Summary of How To Learn Anything So Fast It Feels Illegal (evidence based)

Key Wellness and Productivity Strategies for Fast, Effective Learning (Evidence-Based):

• Understanding Learning vs. Memorization:
  Learning involves deep understanding, generalization, and integration into existing knowledge, not just memorizing facts.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy for Learning Levels:
  • Low-level: Remember, Understand, Apply
  • High-level: Analyze, Evaluate, Create
  Effective learning pushes you into the higher levels to achieve mastery.
• Ineffective Learning Techniques to Avoid:
  • Rereading: Passive, time-consuming, and does not improve retention.
  • Highlighting passively: Simply marking text doesn’t aid learning.
  • Passive note-taking: Copying information without processing is ineffective.
  Common trait: These methods are easy, passive, and create an illusion of learning.
• Effective Learning Strategies:
  1. Retrieval Practice:
     • After reading, close the book and write down everything you remember without looking.
     • Connect new information to what you already know and use your own words.
     • Review the text afterward to identify gaps.
     • Use selective highlighting to mark areas for Retrieval Practice.
     • Create flashcards but ensure you actively recall and explain answers before checking.
  2. Elaboration:
     • Explain concepts out loud to yourself.
     • Ask “why” and “how” questions to deepen understanding and make connections.
     • Similar to the Feynman technique.
  3. Interleaving:
     • Mix up different topics or problem types during study sessions instead of blocking by one topic.
     • Helps develop problem recognition and flexible application skills.
  4. Concrete Examples:
     • Use real-world, tangible examples to understand abstract concepts.
     • Helps translate theory into intuitive understanding.
  5. Dual Coding:
     • Combine words and visuals (e.g., diagrams, timelines) to enhance memory and comprehension.
     • Create your own visuals if none exist.
• Additional Tips:
  • Effective studying is challenging and cognitively demanding; if it feels easy, you’re likely not learning deeply.
  • Use rereading selectively and only after Retrieval Practice to reinforce learning.
• Resource Mentioned:
  Brilliant.org: An interactive learning platform focusing on active problem-solving in math, science, and programming, fostering critical thinking and deeper understanding.

Presenters / Sources:

• Main presenter (unnamed) sharing personal experience and scientific research insights.
• Reference to educational frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Mention of Brilliant.org as a learning resource sponsor.

Notable Quotes

— 03:18 — « It feels like rereading is working because the second time you read the text it's more familiar which tricks you into believing you know it, but you don't. »

— 04:13 — « The most effective learning strategy is retrieval practice. Retrieval practice is where you try to think of everything you can remember about a topic. It's difficult and you can feel your brain straining as you reach in to try to conjure up memories of what you've just read. »

— 06:28 — « Interleaving just means mix up your revision and learning. If you're studying maths, instead of focusing on differentiation and then on integration and then on vectors, mix them up. Research shows that this is more effective because you have to discern what the problem is and how to solve it. »

— 08:16 — « Dual coding or words and pictures: research shows we learn better when our learning materials combine words and pictures. »

— 09:03 — « The best way of learning is not just watching videos, but engaging with the subject, thinking about it, using your brain to process and connect the ideas. That's how you learn. »

Category

Wellness and Self-Improvement

Video