The Effective Learning

By: Herlina, Dra.Psi

Learning activity can be told effective if that can reach the target of which is determined. It always relate to determination, preparation / planning, and attainment of the target.

Case sample :
- Adi (is not name in fact) very happy because succeeding to be accepted in psychology faculty in Jakarta. But that is not long time, because after attend the lecture during 3 months he start to feel incompatible attend the lecture in psychology faculty. Finally he decide exit and mean to follow UMPTN next year.
- Different with Amir (also non name in fact), have twice he fail to penetrate UMPTN, although he follow test tuition, so that he perforce to learn in education institute which non it’s craving.

The case example above show the existence of learning activity that is not effective, where Adi and Amir fail to reach learning target.

Converse to regarding learning efficacy related to factors influencing it. In general, the factors can be grouped to become 2 groups that are internal factor and external factor.
From a research found that learning efficacy to be influenced by 70% internal factor and 30% external factor. From the research can be concluded that efficacy and failure more determined by internal factor.
The internal factor including ability / intelligence, enthusiasm, talent, physical condition and motivation. The external factor including: social environment, facility, and ability of the teacher.

Usually someone have determined learning target, for example someone wish study in faculty of law because going to be a lawyer. But the others still confuse to determine learning target, because its goals direction still not sure. This target has an effect to attainment planning and determination of learning target.
Before deciding to chosen certain area and not chosen other area, there are some factor which need to be paid attention, representing the part of attainment planning of learning target. The factors is:
1.Understanding own self, related to
- talent (what followed extracurricular)
- ability (IQ)
- enthusiasm
- ambition (strong willingness to reach desire, for example with searching information, etc)
- resource ( skill, language, monetary)
- health ( organ function)
- limitation and it’s causes ( handicap, condition of social economic )
2.Understanding education related to
- demand and conditions to be able to success (talent, intelligence, skill, personality, material certain financial)
- advantage and disadvantage
- opportunity and possibility of work in the future (if have passed but do not be exploited to work, it is inefficient)

If planning has been done maturedly, remaining to effort attainment of the target with learnt effectively.

Way of The Effective Learning
Learn will not happened without information. Therefore, to make information as learning source require knowledge about processing of information.
The people process information with organ function and nerve system. This process takes place with the following principles:
- More than 60% information processed visually
- People consciously can only think just one matter at one moment (information processed one by one). So needed concentration. Because concentration is important, needed learning environment supporting concentration in learning process
- subdividing of information which consist more 7 information item will easier to processed than larger group
- excess of information cause dread and effectiveness of information process will decrease
- amount of information able to be processed by human being in one time very limited, needing readiness of bouncing for efficiency and reaching of target
- existing information will be more remembered if they are immediately re-studied

To a certain extent, processing information in each human being is not different. But learning behavior is individually. This matter is caused :
- preference of learning source. To be influenced by past experience, failure and successfulness and ability to use the learning source / the information. The learning source only one or added with the other like book, handing out, etc. Or do not like to read because damage eye and just listening a record
- most effective studying time. This matter have to be relied on experience own self, for example more like to learn in the morning, noon, or evening; teaming or by self etc
- ability/ other personal marking and intelligence, for example if you have standard IQ mean you have to learn longer than if you have high IQ.
The way of learning will be effective if considering the followings
1.Intelligence, condition of physical, limitation, and resource
2.Level difficulty [of] items studied
3 Education demand and conditions.

Then as doing the way of effective learning? Pursuant to consideration to third matter above, can be done the followings
1. Make interesting note, natty, systematic, saying the word special at the subject fundamental, make schemas or graph; this matter play a part in to instruct concentration to items which must study, but don't be abundant because exactly will bother concentration
2. Make learning schedule and coincide
3. Before learning, collecting and look around first all items which must study, then reckon time required to study entire/all the items, giving more time for more difficult items
4. Learn in phases, don't at the same time
5. Don’t listening radio / music or watching on TV / film when you study because will solve attention and also will encumber brain in processing items / information
6. If you have learnt, come again, make items ambit, doing problem practice or discuss with other friend.


Reach : Jangkauan
Target : Target/tujuan
Determine : menentukan
Attainment : pencapaian
test tuition : bimbingan tes
perforce : terpaksa
converse : berbicara
regarding : mengenai
efficacy : keberhasilan
goal direction : arah tujuan
maturedly : matang

(writer is lecturer of UPI)