What research has shown, however is that simply reading books or notes does not equal deep learning. To learn well, there are several components:
Memorizing key facts, vocabulary, etc.
Understanding the patterns and meanings of information
The ability to explain what has been learned
Application of learning to new problems or situations
Strategies for better learning:
Studying in small amounts of time (20 to 30 minutes) every day for a week is much more effective than "cramming" for 2 to 3 hours the night before a test
Understanding WHY and HOW information relates to the "real world" is important. Students who understand how information might be of use beyond the classroom tend to learn more deeply than students who learn something "because it will be on the test."
Students need to interact with information in order to learn. For example, rather than just reading notes, it is much more effective to write out the questions that the student might expect to see on the quiz or text, and to answer those questions. This helps the student to think in terms of "What does the teacher think is important to know, and what will they ask about on the test?"
Handwriting notes and questions is more effective for learning than typing notes on a computer.