One of the most useful courses I've come across to help build good, solid basis when approaching new subjects, is Coursera's "Learning How To Learn", a MOOC conducted by the author of "A Mind for Numbers", Dr. Barbara Oakley and the Howard Hughes Institute medical researcher, Dr. Terry Sejnowski.
While this post also serves me as an assignment for the Course, the main reason why I bring it on here is in the hope that you can benefit from their knowledge as much as I have.
Now, there's so much useful information surrounding this course that one post could never be enough. But next, you'll find the key pieces to understanding and improving Learning.
How do we go about learning?
Learning new things can seem intimidating at the beginning; but if we become conscious about how our brains work -or at least it's basics- we can improve exponentially our chances to do it more efficiently and feel less frustrated.
Research finds that there are two fundamentally different modes of thinking; the focused -a temporary concentrated and undivided attention on something we are trying to understand- and the diffuse -a more relaxed way of thinking-.
While we consider the focused thinking mode the most typical on matters of learning through familiar patterns in our thoughts, we are not usually aware of the importance of the diffuse, more relaxed, part of the process.
Here is where our mind can continue to work on the new concepts we incorporated and allows us to think more creatively from a broader perspective. This happens while we do automated tasks (such as taking a shower or washing dishes), exercise (which is also incredibly beneficial to our minds!), meditation or simply sleeping (during the time in which the brain toxins are flushed out at the same time that it practices the new neuropatterns acquired through-out the day).
The Chunk.
Chunks are pieces of information, neuro-scientifically speaking, that are bound together through use and often through meaning. Chunking helps your brain run efficiently by getting the main idea about a subject.
We form chunks by firstly focusing (without any diversions) and understanding the key points (creating new neuropattern) and later practicing and repeating them, building this way, strong long memory traces.
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| Oh, that makes sense! Image credit: Tumblr |
Chunking like a pro!
Make sure these items are present in your learning process:
- Recall; trying to remember the most important concepts without looking at the material at hand, is one of the best ways to help the chunking process along. It is advisable to try and recall the basic ideas in places different from where you originally studied them as well.
- Transfer is the idea that a chunk that you've mastered in one area can help you much more easily learn chunks of information in other areas that can share surprising commonalities with the first.
- Interleave your learning by practicing your choice of different types of concepts, approaches and strategies in the same study session. This builds flexibility and creativity when it comes to problem solving.
- Test yourself frequently to make sure you are truly learning the material; this can aid you in identifying which are your weaknesses on the subject to apply deliberate practice and strengthen them.
Ask yourself questions, debate solutions with fellow students or address your doubts with the instructor. This wards off the illusion of competence sometimes we fall into when we mistakenly assume we've already mastered the idea.
Creating chunks takes time, so it's not the kind of thing you'd want to put off until the last minute before an exam. Spaced repetition is necessary for the brain to process all the data you've given it.
- Try to avoid the abuse of highlighting; this can fool you into thinking that the material is going into your brain when it isn't, or only practicing the easy bits; possibly giving you the illusion that you've mastered the subject when you haven't.
- Recall; trying to remember the most important concepts without looking at the material at hand, is one of the best ways to help the chunking process along. It is advisable to try and recall the basic ideas in places different from where you originally studied them as well.
- Transfer is the idea that a chunk that you've mastered in one area can help you much more easily learn chunks of information in other areas that can share surprising commonalities with the first.
- Interleave your learning by practicing your choice of different types of concepts, approaches and strategies in the same study session. This builds flexibility and creativity when it comes to problem solving.
- Test yourself frequently to make sure you are truly learning the material; this can aid you in identifying which are your weaknesses on the subject to apply deliberate practice and strengthen them.
Ask yourself questions, debate solutions with fellow students or address your doubts with the instructor. This wards off the illusion of competence sometimes we fall into when we mistakenly assume we've already mastered the idea.
Creating chunks takes time, so it's not the kind of thing you'd want to put off until the last minute before an exam. Spaced repetition is necessary for the brain to process all the data you've given it.
- Try to avoid the abuse of highlighting; this can fool you into thinking that the material is going into your brain when it isn't, or only practicing the easy bits; possibly giving you the illusion that you've mastered the subject when you haven't.
The path to expertise is built little by little; small chunks can become larger, and all of that proficiency serves to underpin more creative interpretations as you gradually become a master of the material.
Flexibility is very important in achieving true expertise; Einstellung (a German expression for "installation") is the phenomenon caused when an idea you initially had in mind -or a neuropattern you've already developed well and strengthened- prevents a better idea or solution from being found. Make use of interleaving study sessions to avoid this.
The Memory.
Learning to use your memory in a more disciplined, yet creative manner, helps you learn to focus your attention, even as you create diffuse connections that build stronger memories. The are main memory systems are:
Long Term Memory.
Think of this as a storage warehouse in which, through practice and repetition over several days , you can store items in long term memories so you can retrieve them more easily.
Working Memory.
On the other hand the working memory is like a poor blackboard that quickly fades. You can only hold about four items in this system.
When you master a technique or concept, in some sense, ideas get compacted so they can occupy less space in your working memory when you do bring them to mind. This frees your mental thinking space so it can more easily grapple with other ideas.
Visual and Spatial Memory Systems.
