What is an effective technique for helping students retain learned information?

Teaching a peer is a highly effective technique for helping students retain learned information due to the benefits associated with the process of explaining concepts to another person. When students teach their peers, they are required to actively engage with the material and articulate their understanding, which reinforces their own learning. This process encourages them to organize their thoughts, fill in gaps in their knowledge, and clarify complex ideas in a way that is understandable to someone else.

Moreover, teaching engages different cognitive processes, such as critical thinking and problem-solving, as students have to anticipate questions and provide explanations. This deeper level of interaction with the content helps solidify their understanding and retention of the information.

While repetition can also aid in retention by familiarizing students with the material, it might not lead to the same depth of understanding that teaching does. Writing summaries can help in consolidating knowledge but may not involve the interactive component that peer teaching provides. Listening to music during study time might have varying effects on concentration and retention, but it is generally less effective as an active learning strategy compared to teaching a peer.