Probably one of the most used but also the most socially criticized and least creative learning techniques is. By drill, we mean the mechanical repetition or learning of something in order to memorize it. Therefore drill, sometimes refered to as rote learning, does not explicitly assume an understanding of the subject matter. At the same time, it is a method that probably everyone has encountered at some point during their education.

It should be said at this point that, however many criticisms one may have of the drill, it may not always be a method that is explicitly bad or inappropriate for learning. However, it should be treated with care, or to know what it is suitable for and what it is not.

It is the emphasis on memory, and the lack of understanding of the issues frequently criticised against the drill, as well as the fact that information is stored only in medium-term memory during the drill. If you do not continue to practice the material, you usually forget it entirely. This is also why many people may perform above average in school but cannot work with essential information after a few years. If you want to think creatively about something, you need to have some fundamental information base to work from. And there are situations or areas of learning for which drills are ideal.

An example is words or sentence constructions in a foreign language - most people have no specific understanding of their linguistic composition or development but need to acquire a particular part of the vocabulary and work with it further. There are other ways to learn a language (for example, by reading or listening...), but drills can help considerably in this regard.

Typically, this is relatively time-efficient learning - you can learn a rather large number of facts quickly, get to the exam, pass it successfully, and then forget everything. Although this approach is rightly problematised, it probably affects everyone (even if only once) - learning for an exam has a vital time aspect, and if time is short, creative and critical methods are not ideal.

The second positive side of the drill is working with memory. Contemporary schools are turning away from it to some extent because it is impossible to win a competition against Wikipedia to see who can remember more dates from history or writers in the nineteenth century. One has to step back from the machine and focus on what one can do better than it - interpret, research, and create. At the same time, however, memory is an essential component of the intellect, and its unilateral neglect can have many negative consequences. We therefore recommend that drills be included at least occasionally, even if only as an exercise.

Drills are also very effective in repetition. If you want to learn something, you must Systematically return to the content regularly. Drills allow for quick repetition, simultaneously removing the criticism of lack of understanding - you already know the topic, you simply need a refresh.

Drilling uses a massive set of techniques that can be performed differently. We will try to offer here at least some recommendations or inspirations:

• Practice the material by drill or another method after the test, at least two or three times at intervals. It won't take much time, and you will remember everything better.
• Try experimenting with how you learn best - some people have to say the concepts out loud, others write them down, and some walk while they learn. All of these things can help a lot with learning.
• Don't be afraid to use memory techniques in drills.
• Try listening to music while you study.
• Take breaks after 20-40 minutes. Taking longer breaks is usually ineffective.

It is not an entirely reprehensible method but an approach that can be problematic when it is the dominant or only form of learning. However, it can certainly be recommended as a complement. Regarding the drill, we can work primarily with flashcards, i.e., pieces of paper with a question on one side, an answer on the other, or a word on one. And the different languages.

These cards can be paper-based and convenient in that they can be taken everywhere. Still, most importantly, there is no technology or notifications to distract you during the learning process. This can be convenient and useful for a lot of people. This form is recommended if you are easily distracted by Facebook or email while learning at your computer.

The other option is to use various apps and online tools to enhance the flashcards somehow. Whether by displaying statistics, social collaboration, or even Quizlet, it’s possible to turn flashcards into quite fun games.

For learning with flashcards, you can select the essential things from the material and process the flashcards. This step works to some extent—understanding and analysing the topic and preparing the environment for learning. The various tools also allow one to work with notifications that remind one to study, which can also be a plus for some.

Among the online applications, we can recommend Cram.com, StudyBlue and especially Quizlet, the best-known tool in this field.

Other areas of drill are, for example, exercises on adding i/y to words, counting models in small multiplication, etc. These are, therefore, often areas where a high degree of correctness is required. Automating the procedures for solving individual tasks and understanding itself is secondary.