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Information Funnel Method

The document describes the Information Funnel Method (IFM) for effectively studying textbooks. The IFM is an active reading technique that involves creating a keyword list and summary from the textbook. The summary should be 10-25% of the original text length and condense the key information. The keyword list should be 2.5-5% of the original and contain only concept names. To review, one reads the keyword list to recall the associated summary details. This allows much faster review compared to re-reading the full text. An example applies the IFM to reduce 296 words to a 69-word summary and 8-word keyword list.

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aeon bliss
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198 views4 pages

Information Funnel Method

The document describes the Information Funnel Method (IFM) for effectively studying textbooks. The IFM is an active reading technique that involves creating a keyword list and summary from the textbook. The summary should be 10-25% of the original text length and condense the key information. The keyword list should be 2.5-5% of the original and contain only concept names. To review, one reads the keyword list to recall the associated summary details. This allows much faster review compared to re-reading the full text. An example applies the IFM to reduce 296 words to a 69-word summary and 8-word keyword list.

Uploaded by

aeon bliss
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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hackmystudy.

com

The Information Funnel Textbook


Note-taking Method | HACK MY STUDY
Leo Fuchigami

How do some students get A’s in their classes without even showing up to class? They do it by
effectively studying the course textbook & materials. This tutorial will teach you how you can,
too.

1. Active vs. Passive Reading


The key to memorizing a textbook is to use active reading instead of passive reading. Active
reading is when you process and output the information as you read it. Passive reading is how
you normally read, that is, you just try to memorize the information the way it is written.
There are many active reading techniques, such as:
● Ask questions​ about new concepts, including who, what, where, when and why.
● Highlight​ important text
● Annotate​ your thoughts beside the text
But, none of these techniques are sufficient to give you a thorough understanding of the text.
For maximum results, an integrated method is necessary, such as…
2. The Information Funnel Method
The Information Funnel Method (IFM) is an advanced active reading technique that achieves 3
things:
1. It helps you identify the important information and hides the unnecessary text
2. It lets you rapidly review the material and identify problem areas in your knowledge
3. It replaces your textbook
The IFM involves creating, 2 sets of notes: a ​Keyword List​ for self-testing and a ​Summary​ for
review. The Summary will be anywhere between 10 and 25% of the length of the original text,
while the Keyword List will be anywhere from 2.5 to 5%.

Step 1 – Preview (Optional, But Highly Recommended)


Quickly skim the chapter without worrying about fully memorizing or understanding the content.
Skip sections that seem unimportant, but pay particular attention to the chapter summaries,
bolded text, information boxes, visuals/diagrams and emphasized content. The objective is to
just get a general idea of the content.

Step 2 – Summarize
Read the chapter again, but this time, summarize the main concepts. The purpose of this step is
to extract the key information from the book and write them down as concisely as possible; do
not copy the explanations word-for-word (unless you genuinely believe it has already been
written as concisely as possible).
The chapter summary document will replace the textbook for review purposes. In this way, you
can quickly review the entire the entire chapter in 10% to 25% of the time it would take to
re-read the entire chapter.

Step 3 – Create A Key Word List


Now create a list of key words from the chapter summary. In other words, remove all
explanations and list only the names of concepts and critical data points.
The keyword list will then be used for self-testing (explanation below).

Step 4 – Review
In order to review a chapter, start by reading the keyword list. Try to recall the information in the
summary associated with each keyword. If you can’t recall something, refer to the chapter
summary for review. That’s it!

Additional Tips
● Don’t review concepts you already know well. It will give you a false sense of confidence
and is a waste of time.
● List the page numbers for each concept in the chapter summary. That way, you can
easily find that section in the textbook in case you need to.
● You don’t have to be so strict with grammar; be concise.
● Taking the notes in a word or note-taking application has the advantage of being
accessible by your smartphone and you can use the search function to quickly navigate
the document.

3. An Example
I used a section of the​ ​How to Memorize Things Quickly & Effectively – Part 1​ tutorial as the
basis for the example.
Here’s how much I was able to condense the text:
● Original Text​ – 296 words (100%)
● Summary​ – 69 words (23% of original)
● Keyword List​ – 8 words (2.7% of original)
Click the tabs to see how I did it.
●
Original Text

●
Summary

●
Keyword List

Preparation
Don’t underestimate how much proper preparation can influence your ability to memorize. Did
you know that Olympic athletes prepare for weeks, months, even years for a single
performance? Preparation is what separates the best from the rest. By applying these simple
best practices, you can easily double or triple your memorization abilities.

Don’t Listen to Music (with Lyrics)


How well can you listen to another person speak while you listen to music? Music, especially
music with lyrics, interferes with your language-processing center (which is necessary for most
academic types of studying). By listening to lyric-heavy music like rap, hip-hop, country or pop,
you’re sabotaging your ability to memorize. If you must listen to something, make it something
instrumental or ambient-type music.

Disconnect
Don’t let a Facebook notification disrupt your concentration 5 minutes after you start. Turn off
notifications on your phone and computer by either turning the wi-fi off, putting it on silent,
turning off notifications or turning the power off. Set a timer for 20 minutes and dedicate the next
to one thing and one thing only, memorizing.

Choose Optimal Memorization Times


An optimal memorization time is when you have energy, your mind is clear and when you’re
least likely to be interrupted. A sub-optimal memorization time is when you’re tired, distracted,
stressed and likely to be interrupted. For most people, studying early in the morning or late at
night, when everyone else is asleep, works best.

Move Around
Standing and walking promotes blood flow and engages your muscles, keeping you alert and
engaged, while sitting results in reduced blood flow and oxygen to the brain. If possible, pick up
the material you want to memorize and review it while leaning against a wall, pacing
back-and-forth in your room or walking in your hallway.

Preparation
Can double or triple your memorization abilities.

Music
Lyrics (e.g. rap) interfere with language processing. No lyrics (e.g. instrumental) is better.

Disconnect
Turn phone and computer wi-fi/notifications/power off.

Optimal Memorization Times


When you have energy, mind is clear and no interrupted. Recommend early mornings or late
nights.

Move
Standing and walking promotes blood flow, keeps you alert and engaged. Sitting reduces blood
flow and oxygen to the brain.

Preparation
● Music w/lyrics
● Disconnect
● Optimal memorization times
● Standing/walking
Hopefully with this example you can see how powerful this technique is. Not only does the
creation process force you to truly understand the content, but the resulting summary and
keyword list allow you to review past material in a fraction of the time it would take you
otherwise.

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