Mindshift Notes

1 Introduction – About Mindshift
to give you the specifics about how to learn more effectively. In this MOOC, we're going to grow
things even bigger, so you can learn not only more effectively but more broadly. In other words, we
will help you to develop a learning lifestyle.
Who you are today, is not the same person who went to sleep last night. We now know, that your
experiences during the day are integrated into your brain circuits while you are asleep. So, that you
wake up in the morning, your brain is updated.
You can take advantage of this to become a different person than you were last week, or last month,
or last year because you brain is different and you can guide the process.
we're also going to be exploring what science is telling us about how we can change.
This course is about how you can do and be much more than you ever might think.
It's about how you can broaden your horizons and be more than you ever thought you could be, no
matter what your age, or your past. It's about how you'll feel better and be healthier because of a
learning lifestyle. And, it's about how to look around you, at what you're learning, in your place,
in what's unfolding in the society around you. So you can be what you want to be, given the real
world constraints that life puts on us all.
by using certain mental tricks and insights you can often learn more and do more. Far more than you
might have ever dreamed, we'll talk about what science tells us about how we learn and change.
We'll build on what you already know to take your life's learning fantastic new directions.
The Value of Being a Slow Learner
Santiago Ramon y Cajall won the Nobel Prize in 1906, for his pioneering work in helping us
understand the structure of the nervous system. Ramon y Cajal is considered the father of modern
neuroscience.
Ramon y Cajal was not a genius. He said so himself and he wasn't just being humble.
However, Ramon y Cajal worked with geniuses. He found they often shared similar problems.
For example, these geniuses with their race car brains were used to jumping ahead to speedy
conclusions. And when they were incorrect, they weren't used to changing their minds.
So they keep charging ahead with the incorrect conclusion they jumped to, their super fast brains
could easily devise justification. Because they weren't really looking to prove themselves wrong.
Ramon y Cajal himself though had a persistent hiker type brain. He'd come up with a hypothesis and
then he'd persistently check it out in a way that would reveal whether he was wrong. Instead of just
trying to prove that he was right. If he was wrong, he changed his mind and flexibly try again.
So was his persistence and his flexibility in the face of what the data was truly telling him that made
him superstar researcher. It wasn't his genius.
This kind of phenomena is seen in many different fields. For example, super smart people don't
make very good hostage negotiators. Why? Because they go into the hostage situation with their
own preconceived notions, which are sometimes dead wrong. And then when critical information
does reveal itself, they can't flexibly change their mind and take advantage of that information.
From Passive to Active
The Fengjia Night Market in Taichung, Taiwan
It's only when you actively do something yourself that you're learning really sticks.
Get your hands on it. So you can actively master the material yourself.
TEST YOURSELF
The Value of Your Past
Every once in a while, what can be called a paradigm shift happens. Basically someone takes the
same information that everyone else sees, and they interpret it, they see it in a completely different
way.
And Nobel Prize winner Barry Marshall famously gave himself an ulcer, along with some very bad
breath, by drinking a concoction of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. So that he could convince his
critics that it was bacteria, not stress, that was the primary cause of ulcers.
it allowed them to bring their seemingly unrelated prior knowledge to the table in new ways that
helped them to innovate.
Mastery Learning
Research is showing the value of mastery learning, where you can retake quiz variants over and
over again, until you feel comfortable with the material. You can re-watch lectures if you need to, or
even get different explanations of the material. This approach, as researchers are discovering,
is one of the best methods for helping people to gain expertise, even with material they never
thought they could learn before.
And indeed, research has shown that by studying and then actually practicing, a person is able to
fundamentally change his brain, increasing the size of his hippocampus, an important area in
learning.
Should You Listen to Music When You're Studying?
If the music is fast and loud, it disrupts reading comprehension, in part because you use some of the
same areas of the brain to process music as you do to process language.
Also, music with lyrics is more distracting than music without lyrics.
On the other hand, researchers have found that if you're listening to a favorite style of music it could
enhance your studies. Or if it's something you don't like it could detract.
In the final analysis, all this means that when it comes to music you should use commonsense and
discover what works best for you.
Focused Versus Diffuse – Furthering Your Understanding
Focuse is when you're concentrating. Diffuse is when you're not thinking about anything at all in
particular.We used a pinball machine metaphor to explain these two different modes. In the focused
mode, the rubber bumpers of the brain were closer together, while in the diffuse mode, they were
farther apart. Your thoughts could bounce further, by analogy, this is why when you're focusing
hard on a problem, you sometimes get stuck within the tight spaces of the bumpers. And you can't
see another, better way to approach the problem.
We also described the importance of developing a library of

