not.
Making It Personal: Creating Room for More Learning
An American Wine School wine steward had a chat with his doctor about his inability to retain information during his wine studies. His complaint was common. No matter how many times he read the text, he could not remember the information come exam time. His doctor explained that minds are like file cabinets. At some point they are simply too full to add more data. His physician missed the fact that, once unlocked, our minds are like expandable file folders with endless amounts of cabinet space. The trick is finding the key.
One of the best methods for unlocking learning potential is elaboration. The process of elaboration involves giving the new material personal relevance by putting into your own words, and connecting with prior learning. Doing so will make the new learning stronger, and the connections you build will make it easier to remember later (Brown, et al., 2014). It’s not just memorization, it's elaboration. The memory is changed. You own it.
Owning information removes it from your file cabinet, and puts it into your long-term memory bank. It frees up space. The more you own a concept the more useful it will be to you, and the less effort you will need to remember it in the future. Repeat retrieval of this new knowledge (quizzes, flashcards, reflection) will make it easier for you to apply the knowledge regardless of the situation or problem at hand (Brown, et al., 2014). Putting information in your own words leads to better learning than copying straight from text or power point lectures. The process of re-wording information and connecting it to what you already know gives the new material meaning. Better said, it makes it personal.
One of the best methods for unlocking learning potential is elaboration. The process of elaboration involves giving the new material personal relevance by putting into your own words, and connecting with prior learning. Doing so will make the new learning stronger, and the connections you build will make it easier to remember later (Brown, et al., 2014). It’s not just memorization, it's elaboration. The memory is changed. You own it.
Owning information removes it from your file cabinet, and puts it into your long-term memory bank. It frees up space. The more you own a concept the more useful it will be to you, and the less effort you will need to remember it in the future. Repeat retrieval of this new knowledge (quizzes, flashcards, reflection) will make it easier for you to apply the knowledge regardless of the situation or problem at hand (Brown, et al., 2014). Putting information in your own words leads to better learning than copying straight from text or power point lectures. The process of re-wording information and connecting it to what you already know gives the new material meaning. Better said, it makes it personal.
Chapter 2 Content Summary
Building Wine Knowledge: The Power of Active Retrieval
The true test of effective learning is brought to light when the student is asked to recall the information during an exam or in a real life situation. While it may not seem intuitive, active recall or practiced retrieval of information (think flash cards and practice quizzes) strengthens memory more than simply re-reading the text (Brown, et al., 2014). The ability to recall information when needed requires more effort than reading text, but the long-term benefits of active retrieval are superior. Repeat retrieval makes memories last longer. It also makes it easier to remember again in the future (Roediger III, 2014).
Consider This: Which is easier - recognizing an answer on a multiple choice test or filling in the blank on a short-answer exam? For many, short-answer exams requires more effort. To do so, one must pull the answer from long-term memory. It is more difficult to conger up the correct answer when options are not available (Brown, et al., 2014). |
When the testing gets tough, the tough get testing.
Research has shown that the power of testing or active recall is actually greater when the testing is harder. The more difficult the learning, the stronger the long-term memory (Brown, et al., 2014). Each time you pull information from your long-term memory, your brain changes the memory and builds stronger pathways making future recall easier (Brown, et al., 2014). What’s the best way to exercise your long-term memory strength? Testing. Testing. Testing.
You may not know - what you don't know
Recent research suggests that reading and re-reading material is more time consuming and less effective for long-term memory. Worse yet, it can lure students into a false sense of understanding. Re-reading may make the material look familiar leading the student to believe he/she has mastered the subject (Brown, et al., 2014).
The same risk holds true for listening to lectures. The ease with which students read text or follow lectures gives the illusion that there is a command of the material; when in fact there is not. This becomes apparent when testing does take place and the student cannot recall the correct answers. Practice testing shows you what you know and what you don’t – and having this information makes future study more effective and focused (Brown, et al., 2014).
