MOOC Link:Learning How To Learn

Textbook: A Mind for Numbers

Week 1: Learn more easily and be less frustrated

  • 思考的两种模式: Focused 和 Diffuse
    • Focused：旧思维
    • Diffuse: 容易学习新东西。look at things broadly from a very different, big picture perspective.
  • 学新东西的时候，来回进入focused和diffuse两种思考模式。do it a little bit every day.
  • Procrastination对抗拖延：番茄工作法

“it’s all about getting started”

“I don’t want to do this but I will start doing it for 5 minutes and if I hate it, I will stop.”

  • 番茄工作法步骤
    • 设置25分钟
    • 切断一切干扰
    • 专注工作
    • reward！
  • Practice makes permanent.
Working memory(临时工作空间) & Long term memory(永久仓库)
  • 间隙重复法则Spaced repetition transforms working memory to long term memory.
    • Repeating what you’re trying to retain
    • 在较长一段时间内间隙重复练习，而不是短时间内大量重复练习
The importance of Sleep in Learning
  • Refresh 睡觉过程中，脑细胞收缩，大脑清理脑细胞间的毒素
  • Memorize 大脑会自动重复白天练习的内容，强化记忆
  • Recall before Sleep 睡前，复习下当日白天所学的知识，会增加在梦中强化记忆的效果
Interview
  • Learning by doing
  • Positive engagement in class
  • Switch among multitasks
  • Have a notebook to record ideas
  • Have an enriched environment
  • Exercise is very important to help both our memory and our ability to learn

  • Success needs passion and persistent instead of being smart

  • Creativity and Problem Solving
    • Leadership is all about to beat panic.
    • No pain, no gain.
  • About Learning Languages
    • Try to embrace the culture
    • Ok with making mistakes
    • Pushing your attention very hard

Week 2:

  • Chunking
    • 必须实践才能形成chunk：only doing it yourself helps create chunk
    • 形成chunk的三要素：
      • 需要专注_focused attention_
      • 基础非常重要_understanding of basic idea_
      • 练习 practice to help you gain mastery and a sense of the big picture context
  • Recall
    • 不借助资料，凭空回忆重要的知识点，以此来帮助enhance chunk
    • 在不同场景回忆recall material when you are outside your usual place of study can also help you strengthen your grasp of the material
    • 阅读时，当有必要的时候才做笔记minimizing highlighting
    • Mistakes are good
  • What Motivates You?
    • Acetylcholine: focused learning
    • Dopamine: control motivation, reward learning
    • Serotonin: social life, risk taking behaviour
  • The Value of a Library of Chunks
    • A chunk is a way of compressing information much more compactly. Neural patterns.
  • Overlearning, Choking, Einstellung, and Interleaving
    • 刻意练习：跳出安逸舒适区，专注于克服困难 deliberate learning: focus on the more difficult material
    • Einstellung： 忘记早已烂熟于心的方法
    • Interleaving：尝试用不同方法去解决问题
  • Summing it up:
    • chunks are pieces of information, are bound together through use and often through meaning
    • chunks are best built with focused, undivided attention, understanding of basic idea and practice to help deepen your patterns and to help you gain big picture context.
    • Recall, trying to remember the key points without looking at the page.
    • Transfer， 不同chunk之间的交流
    • interleaving learning: 同时尝试不同的方法、概念、技术
    • Illusion of competence: test yourself (recall)
    • Low of serendipity: Lady Luck favors the one who tries.

    Just try one tiny thing to learn, then another. Just keep trying.

Week 3: Procrastination & Memory

  • Zombies Everywhere:
    • Habits save energy.
    • Four parts of a habit:
      • The cue: the trigger that launches you into zombie mode
      • The routine: your zombie mode.
      • The reward: 立即反馈，立即奖励
      • The belief
  • Surf’s Up: Process Versus Product:
    • Tell yourself: quit wasting time, and just get on with it, you will fell better soon.
    • Focus on process not product注重努力的过程而不是结果；专注于完成一个番茄时间，而不是完成一项任务。By focusing on process rather than product, you allow yourself to back away from judging yourself (Am I getting closer to finishing? ) and allow yourself to relax into the flow
  • Harnessing Your Zombies to Help You
    • The only place you need to apply willpower is to change your reaction to the cue.
    • The cue
      • Location
      • time
      • how you feel
      • reactions
    • The routine
      • Have a plan to rewire
    • The reward
      • 非常重要！！！
      • Always make sure you and your zombies get lots of rewards
      • Take a few minutes to savor the feelings of happiness and triumph
    • The belief
      • The belief that you can do it.
      • Belief that your new system works is what can get you through
  • Juggling Life and Learning
    • Make to-do list the evening before. 这样晚上睡觉时，潜意识会自动想办法解决问题
    • 在其他活动中，使用diffuse mode 来思考解决问题
    • 在制定每日任务时，多使用process-oriented， 而不是目标导向的。比如阅读1小时，而不是阅读完第三章
    • Planning your quitting time is as important as planning your working time.
    • Try to work on a most important and most disliked task first. At least just one Pomodoro, as soon as you wake up.
    • Take notes about what works and what doesn’t记录那些事是有效的，哪些事是没效的(e.g., 生病记录，心情变化记录)
  • Summing Up Procrastination
    • Keep a planner journal
    • Commit yourself to certain routines and tasks each day
    • Delay rewards until you finish your task
    • Watch for procrastination cues
    • Gain trust in your new system
    • Have backup plans when you still procrastinate
    • Eat your flogs first every day每天最难的事最先做。
  • Diving Deeper into Memory
    • 利用图像记忆更加有效。多多使用图像记忆
    • 利用Anki卡片记忆flashcards
    • repetition
  • Creating Meaningful Groups and the Memory Palace Technique
    • Meaningful Groups: 联合记忆
    • the Memory Palace Technique
      • 把要记忆的东西跟自己熟悉的东西联系在一起记忆
      • Think of someplace you are very familiar with that you would like to use as your memory palace. Gradually start placing items in it that you want to remember for the next time you go to the store.