neural chunks. Well practiced, mental patterns, that you can
easily draw into your mind. This is all part of the process of
gaining expertise in a subject. Metaphors and analogies can
make learning super simple. Remember, these metaphors
and analogies often just serve to give us a sense of key
ideas. Whenever we've reached the limits of an analogy for
helping us to understand something, we can always just throw
that analogy away and pick up a new one.
It turns out that your brain puts its energy, for the most part, into either the focused mode or the
diffuse mode. It can't be in both modes at same time, not unless you're ingesting certain forms of
mushrooms
Focused mode is what happens when you concentrate, it turns on virtually instantly.
Diffuse mode, on the other hand, is when you're not concentrating on anything. Instead, it's when
your thoughts are moving randomly. Diffuse mode kind of sneaks up on you, you're often not aware
of having fallen into the diffuse mode
focused diffuse
The diffuse mode is like a different set of networks, with much bigger meshes. Diffuse mode is
actually a catchall term that we use to signify any of the neural resting states. The most prominent
resting state, incidentally, is called the default mode network. The thing about the diffuse mode, is
that it helps us to make these intuitive leaps, connections between new ideas you didn't realize were
connected. the diffuse mode only turns on when you aren't thinking about anything in particular.
When you're concentrating intently on something, and you find yourself getting really
frustrated, the best thing you can do is often to get your concentration off what you're trying to
understand.
Incidentally, the habit of writing down a problem that you're trying to solve before going to
bed will help you calm your mind and let your nighttime brain think of a solution.
The little break is what helps the brain consolidate the new information so it can later think
more creatively about it. Go ahead, take a little break now, try to move around a little while you do it.
You'll be surprised at how much it refreshes you.
Learning Something Hard? The Coffee Shop Trick
When we're studying we often drink caffeine, which enhances focus by diminishing the day dreaming
alpha waves in our brain. This effect is strongest for about an hour after drinking a cup of coffee or
tea. Although the energizing can persist about eight hours, which is why it's sometimes better to
avoid that evening cup of coffee.
But when you're doing something that is cognitively difficult, coffee isn't the only booster. You're
often subconsciously using other tricks to increase your focus. For example, if you're trying to
remember something, you tend to avert your gaze. Which avoids overloading your working memory
with unnecessary extra visual information from your environment. Even just closing your eyes can
help you ignore distractors when you're trying to bring something to mind.
Let's be honest here. Memorizing comes more easily for some people than others. Researchers still
aren't quite sure why, although there's some evidence that having the right genes helps. But believe
it or not, being a good memorizer can cause problems. However, when these same memorizing
aces are faced with a different type of exam, for example a test related to how something functions,
they find that just a few hours of last minute cramming just don't cut it. This is a reminder that simple
focused concentration in memorization often isn't enough when we're trying to understand a
complicated issue. It takes time to understand complicated systems.
To untangle such complicated subjects, we often need to alternate a tight focus on the issue at hand
with steps back to look at the bigger picture.
Our need for occasional distraction during any given learning session may arise from these
competing type focus versus big picture kinds of needs. Basically, it's focused versus diffuse
modes.
The FOCUS MODE is primarily centered in the prefrontal cortex, the front part of the brain.
The DIFFUSE MODE, on the other hand, involves a network connecting more wide spread areas of
the brain.
The more extensive nature of diffused thinking is why it's often related to the unexpected
connections that lie at the heart of creativity.
Activities involving the diffuse mode like walking, or riding a bus, relaxing, or falling asleep,
are more likely to lead you to creative ideas that can seem to arise from nowhere.
If we're in a very quiet environment, that quietness can hype up the focused mode attention circuits
while simultaneously deactivating the diffuse mode.
This is why quiet environments are ideal when we're doing something that demands full
concentrated attention.
But sometimes we're trying to understand bigger picture sorts of issues - In that case, a little
sporadic noise, like a snippet of conversation with or the clatter of dishes in the back round of a
coffee shop can help. This is because that bit of noise temporarily allows the longer range diffuse
network to pop up. So, we briefly get a new perspective. This is so effective that there are even apps
with coffee shop sounds.
Of course, there can come a point when there's just too much noise, which can keep you
from concentrating at all. Finding a good learning environment can take a bit of exploration. But
that's good because it keeps you from getting too accustomed to any one study
place, which can make your learning more effective.
Your environment affects who you are
elicit verb = evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone.
"I tried to elicit a smile from Joanna"
Similar to obtain, draw out, extract, evoke
It makes you feel different. It elicits different thoughts.You are different person inside the cathedral.
The Changing World – Matching Aspirations with Opportunity
Natural Passions, Career Choice, and Gender
Wrap Up
Slow learners. By using persistence and flexibility, slow learners can see things that geniuses miss.
Active learning. Try to actively do whatever you are trying to learn.

