Learning Process

1. How to Learn Faster with the Feynman Technique

• What is the Feynman Technique?

  The Feynman Technique is named after Richard Feynman, a Nobel prize-winning physicist who was good at explaining things. It is a way of learning faster by pretending to teach someone else what you are learning. It involves explaining a topic in our own words as simple as possible. It has four steps: selection, research, writing, and refining. It helps us to understand and recall complex topics and simplify ideas. It forces us to actively think about the problem instead of passively reading. It also helps us to identify any gaps in our knowledge or understanding of a concept.

• What are the different ways to implement this technique in your learning process?

  We can use the Feynman Technique for any subject or topic that we want to learn. It can help us improve our comprehension, retention, and communication skills.

  There are different ways to implement the Feynman Technique in your learning process, but they all follow the same basic steps:

  • Choose a concept to learn.

    Pick a topic that you are interested in and want to understand better.

  • Teach it to yourself or someone else

    Explain the concept in your own words as if you were teaching it to a child. Use simple language and examples.

  • Identify knowledge gaps and return to the source material

    Review your explanation and see where you got stuck. Reffer the original sources to fill in the gaps in your understanding.

  • Simplify explanation

    Try to make the explanation as clear and concise as possible.

2. Learning How to Learn TED talk by Barbara Oakley

• Summary

  How to Learn by Barbara Oakley teaches us powerful mental tools to help us master anything. She talks about four main topics: focused and diffuse modes of thinking, memory, procrastination and habits, and test-taking.

  • Focused and diffuse modes are two different ways of thinking. Focused mode is when we concentrate on a specific problem or task, while diffuse mode is when we let our mind wander and make connections between different ideas. We need both modes to learn effectively, and we can switch between them by taking breaks or doing something relaxing or fun.
  • We can improve our memory by using techniques such as spaced repetition, retrieval practice, interleaving, and elaboration. Spaced repetition is reviewing material at increasing intervals of time to strengthen our long-term memory. Retrieval practice is testing ourself on what we have learned to enhance our recall and comprehension. Interleaving is mixing up different topics or types of problems to improve our flexibility and transfer of skills. Elaboration is explaining what we have learned in our own words or to someone else, or asking ourself questions about the material to deepen our understanding.
  • We can overcome procrastination by using strategies such as the Pomodoro technique, the 5-minute rule. The Pomodoro technique is breaking down our work into 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks in between.
  • Test-taking and learning strategies are ways to optimize our performance. Some of these strategies are recalling (writing down what we remember), reviewing (going over the material again after recalling), self-explaining (verbalizing our thought process while solving problems) and self-testing (quizzing ourself on the material).

• What are some of the steps that you can take to improve your learning process?

  To apply these strategies to our own learning goals, we need to first identify what we want to learn and why. Then, we need to find the best resources and methods to learn that topic. We can use online courses, books, videos, podcasts, articles, or any other sources that suit our learning style and preferences. We also need to plan our time and schedule our learning sessions according to our availability and energy levels. We can use a calendar, a planner, a to-do list, or any other tool that helps us organize our tasks and deadlines. Finally, we need to monitor our progress and evaluate our results. We can use quizzes, tests, projects, portfolios, or any other assessments that measure our learning outcomes and feedback. We can also use self-reflection, peer review, or mentorship to improve our learning process and identify our strengths and weaknesses.

  Here is an example on how we can apply these strategies to different learning goals:

  If we want to learn how to code, we can use focused mode to learn the syntax and logic of a programming language, and diffuse mode to explore different applications and projects that use that language. We can chunk commands and functions into modules or classes, and use stories or examples to illustrate them. We can use spaced repetition and retrieval practice to recall the syntax rules and error messages. We can use self-explaining and self-testing to debug our code and check its output. We can use feedback and metacognition to optimize our code and enhance its functionality.

3. Learn Anything in 20 hours

• Summary

  Josh Kaufman challenges the popular notion that it takes 10,000 hours to master a new skill. He argues that we can learn the basics of any skill in just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice. He outlines four-steps for rapid skill acquisition:

  • Deconstruct the skill into the smallest possible subskills

    Decide exactly what you want to learn, and what you want to achieve when you are done. Then learn the most important and useful parts of the skill first.

  • Learn enough to self-correct

    Learn enough about each subskill to be able to practice intelligently and self-correct during practice.

  • Remove barriers to practice

    Remove distractions, physical, mental, and emotional barriers that can distract you from your practice. This means creating a conducive environment, setting clear goals and deadlines, and overcoming any fears or doubts that may hold you back.

  • Practice

    This means dedicating enough time and effort to actually apply what you have learned and improve your performance.

• What are some of the steps that you can while approaching a new topic?

  Some of the steps that we can apply are:

  • Break down the topic into smaller and simpler subtopics that we can learn one by one.
  • Research the best sources and methods for learning each subtopic and avoid information overload or confusion.
  • Set a clear and realistic goal for what we want to achieve by learning the topic and how much time we can devote to it.
  • Eliminate any distractions or obstacles that may interfere with our learning process and motivation.
  • Practice the most important and relevant aspects of the topic until we reach a satisfactory level of competence and confidence.

  By following these steps, we can learn any new topic faster and more effectively.