What is Rote Learning - Advantages & Disadvantages
Rote learning meaning - Rote learning meaning refers to the act of learning things by repetition. The idea behind rote learning is that the more one repeats something, the better it’ll be able to recall it. Anytime you’ve crammed or ‘mugged up’ for an exam, or learnt something by heart, you’ve learned things by rote.
Rote learning methods have been used in primary and secondary education for over a century and still are one of the main ways in which learning takes place in the Indian education system. However, these traditional systems are now seeing the rise of new-age curriculum standards such as meaningful learning, active learning, and associative learning. In this article, we’ll discuss the role of rote learning in Indian education system, list the different rote learning techniques, their benefits and drawbacks, and go over the alternatives to rote learning.
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What is rote learning
The meaning of rote in ‘rote learning’ itself means learning by repetition. The process of repeating something over and over engages the short-term memory and allows us to quickly remember basic things like facts, dates, names, multiplication tables, etc. It differs from other forms of learning in that it doesn’t require the learner to carefully think about something, and is rather dependent on the act of repetition itself.
Even though complete and holistic learning is not dependent on rote learning techniques alone, they do allow students to quickly recall basic facts and laws and master foundational knowledge of a topic in students. Some examples of rote learning in schools can be found in the following:
Repeating words to instil them in your vocabulary.
Learning scales in music.
Memorizing the periodic table.
Learning the basic laws and formulae in physics and sundry sciences.
Learning statutes and cases in law.
Having to memorize the basic facts and principles of a field is an important prerequisite to later analyze and study them. This is where rote learning techniques come in handy and allow you to remember the building blocks of concepts without having to dive deep into them.
Rote learning techniques
Rote learning techniques are aplenty, and they all require time and effort in repetition. The more you repeat for longer periods, the easier it will be to recall. Even if you only have a few hours to memorize something, the following rote learning techniques will help you remember quickly:
Read it aloud - Read the text out loud with understanding. You can even try it before a mirror, ask a friend to listen to you, or read it out just under your breath. You can experiment with how slow or fast you want to read, how expressive you want to be, and internalize the rhythm of the text. Auditory learners will greatly benefit from this rote learning technique.
Write it down - Writing down the text information after reading is one of the best rote learning techniques. Doing so will help identify difficult passages and areas that need more practice. If you’re preparing for a written exam, this kinesthetic rote technique will serve as a rehearsal and commit the information for easy retrieval.
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Sing it out - There’s a reason why songs commit to memory easier than text that is spoken simply and without any variation in pitch. So try putting the text that you want to learn with a melody that you like. Or, if you’re feeling creative, come up with your own catchy tune to remember the text.
Visualize - Humans are visual creatures and our brains are wired to remember things better with images. For every line and connected phrase, come up with ways to visualize it and remember it. The memory palace can be a useful trick for such rote learning techniques.
Free association - Free association is one of the more interesting rote learning techniques, and a very useful way of remembering things quickly, especially if they are too messy for the traditional rote learning techniques. The main idea of this method is to combine new information with what you already know in a fun and personal way. For instance, if you’re learning the ‘Circle of Fifths’ in music, you can associate each note to the numbers on the clock, one for each of the 12 notes in music. You are free to form your own associations as you see fit, as long as it helps you to recall the information.
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Advantages of rote learning techniques
Rote learning is considered useful for a variety of reasons. Here are a few:
Rote learning requires very little analysis.
With rote, one can remember just about anything over time and repetition.
Rote learning allows one to recall information wholly, and even to retain it for life.
Rote learning makes it easier for people to score who find it difficult to understand or master reading and maths concepts.
Rote learning can help improve short-term memory.
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Disadvantages of rote learning techniques
On the other hand, there are a few drawbacks of rote learning that you need to be aware of as well.
The repetitive nature of rote learning can become dull.
One can easily lose focus while rote learning.
Rote learning is not holistic.
There is no connection between new and old information with rote learning.
Rote learning doesn’t lead to a deeper understanding of the information.
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Rote learning in the Indian education system
Rote learning is an essential part of learning. From early age, we’ve been drilled to rote learn the building blocks of information, such as the English alphabet, the number system, etc. It has helped students get a grasp on the basic units of information at all levels of learning. In fact, rote learning in Indian education system has been one of the traditional forms of teaching and learning.
However, it is also important to move away from rote learning once the basics are memorized. The issue with the current meaning of rote arises only when teachers and students take learning through rote techniques for granted and prioritize it over other methods of learning.
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Alternatives to rote learning
The meaning of rote doesn’t mean much if it’s done in isolation. The techniques make much more sense when they’re combined with other forms of learning. Here are a few alternatives to rote learning that you should start incorporating in your studies today if you want to make the most of the learning process.
Associative learning - This form of learning takes place when you learn an association between old and new information. The methods of classical and operant conditioning are at work here that pair different stimuli or events together.
Spaced repetition - This form of learning is not too different from rote learning. The technique involves the use of flashcards wherein flashcards with new and difficult information are shown frequently to allow for the information to be internalized, while less difficult cards are shown less frequently. Doing so increases the rate of learning and recall without overwhelming the brain.
Active learning - This is one form of learning that has taken off with the introduction of smart classes and technology. With active learning, students are actively and experientially involved in the learning process and their level of learning is reflected by how involved they are in the process.
Meaningful learning - Meaningful learning is one of the deepest and most intimate forms of learning there are. Not only does it allow students to forge connections between old and new information, but also retain it through meaningful associations. The information can be retrieved from any starting point and can be applied to novel contexts as well.
Rote learning meaning is best understood in terms of constant repetition. Though there are various alternatives to rote learning techniques, the meaning of rote is best appreciated when the learning involves memorizing basic and fundamental elements, such as multiplication tables, word spellings, chunks of texts, and other pieces of information wholeheartedly. Rote learning in Indian education system has been one of the primary ways in which learning takes place in classrooms. Though it has its advantages, it is best to complement rote learning meaning with other forms of learning.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Rote learning meaning refers to the act of learning things by repetition. The idea behind rote learning is that the more one repeats something, the better it’ll be able to recall it.
Some examples of rote learning in schools include repeating word spellings, learning scales in music, memorizing the periodic table, multiplication tables, etc.
Rote learning is an essential part of learning, especially if the information is new and makes up the building blocks of a field, such as the basic laws and formulae in physics.
In rote learning, the information is repeated over and over again until it is wholly captured in one’s memory although without any in-depth understanding of the same. On the other hand, meaningful learning involves carefully analyzing the information, forming meaningful connections with prior knowledge, and knowing it so well that it can be applied to new contexts easily.