September 3, 2008 at 16:01Effective Learning: Practical Tips
Here I will collect some practical tips (most of them are tested on personal experience), supported by scientific facts that will help make the learning process effective. It can be applied both to self-training and to someone else's training. If you study somewhere, check how many of the points listed are really applied in the educational process - this will help you correctly evaluate the effectiveness of your educational process and change something in it so that it meets your needs.
Here are these tips:
1. Strive for information to end up in long-term memory.
When new information gets to us through certain sensors, it is first loaded into instant memory, in which data can be, if memory serves me right, up to the first minute. An example here is the phone number of a pizza order, which we only remember for the duration of the set.
Further, if the information is of any interest, it falls into the short-term memory, which can be no more than a day. Here, an example is the preparation of a typical Russian student for an exam - during the night he learns the material, passes the exam and then forgets most of the subject. Some, therefore, as a positive point of study at the university say that he teaches to absorb a large amount of information in a short time. In fact, this is not something to strive for. In order for information to be used and to build judgments and conclusions on its basis, it is necessary that it fall into long-term memory and acquire various neural connections (i.e., it is connected with other information acquired earlier or later). By the way, the more such connections, the faster the brain finds a way to such information.
It follows from this paragraph that various tests and checks of students should not be carried out the day after the submission of new material. You should also not warn them about the upcoming test if you want to test long-term memory (i.e., you do not want students to repeat the material before the test).
2. Try to find meaning and meaning for new information.
When the brain receives new information, it makes a decision to keep it or not in long-term memory, based on the number of existing neural connections that are related to this information. By meaning we mean previously acquired information, by meaning- that which may affect a person in the future. For example: a designer reads in live that Artemy Lebedev banned smoking in his studio. Because the designer is not a smoker, but knows who is Tema, the new information contains meaning, but there is no meaning. If the designer was a smoker, then for him there would be both meaning and significance, and information would have a much greater chance of falling into long-term memory.
3. The first third of the lesson is the most effective for mastering new knowledge.
Any activity, whether it is a lecture, lesson or seminar has the so-called prime time and down time. In prime time, any information is best absorbed, so you should not check your homework at this time, ask questions, make false hypotheses, etc. - All information, even if it is incorrect, will be assimilated. The best option for prime time is to give new information clearly. If necessary, all issues can be discussed later.
Prime times are at the beginning and at the end of the lesson and comprise about 1/3 of the total lesson time. Moreover, the share of prime times is inversely proportional to the duration of the lesson - the most optimal duration is considered to be a lesson of 20-30 minutes. In the second prime time (at the end of the lesson), you should summarize and review what you have learned in order to consolidate the material.
In the down-time, when the brain practically does not absorb information, one should change activities - discuss what has been learned, exchange opinions, check homework, etc.
4. Sleep is an important part of the process of learning.
Regular and sufficient (at least 7.5 hours) sleep is required for the assimilation of new information and its further processing. When we sleep, the brain continues to access the same areas and neurons that were used when it first received information. According to one of the assumptions, this becomes possible due to the disconnection (or lowering of sensitivity) of the corresponding sensors (eyes are closed, hearing is muted, etc.). Working with these areas, the brain reorganizes them and strengthens neural connections. Thus, access to new information is not only facilitated, but its processing also takes place, new solutions to problems are found. In the experiments carried out it was confirmed - people who slept better remembered new material of the previous day much better and more effectively found solutions to new problems.
5. Learn new material only when necessary
Most precisely, I determined this item for myself in English: learn on demand (I don’t know if anyone used this term). It means that for the most effective assimilation of the material you need a practical task that you are interested in solving. Moreover, not something like "to solve a quadratic equation", which is usually offered in the school, namely, the problem to be solved to you in the real world. At first glance, it might seem that such tasks cannot always be selected, because some knowledge is too "low level" (such as knowledge of the alphabet), but this is actually not so. Just lower-level knowledge requires less important tasks and the presence of imagination, that's all.
If you are afraid that you are missing out on learning by this principle, ask yourself: how much time would you spend studying material that you don’t need now and the desire to learn that you don’t have? And this, instead of already solving, albeit not a big, but quite specific task and, thus, motivating yourself to continue to study.
