This outstanding book by Barbara Oakley is about learning how to learn. Though the
subtitle gives an impression that it is a book about learning Math and Science
but it applies to learning in
any field.
If you are
trying to understand or figure out
something new , your best bet is to turn off
your precision –focused thinking
and turn on your ‘big picture’
diffuse mode. Then set a timer for 25
minutes and put yourself towards doing a
25minute interlude of work on a
task. Don’t worry about finishing the task –just worry about working on it .Then reward yourself by checking your phone or doing any other thing
that you like. Try to complete at least
three such 25 minute sessions in a day on that task or any important task . Get into flow by
focusing on process , not product. Spend
25 minutes on working and not on
completing the assignment. The point is that you put forth your best effort for a short period in the process. Space it. Spread out your learning in any
subject a little every day. Randomly
flip through your book , pick out a problem
,and see whether you can solve it
cold. A little study every day is
much better than a lot of study all at
once. Take breaks.
Write a
few key things that you would like to
work on the next day. This will help your diffuse mode to begin to think
about how you will get those tasks done the next day . Usually , a
few hours is long enough for the diffuse
mode to make significant progress but it need not be longer than a day.
Sleep is vital part
of memory and learning. If you are sleep
deprived , it is best to go to sleep and
do your reading and learning
early next morning. That is why
sleep the night before a test
is so important.Also,take a short power
nap . Usually it should be for 21 minutes.
Chunking is the mental leap that helps you unite bits of information together through
meaning. Repeat and practice with
problems so that you see not only when to use chunk but when not to use it . Learning takes place
in two ways. There is a bottom-up chunking
process where practice and
repetition can help you both build and strengthen each chunk , so you can easily
gain access to it when needed. And there
is top-down ‘big picture’ process that allows you to see where what you are learning fits. Both processes are
vital in gaining mastery over the
material. Context is where bottom-up and top-down learning meet .
Attempting to recall the material you are trying to learn is far more effective than simply re-reading the material. Don’t
wait too long for the recall practice. If possible, rewrite your notes during the evening after a lecture. Highlight very little. An ability to recall is one
of the key indicators of good learning.
Practice and repeat. In the same amount of time , by simply
practicing and recalling the material ,
students learn far more and at a much
deeper level than they do using any
other approach , including re-reading. Practice
ignoring distractions. The biggest lie
ever told is that practice makes perfect.
Not true – practice makes you better.
Give yourself little mini-tests constantly.
Testing in itself is a powerful learning
experience. It changes and adds
to what you know , also making dramatic
improvements in your ability to
retain the material. Active test of
recall is one of the best learning
methods – better than just sitting passively and re-reading!
Writing is the foundation of learning .Understand and write each step of what you really want to learn. One of the
best online system for keeping task
lists and random pieces of
information(replacing little notebooks) is
evernote. ( http://evernote.com). But , there is a connection between
your hand your brain. In stead of typing online ,it is better start writing in
hand .
Get started on a
problem. Let the problem marinate. Pausing and reflecting are key. Pausing
gives you time to access your library of chunks. Waiting is also important in a broader context.
Once you grasp a
chunk in one subject ,it is much easier
for you to grasp or create a similar
chunk in another subject. Combine
passion for art with a passion for
science.
Often ,
understanding arises as a consequence
of attempts to explain to others and yourself rather than the explanation arising out of your previous understanding. Ask yourself ‘How can I explain this so that a 10-year-old could understand it’.
In one of the most
cited papers in sociology “ The Strength
of Weak Ties”, the sociologist MARK
GRANOVETTER describes how the number of acquaintances you have—not the number of friends –predicts
your access to the latest ideas as well as your success on the job market.
Always check what you have done.“Often it takes way less time to check your work than to solve a problem. It is a pity to
spend 20 minutes solving a problem and then get wrong because you did not spend two minutes to check it.”
Testing is itself an
extra ordinarily powerful learning
experience. When you start working problems , start first with what appears to
be the hardest one. But steel yourself
to pull away within the first minute or
two if you get stuck or get a sense that you might not be at the right track. This is
called ‘Hard-start-jump-to –easy’ technique. Taking test is a serious business.
Going through your own test preparation checklist can vastly improve your chances of success.
Move past the
simplistic idea that memorization is
always bad. Deep, practiced internalization of well-understood chunks is essential to mastering math and science. Memorization is a critical aspect of acquiring expertise.
This book should be read and used by every student and
more so by every teacher. Based on
latest researches in cognitive
sciences and experience , it
takes us through various steps in learning smarter. Highly recommended.
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