If you had the chance to sit down and color for hours, would you do it? Or would you rather sit restlessly while memorizing your useless history homework?
What if we can combine both?
In 5th grade, my history teacher had us draw our own colorful 'map' to help us remember significant parts of the Revolutionary Way. Branching out from the main topic of my manilla paper were a group of bright red "Red Coats", to one side was a picture of a cup of tea with a bright X on top of it. Next to it, a large boat, loading with men dressed as Indians. Although there were plenty of facts to remember such as dates and numbers, this strategy seriously improved my knowledge of the Revolutionary War.
I remember loving this method, but I think I only used it for that one specific project. Well, now it's 6 years later, and I often struggle with my history "memorization". How about bringing back the reliable map.
It's so easy it seems like a joke. Pick a multitude of your favorite colors. Start with a bubble in the center of your paper, and one idea at a time, write it down. Use dates, pictures, symbols, quotes, anything to help you remember at least the main concepts of your studies.
All right, now pause for a second. Have you ever gone to work out at the gym and you get bored of doing the same activity the entire time. Does jogging at a constant speed give you the same entertainment or result as mixing up your workout?
Well, studying is the same. Instead of having to constantly stare at a boring black and white page of notes, whip out your idea map.
There are so many sources about this concept, from learning how to make one, to unleashing creativity, to stats of how the method will improve your brain power.
http://ideamappingsuccess.com/
Check it out, and let me know what you think.
I had a similar assignment in my biology class last year. We had to color in and label parts of the kidney, as well as DNA translation and transcription. It's funny, but it works. :)
With almost-perfect recall skills for history (it really weirds my friends out when I quote the page number on books), so I never really bothered with idea-mapping as a study tool . . . But I have used it to diagram out extended (30+ pages) papers because it lets me keep track of how I need to arrange my index cards (quotations).
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I think you're right in saying that we should look for new and different ways of learning, but I am sceptical of using this for studying purposes. It seems a little too simplistic to have an impact on someones knowledge.
and then we'll see if it will impact your knowledge or memory skills :)