2. Index
• What Is Learning? Definition
• How Do We Learn?
Modes of Thinking – Focused
Modes of Thinking – Diffuse
Working or Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory
Chunking
• Roadblocks to Learning
• Techniques to Overcome Roadblocks to Learning
• Summary
• Sources of Work & Bibliography
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6. How Do We Learn?
• Learning:
Involves many parts of our Brain
Uses both Focused and Diffuse modes of thinking
Involves both Working (short term) and Long Term
Memory
Can be enhanced by:
• Understanding how to build ‘Chunks’
• Overcoming road blocks to learning
• Creating new “good” habits
• Implementing techniques to break “bad” habits
• Using our Senses, especially Visual aids
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8. Modes of Thinking ‐ Focused
• Focused Thinking
Highly attentive state of brain
Uses a network of neurons
Tight spacing in neural network
• Can be likened to tightly spaced pinball machine slots
Familiar pathways of thinking
• Concepts you’re somewhat familiar with
E.g. math or science concepts
Helps with forming chunks
• Similar ideas or thoughts
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9. Modes of Thinking ‐ Diffuse
• Diffuse Thinking
Resting states of brain
Open spacing in neural network
• Can be likened to open spaced pinball machine slots
Broad ways of thinking
• Trying to figure out something new or start solving a
problem
Can help you connect 2 or more chunks together to
solve problems
Why you can sometimes solve a problem while doing
something totally unrelated to problem you’re trying to
solve
• E.g. while drifting off to sleep
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11. Long Term Memory
• Long Term Memory
Can be compared to a storage warehouse
(Hippocampus – stores memory consolidation)
Neural patterns start out very weak when you first look
at a new problem or subject
Takes repeated or very focused thinking to move an
item into long term memory
• Important!
Difficult to find memories in long term memory unless
neural pathways to it are strong
Why it’s best to repeat what you’re trying to learn by
using spaced repetition over several days
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12. Chunking – How the brain creates memories
• Chunking (interleaving our memory)
First time you do a new activity, e.g. catch a ball, really
hard – once you’ve practiced it becomes easier
• ‘chunking’ has occurred
A ‘chunk’ is a way of compressing information much
more compactly
Library of concepts & solutions of chunks
Diffuse mode can help connect 2 or more chunks
Simplify problem solving by using chunks
• If more practice the chunks become more ingrained
easier to recall & use
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14. Chunking – cont.
Focus undivided attention on the information that you
want to chunk
Understand the basic idea you’re trying to chunk
Allow focused & diffuse modes of thinking to take turns
to form a chunk
Understanding how to solve a problem does not
necessarily form a chunk – you need to review it in
order to keep it as a memory chunk
Just because you see it or can understand it does not
mean that you can do it yourself
Need to be able to do it yourself in order to create
chunks that will be accessible
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15. Chunking – cont.
Learn major chunks first; then fill in details
• e.g. scan headings & charts/pictures of a chapter of a
book that you want to study ahead of reading it
• will assist in forming chunks (overview of what you’re
learning)
Chunks are best built with focused attention;
understanding; practice
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16. Chunking – cont.
Bottom‐up chunking process
• Practice & repetition help build & strengthen each chunk
Top‐down “big picture” process
• Allows you to see where learning fits in (context)
Both processes vital to gain mastery over material
Chunking:
• Learning how to use a certain problem solving technique
Context:
• Learning when to use technique instead of some other
technique
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21. Roadblocks to Learning – cont.
• Einstellung Mindset
always “done it that way” or “thought about it that
way”
cannot get past using same way of thinking
• Illusions of Competence
Just looking at an idea & thinking that you understand
it
• doesn’t make it yours
• memory needs the “recall” memory put in place
• have to work it through yourself
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22. Roadblocks to Learning – cont.
• Overlearning
Practicing concept over & over again
Usually just results in mastering basics
Cannot master material this way
• ‘Bad’ Attitude
Unhappy feeling when you start to do something you
don’t like will block learning if you stop
• Fear of Failure
Belief that “failing” is bad
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23. Roadblocks to Learning – cont.
