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Maybe just throwing it out there as an additional resource: Coursera has a "learning how to learn" course, which includes lots of references about the theory of

by Asdfbla 10y ago

Maybe just throwing it out there as an additional resource: Coursera has a "learning how to learn" course, which includes lots of references about the theory of learning but many hands-on tips too. It's not too time consuming and doesn't cost anything, so probably can't hurt to look at it. I liked it and try to apply some of the ideas when learning. https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn/ https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn/

dyukqu 10y ago
I too was going to mention this course. It is absolutely fantastic, IMO. Going through every week/lecture of it, I keep saying myself it must be an obligatory course for every freshman. We are surrounded with so many distractions in our ordinary daily life and most of us are terrible at habit formation. Procrastination and irregular sleep pattern are our most-common "habit". Long story short, IMHO, this course is a must for whom wants to form a habit, learn how to avoid procrastination / about the importance of sleep / how to avoid distractions and other relevant things.
- sn9 10y ago
  I believe you meant it should be required for every freshman in college (to which I would agree), but I'd go farther and suggest that it should be required for high school freshman as well, and probably even students starting middle school (I found that the transition from one school level to the next was more abrupt than the transition from one year to the next). We'd drastically raise the level of numeracy and critical thinking and even graduation rates for various types of students.
ludicast 10y ago
Going through the class myself. Really good approach - probably more valuable than any other class I've done. Can't praise enough.
hive_mind 10y ago
"Flow" seems to help a lot. I recently did some image editing with GIMP. (I usually use Photoshop, and don't really like GIMP, but decided to use it because it is FLOSS and I'm switching to FLOSS where available.) It was one of my first times using it, and it was difficult to use. I had to check a couple tutorials on YouTube before I could get into the flow. Once I got into the flow, it was an amazing feeling. And after I was done editing, I was able to learn other, new things unrelated to GIMP. This is the most difficult thing for me: getting into the flow. I suspect that GIMP won't be able to get me into the flow once I become better at it. It's such a mystery: flow. There are reams and reams written about it on the internet. On how to hack it. Do this, do that. What I want is a simple activity, that once I start doing it, I automatically get into flow (so that I can harness the momentum to learn other things). Anyone have personal experience with such "hack flow" activities?
- duncanawoods 10y ago
  > "Flow" seems to help a lot. They are related but opposed concepts. I see flow as performing whereas learning is growing. For me, learning feels like the opposite of flow - you are stuck and the mental difficulty is so bad its like physical pain, but with perseverance you break through and get past the obstacle and previously blocked you. Flow is like using a gear on a terrain for which it is suited but when you meet a new terrain and you have no suitable gear, its time to learn you a new one.
amelius 10y ago
Can somebody who has finished academic education still learn from this course?
- yasserkaddour 10y ago
  Yes, absolutely, I took it this year and it helps me a lot. There is also the book "A mind for number"[1] by Barbara Oakley the course author with a little more content if you prefer. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-...
- Jakob37 10y ago
  Yes, I think so. I took this course while studying the last of a five-year engineering program. The mental tools are still really useful, and not something I have encountered through the 'regular' courses given at our local university.
- peelle 10y ago
  Yes! I did it around the beginning of 2016. Anyone can use the techniques, and habits they talk about. One thing they imparted was that frequent testing is better for learning than repeated reviewing. This caused me to put more emphasis on testing tools and spend less time on reviewing. For example with vocabulary in language learning rather than review my textbook, I use an SRS like Memrise to test me, incrementally every day. It also helped me realize how much structure, or behind the scenes help we loose when we leave an environment like university. I would say at the very least it will help you shore up some gaps in your personal learning style.
dmacjam 10y ago
If somebody prefer a book instead, one of the recommended books for this course is book [1] Make it stick: The science of successful learning. The book is written by several cognitive scientist and it contains many useful tricks about learning. Here you can find a short summary containing main ideas of the book [2]. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013 https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learnin... [2] http://dmacjam.github.io/books/2016/10/01/make-it-stick/ http://dmacjam.github.io/books/2016/10/01/make-it-stick/
- zwischenzug 10y ago
  I read this (similar) book recently and using the techniques in it I passed the AWS exams in a short space of time: https://www.amazon.com/How-We-Learn-Surprising-Happens/dp/0812984293 https://www.amazon.com/How-We-Learn-Surprising-Happens/dp/08...