6. Change the environment and stimulate the emergence of emotions.
The brain most effectively responds to changes, so the new material is remembered successfully if something around changes. I bet most of you don’t remember where you were and what you were doing on September 10, 2001, but everyone remembers what you did on September 11 of that year. Of course, the example should not be taken literally, but even small positive changes in the environment where the training takes place will help to increase efficiency.
If this is an audience with a certain number of students - sometimes invite other lecturers or interesting personalities to conduct all or part of the lecture, appear at the lecture in shorts or a striped swimsuit - I can bet that your students will remember this lecture for the rest of their lives. The idea, I think, is clear.
If you study on your own (for example, reading a manual or a book) - when you get to the knowledge you need, put on a nice song, eat a chocolate bar, squeeze it 20 times, call a friend and share your joy, watch porn, pinch yourself for something - it can all play on your hand.
Also, monitor the natural environment in the learning environment. Too high temperature, body dehydration and extraneous noise greatly weaken the brain's ability to perceive information. Moderate sunlight and oxygen, by contrast, add confidence to the brain.
7. Avoid carrots and sticks.
Too many gingerbread cookies, as well as too large a whip, can completely nullify the brain's ability to learn something. Attempts to learn material in order to pass the exam and not get into the army are just an example of improper brain stimulation due to some kind of threat. For the learning process to be effective, teachers should use exams and tests not as a way to weed out people (at best it turns out that they either care or assert themselves at worst), but as a way to detect gaps and weaknesses and try to close them in future. It is especially important that the student also understands the meaning of such checks, is not afraid to make mistakes and correctly prepares for such events (in particular, without resorting to the use of short-term memory).
8. Use the method of obtaining information that suits you best.
Not all people are the same and not everyone prefers to receive information in the same way. Someone better learns the material when he reads it himself, someone better remembers the speech, someone - the diagrams on the board and pictures. Determine what is most effective for you and try to resort to this particular method.
Remember that a lecture is one of the most inefficient teaching methods because of its average duration, monotony and, often, the only way of presenting information (speech).
Brain Compatible Strategies by Eric P. Jensen
Sleep on It: How Snoozing Makes You Smarter by Robert Stickgold and Jeffrey M. Ellenbogen
Here are these tips:
1. Strive for information to end up in long-term memory.
When new information gets to us through certain sensors, it is first loaded into instant memory, in which data can be, if memory serves me right, up to the first minute. An example here is the phone number of a pizza order, which we only remember for the duration of the set.
Further, if the information is of any interest, it falls into the short-term memory, which can be no more than a day. Here, an example is the preparation of a typical Russian student for an exam - during the night he learns the material, passes the exam and then forgets most of the subject. Some, therefore, as a positive point of study at the university say that he teaches to absorb a large amount of information in a short time. In fact, this is not something to strive for. In order for information to be used and to build judgments and conclusions on its basis, it is necessary that it fall into long-term memory and acquire various neural connections (i.e., it is connected with other information acquired earlier or later). By the way, the more such connections, the faster the brain finds a way to such information.
It follows from this paragraph that various tests and checks of students should not be carried out the day after the submission of new material. You should also not warn them about the upcoming test if you want to test long-term memory (i.e., you do not want students to repeat the material before the test).
2. Try to find meaning and meaning for new information.
When the brain receives new information, it makes a decision to keep it or not in long-term memory, based on the number of existing neural connections that are related to this information. By meaning we mean previously acquired information, by meaning- that which may affect a person in the future. For example: a designer reads in live that Artemy Lebedev banned smoking in his studio. Because the designer is not a smoker, but knows who is Tema, the new information contains meaning, but there is no meaning. If the designer was a smoker, then for him there would be both meaning and significance, and information would have a much greater chance of falling into long-term memory.
3. The first third of the lesson is the most effective for mastering new knowledge.
Any activity, whether it is a lecture, lesson or seminar has the so-called prime time and down time. In prime time, any information is best absorbed, so you should not check your homework at this time, ask questions, make false hypotheses, etc. - All information, even if it is incorrect, will be assimilated. The best option for prime time is to give new information clearly. If necessary, all issues can be discussed later.