Week 4: Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential

  • How to Become a Better Learner
    • Two experiences that help your neurons to grow and survive
      • Exercise!
        • The best gift that you can give your brain is Physical Exercise.
        • help new neurons survive
        • Exercise is by far, more effective than any drug on the market today to help you learn better.
      • exposure to new environments or ideas.
    • Practice making perfect
  • Create a Lively Visual Metaphor or Analogy
    • Use metaphor or analogy to help learn. More visual more useful.
  • No Need for Genius Envy
    • Perseverance is more essential.
    • deliberate practice on the toughest aspects of the material that can help lift average brains into the realm of those with more natural gifts. like muscles
    • Imposter syndrome: very common
  • Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
    • the key to success: perseverance — the virtue of the less brilliant
    • you can take pride in aiming for success
  • The Value of Teamwork

    The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool. — Richard Feynman

    • 通过和他人交流来扫除自己的盲点One of the best ways to catch your blind spots and errors is to brainstorm and work with others who are also smartly focused on the topic.
    • 把同学和朋友当作diffuse mode时的chunk；同时，向朋友解释问题会更进一步加深自己对问题的理解
    • Indicators that ensure your group work is going well
      • meet on time
      • conversation does not constantly wander off the topic you are supposed to be studying
      • keeps its attention on the subject until after you’ve gotten your work done
      • read the material before discussion
    • If you are not the worst person in your team, then consider to change a team
  • A Test Checklist(Richard Felder)
    • Testing is itself an extraordinary powerful, learning experience. 考试是最有效的学习/提高方法
    • Do whatever it takes to be able to answer yes to the following questions:
      • Did you make a serious effort to understand the text ? 熟悉教科书
      • Did you work with classmates on homework problems or at least check your solutions with others ? 扫除自己的盲点
      • Did you attempt to outline every homework solution before working with classmates ? 独立完成作业
      • Did you participate actively in homework group discussions contributing ideas and asking questions ? 积极参与讨论
      • Did you consult with instructor or teaching assistants when you have trouble with something ? 主动积极寻求帮助
      • Did you understand all your homework problem solutions when they are handed in ? 弄明白所有作业
      • A review session
      • reasonable night’s sleep before test
  • Hard Start - Jump to Easy
    • Start with the hard problems but quickly jump to the easy ones
    • 拿到试卷后，首先浏览全卷a quick look to get a sense of what it involves
    • 开始做题，先做最难的题(diffuse mode)，尝试一两分钟，没思路就立即切换到简单题。but steel yourself to pull away within the first minute or two, it you get stuck or you get a sense that you might not be on the right track.
    • 做几道简单题，自我感觉良好后，在切换到难题
    • 不要恋战！The only trick with this approach is that you must have the self discipline to pull yourself off a problem once you find yourself stuck for a minute or two.
    • 前提：你已经为考试做了充分准备，否则，就直接做简单题尽可能拿分吧。
    • check your answer from back to front
    • 考前一天没必要高强度复习
  • Final Helpful Hints for Tests
    • 出现紧张的症状不要紧，关键在于你如何对自己解释这些紧张的症状，朝积极方向想。“This test makes me afraid” shift to “This test makes me excited to do my best!”解释为兴奋
    • Momentarily turn your attention to your breathing. 把注意力放到自己的呼吸上
    • relax your stomach
    • place your hand on it
    • slowly draw a deep breath
    • your hand should move outward and your whole chest should expand like a barrel
    • 不要在考试当天用这个呼吸技巧，要在考前一周就练习it needs practice
    • Face your fears
    • have a Plan-B
    • Study hard up until the day of the test and then let it go. Let me just see how many questions I can get right.
  • Summary
    • Visual Metaphor or Analogy
    • Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
    • you can take pride in aiming for success because of the very things that make other people say you can’t do it
    • work with friends to avoid mistakes
  • Wrapup
    • passions can broaden, change and grow.

Learning How to Learn, Part 1