EDSC Revision Framework

The EDSC Revision Framework helps students to become more effective at studying by teaching evidence-based techniques that build recall, deepen understanding, and encourage critical thinking. These strategies encourage students to take control of their learning and study with confidence.

Many of the techniques that students rely on – such as skim reading, highlighting or underlining, multitasking, cramming, or memorising without understanding – aren’t effective when it comes to long-term learning. 

The study techniques listed below are peer-reviewed strategies for improving your learning. Each strategy includes concrete things you can do to improve your knowledge, understanding, and learning. 

Retrieval practice

Retrieval practice, which involves activities like using flashcards, writing down everything you can remember about a topic, or explaining a concept to someone else, trains your brain to retrieve information quickly and accurately.

• Flashcards. Flashcards highly effective tools. Put a question or idea on one side of the card, with an answer or explanation on the other. They help you actively recall information rather than just passively reviewing it, which strengthens your memory and understanding.
  
  • Create flashcards for key terms, concepts, or formulas.
  • Include images on your flashcards to take advantage of dual coding.
• Self-quizzing. Completing short quizzes and other assessment tasks helps you to strengthen recall. Remember: effective revision is about getting information out of your brain. Create your own questions or use past exam papers to help prepare for actual exams. This will help you build up your confidence. 
  
  • Write your own quiz questions and answer them
  • Use past exam papers or online question banks.
  • Test yourself without notes to simulate exam pressure.
• Brain dumps. Write down everything you remember about a topic without checking your notes. It’s a quick way to reveal what you know well and what you need to learn. 
  
  • Write down everything you know about a topic from memory.
  • Check against your notes to identify gaps and weak areas.
  • Repeat the process later to track improvements.
• Mnemonics. Mnemonics are memory shortcuts that turn complex information into something easier to remember. For instance, acronyms like CAMELS (camera, acting, mise en scene, editing, lighting, and sound) or AAPEE (argument, analysis, persuasive technique, example, effect), or ROYGBIV (the colors of the rainbow) condense a list into a single, easy-to-remember word.
  
  • Create mnemonics to help you to recall information in a subject you’ve studied recently. 
  • Test yourself repeatedly using the mnemonic to solidify the memory pathway.
  • Use the mnemonics when engaging in practice testing – In his popular presentation ‘Study less, study smarter’, Marty Lobdell emphasises that the value of mnemonics is maximised through consistent application and practice. 
• Practice testing. Practice tests are your secret weapon for exam prep. They simulate the real thing, building familiarity and confidence. Whether you’re completing a full paper or breaking it into smaller sections, practice tests train your brain to recall under pressure. The goal isn’t just to complete the test but to actively reflect and act on feedback. Remember, you are responsible for your learning!
  
  • Complete timed practice exams. 
  • Simulate exam conditions. 
  • If you’re not confident about completing a practice test without notes, complete a practice test using one coloured pen, if you need to check your notes, answer in a different colour. At the end of the test, identify those areas where you need to build recall and confidence. Apply techniques like flashcards and self-quizzing to recall this information. 
  • Swap papers with a peer for marking and feedback.
  • Rewrite answers based on reflection or feedback.
  • Break down a long test into smaller sections to focus on specific areas.

Spacing and interleaving

Spacing

Smaller blocks of study spread over a longer time will help you learn better and retain information than a single session of cramming right before an exam. Studies have demonstrated that distributed practice is far more effective for learning and retention than cramming. This is because of something called the curve of forgetting. First studied by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in the 1880s, the curve of forgetting shows how retention drops sharply shortly after learning something. With regular review, we can significantly slow down this forgetting process. When you learn something new, you start to forget it almost immediately unless you review it. Research shows that after just one day, you might forget as much as 50–80% of what you’ve learned! Each time you revisit the material, the forgetting curve flattens, and you remember the information for longer. Spacing your study sessions allows you to review at the right times, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time

• Daily reviews. Daily reviews are a secret weapon for staying ahead. Spending just 10–15 minutes each day revisiting what you’ve learned in class helps your brain transfer information from short-term to long-term memory. It’s like tidying up your room every day – a small, consistent effort keeps everything tidy and prevents it becoming a chaotic mess later.
  
  • Summarise key knowledge.Summarise key concepts or ideas you have learned in your own words.
  • Prepare flashcards. Make flashcards that will help you study the material again later and build your recall. 
  • Test yourself. Quiz yourself on what you learned, even if it’s just recalling facts in your head.
• Weekly reviews. Set aside time each week to revisit older topics using the same sort of strategies for daily reviews.

Interleaving

Interleaving involves mixing up your study. It’s about giving your brain an all-round workout. Instead of focusing on one idea or topic, you work on a number of different areas in a single session. 

