Turn every heading into a question

Convert "Types of Memory" into "What are the types of memory, and how do they differ?"

Why it works

Framing a heading as a question converts you from a passive recipient into an active predictor. This exploits the generation effect: material you predict or generate — even incorrectly — is encoded more durably than material you passively receive. The question also sets a reading goal, which focuses attention on what counts as an answer.

How to do it

1. Before reading each section, take the heading and write or whisper a genuine question it implies.
2. Hold that question in mind while you read; your brain will flag the answer when it appears.
3. After reading, see if you can state the answer without looking.

Evidence

Question-generation is a supported elaborative strategy; setting a learning goal before reading a section focuses attention and improves answer recall for that specific content. The generation effect (self-generated items are better remembered) is well replicated in memory research. (observational)

Most research is on word-list generation rather than passage-level question-generation; the application to textbook reading is a reasonable extrapolation, not a direct test.

Sources

• Slamecka & Graf (1978), the generation effect, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory

Common mistake

Writing trivially answerable questions ("What is this section about?") that give the mind no real prediction to make and no gap to notice when the answer appears.