by Asdfbla 10y ago

dyukqu 10y ago

I too was going to mention this course. It is absolutely fantastic, IMO. Going through every week/lecture of it, I keep saying myself it must be an obligatory course for every freshman. We are surrounded with so many distractions in our ordinary daily life and most of us are terrible at habit formation. Procrastination and irregular sleep pattern are our most-common "habit". Long story short, IMHO, this course is a must for whom wants to form a habit, learn how to avoid procrastination / about the importance of sleep / how to avoid distractions and other relevant things.

sn9 10y ago
I believe you meant it should be required for every freshman in college (to which I would agree), but I'd go farther and suggest that it should be required for high school freshman as well, and probably even students starting middle school (I found that the transition from one school level to the next was more abrupt than the transition from one year to the next). We'd drastically raise the level of numeracy and critical thinking and even graduation rates for various types of students.

ludicast 10y ago

Going through the class myself. Really good approach - probably more valuable than any other class I've done. Can't praise enough.

hive_mind 10y ago

"Flow" seems to help a lot. I recently did some image editing with GIMP. (I usually use Photoshop, and don't really like GIMP, but decided to use it because it is FLOSS and I'm switching to FLOSS where available.) It was one of my first times using it, and it was difficult to use. I had to check a couple tutorials on YouTube before I could get into the flow. Once I got into the flow, it was an amazing feeling. And after I was done editing, I was able to learn other, new things unrelated to GIMP. This is the most difficult thing for me: getting into the flow. I suspect that GIMP won't be able to get me into the flow once I become better at it. It's such a mystery: flow. There are reams and reams written about it on the internet. On how to hack it. Do this, do that. What I want is a simple activity, that once I start doing it, I automatically get into flow (so that I can harness the momentum to learn other things). Anyone have personal experience with such "hack flow" activities?

duncanawoods 10y ago
> "Flow" seems to help a lot. They are related but opposed concepts. I see flow as performing whereas learning is growing. For me, learning feels like the opposite of flow - you are stuck and the mental difficulty is so bad its like physical pain, but with perseverance you break through and get past the obstacle and previously blocked you. Flow is like using a gear on a terrain for which it is suited but when you meet a new terrain and you have no suitable gear, its time to learn you a new one.

amelius 10y ago

Can somebody who has finished academic education still learn from this course?

yasserkaddour 10y ago
Yes, absolutely, I took it this year and it helps me a lot. There is also the book "A mind for number"[1] by Barbara Oakley the course author with a little more content if you prefer. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-...
Jakob37 10y ago
Yes, I think so. I took this course while studying the last of a five-year engineering program. The mental tools are still really useful, and not something I have encountered through the 'regular' courses given at our local university.
peelle 10y ago
Yes! I did it around the beginning of 2016. Anyone can use the techniques, and habits they talk about. One thing they imparted was that frequent testing is better for learning than repeated reviewing. This caused me to put more emphasis on testing tools and spend less time on reviewing. For example with vocabulary in language learning rather than review my textbook, I use an SRS like Memrise to test me, incrementally every day. It also helped me realize how much structure, or behind the scenes help we loose when we leave an environment like university. I would say at the very least it will help you shore up some gaps in your personal learning style.

dmacjam 10y ago

If somebody prefer a book instead, one of the recommended books for this course is book [1] Make it stick: The science of successful learning. The book is written by several cognitive scientist and it contains many useful tricks about learning. Here you can find a short summary containing main ideas of the book [2]. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013 https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learnin... [2] http://dmacjam.github.io/books/2016/10/01/make-it-stick/ http://dmacjam.github.io/books/2016/10/01/make-it-stick/

zwischenzug 10y ago
I read this (similar) book recently and using the techniques in it I passed the AWS exams in a short space of time: https://www.amazon.com/How-We-Learn-Surprising-Happens/dp/0812984293 https://www.amazon.com/How-We-Learn-Surprising-Happens/dp/08...