Depends on the type of topic you want to learn, and how effective a learning technique works within personal level.
Me personally, I split topics into two catagories, 'what is this' (topics like history, science, etc.) and 'how to do this' (math, engineering, etc.). Both have different methods of studying.
For any 'what is this', I create flashcards (recommend Quizlet) from slideshows/books/articles.
For any 'how to do this', I just cycle through problems/methods until most/all are correct. If returning to a problem you got correct, don't do to it (unless you didn't understand it).
I also try not looking at source material while doing these methods, a that makes for a better brain exercise. Only look at an answer when finished with a problem to see if correct or not.
Also, these methods are a little time consuming, as with any method, but is definitely worth it and has worked for me throughout University.
I hope this is helpful.
t. Summa cum laude in physics/engineering.
