How To Use the Elaboration Study Technique

Feel like you have an impossible number of facts to remember before your exams? There’s certainly a lot to get through. But don’t lose hope: there are methods you can use to help.

The elaboration study technique is a game changer. Instead of just memorising facts, you'll learn how to build proper understanding that actually sticks. It's like turning random puzzle pieces into a complete picture that makes sense.

This guide shows you exactly how to use elaboration in your revision, with step-by-step instructions and real examples from different subjects. No complicated theory - just practical methods that will transform how you learn and remember information.

Key Takeaways

• Elaboration is adding meaning to new information by explaining it. You connect it to what you already know, asking deeper questions about how and why things work.

• Instead of reading your notes repeatedly, you actively engage with the material. Put concepts into your own words and link them to broader ideas.

• This technique works across all subjects because it builds deeper understanding than surface-level memorisation. It makes information much easier to recall under pressure.

• The key is asking yourself "how?" and "why?" questions, then answering them in full detail as if you're teaching someone else.

What Is the Elaboration Study Technique?

Elaboration is the process of adding meaning and depth to new information by explaining it thoroughly and connecting it to things you already understand.

Think of it as the difference between looking at a photograph and actually visiting a place. When you just memorise facts, you're looking at a photo: you can recognise it, but you don't really know it. Elaboration is like taking the full journey: you understand the landscape, how different parts connect, and why everything is where it is.

This contrasts sharply with rote memorisation. There, you repeat information until it sticks - temporarily. Rote learning might get you through tomorrow's test. Elaboration builds understanding that lasts for months or years.

The technique works because it creates a greater number of stronger connections in your long-term memory. When you need to recall information, you have many pathways to reach it instead of relying on one fragile memory link.

Your brain wants to make sense of new information by connecting it to existing knowledge. Elaboration harnesses this natural process deliberately and systematically.

How Does Elaboration Work in Revision?

The magic happens when you link new information with prior knowledge. Your brain stores connected information much more effectively (opens in a new tab) than isolated facts.

• Start by asking yourself "how?" and "why?" questions about everything you're studying. Instead of just accepting that something is true, dig into the reasons behind it.

• Explaining concepts in your own words is crucial. When you can describe something without looking at your textbook, you've moved beyond memorisation. You have gained genuine understanding.

• Teaching the material to someone else - or even imagining you're teaching it - forces you to organise your thoughts and identify gaps in your knowledge.

The process transforms passive reading into active engagement. Your brain works harder, which means the information sticks better (opens in a new tab) and becomes more accessible when you need it. Learn more in the Save My Exams guide to Active Recall.

Step-by-Step: How To Use Elaboration

1. Identify the topic you want to revise. 

Choose a specific concept or chapter rather than trying to elaborate on everything at once. Focus creates better results than spreading your effort too thin.

2. Break it into key concepts. 

Divide your topic into manageable chunks. If you're studying photosynthesis, you might separate it into light reactions, dark reactions, and overall significance.

3. Ask yourself elaborative questions. 

For each concept, ask "Why does this happen?", "How does this connect to other topics?", "What would happen if this changed?", and "Can I think of a real-world example?"

4. Write or say your answers in full sentences. 

Don't just think about the answers - articulate them completely. This forces your brain to organise the information properly and reveals any unclear thinking.

5. Connect the idea to other topics you've learned. 

Look for links to previous chapters, other subjects, or general principles. These connections create a web of knowledge that supports recall. 

6. Test your explanation for clarity. Can you explain it to a friend who doesn't study your subject? If not, you need to elaborate further until your understanding is crystal clear.

Remember, Save My Exams Revision Notes can help you when working on each of these aspects.

Examples of Elaboration Across Subjects

Science

• Instead of memorising "photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy," ask why plants need to photosynthesise. Explain that plants can't move to find food like animals. They must create their own using available resources: sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

• Connect this to energy transfer principles from physics. Light energy becomes chemical energy stored in glucose molecules. This is later released through respiration. This links photosynthesis to the broader concept of energy conservation through biology and chemistry.

Maths

• Rather than just memorising the quadratic formula, elaborate on why it works. Explain that it comes from completing the square on the general quadratic equation. This reveals the underlying mathematical relationships.

• Connect quadratic equations to real-world situations. For example, projectile motion in physics or profit calculations in business studies. Understanding when and why to use the formula makes it much more memorable than just knowing the symbols.

History

• Don't just memorise that World War I started in 1914. Elaborate by exploring the complex web of alliances, rising nationalism, imperial tensions. Then, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as the immediate trigger.

• Connect these causes to broader patterns in European history. For example, how the balance of power politics, industrialisation, and colonial competition created unstable conditions that led to large-scale conflict.

