Instructors can also encourage learners to create their own ways of organizing new information. Learners need to revisit and re-evaluate new knowledge with an emphasis on refining and revising concepts that should be retained. Instructors can offer opportunities for learners to self-check and evaluate their understanding of new concepts and ideas. Transfer of learned material is not automatic but can be facilitated by continued application of new knowledge and by applying it to new situations and contexts. Learning is greatly enhanced when people are aware of specific strategies that work for them.
Learners also benefit by monitoring their use of such strategies.
Instructors should emphasize strategies that help translate new information into memory. Instructors can give examples of organizing content into outlines, flowcharts, concept maps, and diagrams that link concepts using descriptive words. Instructors can encourage learners to describe how they use specific problem solving steps and how they organize new information into their existing frameworks for themselves. The role of social communities and internal motivation is also emphasized by cognitive psychologists. Student beliefs and perceptions do influence their ability to learn in college situations.