Evidence-Based Strategies to Better Remember What You Learn
Practical takeaways from the science of successful learning
Many people waste their time relying on outdated learning techniques. They use ineffective strategies like rereading and highlighting. By following these techniques, learning becomes pointless entertainment.
A research group around neuroscientist Henry Roediger and psychologist Mark McDaniel spent ten years exploring learning strategies. Their goal was to bridge the gap between cognitive science and educational science. The result of their work is ‘Make it stick.’
Reading more than 15 books on learning, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern:
it’s less important what kind of brain you have — what matters is how you use it.
Or, as the researchers of ‘Make it Stick’ put it:
“Elements that shape your intellectual ability lie to a surprising extent within your own control.”
How we learn changes our brain’s neural network. This concept, neuroplasticity, is the enabler for lifelong-learning. Whether you’re a life-long learner, a trainer, teacher, student, or a parent who wants to best help your kids, effective learning strategies can make new knowledge stick.
