Is Exploring Multiple Sources More Effective for Learning Than Re-reading?

[ohannuks]

Active vs passive learning:

There is research that people tend not to learn much by re-reading a book/chapter etc. On the other hand, solving problems tends to be useful for learning.

This made me wonder, is there research into passive learning by going through various different sources? Instead of re-reading the chapter, one goes to look for different sources of information, where the same thing is are explained slightly differently.

Intuitively, any form of re-reading should be less effective. Any research on this?

 

[jedishrfu]

If you search google on active vs passive learning studies several paper references show up. Heres one such paper:

http://www.units.miamioh.edu/celt/events/docs/CFLING/active%20vs%20passive.pdf

 

[martane]

I haven't come across any specific research on passive learning through multiple sources, but I can see how it could be beneficial. By exposing yourself to different explanations and perspectives, you are engaging your brain in a more active way and potentially strengthening your understanding of the concept. However, I do think there is a balance to be struck - too many sources could lead to confusion and information overload. It's important to also actively process and apply the information you gather from these sources.