Week 1

2 States of the mind: Focused and Diffused.

• The focused mode is when we are focusing on a problem, intensely using pre-built thought pathways in our minds.
• The diffused mode is when we are not focusing (doing sport, sleeping, cooking, ...). This disengagement of the mind from a particular subject allows higher level abstraction to be built

The are 2 (main) state of memory: working and Long term memories

• Working memory is used for short term tasks. We have up to 4 slots or chunks of information we can store in our working memory. These slots are temporary so we will forget them pretty quickly.
• Long term memory is used for keeping information for a long period of time. It is not easy to add new memories there.

To build knowledge is to create stable pathways in our minds. Moving thought processes and memories from short term to long term srtorage.

Learning habits

To learn something properly, we need to:

1. work hard on it. Making the effort to experience new pathways. Being passive is way less productive than active in the learning process (for example watchiung a video <<<< doing the implementation yourself).
2. Then relax, sleep, meditate, cook, do something else. This freeze the attention and allows your brain to assimilate the information. During this step the brain will digesty the information and build new neurological pathways. Sleeping is very important to build this pathways.
3. Repeat 1. and 2. ! This process helps to migrate the memory from working to long term storage.

The Pomodoro technique

If you are having a hard time starting a new study, because it is hard, especially if you procrastinate, the pomodoro techniques helps you:

1. Use a timer, give yourself 25 min (you can adapt) of study the material
2. Take a break. This gives you a (small) reward after the effort. Which motivates you further and reduces the pain / angst again this study

Take away

• Efficient learning involves going back and forth between Focused and Diffused modes.
• Metaphors provide powerful techniques for learning
• Learning something difficult takes time. Acknowledge it !
• Practice makes knowledge permanent
• You have to add rest in between focus events (use pomodoro if need be)
• Using Spaced repetition is very good to migrate information from Working to Long term memory. The Anki app is one tool do follow Spaced repetition.
• Sleeping is very important to learn:
  • Clean brains
  • Is healthy
  • Clears unused pathways and strengthen the others !

Studying something just before going to bed is also powerful. Your brain will work harder on it over night.

Week 2

Chunking

A chunk is a compact packages of information that your mind can easily access.
Chunking is a logical package of pieces of information to make them easier to work with this concept.

The human can sustain 4 chunks in his working memory. A chunk is a network of neurones that are used to firing together.

How to form a chunk ?

1. You need to be in focus mode. no TV or anything else. Chunking relies on building new patterns using already existing one. This does not happen well if we are not focused.
2. You need to understand the concept you are looking to chunk. This can be done by alternating btw Focused and Diffused mode. But understanding how a problem is solved does not mean you create a chunk. You need to do it, and make sure you can use this knowledge.
3. It is important to build context. which is about surrounding information connecting them to the chunk. For example doing problems related to the original chunk. This will create new neural connections to the chunk you are building which makes it easier to come back to in different situations.

Learning is a 2 step process.. Chunking is a bottom-up way to build a chunk (one by one, to learn a specific thing). Practice will increase the number of chunks related to each other. Using the big-picture (diffused mode) you will be able to connect chunks together. This builds the Context that relate chunks into one another.

Illusions of competence in Learning

Importance of Recall

It is better to recall the information of a text just read rather than re-reading the material. The learning is faster and much deeper. The retrieval process itself is useful for remembering.

Illusion of competence

Reading the solution of a solution, and thinking I understand what they did here. This is not knowing and you will not improve.

In the same way, reading google solutions will keep the illusion of competence.

re-reading and highlirting too much text promotes ILLUSION OF Competence.

--> Testing yourself promotes long term learning via stabilising activations patterns in a large brain area. --> Do Mini testing !!!!!!!! --> You can train to recall your information in different rooms in order to dissociate the knowledge from where you learned it.

Value of making mistakes

Mistakes are useful during mini testing. These mistakes help correct your thinking.

Seeing the bigger Picture

Library of chunks

Having many chunks helps to have a library of knowledge. You need to practice with growing chunks in order to remember and srtill be able to recall / use them.

Two ways to solve problem:

1. Sequential thinking, using the focused mode
2. or Holistic (global) approahc. Using intuition / Diffuse modes. A solutuon the diffuse mode provide should be verified in a focused mode.

Interleaving

• Overlearning is when you work too much on the same material within the same session . It is still usefull to master something, but be careful when to use it.
• Doing also the same thing you already know in further sessions is not good and give an illusion of competence again.
• We need to do a Deliberate practice which is about balancing your study, studying what you find difficult.
• Einstellung: an idea you already have in mind prevent a better idea or solution of being found. You need to make sure that your original intuition is not false.
• Interleaving: Once you have learned a new material / chunk and are not very familiar with it, interleaving is about balancing practicing with problems of different types around this chunk.

Interleave is very important. it helps to build this creative pattern that you can rely on in new problems.

Summary

• Chunks are pieces of information that are bound together through use and through meaning.
• Chunk is a single easy item to access that uses one slot in the working memory.
• Chunks are build with Focused attention, understanding and practice
• Simple Recall (remembering the key points without looking at the page) is a powerful way to build chunks.
  • Bonus to recalling memory in different locations.
• Transfer is the fact that you can relate chunks over different domains. They will help you learn new chunks
• Interleaving learning by practicing your choice of concepts and techniques. This helps at becoming flexible with which chunks to use
• Test yourself !!! this is a good way of avoiding the illusions of competence.
• Mistakes are good.
• Avoid practicing at easy stuff.
• Einstellung is when an idea you already have in mind prevents a better idea / solutions from being found.
• L:aw of Serendipity: just learn one thing, and you will see that the next one will be a little bit simpler to learn.