7 Ways to Learn More Effectively

7 Ways to Learn More Effectively

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While teaching children new concepts, “blocking” related or similar skills has been the norm (规范，标准). For example, when teaching children to write, they are told to first practice writing a bunch of As, followed by a bunch of B’s and so on. However, it has been shown that interleaving skills, that is, asking them to write an A followed by a B and then a C, and then go back to writing an A, is far more effective at producing lasting learning.

Why does this happen? It could be that interleaving helps learners discriminate (区别) between similar concepts more easily than blocked practice does. Studies have also suggested that interleaving might help strengthen memory associations. Unlike blocking, which requires just the retrieval of one solution set at a time, interleaving requires our brains to be continually engaged, bringing up different solutions into short term memory and using them.

4. Teach a topic you’re learning to someone else (or pretend to do so)

I don’t remember much of what I studied in school, but the topics that I do recall very well are those that I had been assigned to teach my peers. It has been shown that this enhanced learning while teaching could possibly be the result of retrieving what we have previously learned, rather than passively re-reading the material. In other words, it is a way of testing ourselves without actually doing so.

Several studies have shown that children who served as tutors ended up having a greater understanding of the topic themselves. If you don’t have the luxury of having a study group or a willing partner to listen to your teachings, simply learning a concept while assuming you have to teach it to others can be a great way to learn more effectively.

See you tomorrow