Learning how to learn

Oct 26, 2017

My notes for the Coursera course titled Learning how to learn from UC San Diego.

• Two modes in brain
  • Focus mode: When mind is engaged in content with high cognitive processes like reading, analyzing, comparing.
  • Diffused mode: When mind is relaxed, like when one is swimming, walking or just laying down contemplating the clouds.
• When learning something new you need to switch between the two modes.
• Pomodoro technique a great tool for learning, 25 mins of undivided attention and then quick break as a reward.
• Working memory is not 7 but actually 4 slots (ex. memorizing a phone number)
• Spaced repetition helps to long term memory
• TIP: Tell your brain to dream about what you want learn
• Exercise increases the number of neurons in brain (research by Rusty et al)
• Chunking is process by which neurons are united to form a network (like a spider web)
• Need to focus when making a chunk
• Important to always understand most basic idea when trying to understand something complex
• Context is important, so we know when to use that which we are learning and also when not to use it.
  • Top Down (Big Picture) –> Context <– bottom up (chunking)
• TIP: Scan a chapter in a book for about 1 to 2 min before you do detail reading this helps create context and a map for brain of what you are about to learn
• TIP: After reading material, instead of re-reading better to Recall (research by Korpicke)
• Highlighting can be useful but keep it to a minimum and in addition write small sentence per paragraph to summarize it.
• TIP: Always test yourself (same idea with Recall)
  • Mistakes help to learn
• Useful to learn material in different locations. So studying in living room, in library, in classroom is good. Diversify so that when you recall you don’t only remember a single place
• Motivation is key when learning, three key chemicals
  • Acetylcholine
  • Dopamine: Found in neurons, reward learning
  • Serotonin: Risk taking behaviour
• Einstellung like installing a road block
• TIP: Focus on process and not product when studying. A process could be “Studying for 20 min” instead of “finishing assignment” (product). Helps relaxing. Only focus on giving your best effort
• Reward is important to rewire brain to create new habits
• TIP: Write TODO lists day before
• TIP: As soon as you wake up work on a disliked and important task even if it is hard

Memory

• Using images to memorize. Images connected to right hemisphere and part of our evolution. OUR BRAIN IS GOOT AT IT!!!
  • Needs to be funny and repeated over several days
  • Index cards help
• Handwriting helps to convert into neural memory structures
• Speaking out loud when studying also helps to set auditory hooks in brain. Basically the more senses you use in learning the better it will retain
• Astrocytes new exciting research and Einstein’s brain had more than average human
• Memory Palace Technique
  • Use map of your home or your route to work
  • Place funny or strange objects you want to remember along your route, helps remember unrelated items
  • In experiments, when people were given 50 items to remember and they used this technique they remembered close to 95%. WOW!!!!
  • As an example, for your shopping list, place a giant bread loaf in entrance of house, and then maybe a cracked egg on sofa, the more funny and strange the better
• TIP: Create metaphor or analogy, it helps attaching to existing connections in brain of something we already understand
• People learn better by discovering themselves not by someone else telling them.
• Impostor syndrome
• Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a Nobel prize winner in 1906, his secret was perseverance, he had poor performance in schools, but he changed the way he thought.
• We can make significant changes in brain by changing how we think
• TIP: In a test, first tackle hard problems and then jump to the easy ones when you get stuck, by doing this you are alternating between FOCUSED and DIFFUSSED modes of brain, just like a chef preparing dishes, he lets the chicken in oven while he does other small tasks like cutting a tomato.
• Change in thinking has effect on cortisol and stress, so, instead of thinking “This test has me afraid” try “This test has me excited to do my best”
• Try deep breathing (ex. make your belly grow)
• Try teaching to others what you have learned.