How to Succeed in Your Studies — Part 4
Holistic Learning: Understanding the Context
The basis for me has always been to understand the subject area, and only then I could know with what and why it’s related. In case of understanding, the material can be explained by an example, metaphor, or mind map. In short, these techniques simplifying the issue for ease of understanding.
Since I’m information technologies geek, I will illustrate the point on the topic disciplines of systems science, which is not quite popular among students due to its generality. The following example includes high-level terms from this topic, which are briefly summarized and marked in parentheses. The information about each concept is only illustrative to understand the next principles. Therefore, they don’t match exact definitions, and sometimes it’s just a part of a larger subject area. (Forrest, 2018)
Example
Luis is the founder of a company that develops e-shops. To create an e-shop (system application), he needs programmers, testers, designers, and other professionals, who use their know-how (system engineering). This knowledge is based on a particular way of thinking (systems theory). Whenever a team develops another e-shop, it can be more comfortable and more efficient, because they apply some things that they have already used (applied system). Otherwise, with insufficient knowledge or experience, it can be progressively worse and less efficient due to the growing complexity of the created system. In the meantime, research is being carried out on the various systems of various companies, in which reusable and general facts are sought for easier and more efficient development (general models).
Custom Diagrams of Mind Maps
When I’m drawing mind maps, the main advantage for me is the representation of the problem in a tree structure. I’m investigating contexts between each sub-problems in the mind map, thus creating a custom diagram. If I draw a couple of these diagrams, which often seem unrelated, I create a complex web of information. This hierarchy is similar to neural networks and the way we store information in our memory, so it’s a very natural process.
Is it hard to imagine? Let’s break it down!
This decomposition by mind map is an analysis of the same text as in the example, but in a different way. Disciplines of systems science are theoretical and applied or simply theory and practice (Pic. 1).
The result of theoretical sciences are already noticed general models, and for applied sciences, it’s applied systems (Pic. 2). Theoretical sciences include system theories. System application and system engineering belongs to applied sciences.
As mentioned previously, in practice, an applied system can be shaped on the basis of system applications over a number of years. Best practices of system engineering are used for the development of these applications. On the other hand, system theories are used to create general models of theoretical sciences (Pic. 3).
Moreover, by connecting subject areas in both disciplines, I created logical relations in the custom diagram, and I was able to understand their deeper meaning better. When I started thinking about contexts between linked mind map nodes from both disciplines, it is worth noting that information from system theories is also used or otherwise related to system engineering. After creating several systems, it’s possible to see emerging patterns, and under certain conditions are some of them always valid. In this way, general models can be created, and that’s very helpful for the future development of applied systems (Pic. 4).
Furthermore, I realized not only why I should use best practices, but due to my contexts research, it’s even possible to understand how they have been discovered and that they can be applied to many other things. After I draft a couple of these custom diagrams, I looked for their interrelationships (Pic. 5). I tried to understand why some subject areas have the same mind map elements. Due to that, I was able to remove many redundant nodes and simplify the whole map of the study subject.
The goal of holistic learning is not memoizing information by mechanical repetition. On the contrary, the main reason is for me to make full use of known information. In other words, I can intuitively link my existing web of information with new knowledge, that I’m able to understand with less effort and memorize along with its contexts. The whole approach also improves my intuitive estimations and assumptions for yet unknown situations and problems. (Young, 2013)
What then?
Building mastery in this skill of creating custom diagrams by imagination takes practice before it becomes wholly intuitive and obvious. To understand the deeper meaning of the studied material and learn how to use new information for a situation where it’s needed, it is for me necessary to apply learned knowledge in practice. In such a case, thanks to experience, I can gain a particular emotional attitude, which I could keep firmly in mind. If I would not have this option, or I would not be so curious about a given topic, I would at least simulate the situation, and always start with the question “Why?” (Sinek, 2011)
Conclusion
In essence, the entire series of How to Succeed in Your Studies is based on holistic learning, as it describes the related processes about education in general.
However, due to some specific study fields, holistic learning may not be the most effective method of study. It’s convenient, especially for exact science with a structural, logical system of information, just like computer science. Still, for example, for the field of law or history, it can be challenging to apply. In that case, I would look at techniques such as global learning and others. (Wagner, 2010)
Studying is not just an act we want to do right now. It’s a path along which we are not only extending our web of information, but moreover learning about ourselves.
TL;DR
- Comparison between example and diagrams with a purpose to understand the context.
- How to create custom diagrams from the mind maps.
- Using holistic learning as a habit in practice.
If you enjoyed this article, then you may want to read How to Succeed in Your Studies — Part 5: The Right Regime for Brain.
I wish you success in your studies!
Resources
Thanks to Dan Vybiral, Dominik Tilp, Filip Ustohal, Nicole Gruberova, Martin Zaklasnik, Tomas Janik, Tomas Kohoutek, my family and all others who participated in this series of articles.
