Thanks for tracking that down. I think this method suffers from the same problem as other similar methods: too many steps. Here we have 7 different steps students are supposed to follow. Just too hard under fire, as it were.

“4s=M – Four Steps Equal Mastery”

1. Preliminary Survey
(a) Read Topic Headings
(b) Summary Paragraphs
(c) Study Questions

2. Reading the Assignment
(a) Read for Ideas
(b) Do not read word by word

3. Quick Review
(a) Retrace your steps quickly throughout the assignment by skimming, looking for the main topic

4. Summarize the Assignment
(a) Write the summary that contains all the important information found in the assignment.

http://www.eticollege.edu/careerpr.htm
http://www.temple.edu/rcc/TestTakingStrategies/studymethods.htm

I don’t know, I’ve never heard of it before either. But they’re all the same, a large number of steps, carefully crafted in some lab, that, in isolation, produce good recall, but become unweildly in practice.

@University:

I think that works. To put it another way, focus on building a strong trunk and the branches will have an easy time growing. Start too soon on the branches, and you get a tangled shrub. Or something…

Branches on a tree grow from the trunk. A tree may start with just a few branches, which supply the tree with sunlight to grow; Then the trunk gets bigger and can support more branches. The cycle continues. When caring for a tree you must make sure the branches grow correctly. The branches cannot be cluttered, grow to low, and they can’t grow larger than what the trunk can support, if not they will break. (Think of all that wasted time, too.)

Your career should grow similarly and with similar care.

Does the metaphor make sense?