I just got this book last night.
I got it cause I want to learn how to learn better.
Who are the authors?
“Two of us, Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel, are cognitive scientists who have dedicated our careers to the study of learning and memory. Peter Brown is a storyteller. We have teamed up to explain how learning and memory work, and we do this less by reciting the research than by telling stories of people who have found their way to mastery of complex knowledge and skills.”
So yeah, I think they know more than you and me when it comes to how to learn.
I’m 7% into the book, and a few comments I have:
- Repetition and memorizing stuff IS NOT the same as learning.
Just because you watched a reel for 30 seconds and can repeat what was said doesn’t mean you have actually learned anything.
You’ve just become a parrot. A cassette that’s replaying whatever he sees on social media.
Can you put the new information in another context? Can you at least explain the ideas or concepts in your own words?
- Actual learning is hard
Easy learning and mere repetition are like building a little sand castle close to the shore: here today, gone tomorrow.
Repetition can be, and IT IS, confused with understanding.
Learning is hard. And the harder it feels, the more likely you’re actually understanding and learning.
Instead of just repeating stuff like a sheep, elaborate.
Elaborate here means putting what you’re trying to learn into your own words and connecting it to something concrete and personal so it has a new, deep meaning to you and sticks longer.
Think of elaboration vs repeating like a flight simulator vs. a powerpoint quiz. The flight simulator is more concrete and personal. It involves more of you.
Learning is also a continuous and lifelong activity. And I actually plan to set up a monthly little quiz to test myself on the topics I want to become an expert in.
“One of the best habits a learner can instill in herself is regular self-quizzing to recalibrate her understanding of what she does and does not know.”
The funny thing is, it’s never been easier to learn something, but 99% of people just memorize and repeat stuff.
