5 Steps to Improved Learning Efficacy

The advice I give to my younger students that I wish I could give to my younger self.

Michael J. Motta
Jul 29, 2017 · 3 min read

We’re always learning, whether we want to or not. Why not do it optimally? I’m not talking about brainwaves or Mozart or complex pedagogies. I’m talking about getting back to basics.

First… what is “learning efficacy?”

Let’s break it down.

Learning efficacy is:

Aligning your learning interests, abilities, preferences, and purpose with

learning goals, and then

learning efficiently and effectively.

Let’s get more specific:

Interests are the subjects and topics you want/need to learn about, (e.g., Mandarin, Python, U.S. geography, or anything else.)

Abilities are your current levels of knowledge and skill in a given knowledge domain. Are you a beginner, expert, or somewhere in the middle?

Preferences are how you learn best. For example, some people are visual learners, others prefer a hands-on approach. Some need to be alone with absolute quiet, others need background noise, etc.

Purpose is the underlying motivation behind your project. Do you want to earn an A? Do you want to boost your resume? Are you just scratching an intellectual itch?

Goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) plans of achievement. An example is: “I want to learn the ten most important Calculus theorems by December, and be able to recite them on command.” (Someone I know also wrote an article about another approach — the SMARTEST approach.)

Efficiently means you are spending as little time, money, and energy as possible to achieve your goals. Minimum input, maximum output. (The Pareto Principle is pretty helpful here. )

Effectively means that you are actually making progress towards your learning goals. This, of course, is the bottom line. Well-defined goals and efficiency mean nothing if we’re not effective.

So let’s go.

Here are 5 easy ways to improve your (and your students’) learning efficacy today:

I suggest giving yourself some alone time to accomplish this, preferably with pencil and paper. I guarantee this exercise will allow you to see areas where you can improve. NOTE: Assessing yourself honestly is pretty hard. (Which is why so few do it. Few are so brave.)

Even if there is a world of difference between what you currently know and what you want to know, scientific research shows us that learning is more effective when we can find links to things we already know. Lateral learning.

Think this through. Even if the connections are tenuous, you will remember them, and this will make learning new material easier.

The more passion there is, the harder your brain will work to remember the material. If you’re doing it reluctantly, your brain won’t work as hard.

One way to become more passionate is to think more and more abstractly. For example, if your purpose is “because my boss said to do it,” think instead about what the learning means for your career, wealth, or family.

All knowledge domains have some of each, but in different amounts.

For example, learning a language is largely factual because it requires much memorization.

On the other hand, the study of literature is more subjective and requires conceptual, thematic thinking.

Generally speaking, I think it makes sense to learn just enough factual to understand the conceptual. And then, once you’ve got a grasp of the bigger picture, go back to the factual.

If you’re trying to learn a language, practice speaking it with a native speaker or a fellow language learner. If you’re trying to learn a new programming language, show the code to a developer friend. If you’re a student, talk to fellow students or your teacher.

In summary:

  • Assess yourself.
  • Learn laterally.
  • Find passion.
  • Parse the material.
  • Get feedback.

My book, Long Term Person, Short Term World, is $1 for the next few weeks and free on Thursday, August 3 and Friday, August 4.

The Ascent

A community of storytellers documenting the journey to happiness & fulfillment.

Michael J. Motta

Written by

Asst. Professor of Politics. Writes here about productivity, learning, journaling, life.

The Ascent

A community of storytellers documenting the journey to happiness & fulfillment.

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