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- Shivalyn, on 10/12/2007, -8/+391. Learn Holistically
I wrote a popular article entitled, How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying, where I detailed a process I call holistic learning. Learning holistically is basically the opposite of rote memorization. Although most people usually sit somewhere between the extremes of holistic learning and memorization, I’ve noticed that particularly smart people who learn effortlessly sit far closer to the holistic learning spectrum.
Holistic learning means relating everything you learn to things you already know. This creates an interrelated web of information. Trying to memorize everything and if your memory fails you, that information is unreachable. But by interlinking your web of knowledge, if one route becomes blocked another is accessible.
2. Visualize It
You need to make the information you learn visceral. What this means is that you need to take the ideas you learn and translate them into your senses. As a predominantly visual learner, this means that I translate any complicated ideas into pictures in my head. If you think you are an auditory or kinesthetic (touch) learner, then you can translate ideas into those senses instead.
Earlier I took a course on vector geometry which involved subspaces. Although a subspace is a clear mathematical concept, I had initially had difficulty grasping what it was. By translating the abstract idea of a subspace into a visualization of a flat grid going through three dimensions I had a model that I could work off for solving problems. Your visualization won’t be a perfect representation but a simplified model you use as a basis for solving problems.
3. Diagram It
If you have difficulty translating an idea into your senses, take out a pad of paper and try to draw out how the ideas fit together. Learning history, I made a little picture which linked together all the different concepts I needed to know and drew a diagram for how they all related to each other. Diagrams help immensely in interlinking information and can often spur mental images, sounds or feelings to help describe it.
4. Metaphor It
Another way to interlink ideas holistically and form mental pictures is to use a metaphor. When I read Machiavelli’s, The Prince, I used metaphors to link his ideas about statecraft to ideas about social and business settings. A good way to know whether you are using metaphors is if you use the words “like” or “as” when comparing two things (simile’s for you literary types). Programming languages are often built with these metaphors with abstract constructs being described as child, orphan, inheriting or pointing to.
5. Test It
You can test your knowledge by using it to solve problems. Information you’ve learned but haven’t used is like disorganized iron filings on table. Putting a magnet will align these filings to a magnetic field and form an interesting pattern of lines. Similarly, information you actually use gets sorted and organized in a way so that solving future problems is easier.
The best way to solve problems isn’t to continually solve the same problem, but to solve new challenges in different ways. Each run through of a problem will organize your knowledge a bit more, but running wildly different problems on it improves your creative problem solving skills and gives you the ability to solve complex problems in multiple ways. If you want to really understand computer programming, don’t just solve problems, try to solve problems in different ways and tackle problems you’ve never faced before.
6. Teach It
Teaching your knowledge to someone else is about the best way to learn it yourself. The reason teaching works is it forces you to think holistically. While you may have memorized ideas inside your head, teaching someone forces you to relate the idea with different metaphors and images.
If you really want to learn something, I’d suggest starting a blog and then just writing about the stuff you’ve learned. Whether you are studying courses or just trying to master a discipline, writing down what you know and trying to teach it to others will dramatically increase your own understanding.
7. When in Doubt, Link or Peg It
There will always be some stuff that you simply have to memorize. When this happens, spending a bit of time to master link and peg systems for storing information can be invaluable. Dates, lists of information and specific rules or arbitrary ideas can all be stored with a link and peg system. Check out more about linking and pegging here.
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As a veterinarian I worked for once told me, the best way to learn something is to watch it once, do it once, teach it once. - hzrds, on 10/12/2007, -3/+231) Go to class
- fuzzmeister, on 10/12/2007, -0/+91. Go to class
2. Take notes
3. ???
4. Profit!
Your move. - orangesims, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7you can go to classes and STILL be dumb as *****, because yoo just hear/read/write words without trying to understand them...
this article has a point.. i know how to get almost anywhere in my city and yet i know very, VERY few street names.. i just link the place with particular interests or memories and i'll generally know how to get there
i didn't sit there with a pen and pad writing down every street name and how many blocks we passed to get there, like some monkey.. which is what i remember most of high school being like... - ts8lemonade, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8@ sirdaz
It's easier to just read it off the first comment than actually have to click the link. Plus there's no chance I'll be subjected to bad graphics and an article on 5 separate pages. - Shivalyn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Well actually it does. I picture molecules in my head quite a bit so I can visualize where I'd have steric strain, what the ring conformations are, etc.
- fuzzmeister, on 10/12/2007, -1/+61:30 class?! Try 7:00AM.
- crestfall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I worked with a guy who had a pretty good system, although it really only works for associating things with numbers - small numbers, mostly. He integrated it with other systems in which numbers represented letters. Anyway, you take a house, and pick 4 rooms. Choose the house you grew up in, or one you know really well. Memorize a piece of furniture and number it - 5 things in each room. This is the groundwork - you will want to use this system forever. So, the piano is always number 3. Then, whenever you want to associate something with number 3, you create a very graphic and memorable scene at the piano. Once you get the numbers=letters thing, you can do all sorts of things. like, he remembered his bank account by envisioning Hallie Berry watering a plant by the mirror. Ok, nothing I said makes any sense. Just study.
