Notes about online course "Lean How to Learn": https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn.
Goal: learn easily and get less frustrated
2 distinct brain modes:
- focused mode (concentrated, focused but oriented)
- diffuse mode (broad-based, adapted to learning something new)
1 mode at a time!
Painball analogy: focused mode (upper tight related bumpers) vs diffuse mode (lower, widely-separated bumpers)
Dali (creative painter) and Thomas Edison (famous inventor) had similar technique:
- relax on a chair, mind all-free, a key/ball in the hand (in diffuse mode)
- the key/ball fells and "awakes" him, he enters in focused mode
Build neural structure requires working frequently (every day).
Brain :
- weights 2 pounds / consumes 10% energy
- requires years of practise
- is more complex that we thought: we are not consciously aware of how brain works
- has million billion of connected neurons (= synapses)
Synapes are dynamic: learning create them, sleep stabilize them (like mortar)
Sleep is necessary for memory and learning
Procrastination is avoiding doing something, it affects everybody!
The trick is: start doing it, then disconfort goes away!
Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes focused time boxes with reward
Practising regularly abstract ideas & concepts regularly (like maths) is important to keep/enhance synapses.
And always alternate the focused/diffuse modes!
Working memory (or short term memory):
- is like an inefficient black board
- in prefontal cortex
- holds a few chunks (about 4)
- requires repetition
Long term memory
- is like a storage warehouse
- in different regions of the brain
- is huge
- requires time and practise for retrieval
Spaced repetition technique: e.g. every day (and not 20 times in the morning!)
Being awake creates toxins in the brain
Sleep strengthens synapses and "washes" toxins.
Dreams can be influenced by thinking (before sleeping) and can help learning (consolidation)
Exercise also helps learning.
Interview: Dr. Terrence Sejnowski:
- likes learning by doing (labs) instead of reading
- likes learning from experts, asking questions (active engagement)
- likes thinking while doing exercises (ex: jogging)
- takes notes
- prevents multitasking (and context-switching), when possible
- thinks that school should provide more pauses to learn better
- appreciates interactions with other people
- test skill: switch to next question if blocked
- success can be related to passion (and not to being smart)
- are compact piece of information that can be easily retrieved
- are linked to long-term memory (but links can be altered if angry/exhausted etc.)
- consist of a network of neurons
- are a kind of abstraction (it groups several concepts, hides internal details)
- expertise = growing chunks! ex : "getting dressed" seems simple, it hides complexity
Only 4 chunks (chunks) at time! = "attention octopus"
Learn a big chunk = sum of small chunks ex:
- learn football = learn rules, hit ball etc.
- learn language = pronunciation (tongue-twists) + words + grammars + etc.
Trick: work with examples
For chunking ideas (vs. something physical):
- focus (stop TV, phone etc.)
- understand the main idea
- practise (understand != expertise)
2 helpful processes:
- bottom up learning (chunks -> context)
- top down learning (context -> chunks) "big picture first", ex: read rapidly book pages before normal reading
recall (apply after learning): i.e. after reading, think about its main concepts (do not re-read)
understanding a solution != finding it myself
illusions of competence: reading something != learning it => mini-testing
If motivated, learning is easy.
Why? Neurons carry content + importance + value for the future
Neurons produce:
- acetylcholine affects brain focus
- dopamine affects reward learning + decision making
- serotonin affects social life + risk taking
Transfer: a chunk applied to another chunk that is related to another topic
ex: a linguistic concept can help in computer programing
"Chunk library": shared chunks for any problems
Sequential thinking (a -> b -> c -> d), via focused mode vs holistic thinking (a -> d, global), via diffuse mode
Law of Serendipity: try, luck will help!
Overlearning: beware too much repeating in a single session (cf. illusion of competence)
Deliberate practise: focusing learning
Einstellung: ("mindset") solving a problem with a non-optimal (but known) method
Interleaving: mixup you learning (=> transfers)
Avoid procrastination, because learning is slow bit by bit activity. Procrastination is like addiction (do pleasant easy task like watching video).
Chunking is related to habits (zombie-mode => requires less energy).
Characteristics:
- signals (e.g. phone call)
- routine (e.g. watch TV at 19h)
- reward (e.g. have a fun moment, "celebrate" the learning)
- belief (e.g. "that lesson is too hard")
Tips:
- think positively (e.g. "it's not that hard")
- focus on process (e.g. "let's answer to 5 questions / work for 30 minutes"), not on "product" (e.g. "learn this whole lesson with all these concepts") => cf. pomodoro
- plan:
- Weekly task list
- Daily TODO list (finalize talk, go for a walk, etc.) and plan finish time (e.g. stop à 5PM)=> pomodoros
- start with unpleasant tasks
Memory is an important part of learning.
Visual memory is a super-power, in the right brain hemisphere => Use visual mnemonics (e.g. formula "f = m x a" => imagine a "flywing mule ...") Repetition and image will help remembering.
Tip: write index cards
- front card: symbol / drawing
- back card: remaining information After pause, try to find info watching the front side Interleave with other cards, then test cards again (progressively increase time pauses).
No hippocampus => no new long-term memory (amnesia), but learning is still possible
----- consolidation -------
/ v
STM --- reconsolidation ---> LTM
^ /
------- reactivation ------
consolidation & reconsolidation always occur (even during sleep)
Splitting learning help consolidation and is better than "cram" (bachotage)
Brian has glial cells. Astrocytes are the most numerous, they provide:
- nutrients to neurons
- ion balance
Astrocytes enhance learning (with human astrocytes, mice learn more!)
- remember evocative (familiar image/smell/sound/place etc.) and meaningful groups (number, acronyms etc.)
e.g.:
- "USE" => Utilization, Saturation and Errors
- remember familiar locations/events (e.g. "make pancakes", "have breakfast") for grocery list (e.g.: eggs, bread etc.) It takes time at first but practise makes it faster / more creative.
Practise (repeat learning) and exercise (gym etc.) to regenerate new neurons
Use metaphors and analogies ; the more visual, the better!
Intuition is OK for experts (e.g. chess master, fighter pilot etc.)
People with less working memory can be more creative (prevent einstellung)
Imposter syndrome ("I do not merit..." / "I am fraud") is frequent!
We can make significant change in our brain "ordinary" people became influent people, examples:
- Santiago Ramon y Cajal (father of neurosciences, with pride and difference!)
- Darwin (used to walk and think aka "thinking path")
Left hemisphere ~> focus mode, calculator, confidence & rigidity Right hemisphere ~> "big picture", "reality checks", "devil's advocate" Use both to prevent fooling yourself ("blind spot")! Collaborate with other people (check + explain + learn) => study groups etc.
Richard Feynman: "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool."
Make your own check list!
Try it before the exam!
- Have a global overview
- Start with the hardest task (#1)
- If stuck or finished, continue on easiest task (#2)
- Resume #1 (if stuck) Pausing if stuck requires discipline.
Dealing with stress:
- think positively ("I'm excited having this exam") can reduce stress.
- relax: deep breathing (slowly, with the stomach, not just the chest)
- face you fears: have a plan B ("if I fail the exam, I can ...") => bad worry becomes good worry
Other tips:
- the day before the test, have a quick overview (combines focused and diffused modes)
- quick check (in reverse order? etc. )