How I plan to become a better learner
Recently I have completed an online course named as “Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects” offered by University of California, San Diego under the project of Amal academy. I found this course really helpful to improve learning abilities.
As the course instructor, Barbara Oakley clearly explained about two modes of our brain: focused and diffused. She explained we are familiar with focusing. It’s when you concentrate intently on something we’re trying to learn or to understand. But we’re not so familiar with diffuse thinking. Turns out that this more relaxed thinking style is related to a set of neural resting states. She explained well with the example of pinball. According to her in diffuse mode of thinking, we can look at things broadly from a very different, big-picture perspective. We can make new neural connections travelling along new pathways. We can’t focus in as tightly as you often need to, to finalize any kind of problem solving. Or understand the finest aspects of a concept. But we can at least get to the initial place you need to be in to home in on a solution. Now as far as neuroscientists know right now, we’re either in the focused mode or the diffuse mode of thinking. It seems we can’t be in both thinking modes at the same time. It’s kind of like a coin. We can see either one side, or the other side of the coin. But not both sides at the same time. Being in one mode seems to limit your access to the other mode’s way of thinking.
In focused mode, you are much focused on the task and trying to recall neuron patterns that may lead to solution of problem. But in this pattern, pins are spaced very closely so it’s very difficult to make new pattern. While, in diffused mode there is a broader perspective and there are opportunities to learn new things. We cannot use both states of brain at the same time. All of the scientist who have achieved great have followed the pattern of going in focused mode for 20 to 25 minutes and then going to diffused mode for some time to maximize their learning.
Further she explained about Pomodoro technique which is focusing for 25 minutes then rewards yourself for few minutes with favourite thing and then start again for 25 minutes. According to Barbara Oakley, when you’re learning, what you want to do is study something. Study it hard by focusing intently. Then take a break or at least change your focus to something different for a while. During this time of seeming relaxation, your brain’s diffuse mode has a chance to work away in the background and help you out with your conceptual understanding. Your neural mortar in some sense has a chance to dry. If you don’t do this, if instead you learn by cramming, your knowledge base will look more like this, all in a jumble with everything confused, a poor foundation. If you have problems with procrastination, that’s when you want to use the Pomodoro, that brief timer. This helps you get going, using brief periods each day of focused attention, which will help you start building the neural patterns you need to be more successful in learning more challenging materials.
Here are some questions which I am going to answer after this course which help me to analyse my problem and its solution
* What 1–2 challenges do you face when learning new things (or when trying to get work done)?
First challenge which I faced is fear of failure. I always predict about results like what if this will not work out for me, what if I am not doing this in right way etc. These fears sometimes make me reluctant for even taking first step of starting.
Another challenge for me is procrastination, I had really bad habit of doing every work on last moment, which sometimes end up with worst results.
* What are 1–2 most important takeaways from the course that you can use in order to overcome or reduce the challenges that you face?
The important take always in order to reduce the challenges I face to learn the new things are the use of Pomodoro technique and the positive thinking like Barbra said she initially hated maths but at the age of 26 she started learning it and also give sometimes a small gap to herself and finally she is the professor at engineering college now. So by practicing and by using the diffused focus mind we can look up at the bigger picture and with a dark pattern that makes us easy to understand the problem.
*How are you planning to apply these takeaways to your life?
I will surely apply these while leaning the new things during my professional and personal life.I will apply the pomodoro technique and the diffusive mindset are of much importance in doing things in excellent way. There are other takeaways like we have to think positive and making a list on daily basis and on weekly as well, also there is an update for exercise that it helps in building the new neurons which help in solving the problems. We should improve by taking small steps, by improving even one degree on daily basis.