For the next two class sessions, students in Group A stay 10 minutes longer to study their class notes. Both groups have had a total of 30 minutes to study their notes; predictably, Group A students, with three opportu- nities to review their notes, consistently perform better. We discuss the advantages of spaced review vs. massed practice for most study situations. Experiment: Categorizing to Learn Students are told to find an effective method for memorizing 15 vocabulary terms from a typical medical terminology textbook. They are also to record their out- of-class study time. If the students are able to recognize five recurrent word parts—“ase” for enzyme, “cyte” for cell, “pnea” for breathing, “derm” for skin, and “cardi” for heart, they generally report less study time and perform slightly better on the quiz than those students who simply use rote memory. Some students who do not categorize the 15 words, however, have created some unique associations for remembering. (The terms include apnea, amylase, ectoderm, endocardium, endoderm, epicardium, erythrocyte, hyperpnea, lactase, leukocyte, lymphocyte, maltase, mesoderm, orthopnea, and pericardium.) Observations Students are involved in many less formal observa- tions throughout the course. For example, | copy several exercises which contain numerous misspelled words, usage errors, and weak vocabulary onto their computer disks. Students are excited by the ease with which they can correct spelling and use the thesaurus function; however, the spell check cannot correct the far-removed spellings or the homonym errors on the exercises, and thesaurus function may lead to awkward syntax if abused. Asa result, students are surprised that their exercises still contain errors. They learn that perhaps other strategies are still needed, including human proof- reading! 282828 We are involved in other experiments and observa- tions—learning through mapping vs. conventional means, filtering out distractions, forming effective mnemonics, etc. Generally, quizzes may be retaken until students find the strategies with which they learn best. In sum, students can lear to create useful strategies for responding to a variety of classroom assignments. Peg Ehlen, Study Skill Instructor/Special Needs Coordinator For further information, contact the author at Indiana Vocational Technical College-Region 12, 3501 First Avenue, Evansville, IN 47710. Suanne D. Roueche, Editor November 5, 1993, Vol XV, No. 27 INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publicabon of the Natonal insttute for Staff and Organzatonal Development (NISOD), ©The University of Texas at Austin, 1993 Department of Educational Administration, College of Education, EDB 348, The University of Texas at Austin, Austn, Texas Further duplication is permitied by MEMBER 78712, (512) 471-7545. Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation issued weekly insttutons for thew own personnel. when classes are in session during fall and spring terms. ISSN 0199-106X.