We have an outstanding visual memory!
Try making a very memorable visual image representing one key concept you're trying to remember. Beyond merely seeing, try to hear, feel and even to smell something you're trying to remember.
The funnier and more evocative the image is, the better. As always, repetition over several days is really helpful.
The memory palace technique; placing memorable images in a scene that's familiar to you allows you to dip into the strength of your visual memory system, providing a particularly powerful way of grouping things you want to remember.
Associating numbers with years or words with acronyms are also memorization techniques.
 Atta Girl! ("30 Rock" - Image credit: Gifrific) |
Our (my) worst enemy: Procrastination.
To be honest, I don't think anyone I know is immune to this.
Understanding procrastination and planning our way around it seem to be the best tools we can use against it though.
Creating a Habit.
Chunking is related to habit, which is an energy saver for us; it frees our minds to perform other types of activities. We go into this habitual zombie mode more often than we think.
The point of habit is that you don't have to think in a focused manner about what you're doing while you're performing the habit.
Habits can be good or bad. You can think of them as having four parts:
- The Cue is the trigger that launches you into zombie mode. - The reaction to the Cue is the Routine; an habitual response your brain is used to falling into when it perceives the cue. Zombie responses can be useful, harmless or harmful (causing good or bad habits).
- Every habit develops and continues because it Rewards us, giving us an immediate little feeling of pleasure. Procrastination is an easy one to cultivate because it's reward- moving our focus to something pleasant- happens so quickly and easily.
Good habits can also be rewarded though; finding ways to reward good study habits is important for escaping procrastination.
- Our habits have power because of our Belief in them. To change a habit you need to change your underlying belief. (Kick out that negative mindset!)
The procrastinator toolkit.
- Cue Identikit:
Identify the cues you need to block in order to allow your study flow. What is it that makes you distracted? Is it social networks such as Facebook? Is it too much people around you? Your cell-phone? Music? Put those aside or turn them off before you get started with...
- The Pomodoro technique!
- The Planner:
Having specific goals in mind when preparing a subject helps us move more efficiently during the study process. Track your progress to observe what works, and what doesn't. Commit to tasks and routines each day.
The night before "to-do" list allows our subconscious to work out how to go about each item in the background of our minds while we sleep. It is suggested that we prioritize the most difficult aspects in the morning when we are fresh. (a.k.a "eat your frogs first")
Beware! To keep from procrastinating make sure you train your mind to focus on the process itself each time you sit down to have a concentrated session rather than in the final product, this alleviates stress helping our brain in welcoming new data.
- Rewards:
Make sure to reward yourself after a good study session, this can vary depending on people and their particular taste. For most it seems to be 5-10 mins of social networking, having a coffee break (yes!) or watching something on TV.
In a nutshell.
(Are you kind of wishing you had started here? Nah...!)
To efficiently create a plan towards mastering a subject or material:
1. Well... make a plan! Use the very first Pomodoro to build a learning strategy on your monthly / weekly planner. Make sure it includes different techniques or approaches, that are spaced over time and, as you follow the schedule, keep track of what seems to work for you and what doesn't.
Include testing yourself, consulting doubts or questions with your instructor, maybe even setting up a study group meeting.
BONUS: Flashcards are also a great technique for study. You can create your own on paper or use a free digital version of them with Anki.
2. Avoid all cues for procrastination (close or block social networks, turn off your cell phone, go to a quiet place in a library). Have a plan B in case your tackling of procrastination doesn't work at that particular time.
Focus intensely and work on the material for 25 minutes.
Use simple analogies or explanatory questioning to ensure your understanding of the subject.
Take a little break and give yourself a reward before getting back on to the task.
It is important that you also plan your quitting time to turn on your diffuse thinking mode and help all the new information settle in in the background.
Are you done studying? Go for a run or a walk, play a game, watch your favorite TV show, the choice is yours!
BONUS: If you are learning in class, as soon as it's over, try and recall at least 3 main ideas of that lecture without looking at your notes.
3. Get enough sleep.
Allow your brain to flush away all the toxins produced during your day. This doesn't only contributes to better learning but also leads to a more productive and healthy you.
BONUS: For a luxury night sleep enlist the help of guided meditation to clear your mind and go into profound state of relaxation. Probably not on the night before a very important early morning, some people claim they were not able to hear their alarms the next day!
4. The no-nos.
Avoid passive re-reading of the material or multitasking while studying.
There is no automatic bridge between highlighting on your text book and your brain; though this is helpful to understand key concepts, make sure you keep it to basic to avoid the illusion of having learnt the material before you actually do.
Say no to drugs and cramming (?). Waiting until the last minute is not a good idea in efficient learning.
If your study group spends more time chatting than working on the subject, leave it. There is nothing wrong with social interaction but it should be a reward and not the point of focus for this type of gathering.
Try not to skip the early steps, check your textbook and the theory before jumping to problem solving.
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Self-improvement is an amazing goal, let this be your motivation!
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As I wrote in the beginning of the post, there is so much helpful information out there to help us become better learners, Terry and Barb have done a terrific work in shifting us in the right direction.
I'll try to rise to the occasion and share with you, handsome readers, all the relevant tips I come across going forward!
Thanks for reading!
Louie
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