Prime times are at the beginning and at the end of the lesson and comprise about 1/3 of the total lesson time. Moreover, the share of prime times is inversely proportional to the duration of the lesson - the most optimal duration is considered to be a lesson of 20-30 minutes. In the second prime time (at the end of the lesson), you should summarize and review what you have learned in order to consolidate the material.
In the down-time, when the brain practically does not absorb information, one should change activities - discuss what has been learned, exchange opinions, check homework, etc.
4. Sleep is an important part of the process of learning.
Regular and sufficient (at least 7.5 hours) sleep is required for the assimilation of new information and its further processing. When we sleep, the brain continues to access the same areas and neurons that were used when it first received information. According to one of the assumptions, this becomes possible due to the disconnection (or lowering of sensitivity) of the corresponding sensors (eyes are closed, hearing is muted, etc.). Working with these areas, the brain reorganizes them and strengthens neural connections. Thus, access to new information is not only facilitated, but its processing also takes place, new solutions to problems are found. In the experiments carried out it was confirmed - people who slept better remembered new material of the previous day much better and more effectively found solutions to new problems.
5. Learn new material only when necessary
Most precisely, I determined this item for myself in English: learn on demand (I don’t know if anyone used this term). It means that for the most effective assimilation of the material you need a practical task that you are interested in solving. Moreover, not something like "to solve a quadratic equation", which is usually offered in the school, namely, the problem to be solved to you in the real world. At first glance, it might seem that such tasks cannot always be selected, because some knowledge is too "low level" (such as knowledge of the alphabet), but this is actually not so. Just lower-level knowledge requires less important tasks and the presence of imagination, that's all.
If you are afraid that you are missing out on learning by this principle, ask yourself: how much time would you spend studying material that you don’t need now and the desire to learn that you don’t have? And this, instead of already solving, albeit not a big, but quite specific task and, thus, motivating yourself to continue to study.
6. Change the environment and stimulate the emergence of emotions.
The brain most effectively responds to changes, so the new material is remembered successfully if something around changes. I bet most of you don’t remember where you were and what you were doing on September 10, 2001, but everyone remembers what you did on September 11 of that year. Of course, the example should not be taken literally, but even small positive changes in the environment where the training takes place will help to increase efficiency.
If this is an audience with a certain number of students - sometimes invite other lecturers or interesting personalities to conduct all or part of the lecture, appear at the lecture in shorts or a striped swimsuit - I can bet that your students will remember this lecture for the rest of their lives. The idea, I think, is clear.
If you study on your own (for example, reading a manual or a book) - when you get to the knowledge you need, put on a nice song, eat a chocolate bar, squeeze it 20 times, call a friend and share your joy, watch porn, pinch yourself for something - it can all play on your hand.
Also, monitor the natural environment in the learning environment. Too high temperature, body dehydration and extraneous noise greatly weaken the brain's ability to perceive information. Moderate sunlight and oxygen, by contrast, add confidence to the brain.
7. Avoid carrots and sticks.
Too many gingerbread cookies, as well as too large a whip, can completely nullify the brain's ability to learn something. Attempts to learn material in order to pass the exam and not get into the army are just an example of improper brain stimulation due to some kind of threat. For the learning process to be effective, teachers should use exams and tests not as a way to weed out people (at best it turns out that they either care or assert themselves at worst), but as a way to detect gaps and weaknesses and try to close them in future. It is especially important that the student also understands the meaning of such checks, is not afraid to make mistakes and correctly prepares for such events (in particular, without resorting to the use of short-term memory).
8. Use the method of obtaining information that suits you best.
Not all people are the same and not everyone prefers to receive information in the same way. Someone better learns the material when he reads it himself, someone better remembers the speech, someone - the diagrams on the board and pictures. Determine what is most effective for you and try to resort to this particular method.
Remember that a lecture is one of the most inefficient teaching methods because of its average duration, monotony and, often, the only way of presenting information (speech).
That's it folks.
In fact, there could be many more points. I have now tried to list those that seemed to me the most important and practically applicable. In the comments I will try to answer your questions (if any), as I have some knowledge and experience in the field of the learning process.Sources:
How The Brain Learns by David A. SousaBrain Compatible Strategies by Eric P. Jensen
Sleep on It: How Snoozing Makes You Smarter by Robert Stickgold and Jeffrey M. Ellenbogen