Interleaving involves combining similar, related topics. For example, you might complete an analysis of persuasive language in an article, then discuss the use of language devices in a monologue from Macbeth. These are closely related cognitive skills applied in different contexts. 

Interleaving is different to varied practice which involves studying completely different subjects or topics in a single session. They are both beneficial but interleaving works best when you mix up ideas that are related or easily confused, therefore strengthening your understanding.

• Cross-topic brain dumps. Write everything you know about two related topics.
• Mixed practice tests. Combine questions from different topics.
• Shuffled flashcards. Mix up your flashcards from related but different topics to give your recall and understanding a good workout.

Dual coding

Dual coding, which involves learning with both words and images, makes retrieving information from your memory easier. The ideas are connected in your brain and you have multiple pathways to retrieve that information. 

When studying Biology, for example, you might combine notes on the human heart with a diagram. In History, you might create a timeline of key events. Learning information in two forms—both text and visuals—strengthens understanding and improves recall.

• Diagrams.Combine a written explanation with a diagram, such as a flowchart, timeline, or infographic. Label diagrams for processes, like photosynthesis or the human circulatory system.
• Mind Maps. Create a mind map with the central idea in the middle and key points branching out. Use color-coding for clarity and organisation.
• Infographics. Summarise a topic, such as an event from history or theme in a novel, as an infographic with text and visuals.
• Illustrations. Draw or find images that explain a topic, such as graphs for Maths or political cartoons for History.
• Graphs. Graphs and charts can be used for dual coding when they are combined with words, such as labels, written explanations, and interpretations.

Metacognition

Metacognition involves reflecting on how you think, learn, and study. This allows you to become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses so you can improve. You might self-assess your work and use that reflection to make improvements. Responding to feedback is another key strategy—when teachers or peers point out areas of improvement, it’s time to do something about it! Attempt the task again and put that feedback into practice. Unless you respond to feedback in an active and constructive way, it will have no impact on your learning. Ask yourself questions like, “What worked when completing this task? What didn’t? How can I improve next time?” Then do something to ensure you move forward. 

• Self-assessment/peer assessment
  • Use rubrics or other criteria to assess your work
  • Identify what you understand well and what needs more practice.
  • Keep a daily journal reflecting on what you’ve achieved and what you’ll do next..
• Responding to feedback.
  • Review feedback from teachers and peers to determine things you can do better
  • Act on feedback by, for example, rewriting an essay or responding to a test again. 
  • Set specific goals based on the feedback you receive, e.g. “I’ll use more evidence in my next TEEL paragraph.”
• Reflection.
  • Actively reflect on your learning with questions like:
  • What worked for me this week?
  • What do I need to do next?

Elaboration

Elaboration is about digging into ideas and concepts to understand them more fully. Learning isn’t just about recalling facts, you’ve got to ask questions, make connections, and be able to explain ideas in your own words. When you elaborate, you ask big questions like ‘how’ and ‘why’. You integrate these new ideas with what you already know to create meaningful connections. Have you ever wondered why your teachers are experts in their subject? It’s because they have to recall important information and explain it multiple times every day. To engage in elaboration, you might break down a process step-by-step, explain ideas to a friend or study buddy, or write an explainer for your study group.

• Self-explanation.  Explaining something yourself is always more effective than just reading about it. Explanation requires that you understand a topic fully, fill in the gaps, and reflect on your understanding. To engage in self-explanation, you can:
  • Explain a topic aloud like you are talking to someone else
  • Write  a step-by-step explanation
    • Write an explanation of an important concept or idea.
• Focus on concepts. Focus on grasping concepts. This is “big picture” thinking that allows you to connect what would otherwise be individual facts. Make use of stories, analogies, and real-life examples to see how ideas connect and apply in different contexts. Understand concepts and explaining them in your own words, then linking those ideas to your own experiences is a powerful way to consolidate your knowledge and aid recall. As Marty Lobdell explains in ‘Study Less, Study Smart’, simply memorizing terms like “ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” is not enough—you must understand what it means. For example:
  • Ontogeny refers to the development of an organism (e.g., how a human grows from a single-celled organism into a fully grown organism).
  • Recapitulate means to “repeat” or “mirror.”
  • Phylogeny refers to the evolutionary history of a species. 
  • Therefore, in humans, ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny because our development mirrors our evolutionary history – as a foetus we look like a tadpole that appears to have gills and eventually transform into a human being. 
• How and why questions.
  • For each key point, ask: “How does this work?” and “Why is this important?”
  • Write or discuss answers with a peer.
• Peer coaching.
  • Pair up with a peer and take turns explaining difficult concepts to each other.
• Teaching.
  • Write an ‘explainer’ for a particular topic in class. 
  • Write a study guide, character profile, or a theme guide for a text you’re studying in English. 
  • Create a set of cue cards for a topic to later quiz your classmates.
  • Explain a concept to a parent or sibling without using your notes.