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> From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice. Those are unnecessarily harsh words. You and elliekelly are not contradicting each other,

> From a scientific perspective, this is absolutely the wrong advice. Those are unnecessarily harsh words. You and elliekelly are not contradicting each other, but talking about different things. If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 from a textbook, reading chapter 3 from the same book is usually a BAD idea. Sadly, this is what formal education often tells you to do, because it follows a predetermined schedule. If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 from a textbook, opening a different textbook and reading chapters 1 and 2 is usually a GOOD idea. Two authors describing the same idea from slightly different perspectives is better than reading the same text twice; at least it makes it easier to pay attention during the second reading, but the second book might also answer a question you had when reading the first book.

wonnage 4y ago
I personally have always had a hard time inhaling chapters of a textbook sequentially. It’s often easier to skim it first, attempt the problem set, and then go back when you get stuck. Forces you into a more active mode of looking for particular information instead of just trying to absorb everything. The same works for the humanities too, once my attention starts waning I’ll start skimming and rewind when necessary. Oftentimes authors are setting up a ton of boring but necessary context upfront, but it’s not obvious to a reader why such context is necessary until you get to the point first. A smarter person would probably be able to anticipate what they’re trying to learn the first time around and avoid my flipping back and forth, but that’s hard.
- 2snakes 4y ago
  This is also known as order control in inquiry-based learning.
- guerrilla 4y ago
  I believe this works because you're creating a demand in yourself for the information. I suspect it's something like natural selection: you will remember and understand what you "need to" in order to cope with the environment you're in and for studying you should create such an environment for yourself. The more problems and advanced texts that you supplement your readinv with, the more demand there is for the more basic information you're trying to retain.
blagie 4y ago
This also, while common sense, is unfortunately often incorrect -- at least the part about avoiding chapter 3 (a different book is a good idea). If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 in a textbook, reading -- or at least skimming -- chapters 3 and 4 is usually helpful. It doesn't make sense to read them for mastery, but you'll see context where material from chapters 1 and 2 is applied, or concepts that build on them. You have to be comfortable with confusion, since most of it will go over your head. You will pick out some parts. Once you've done that, go back to chapters 1 and 2. Think of calculus: limits -> derivatives -> integrals. However, you can understand a Reimann sum without derivatives or limits. It helps understand and motivate both. This is called a whole math approach. You make successive passes with increasing depth. I've explained calculus concepts to kids under 10 with no problems, as have many others. Over time, you want to develop: - Mechanics of integration, differentiation, and other computation - Applications (e.g. debt versus deficit) - Intuition - Formalism - And so on... All of those support each other. You see this in how you read research papers too. Novices read them linearly, and experts absorb them nonlinearly. As a footnote, Vygotsky (in the original, e.g. 1978 translation) is probably the first person to discover that doing things beyond your level of ability accelerates learning. Not aiming for mastery means you're free to fail, free to try harder things, and learn faster (if more painfully). 85% of American textbooks about Vygotsky, though, always say exactly what he was trying to debunk. He pushed very hard for learning being harder and more abstract than most thought possible.

wonnage 4y ago

I personally have always had a hard time inhaling chapters of a textbook sequentially. It’s often easier to skim it first, attempt the problem set, and then go back when you get stuck. Forces you into a more active mode of looking for particular information instead of just trying to absorb everything. The same works for the humanities too, once my attention starts waning I’ll start skimming and rewind when necessary. Oftentimes authors are setting up a ton of boring but necessary context upfront, but it’s not obvious to a reader why such context is necessary until you get to the point first. A smarter person would probably be able to anticipate what they’re trying to learn the first time around and avoid my flipping back and forth, but that’s hard.

2snakes 4y ago
This is also known as order control in inquiry-based learning.
guerrilla 4y ago
I believe this works because you're creating a demand in yourself for the information. I suspect it's something like natural selection: you will remember and understand what you "need to" in order to cope with the environment you're in and for studying you should create such an environment for yourself. The more problems and advanced texts that you supplement your readinv with, the more demand there is for the more basic information you're trying to retain.

blagie 4y ago

This also, while common sense, is unfortunately often incorrect -- at least the part about avoiding chapter 3 (a different book is a good idea). If you didn't understand chapters 1 and 2 in a textbook, reading -- or at least skimming -- chapters 3 and 4 is usually helpful. It doesn't make sense to read them for mastery, but you'll see context where material from chapters 1 and 2 is applied, or concepts that build on them. You have to be comfortable with confusion, since most of it will go over your head. You will pick out some parts. Once you've done that, go back to chapters 1 and 2. Think of calculus: limits -> derivatives -> integrals. However, you can understand a Reimann sum without derivatives or limits. It helps understand and motivate both. This is called a whole math approach. You make successive passes with increasing depth. I've explained calculus concepts to kids under 10 with no problems, as have many others. Over time, you want to develop: - Mechanics of integration, differentiation, and other computation - Applications (e.g. debt versus deficit) - Intuition - Formalism - And so on... All of those support each other. You see this in how you read research papers too. Novices read them linearly, and experts absorb them nonlinearly. As a footnote, Vygotsky (in the original, e.g. 1978 translation) is probably the first person to discover that doing things beyond your level of ability accelerates learning. Not aiming for mastery means you're free to fail, free to try harder things, and learn faster (if more painfully). 85% of American textbooks about Vygotsky, though, always say exactly what he was trying to debunk. He pushed very hard for learning being harder and more abstract than most thought possible.