Languages

• Instead of memorising verb conjugations, elaborate on the patterns and logic behind them. Explain why Romance languages often have similar conjugation patterns due to their Latin roots.

• Compare new language structures to your first language. Understanding why certain grammatical rules exist and how they differ from or resemble patterns you already know makes them easier to remember and apply.

Benefits of the Elaboration Study Technique

Elaboration deepens your understanding of complex topics. It does this by forcing you to grapple with underlying principles rather than surface details.

It improves recall (opens in a new tab) under exam pressure because you have multiple ways to access the same information. If you can't remember a specific fact, you can often work it out from your broader understanding.

The technique encourages active learning instead of passive reading. Your brain stays engaged throughout revision sessions, making your study time much more effective.

Perhaps most importantly, elaboration helps identify gaps in your knowledge before exams. When you try to explain something and realise you can't, you've found exactly what you need to study more.

This self-awareness prevents the unpleasant surprise of discovering knowledge gaps during an actual exam. At that point, it's too late to fix them.

As a Biology tutor, I frequently call on elements of the elaboration technique with my students. I work with them to develop connections to aspects of their everyday knowledge, and to make sure they think through why something is as it is. Not just take facts at face value. I find this massively helps their understanding and recall. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Simply re-reading notes isn't elaboration - you need to actively explain and connect information. Reading the same content (opens in a new tab) repeatedly gives you an illusion of knowledge. It may not build real understanding, however.

• Giving shallow answers defeats the purpose. If someone asks why photosynthesis matters and you just say "plants need it," you're not elaborating enough. Dig deeper into the biological, ecological, and evolutionary significance.

• Don't create irrelevant connections that confuse rather than clarify. The links you make should genuinely help understanding, not just show off how much you know about other topics.

• Always check whether your explanations are accurate. Elaborating on incorrect information just reinforces mistakes. If you're unsure about something, verify it before building your understanding around it.

Tips for Using Elaboration Effectively

Study partners make elaboration much more effective. Take turns explaining concepts to each other. You'll quickly discover any weak points in your understanding when you try to teach someone else.

Record yourself explaining topics, then listen back critically. You'll be surprised how often you spot fuzzy explanations or missing connections when you listen to yourself .

Create flashcards with "how" and "why" questions. Not simple fact-checking cards. This forces you to practice elaboration during active recall sessions.

Combine elaboration with Spaced Repetition for maximum impact (opens in a new tab). Return to topics after increasing intervals, each time trying to elaborate more deeply or find new connections.

The most effective approach uses elaboration, alongside other proven techniques rather than relying on it exclusively. You can use it in conjunction with other methods such as the Leitner System, Active Recall, or the Blurting Method, for example.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Is elaboration the same as active recall?

No, but they work brilliantly together. Active recall is testing yourself on information without looking at your notes. Elaboration is explaining information in detail and making connections. You can combine them by testing yourself with "why" and "how" questions that require elaborated answers.

Can I use elaboration for subjects that are mostly memorisation?

Absolutely! Even subjects heavy on facts benefit from elaboration. In anatomy, don't just memorise bone names - explain how their shapes relate to their functions. In languages, connect vocabulary to word roots or cultural contexts. Finding meaning in apparently random information makes it much easier to remember.

How much detail should I add when elaborating?

Add enough detail so you could teach the concept to someone who's never studied your subject. If you can explain photosynthesis to your gran in a way that makes sense, you've elaborated enough. The key is clarity and completeness rather than just adding more words.

Does elaboration take too much time when revising?

Initially, yes. Elaboration takes longer than passive reading. But it saves massive amounts of time overall because you understand and remember information much better. You'll need fewer repetitions and feel more confident in exams. It will make the extra effort during revision incredibly worthwhile.

Transform Your Learning Today

The elaboration study technique isn't just another revision method. It's a complete shift from cramming facts to building genuine understanding. Once you start using it, you'll wonder how you ever tried to learn any other way.

Start small with just one topic from your most challenging subject. Practice explaining it thoroughly, making connections, and asking deeper questions. The goal isn't to memorise your elaborated explanations. It's to develop such deep understanding that you can recreate the knowledge from scratch whenever you need it.

Your brain is already very good at remembering things that make sense. And connecting to your existing knowledge. Elaboration gives you a systematic way to harness this natural ability.

References

• Dunlosky (opens in a new tab)et al (opens in a new tab). (2013) (opens in a new tab)Improving Students’ Learning with Effective Learning Techniques (opens in a new tab)

• McDaniel & Donnelly (1996). (opens in a new tab)Learning with analogy and elaborative interrogation. (opens in a new tab)

• Pressley (opens in a new tab)et al. (opens in a new tab) (1987). (opens in a new tab)Generation and precision of elaboration: Effects on intentional and incidental learning (opens in a new tab).

• Science behind the Leitner system (opens in a new tab)