This is the third mini-essay of the Enjoy Learning Again series. If you haven’t yet, check out part one here.
This part of the email series is when we get a bit more technical about how we learn. Weʼre about to explore some concepts from cognitive science. Donʼt worry, a simple analogy will bring us through.
The main thing I want you to take away is a better understanding of how our memory works when learning. How do we process new knowledge? How can we store it so that it can be easily recalled for future use?
Understanding this will elevate the way you learn. I want you to have a longer return on any learning or studying you do this year and for the rest of your career.
Letʼs begin by taking a look into your Knowledge Closet.
Imagine your mind as a walk-in closet. Picture the shelves, drawers, and hanging rods. And this closet already contains a lot of items, which represent all your existing knowledge.
Take a moment and think about your domains of expertise. Any topics or subject matter that you’re familiar or confident in.
Next, check out the following:
Fun fact: Historically, purple clothes were only worn by magistrates, emperors and other aristocracy in Rome, Italy.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how you would learn and retain this piece of information:
Step 1: You sense the information.
You perceive it as text, which leads you to read it. If it was a photo, you would have sensed it differently.
Step 2: You comprehend the information.
You interpret the conceptual meaning of the text based on your understanding of the words and their definitions.
These steps so far happen just outside the entrance of your knowledge closet, which is called your working memory. In your working memory, youʼre processing and retaining knowledge for the short term.
Step 3: You retrieve and consolidate your pre-existing knowledge.
Are you already familiar with this fact or something related to it? If so, youʼve opened the door and stepped into your knowledge closet, which is your long-term memory.
Somewhere in your closet, youʼve stored previously learned knowledge and memories related to this information. Even if this fact is completely new to you, your pre-existing knowledge about the colour purple, aristocracy, or Italy as individual subject matter were recalled to help with sense-making. And now, you are arranging and connecting this new knowledge with pre-existing knowledge.
Step 4: You retain the knowledge in your long-term memory
This is the step when you go from comprehension to learning for long-term use.
This process involves one of the coolest feature about your knowledge closet: you can store an item in more than one place! It’s like being able to put away and access a sweater from multiple drawers.
The new knowledge you learn can be connected to various subject matter and memories. And the more connections you make, the stronger your retention. This is a great advantage as an adult learner because you have years of previous experiences and knowledge to connect with. In other words, your wisdom compounds as existing knowledge helps grow new knowledge.
Step 5: You actively retrieve knowledge to strengthen your long-term memory.
After storing your new knowledge, you’ll want to make it easy to retrieve in the future.
Notice how your most-worn pants are easily accessible in your wardrobe? The same goes for the knowledge you use most frequently, such as those related to your daily life or work. For example, it’s easy to remember industry terms you use at work. Regular application of knowledge makes recall most efficient.
In the book Make it Stick, the authors emphasize how active retrieval is crucial when learning something you want to use or remember for a long time. The exercise of trying to remember that knowledge, repeatedly, and with space in between creates strong and durable memory.
Other strength exercises include higher-level thinking such as elaborating in your own words, analyzing, critiquing, and using the knowledge to create something new.
This explains why cramming and re-reading information in close succession doesnʼt lead to long-term retention. These activities happen in working memory, not long-term memory. The knowledge doesnʼt get stored properly without multiple, strong connections, active retrieval, and repeated use over time.
Recap
- When comprehending new knowledge, consolidate it by connecting it to your pre-existing knowledge.
- Make multiple connections to help you retain it longer.
- The more frequently you use knowledge, the easier itʼll be to recall in the future.
As mentioned above, I want you to make the most of any learning youʼre doing this year. Just know it takes repetition, practice, and time to reshape neural pathways. But having an awareness of how your mind and memory work is a good start.
And thereʼs an essential part of this process that I bet is going to surprise you, as well as bring a sense of relief.
Itʼs the third key to enjoying learning again. This key is called Rest.
Studies have shown that Rest is vital to memory consolidation.
“After sleeping, brain activity shifts around, and a portion of the knowledge acquired during the day is strengthened and transferred to more automatic and specialized circuits.”
- Stanislas Dehaene
So when youʼre absorbing a lot of new knowledge or are stuck on a problem, remember to take a break. Science encourages you to go to bed!
We’ve got one more key left to discover, which will be revealed in Part 4!
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