Learn How to Learn

 

Learn How to Learn

The brief summary of Coursera course by Dr. Terrence Sejnowski and Dr. Barbara Oakley.

 We tried to learn many things from our early age to death one never ending process is Learning! But do you know why some people are so good at it and some must struggle a lot for it. To Know how to be a better learner and how to learn effectively and how our brain works on learning patterns I took a course named “Learn How To learn and here’s the brief summary of it”. Go through all content and all the topics explained are not just one’s prospective but are the summary of solid researches made by many neuroscientists over decades to know how brain function and how we can learn effectively with our brain structure. So without delay we will directly jump into the topic on What are the modes of brain in terms of learning.

1.                 MODES OF BRAIN

A.                FOCUS MODE

In terms of learning process there the modes of brain can be generalized into two types. Well, one of them is Focus Mode. This mode of brain can also be called as the concentrated brain mode. This brain type retrieves the information which is already into your brain’s Prefrontal cortex. This means you can only retrieve the information that you keep repeating recently. And this is the reason why we think we don’t know anything, we learn, after a period.  

B.                 DIFFUSED MODE

Diffused mode is another mode of learning process. Many Poets and scientist use their own unique way to go to the diffused mode to gain the idea over a problem they are stuck into. You are wondering what the diffused mode is, aren’t you?
Diffused mode means resting mode ;retrieving the information, making new neural connections in the brain when you are not concentrating on well, anything. Some time when we think so hard over a problem our brain can’t process the new ideas of solving new problems with all the concepts you already know. The keyway to tackle through these types of problem is step aside and think or do any other things. Don’t worry of killing time, the brain does its own function in background and helps to get to the solution next time you sit to solve. Ever wonder any problem you try to solve whole night gets solve in second when you take a sleep and try solving it in the morning?? Diffused mode can be activated when we take a rest, sleep, walk, exercise particularly things that doesn’t involve much use of brain focus.
Think of it as Focus mode is like a zoo, where your brain animal could travel to very little distances and it can travel as quick as possible up to its limited range but cant go further than that.
And think of Diffused mode as a wild life reserve where the brain animal could travel miles of distance and catch its prey(solution).

With knowing all of this, let us now jump into the section to learn how to learn effectively.

1.     Pomodoro technique

This is one of the most effective technique used by most of the learners for learning long number of hours. In this technique a learner sets a timer for 25 minute and starts learning with full concentration with no distractions around. And when the times up then s/he gives self-reward. The reward can be anything like giving yourself a chocolate to eat, body stretch, rest anything for short period of time say 5 minute and again continue learning in same process. This method is supposed to keep you focused throughout the study and help you learn effectively.

2.     Space Repetition

As we already mentioned, the focused brain can only retrieve the information that is easily accessible or that is well known to us or say something we often keep repeating. With, repeating same thing over a night isn’t going to do any good.  There comes space repetition in handy. Space repetition is a process where you rather give one minute for one thing for 30 days rather reading same thing for 30 minutes in one day. Repeating same thing for 1000 times in one day and trying to learn it for life long is like going gym for one day and trying to stay fit for whole life. Nothing works that way. So, we can say space repetition is one very useful way to store information in our long-term memory.

  

3.     Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is also one important aspect of creative learning. In this method you take a blank paper and write down the main topic which you want to mind map at the center of the page and try pour everything you know about it mindlessly in the page. Don’t focus on editing part. Just write don’t every point or topics related to it. Like if I have to write anything about Alternating current I will write alternating current at the middle of the page and keep writing everything around like current, voltage , changes in direction ,LR circuit, RC circuit, LCR circuit, Chock coil etc. And I can make sub sections like with current I could make subsections of peak current, average current, rms current etc. Do mind mapping, just after you finished reading, without looking at books or note. This helps to know the understanding level and helps to learn effectively.

4.     Concept Mapping

This system is only suggested to use when we master the content already. When we master a concept then we can systematically do concept mapping linking all linked information in systematic way. This can also be very useful material for space repetition.

Chunking

Chunking basically means linking information. Like when some one says,” get dressed”. You mindlessly follow the instructions like search dress, pick the best one you want, wear shirt, wear pants, pick up the shoes which themselves have different ways of doing. But this all information is bound to one big chunk “get dressed”.

Our Prefrontal cortex of brain has only 4 slots. It means brain can only pick 4 different information at a time in focused mode.  So, if are reading the information, studying hard to understand it and retrieving the information in an exam hall then it can be a difficult task. But if you can form a chunk it will only use one slot of brain for retrieving all information within that chunk. And it will be easy for our brain to search the neurological pattern when we make a big chunk out of it.as its always easy to find big objects over small ones.

HOW TO FORM BIG CHUCKS??

Trying to form big chucks without making small chunks is not so good task to do. So, primarily we must be focusing on how to make small patterns of things. Like in the example “get dressed”, we didn’t learn how to perform all the activities at once, do we? Take one step at a time. Like in childhood we first learn steps for how to wear a shirt. Make a small chuck of it so that when someone says wear shirt we can easily follow all the steps involved in it, then we learn how to wear a pant, make small chunk for wearing pant, then shoes, then every other things that are important to get dressed properly. Then only we combined all the small chunks and make a bigger chunk named “get dressed”.

As per the research it is found that, “Chunks are well formed during space repetition than concept mapping”.

 

Now, as we have been through learning methods and strategies now its time to understand study illusion.