- therearenorules, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"Some say speed metal can be quite soothing..." -JD from Scrubs
- Kamill85, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5When I start visualizing something I always end up tripping about one girl.
- pinfu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5how am i going to remember all of these?
- Daunting, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Is that step before or after my brain becomes like, some, computer web, thingie.
- LukeD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@orangesims
Not just going to class, I know people who have degrees and are still dumb as *****, for exactly that reason - DeskFlyer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hey. You're here on Digg. What more is there to know?
- Quakes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I need to space out my reading of this comment, else I will never remember it.
- briangig, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i think everyone is different, and learning how you learn is the key. My old boss (who was a dick), always emphasized that. Figure out how someone learns a concept, and you can teach them anything.
Me? I have a hard time just being told or reading how to do something...I have to write it down or physically hold it in my hand and do it to get it and remember it. - deviouskoopa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Please, for the love of Pete, no one say the phrase "3) profit" ...
- Shenaniganz08, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3PLEASE READ THIS. PLEASE READ THIS. PLEASE READ THIS. PLEASE READ THIS. PLEASE READ THIS.
If it is truly worthless digg me down
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Uhh yeah I don't know who this blogger is but his information is pretty useless.. Here is are some of my notes from my upper division class I took last year about learning. It is from notes I took but all of the information is backed up by scientific papers.
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The cliff notes are :
Memory Enhancement STIIM !
Space out study periods
Test yourself often (expanding retrieval if possible)
Interact with material, process as deeply as possible by connecting to existing knowledge
Imagery (method of loci)
Match study and test conditions when possible
What is encoding specificity ?
Retrieving is easier when retrieval conditions match study conditions
Encoding Variability
Studying in different contexts will help you generalize the information
Example: Study in more than one place if you cannot take the test in the place where you study
What is context-dependent learning?
Context Dependant learning is when you learn information or code it in a certain context, like learning it underwater. Context independent information is any information that is not linked to any specific context, so like you studied in three different rooms. IF you can study in the room you are going to be tested the study there ( context dependent) if you cannot study there then study in several locations.
What did the memory study on context and mood show?
It showed that mood was what was important and not the actual location. IE if people were outside and happy or inside and happy, if they were happy when they took the test then they did much better.
How does frequency of words interact with their recall and recognition?
Well a few things. first of all hi frequency words are way easy to recall because we use them all the time secondly they are harder to do for recognition because they are so common we think we've seen them for sure It’s the exact opposite for low frequency words.
What are the benefits of massed practice on memory/performance?
Massed learning is really good for performance while poor for learning. Its good for performance given that there is only a short time delay to test performance. Its a lot easier and requires less discipline than spaced practice too.
What are the benefits of spaced practice on memory/performance?
Spaced practice is key if one truly want to learn a subject. Unlike massed practice, spaced learning makes it more difficult to learn the information but since its more spread out it gives the brain more time to soak in information thanks to the primacy and recency effects. Things in the middle of lists get lost easily so having small subunits spread out helps divvy up the work. Also overall less time is needed to learn something if it is spaced out then if you try to mass it all at once.
What time periods does spaced practice work for?
Spaced practice works really well for anything that is not short time delayed. the problem with spaced learning is chronologically it takes longer because you have to space it out with dead air, but actual study time is less. It works really well if you need to remember something for a long time .
Explain the 3,4, and 5 foot bean bag toss study and what it says about memory.
two groups one only throws at 4, the other groups toss at 3 and 5. performance for group a is really good that day, then they come back a week later and they both attempt do the tosses at 4 feet. What happens is that group B does better because they had to learn two different ways to throw, not only that but they got to learn the feel and strength needed to throw the ball. the guys who just threw the ball at 4 feet didn’t learn this information.
How does the method of loci work? Is it effective?
Method of loci says that if you want to learn something you should take a mental walk and visualize the things you are trying to learn and put them in the path that you walked. The method is effective, relatively to those people who don’t use the method.
The key to any visual learning is that Interaction between elements is DEEPLY important
Example: Dollar Bill and Elephant
Imagine elephant paying with a dollar bill at a checkout line
How does depth of processing affect memory?
the deeper the level of processing the better the memory is. the lowest is case judgment ( upper or lower case) then its rhyming because even then you have to integrate the word. Finally there is meaning, when you try to figure out the meaning or significance of the word.
Interact with material as much as possible, the best way to do it is to try and pull stuff out of memory, ie test yourself.
Testing is powerful learning event
Also reveals what you really know and what you really don’t know
What is expanding retrieval practice? Why is it helpful?
Not everyone can just put information in their head and hope to learn it. while it is true that most memory problems stem from retrieval if the information is not coded correctly then it too can be lost. the way expanding retrieval works is that you remember a list of words for a relatively short amount of time. then you extend that time and test yourself, you keep doing it until you can go for days and still remember the information.
