Learning Notes

I'm trying something new: re-learning how to learn. There's a ton of work that I need to get done and even more learning to do, but I'm finding conventional methods don't work for me lately.

As an experiment, I've decided to document my new learning processes and create an archive of notes and tips for each certification / technology or subject I need to complete in the next year (2018 / 2019).

I've turned this into a project on Github as a form of accountability and possibly a way to get input from others about how you managed to learn more effectively while keeping track of what needs to be done and what has been done - an ongoing record.

Hopefully, this process would allow me to learn more effectively and find new ways to learn.

2017 / 2018 / 2019 Certifications:

List of Courses:

Programming Languages / Frameworks / Tech:

Database / Storage Systems:

Modern Front-End:

My Learning Method Summary

There are many strategies for learning how to learn, but for me, it comes down to simplicity, understanding and immediate application:

[F]AMILIARIZE Understand what you are about to learn
[D]ECONSTRUCT Break it down into manageable pieces
[O]RIENTATE See it visually - preferably an explainer video
[P]RACTICE Hands-on real world implementation of what you are learning
[E]NFORCE Follow it up with reading/text/research
[D]IFFUSE Go to bed

It sounds strange, but the go to bed part is called diffused learning and for me, it's kind of like waking up the next morning with a new super power.

Understanding the larger concept of what you are about to learn is vitally important because you will likely be less intimidated and therefore more receptive. A simple way to do this is to watch either a quick or somewhat in-depth video about the topic you are attempting to learn. A 5000-mile view of the entire course or skill would be perfect at this stage. It helps by removing the unknown from it (there are no bad surprises - like geometry).

Since you will no longer be left spending energy on worrying about what you are not seeing or what's coming next, you can spend that time focussing on the actual learning at hand.

For adults to learn effectively, we need a pressing need and immediate application of the skill we're attempting to learn otherwise it will be forgotten almost as fast as we've picked up the skill.

I've performed numerous experiments on the subject of forgetting newly acquired skills and my conclusion is that it takes roughly 2 weeks for my brain to lose the newly acquired information if not enforced with immediate application. This process is not black and white, it happens in a gradual fragmentation - like a battery losing its charge until the point where no energy remains.

My Current Steps to Learning Effectively

Familiarization

This is a crucial step in the process of learning. Jumping right in to the toughest content of the topic you want to learn is much more difficult than it could be if you spend a day or two familiarizing yourself with the overall topic at hand.

The human mind is a scary place and we're wired to be afraid or at least apprehensive of the unknown (see where this is going?).

Deconstruction

It's important to break down the larger skill you are attempting to learn into smaller, more manageable pieces. Bite-sized chunks, if you will. The smaller chunks of work required will allow you to prioritize the parts you feel are important to achieving your goal.

I also use this deconstruction process to set a kind of progress indicator of my learning progress.

Orientation

Orientating yourself is closely tied to familiarization with the topic. They are generally performed asynchronously and are also inversely proportional to one another.

It can be quite trivial to watch a 10 minute video on YouTube about a topic you want to learn in order to get a sense of the requirements and outcomes that lay ahead.

The key difference between familiarization and orientation is this:

Familiarization: reading and researching on your own.
Orientation: watching a video where someone else is explaining it to you in their words.

Practice

Once you have started learning a topic, I find it best to immediate practice the skill and jump straight into the deep end. For me personally, it works best if I learn the basics and then jump straight to the toughest parts of the skill and then work my way backwards. Practising daily solidifies the knowledge and also creates the visual anchor your brain needs to remember something by.

Most people think that you learn purely by repetition, but I find that to be a very shallow way of thinking about it. The practicing engages more of your senses and allows your mind to anchor the memories more efficiently.

Enforcement

Most people stop learning after the practice step because they generally feel good enough to move forward. The problem with this is that you have not yet challenged your own assumptions or received decisive confirmation about what you've been learning.

I find that this step of enforcing and acknowledgement acts as the backup or confirmation to the skill that you've been learning. It also adds a bit of theory to the physical skill and therefore a more complete picture.

What does it mean to enforce a skill? This might be different for everyone, but for me, it's the act of reading supporting topics, blog posts and alternative theories or angles relating to what I'm trying to learn.

An example would be when I was learning German, I would read a few articles about Germanic languages in general or try memorize the 1000 most used German words (this helped tremendously even though it wasn't part of the official German course I was on).

Diffusing

This would undoubtedly be my favourite part and requires no real effort on your part. It's well know that sleep is good for you, but what most people don't know is that your brain continues to work while you are asleep. Ever had one of those "aha!" moments first thing in the morning where you've managed to solve a problem you were struggling with the day before?

Well, this is called Diffused Learning and there's lots of research available online about the topic. The trick is to learn just before you go to bed at night.

I don't mean cramming it in one night before an exam because at that point, you've already broken all the previous rules mentioned above and effectively nullified any real ability to learn.

Resources

@TODO: Coming Soon

sn/learning