Memorizing LG

[kan1dice]

Hi, what is the best way to memorize the info and rules to a logic game? I read a strategy from a website where you read the rules and stimulus four times, but that seems a little excessive. I also read in the LG bible that if you often find yourself rereading the rules then you are not identifying with them. There is not much detail about this in the bible I am reading but from what I hear this is an essential step. So am I required to memorize them on my initial read through? Just looking for the best method.

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, Kandice,

Good question, and I don't mean to throw you for a total loop, but I'm concerned that you're getting a little side-tracked with your approach to the stimulus and rules.

Initially you need to read entirely through the stimulus and rules to identify the game type (the basic framework for the game's organization, the diagram and variables).

Second, you create a core diagram and inventory of the variables to fit the parameters of the game.

Third, with each rule, you symbolize it or condense it and put it into a list below your variables. You should have a complete and accurate representation of every rule. This is your reference bank that you will refer to as you do the game.

Fourth, you need to double check your symbolization to make sure that you have not overlooked, omitted, or misrepresented anything.

Thus, you are not setting out to read, reread, rereread, and rerereread the stimulus and rules in an effort to memorize them. You are attempting to dispense with them entirely by substituting your own superior and more clear representations of the information contained therein.

So stop memorizing and start symbolizing! Let me know if you have further questions.

[kan1dice]

Hello Jonathan, first off thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. So in the process of a game I shouldn't have to read the stimulus and rules more than once with the exception of glancing over the info to check my diagram/rules/ inferences for accuracy. Which means I must have a complete understanding of the game after the first initial read?

[Adam Tyson]

Hi kan1dice,

Jonathan is not saying that you should have a complete understanding of the game after just one read-through. What he is saying is that you should commit the rules and inferences to paper - your diagram - rather than memorize them. Then you can refer to your diagram, rather than the scenario and written rules, to tackle the questions. Would it help if you just remembered some of the rules? Sure! If you just know by heart that a certain variable must come before a certain other variable, then you will go through the game that much faster and be that much more confident. Just don't make memorization a goal - the goal is to have a clear picture of the game, in the form of a diagram, that you can refer to as a fast, easy, clear reference tool every time.

In the course of building your diagram you may of course need to reread some of the rules to be sure you have captured them correctly. You may need to double-check your inferences to be sure they are supported by the information you've been given. What you should not have to do is rely on your memory to tackle the questions - it is, after all, an open-book test, and the rules, and your diagram, are right there in front of you to refer to as much as you need!

Imagine a game with these rules:

1. A is sometime before B
2. B is separated from C by exactly two other variables
3. D is adjacent to A

Rather than memorizing these, diagram them, and look for ways to link them.

A -- B
B/C _ _ C/B
[AD or DA] (I would do those in a single block, but don't know how to make it look like that in this forum, so just roll with me on it)

We can link the first and last rules, like this:

[AD or DA] -- B

We can't really link the 2nd rule, because we don't know the order of B and C, and we also don't know how far in front of B to place A, so just leave the 2nd rule alone.

Now, nothing to memorize - just look at the picture! Are A and D adjacent in either order, as shown? Is that block somewhere before B? Where is C in relation to B? The picture is there to cover it all. We could actually throw away the rules now - our diagram replaces them, more efficiently and clearly for easy reference.

So, to sum up, forget memorization and focus on building a complete diagram, with inferences included, and that should be your reference tool when you move forward to the questions.

I hope that helps!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi kan1dice,

If you don't mind, I'd like to jump in here and add a few thoughts! What I recommend in the LG Bible is to:

• 1. Read through the scenario and rules quickly to get a sense of where the game is going and how you might best attack it. This amounts to a quick scan of the rules, one that allows you to get a sense of how all the pieces fit together.
  
  2. Go back to the scenario (just the opening story; I'm not referring to the rules yet) and read it through more slowly, with an emphasis on prefect comprehension of what is being said (still, you are trying to read fast but not so fast you miss something). As you do so, make a base diagram in way a way that best captures all of the information. Represent the variable sets and places for the variables, any randoms, etc.
  
  3. Read each rule again, and as you do so, diagram each rule in the best manner possible. As you diagram each one, you sort of mentally "check it off" to make sure you understand the meaning of the rule. Are you trying to memorize the rule? No, not really. The idea I talk about is a "flash memorization" of the rule, where you have the gist of it, and if you can retain that basic meaning, then that's excellent, but if not then you have your rule diagram that you can glance at and quickly re-grasp the rule.

The memorization question you ask is a really good one, because it highlights the different ways that students approach games. Some students have excellent memories and can memorize all the rules and move on from there. But the vast majoirty of people do not have memories that good, and it's dangerous to try to memorize the rules because if you do so imperfectly, you can mis-remember a rule and end up missing a ton of questions. So, the the best approach is to usually glance back at your rule diagrams when needed. In this sense, your completed diagram is an embodiment of the saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words." If you represent the rules well enough, it's a much quicker way to "see" the meaning of the rules, and that minimizes the penalty for not memorizing them.

Should you read the rules four times, in the way the website you read advocated? I don't think so. Four times is too many and seems like it would waste a lot of time. If you understand the rule, once you've gotten it and captured its meaning in a diagram, you shouldn't need to read it again. For most students, that would mean reading it two or three times.

If you find yourself repeatedly re-reading a rule or all of the rules, that often is a sign that you didn't quite get the full meaning of the rule(s) when you diagrammed it. That doesn't mean that you need to memorize it, just that if you encounter a rule that doesn't make sense, you have no choice but to stop right there and go through that rule until it is clear to you. I sometimes work with students who struggle when this happens—instead of stopping to really iron out what the rule says, they let time pressure get to them and they move past the rule on the theory that they can come back to it later. While I'm ok with skipping over a rule that doesn't make sense, you can't wait until the questions to go back to it. You have to go back to it after you've finished digesting all of the other rules and before you start the questions.

Anyway, that addresses a lot of different aspects of your question, so if anything is unclear, please let me know. Thanks!

[kan1dice]

Hello Dave, your answer actually cleared up every concern that I had about this issue. Especially the “flash memorization” concept which partially fueled my question in the first place. I understood the main objective to a logic game, but the path to achieve that objective was what I was most unsure about. I’m attempting timed sections everyday now and I wanted to make sure that I was attacking the games the best way possible. A breakdown of the process is exactly what I was looking for. So thank you for helping me and thank you too Adam! I appreciate it, really. You guys are like wizards.