I have several mb's worth of notes I can share if anyone else is interested - oesj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1of course it works, i find when trying to get my head around something it's useful to imagine you've just been asked to explain it (by someone who knows nothing about it). merely the attempt to mentally articulate ideas is enough to cement them in your brain.
to be honest there is more memorising involved in chemistry than other subjects but these techinques are still useful. - harvinator24, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Actually waking your ass up for that 1:30 class, because you spent all night on digg.
- fuzzmeister, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I often use that system, and it works wonderfully (in certain situations). However, I'm not sure that the numbers are necessary, I find it easier associating a concept with an object than a concept to a number to an object.
- oesj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1absolutely, just staring at a textbook will get you nowhere.
- crestfall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1
I think he did that so the system would work in more situations. So, Hallie Berry actually represented 5 or 6 numbers, because of the phonetic sounds in her name - linked to numbers. The plant was one of the objects in his house, and watering had to do with the association between the Hallie numbers and the number of the plant. i think water gave him a list of a few more numbers. You really have to commit to this system. The guy I was talking about has been using it for 20 years. - Shenaniganz08, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Im a bit late on this thread so I made a new one with my comments and some diagrams
http://www.digg.com/health/Rebuttal_to_7_ways_of_learning_Here_is_some_REAL_advice
Its my first real submission :D - Tiggi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Only these 7 little ways are not new at all.
- piesforyou, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4@ts8lemonade
But it's ripping the content from the author and doesn't include things like links which could expand on the dugg article. For example this article displays the text:
"Note: This guest post was written by personal development blogger Scott Young. You can check out his website here."
...at the beginning. Everyone who only read the pasted version didn't get to see that, and now Scott Young doesn't get any credit, and all those diggers won't have got any benefit that Scott Young's site may have offered. - FickyFicky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you're really serious about using neuroscientific learning techniques, there's a pretty amazing O'Reilly book out there called "Mind Performance Hacks: Tips and Tools for Overclocking Your Brain." Not really a fun read (it's like a textbook), but very, very useful.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mindperfhks/ - Zasdad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm interested. I'm starting a two-year effort that requires me to commit ~8000 pp. to working memory. I'll burn in some of the material through practical experience, but only a small fraction.
I appreciate your offer to share. - baronizer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It works. For organic chemistry I don't go to class or even open the book until the night before the exam. After about 8-10 hours of studying, I'm ready to score in the 80's or 90's on the exam. Methods I use to absorb the material are pretty similar to those seven.
- Volkov137, on 10/12/2007, -4/+48. Listen to death metal whilst studying
- Stay521, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Not a bad list, but a lot of the tactics catered mostly to visual learners (although he does acknowledge auditory and kinesthetic learners in #2). As someone who is almost solely an auditory learner, I was always able to sit in a class and listen to lectures without taking many notes. I didn't have to study, as long as I was there (and awake); however, if I missed a few classes I would face an almost guaranteed failure on whatever was covered those days--no matter how much I studied from the book or others' notes. I envied my friends who missed 90% of the classes, but aced the exam because they read the entire text book the night before. In any case, a person should use whatever method works for her. I had a wonderful teacher in grammar school who gave us a simple test to find out everyone's learning style. She used that information to create lessons that benefited the entire class. She also made us aware of our own learning style, so that we were better able to work with our abilities. Everyone learns differently, and I'm sure everyone can add something to this list. One thing for sure, is that teachers have a profound influence in our lives. Whether it's in third grade or graduate school, an excellent teacher will help you learn. Perhaps we should add them into the list.
- tanto, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Imagine having the ability to absorb many times the amount of information in a shorter space of time than you ever thought possible.Imagine being able zip through books, documents and papers and not miss a word, taking it all in but in half the time.
Sounds good doesn’t it?
http://orangtuamurid.info/blog/?p=247 - Influsion, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Little known? I didn't find this useful either. It can be summed up as (1) learn it, (2) think about it in different ways and (3) use it. Will you remember the 7 "little known ways" or will you remember what you already knew summed up 3-fold above?
- djripple, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1how do i get my brain to stop farting?
- MACHINE18, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Yeah, I was under the impression that all of these, except for perhaps "link and peg" were WELL-known.
- Me1on, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2"Listen to classical music whilst studying"
Fixed. - dielawn, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4i did not find any of this useful.
- charlesroldan, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12) ???????
- NuttyAvatar, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Huh. Try these techniques with Biology or Chemistry. Let me know if it works!
- fuzzmeister, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Q: Who was the President of the United States in 1892?
A: James Hetfield? - wtfersk8s, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2Ya, that stuff doesn't really work with calc 2 :(
- therearenorules, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1learning sucks
- sirdaz, on 10/12/2007, -21/+4Why paste the article here now? The site is no-where near dugg, it's not slow in any way. Your just making the comments longer than necessary.
Digg me down if you have to, but I've just woke up in a bad mood and that contributed to it.
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