For Students

The science of learning tells us that there are three stages of the process in which we learn new material.  When we first encounter new information, for example, while reading a chapter of a textbook or sitting in a lecture, the material is foreign to us. We may not recognize the ideas or even some of the words being used.  After repeated exposure to this content, we become familiar, that is to say, we recognize and may even be able to recite some of the ideas. When you’ve reached familiarity, you’re ready for very simple multiple choice questions, for example: Which of the following is the definition of the term alveolus? But a learner who is in the familiarity stage may struggle with more advanced cognitive work, such as putting their knowledge to work in a novel situation.  To do that, the learner must master the material and this transition, from familiarity to mastery, takes and entirely different type of interaction with the material.

For more on the science of learning, see Chapter 1 of Anatomy & Physiology, Co 1e.