Mostly you think you know something because you have read it and spent enough time on it, though when it comes to retrieve it there comes hollowness, you don’t remember anything , that is because of study illusion. When we spend time for study, we feel like we know it even if we see the topic that seems familiar then it makes us feel like we know it even though we have forgotten whole core part of it. The common study illusion occurs because of following factors:

a.     Rereading in a single day

b.    Highlighting too many points

c.     Going through the notes you have already prepared.

Its very important to know when you are fooling yourself about learning and when you are learning.

Then there comes an important question how to tackle the study illusions!!

Well, there are various methods to tackle study illusions some of them are:

1.     Test Yourself

When you finished learning something you can always test yourself randomly to check if you really know something or just fooling yourself about knowing everything!!

2.     Minimize Highlighting

Highlighting more text of notes or books brings up the feeling that you have read tons of important things about any subjects and there is the trap you will fall into. So, it’s always recommended to use as less highlights as you can selecting the most important point only. It is not recommended to use more than one highlights per paragraph.

3.     Mistakes are good

People often get discouraged about making mistakes but making mistakes during practice is a good sigh that you know where you can fall into error, knowing the wrong path is equally important as knowing the right path of problem solving.

4.     Deliberate Practice

Deliberate practice means the focused practice on something even if you don’t know much about it, Pomodoro technique mentioned above is very useful for deliberate practicing. With the focused attention on some concept gives you the basic idea of how it is done. It may be difficult at first to go through the concepts you haven’t encountered before, but deliberate practice helps a lot to get general ideas.

5.     Einstellung

Einstellung is also said as a mindset. Having mindset about something or about some problem may resist you to look after some new concepts that may be more effective than the previously you are using. Your brain may resist to find more advance ideas to pop up if you already have concreated mindset about some problem so we should keep our possibilities open for new modifications and changes too.

6.     Interleaving

Interleaving is also very important to learn something more deeply and escape form illusion of competence (study illusion). Interleaving is the process of randomly rereading contents of different field to shake the mind and make better foundation in brain about each topic. Solving derivations questions and suddenly after a pomodoro jumping into integrations question is one example of interleaving. It also helps to make interconnection between the subjects.

Now let’s get back to Chunks formation, looks like we are practicing interleaving in here 😎😎.

How to build chunks??

There are few steps to it, none of you already didn’t knew about

1.     Focused Attention

2.     Understanding

3.     Practicing

4.     Recall

5.     Transfer: Using same concepts over different aspects helps to boost up the learning capability and chunks formation

6.     Interleave

Fun facts:

a.     Acetycholine is used for focus learning also to set information in long term memory.

b.    Dopamine is the chemical which motivates to do anything , in this scenario let’s say studying.

c.     Pomodoro technique is useful because it triggers dopamine in short level of time as you achieve victory of completing study without distraction for at least 25 minutes and its what motivates you for further study.

d.    Most of the neurons in our cortex carry information around us but brain also has definite projecting system of neuromodulator that carry information not about content but also about its value and importance in future. So even though you spend same time on reading all notes the points marked important is more likely to get set into your brain than other normal text.

e.     Repeating same thing you already know, its easy but if forms an illusion of competence that you have learnt the full range of material even if you have only read what’s easy. We should focus on what’s difficult instead.

Ok, we understand it all, but what’s about the greatest enemy of all “PROCRASTINATION”

Habit of Procrastination

          First let us discuss why we procrastinate on neurological level. When you try to learn something new something difficult then there comes neurological discomfort in your brain and our brain doesn’t like too much of pain in it so to get rid of that discomfort out brain changes our focus to something that is more pleasing and interesting rather discomforting . And this is how you end up procrastinating.

 How to tackle it then??

          Our same technique, yeah! you guessed it right, the Pomodoro technique. Average human brain is supposed to keep focusing on something for at least 20/25 minutes without any distractions. So when you own selves set a break after certain time. In one hand, you feels the sense of victory which triggers the dopamine and on other hand when you already have a time to take break you are less likely to procrastinate.

But still we have a problem, right? One break set for 5 minutes ends up killing hour. So how to terminate the habit of procrastination to habit of learning.

Here are simple steps to do it, but before going to it, have you ever encountered people advising you “you need to develop a will power to study harder”. Don’t fall into this trap! Generating or developing a will power takes a lot of energy, it should only be used when it’s extremely important. In one of the steps I am going to discuss below about how to tackle procrastination

1.     The Cue

To change any habit, you need to know what triggers you there. Like you opened your phone to see one meaning and about an hour after you are realizing yourself using Facebook for an hour. The Mobile phone is a cue then. To know about all the cues and realizing it is one of the main steps.

2.     The routine

From above example using Facebook is a routine then. This is the only step you should apply energy “the will power”. Once you know the cue you should be very aware and focused on changing the routine now. It needs lots of energy and power but once you get over it then its easy to be on track.

3.     The reward

Like explained on pomodoro technique, reward is also a very essential aspect of habit change. When you get a reward for your victory it motivates you to go further and helps the concrete study habit.

4.     The belief

You should always believe on yourself. You can do it and you are able to learn anything. Our believe system impact a lot in habit of procrastination. If you really think you can’t do it no mater what you will find a way to procrastinate. So, self believe is also an important factor towards changing habit of procrastination.

 

Process VS Product

          It is the product which cause the pain in brain and cause neural discomfort which ends up to procrastination. So, we should rather focus on process rather than product in bulk. For example; Thinking about making whole bunch of this article may have put brain under stress but setting up a pomodoro and aiming to complete one point in 25 minutes has made it way easier to write this long article easily and with great fun.

 I am Bhuwan Panta. Thanks for learning how to learn! Happy Learning!!