TEST PREP
Which study method is best for you?
EDWARD ESPOSITO
JOE HEFFERON
One question always comes up when it’ s time to prepare for a test:“ I am a _______ learner, what study method should I use?” Our answer: A method that engages the most possible senses will maximize your ability to understand, retain and recall the subject matter you are learning. Variety is the key, and here is our advice.
We always recommended that anyone taking an examination should begin the process with a thorough review of the orientation guide for their test. After all, it contains the source material, provides the exam format and includes other very important information about the administration of the test. The NJ Civil Service Commission’ s orientation guides also contain a section titled“ Study Tips.” Included in that section is a description of three learning styles and their recommendation to“ determine which study method is best for you.”
The three learning styles mentioned in the orientation guides are visual, auditory and tactile / kinesthetic. Several sources are cited in this section of the guide, but ultimately the learning styles described are based primarily on a paper published in 1984 by educational theorist Dr. David Kolb, who researched experiential learning. Dr. Kolb’ s theory rests on the belief that each person has an instinctive means of acquiring knowledge, and therefore systems for learning should be adapted to accommodate the particular style of the individual learner.
The work of Dr. Kolb culminated with the development of his“ learning styles inventories,” which are trait assessments used to determine which learning style best defines each individual learner. The idea is that if you identify your own style, you will give yourself the best chance of learning. According to theory, if someone is a visual learner, he or she would be best served by using images, graphs and other visual aids to learn the material.
While this theory became popular and spawned a wide array of books, lectures and learning-style based systems, much of the science behind it has been proven to be flawed. Researchers have discredited this view using scientific methods. Ultimately, studies conducted to reinforce the learning styles hypothesis did not utilize the type of random research designs necessary for scientific credibility. This is why we recommend using a variety of methods. Otherwise, you will likely box in your intellectual capabilities. For example, if you assume you are a visual learner and rely solely on this style to guide your studies, how effective would it be to understand and learn
what marijuana smells like? A visual aid such as an image or photo would only engage your sense of sight. Add an odor that you can smell, along with a written description of that odor, and you are now using the power of variety rather than just your identified learning style.
On the other hand, if a visual learner only reads about and views a photo of marijuana, would he or she definitely know it upon seeing it? Does assigning yourself and subscribing to a specific learning style help in this situation? If you limit yourself to one learning style, you limit your ability to learn. Now add an actual sample that you can touch to the mix with an instructor’ s explanation, and real learning will occur. But according to the“ learning styles” as we have come to know them, touching a sample is reserved for kinesthetic learners, and an instructor’ s explanation is reserved for auditory learners. In reality, variety is the key.
Claims such as“ I’ m not book smart” or“ I wasn’ t a good student— I’ ll never learn all this stuff” are self-limiting. Our advice is to try different methods for different topics and see what works best for you. The most important thing is to try not to set up artificial barriers to your success.
Although some people learn better in solitude, others find that teamwork helps. By hearing and discussing real-world applications of the law in the day-to-day practice of our profession, you can add visual and auditory cues to reinforce what you have read and heard. In short, this interaction of speaking and hearing creates multiple memory exposures through a variety of senses.
It is also important to remember that when we have high expectations, it increases our attention; when we have low expectations, it decreases our attention, which results in a poor performance in a self-fulfilling way. If you incorporate variety into your studies, you will increase your ability to learn and will then have higher expectations for your success. Having low expectations will hinder your studies.
We learn what we take an interest in, and to get promoted, we must take an effective interest in the material by using a variety of methods. Limiting your approach will only limit your potential. d
Captain Edward Esposito of the Essex County Sheriff’ s Office owns and operates ESPOS Test Prep in New Jersey. He has earned the highest final average in the state and received the highest written score in the state on all three of his promotional exams. Joe Hefferon is a retired captain with more than 25 years of law enforcement experience. He is a training consultant specializing in leadership development, terrorism, active shooter, tactical awareness and test preparation.
70 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ FEBRUARY 2018