Research has shown that the power of testing or active recall is actually greater when the testing is harder. The more difficult the learning, the stronger the long-term memory (Brown, et al., 2014). Each time you pull information from your long-term memory, your brain changes the memory and builds stronger pathways making future recall easier (Brown, et al., 2014). What’s the best way to exercise your long-term memory strength? Testing. Testing. Testing.
You may not know - what you don't know
Recent research suggests that reading and re-reading material is more time consuming and less effective for long-term memory. Worse yet, it can lure students into a false sense of understanding. Re-reading may make the material look familiar leading the student to believe he/she has mastered the subject (Brown, et al., 2014).
The same risk holds true for listening to lectures. The ease with which students read text or follow lectures gives the illusion that there is a command of the material; when in fact there is not. This becomes apparent when testing does take place and the student cannot recall the correct answers. Practice testing shows you what you know and what you don’t – and having this information makes future study more effective and focused (Brown, et al., 2014).
Summary Points: Why Active Retrieval is So Important to Learning Wine
Practiced recall or repeated testing is a better study method than cramming or re-reading text (Brown, et al., 2014) because it serves to:
- Build strong pathways in the brain making information more accessible
- Places information in long-term memory making it easier to recall in the future
- Tells you what you know and don’t know which leads to more focused study
- Changes the memory making it easier to remember again later
- Strengthens the connection you make to information you already know
- Enables you to own the information, so it is there for you when you need it in the future
- Prevents students from having a false sense of knowing that can result from re-reading text
- Produces knowledge that can be easily recalled in many situations, and used to solve a variety of problems
Connection To Field
The in depth study of wine intersects many disciplines. From history to science to cultural traditions and service, the complex nature of wine makes it both intriguing and overwhelming at once. Toss in over 1000 common grape varieties and 10,000 plus grape-growing regions around the world, each with their own sets of rivers, mountain ranges, climates, and you have a pretty large body of work to tackle. Best bet for success? Create a strategy for how you will learn before starting a class or opening a book. Further, make sure it is one that will help you retain and remember the information down the road when you need it the most: helping customers select a bottle of wine.
Suggestions for Implementation
Here are five easy ways to make learning better through active recall or retrieval:
- Take the pre-test at the start of each chapter before you study. Getting answers wrong has a strong impact on learning. Once corrected, learning from your mistakes firmly places the correct answer into long-term storage (Brown, et al., 2014). Studies show that correction or feedback also serves to strengthen learning (Brown, et al., 2014).
- Space out your study time. Let yourself forget a bit of information. Then re-learn it. Doing so will build stronger pathways for future recall (Brown, et al., 2014).
- Practice rapid point & define. You can self-test anytime by opening your text to a random page and blindly pointing to a spot on the page. Define the closest bold-faced word either orally or as a written answer. Then self-correct as needed. While it may seem difficult, practicing active recall of new knowledge is an excellent method for learning, and one that increases retention (Brown, et al., 2014).
- Take time to reflect. Select a multi-step process from your text such the Champagne Service. Quietly go thru the steps of service in your mind, and visualize the process. Reflection is a form of recall that has a strong impact on learning (Brown, et al., 2014). With enough practice, reflection can make the process rote allowing you to focus on issues that might arise such as a corked bottle of wine.
- Make flashcards and quiz yourself daily. Whether you are learning multiplication tables or all the DOCG wine regions in Italy, flashcards provide an excellent form of practiced testing (Brown, et al., 2014).
Formative Assessment
Flash cards are excellent study tools for active recall (Brown, et al., 2014) The act of making them provides another opportunity to review the material and reduce it to simple, single-minded ideas for self-quizzing. In addition to providing the power of active recall, flash cards are also great testing tools to let you know what you know - and what you do not know - for more focused study in the future. Click on the link below to test your knowledge of the material in this module. Cheers!
References
Brown, P., Roediger, H. and McDaniel, M. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
Roediger, R. (2014, June 12). How People Learn. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tz8gVPHhFE
Roediger, R. (2014, June 12). How People Learn. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tz8gVPHhFE