• Concentrating on Product
Tasks you need to complete
• homework questions
• Choking
Allowing stress to overwhelm your ability to learn
material
Allowing anxiety to overwhelm your ability to take tests
successfully
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26. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning
• Procrastination
Good learning is a bit by bit activity – cramming doesn’t
build solid neural structures
Study hard by focussing intently, then take a break &
relax, then go back to focussed study ‐ but do it daily –
it builds a stronger neural structure
Involves “insular cortex” – part of brain associated with
pain – unhappy feeling you get when you start to do
something you don’t like
Even “good learners” have issues starting something
new – by persevering the “unhappy feeling” goes away
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27. Pomodoro Technique
• “Elegant Solution” to Solve Procrastination
Set a timer for 25 minutes
No interruptions
Focus intently on subject
Reward
• Doing this allows brain to relearn how to do tasks you
don’t enjoy
• Reward is important
if you continue to use this technique eventually brain
will no longer see activity as something you don’t like
to do
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28. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Cramming
Use same amount of time but break it out over
days/weeks
practice & repetition is particularly important for
learning something new
• Einstellung Mindset
Initial thought needs to be unlearned so that you can
learn a new one
After concentrating on it for awhile leave it & do
something else – come back to it later
Post problem where you can see it while doing other
things – allows diffuse mode to come into play
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29. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Illusions of Competence
Have to work through problem or idea in order to
“make it your own”
Practice & repetition over time ensure you understand
material & can recall it
• Concentrating on Product
Instead of focusing on task you need to complete
change to concentrating on Process
Process – small chunks of time you need over days or
even weeks to complete product
Calmly put forth best effort for a short period
Train yourself to let distractions just flow by
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30. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Overlearning
creates automaticity – good for music & speaking – not
good if you’ve already mastered concept (e.g. math)
makes you think you’ve learned it all when you’ve only
mastered the basic or one or two concepts
need to practice Interleaving
• practice learning harder concepts in between what you
already have mastered
deliberate practice
• ‘Bad’ Attitude
Feel the fear & do it anyway
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31. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Choking – practice ‘Interleaving’
• Interleaving
look ahead at different parts of the textbook or book &
see what all you’ll need to learn
review different chapters & materials
• makes it seem more difficult but makes learning better
• builds flexibility & creativity
begin to develop creative power in 1 discipline
use this in many different fields
begin to develop creative power overall & chunks get
stronger & it is easier to recall problem solving
techniques
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32. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Interleaving (cont)
developing expertise in several fields means you can
bring very new ideas from one field to the other
• may not make you as deep as someone who specializes in
only 1 field – but learning in more than one field may
keep you from being stuck to problem solve in other
fields whereas someone who specializes always follows
the same thinking
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33. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Recall
After reading the material
• look away & see what you can recall
By simply practicing & recalling can learn far more & at
much deeper level
Enhances deep learning & helps us to build chunks
Important for learning new concepts
Rereading text only good if time passes & use it to
reinforce what has been learned
Recall material outside the usual place of study –
several places of study would be better – allows you to
be free of subliminal clues from room you’re usually
working in – assists with test taking
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34. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Fear of Failure (or I can’t learn this subject!)
Use Perseverance to overcome
• Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a juvenile delinquent
• ended up in jail at age 11
• went on to win a Nobel prize in Science
• considered father of neuroscience
• considered himself an ordinary person who used
perseverance to overcome & learn things
• considered his “ordinariness” as being key to his being
able to look at things differently than the “learned
scholars” of his time
• Perseverance “virtue of the less brilliant” – S. Cajal
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35. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – cont.
• Sleep
Brain cleanses itself of toxins while we sleep
Also part of memory & learning process
During sleep it erases the less important parts of
memories & strengthens the more important parts
Helps with difficult problem solving
Neural solution to problems
Planning to dream about what you’re studying will
enhance your ability to remember
Especially important to have a good night’s sleep
before a test
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36. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – Additional Techniques
• Exercise
Stimulates neuron growth
Increases the number of new neurons
Assists new neurons in becoming stronger
• Daily To Do Lists
Write out night before
• Assists in making it easier to work on list
Only include what you can reasonably do
• Test Check Lists
Use check lists to ensure you’re ready to take the test
Prepare list well in advance
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37. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – Additional Techniques – cont.
• Teach
Teach someone else the material that you’re learning
• Group Study
If possible, work in a group
Being part of a creative group enhances learning
Actively participate
• Prepare prior to study session
• If group is late starting & participants not prepared find
another group
• Develop Good Habits
Practice &repetition is particularly important to learn
something new
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38. Techniques to Use to Overcome Roadblocks
to Learning – Additional Techniques ‐ cont.
• Mnemonics
Many disciplines make use of this technique
• E.g. music notes on staff & spaces (EGBDF; FACE)
Look up on internet for subject you’re studying as there
may be a ‘commonly used one’ you can use
• Flash Cards
Create your own physical ones or use a computer
program such as “ANKI”
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