Learning sheets

Many students use "learning sheets", but what this exactly means can vary greatly. Some have their own kind of script for a course, others only need a list of key words - everything in between is conceivable (with individual modifications).

In any case, the basic purpose of learning sheets - which also makes sense in terms of learning theory - should be to prioritize and structure content, but above all to summarize the content (and your own structure) in your own words/form.

Dealing with the material (How do I structure? What will be a heading? How do I formulate definition xy so that I can remember it? etc.) is an essential part of learning. In addition, instead of being able to explain or reproduce something in your own words, it means that you have actually understood what it is about - again, an essential part of learning.

No matter what the individual understanding of a "learning sheet" is: Ideally, these two aspects should be fulfilled. The do's and don'ts list below is intended to help you with this.

• Do's

  • use other people's finished learning sheets as a comparison to your own learning sheet
  • formulate in your own words
  • max. 11-12 pages for an entire course (or even less!). For this: a few extra elaborations for really extensive material content (e.g. graphic + formula + definition of a central concept)

• Dont's

  • use other people's finished learning sheets
  • copy out slides/teaching text
  • excessively extensive learning sheets (more than 1 page per course session - depending on the subject and material, this can also be ok in exceptions!)

Not a "hard" do/don't, but: for many (not all), it is still an important and helpful aspect to create handwritten sheets or notes - even if it takes more time. You should therefore check yourself whether writing has an additional positive learning effect and, if necessary, refrain from using digital solutions.

Exceptions

There are two exceptions to the functions of learning sheets mentioned at the beginning. The first relates to learning content, the second to a completely different use of the format.

There is learning content that cannot be formulated (very) differently or that even has to be memorized verbatim. Here, of course, it does not make sense to spend hours looking for an alternative formulation of your own. (Nevertheless, it is advisable to have understood what has been memorized).

Some students make a kind of checklist to keep track of the learning material and refer to this as a "learning sheet". This variant is not meant here - it is a useful format for planning and controlling your own learning (What do I already have... what do I still have to do...?), but (apart from the rough structuring) it does not provide a deeper engagement with the content.