Characteristics of to-be-studied content. Students claimed that a variety of material characteristics affect their study of to-be-examined content:
• Students read and study more for tests in their major. Alternatively, some students claimed equal study for major and nonmajor courses, believing it necessary to do well in school overall.
Students studied more when they felt the material being covered would be important in future courses or in their job after graduation.
• High prior knowledge related to to-be-learned material reduces the amount of time required to prepare for a test, it also increases understanding and confidence for doing well.
• Many students reported dedicating more time to material they find interesting. Interesting material was perceived as better learned because of increased incentive to begin reading and to prepare for tests (i.e., permitting distributed practice). It is easier to remain on task when studying interesting material. Boring material is more likely to be skimmed.
• Difficulty of material affects total reading and study time. Although students reported that easy reading was done quickly and that they studied relatively little for tests on easy material, students did not report a necessarily linear relationship between ease of material and reading and study times. For example, easy, but interesting reading might result in extended study. Also, extremely difficult material may receive relatively little reading or study time because students believe that the material could not be understood or learned no matter how much time was available or because students recognize that the time required to understand or master the difficult content would reduce time spent on other commitments (e.g., other exams). Students reported greater motivation to study for material of medium difficulty than for either easy or very difficult material, expecting that reading and study efforts directed at the medium- difficulty material would more certainly pay off without taking too great a toll on their other commitments. One of the characteristics of medium-difficulty material is that it is possible to construct understanding as reading and studying proceeds— that initially unclear points become clearer with additional reading or studying.
• The amount of material to be covered on a test, independent of the difficulty level of the material, affects study time. The amount of study time was reported as varying with the amount of material to be tested, although the amount can be so overwhelming that a student gives up.
• Disorganized material can be much harder to learn, requiring at a minimum that students devote great effort initially to organizing the material. Some of the organizing, however, results in deeper understanding of the material.