Mastery learning. Whether you learn it quickly or slowly, you can still learn it!
The value of your past. Seemingly unconnected knowledge from your past can bring
unexpected assets to your work in the present. Remember— it's typical to feel incompetent when
you first try to change.
Focused and diffuse modes of thinking bring very different insights into your learning.
Match passions with opportunities. It’s important to take a strategic as well as a passion
influenced approach to your learning. Work to broaden, not just follow, your passions.
The role of the environment around you. Who you hang out with, and the environment you
live and work in, can make a difference in your behavior. Occasional small disruptions, as with the
clinking in a coffee shop, can sometimes enhance bigger picture learning. (Also, complex systems
shouldn't just be memorized!)
1.Question 1
Let's say you are taking a programming course. You watch the teacher carefully and read all the
suggested readings. Many other students in the class are doing well and getting good grades on the
tests. But you aren't doing as well as most of the other students. What is the most probable
explanation, according to the videos you've watched this week, for why you're not doing well in the
course?
I wasn't ACTIVELY working with the materials. I was fooling myself in thinking that just by
reading the written materials, and watching the teacher, that I had actually learned the material.
I happen to be looking at example problems that aren't the same as what the teacher is giving
on the tests. It's simple bad luck.
The teacher is giving tests that don't relate to the material.
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
2.Question 2
Nobel Prize winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal felt that one characteristic in particular was not helpful
in allowing him to be successful in science. What characteristic did he describe as NOT being helpful
for him in his own success in science?
Genius
Persistence
Flexibility
Correct
You've got it! Counterintuitively, Cajal was not as smart as some of his "genius" colleagues. It was
his persistence and flexibility that were the biggest determinants of his success.
1 / 1 point
3.Question 3
Music with lyrics:
Is more distracting than musics without lyrics.

Improves comprehension.
Is less distracting than music without lyrics
Puts the brain into an alpha wave state that promotes deep learning.
Correct
Bravo--100% correct!
1 / 1 point
4.Question 4
Select the true statements below:
Paradigm shifts in science can allow us to make enormous new gains in our creative
understanding of the world.
Correct
Yes indeed!
Only young people, who haven't yet been indoctrinated into seeing the world the same way as
everyone else, can have fresh insights in science or in relation to their careers.
Breakthroughs in science and other career fields can happen as a consequence of someone
bringing insights from one field to another.
Correct
Exactly right! As the video explained, older people with experience in another field can bring
dramatic new insights when they switch disciplines or somehow bring insight from the first field into
the second.
A former career in a seemingly completely unrelated discipline can help you to be better at your
new career.
Correct
Exactly right! As the video explained, we see this phenomenon constantly, in many fields. A
background in sports can come in handy in a marketing career. Insights from a former career as an
event planner can help you become a better software programmer. An unusual, seemingly unrelated
background can often give you fresh insights that others can't see.
1 / 1 point
5.Question 5
Choose the best answer based on this week's videos.
On average, boys and girls are roughly equivalent with their:
verbal abilities
math and science abilities
ability to play the piccolo
Correct Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
6.Question 6
Select the true answers from below in accordance with the information in this week's videos.
Learning is for everyone—and online learning makes some of the best approaches to learning,
like mastery learning, much easier.
Correct Bravo--exactly correct!
You can flunk courses completely and still turn out to be a successful learner--some people just
need more time and practice.
Overall then, it helps to remember that any kind of learning is a little like learning to drive a car.
You may not be a brilliant race car driver, but that certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t
learn to drive if you have the opportunity.

Learning is only for smart and talented people.
1 / 1 point
7.Question 7
Select the true options related to the focused and diffuse modes.
Diffuse mode is what happens when you concentrate—it turns on virtually instantly.
When you focus on something, your mind is in receiving mode. Information is pouring in. When
you’re in diffuse mode, your brain is ―turning around,‖ so to speak, and placing the new information
in other parts of your brain—organizing and making sense of the new material.
Correct Bravo--you're exactly right!
Focused mode is what happens when you concentrate—it turns on virtually instantly.
Your brain puts its energy for the most part into either the focused mode or the diffuse mode.
1 / 1 point
8.Question 8
Select the single best answer according to what was taught this week.
The Mindshift course is structured to show you how you can believe anything into reality.
Everyone, even seemingly highly successful people, has failures and false starts.
Everybody has a genius IQ if they just work to uncover it.
Aptitude tests are good indicators of how you can change.
Correct
Bravo--exactly correct!
1 / 1 point
9.Question 9
Choose the single best option from below to complete the sentence.
Our need for occasional distraction during any given learning session may arise from
_________________________________________________.
boredom
the actions of caffeine.
competing tight-focus versus big-picture needs
synaptic exhaustion
10.Question 10
Select the single answer that best conveys a key idea from Terry's video about the effect of
environment on your behavior.
Studies have shown that outdoor lighting promotes ______________________________.
confusion arousal laughter sleepiness alpha brain waves

CorrectBravo--exactly right
3.Question 3
Scientists have found that music is almost always harmful when you are trying to study.
True
False Correct Actually, sometimes music seems to be okay during your studies--it doesn't
seem to harm concentration, at least for some people and some types of material. However, avoid
music that is fast and loud. If you are reading, avoid music that has lyrics.
1 / 1 point
4.Question 4
Select the true statements below:
Paradigm shifts in science can allow us to make enormous new gains in our creative
understanding of the world.
Correct
Yes indeed!
Breakthroughs in science and other career fields can happen as a consequence of someone
bringing insights from one field to another.
Correct
Exactly right! As the video explained, older people with experience in another field can bring
dramatic new insights when they switch disciplines or somehow bring insight from the first field into
A former career in a seemingly completely unrelated discipline can help you to be better at your
new career.
Correct
Exactly right! As the video explained, we see this phenomenon constantly, in many fields. A
background in sports can come in handy in a marketing career. Insights from a former career as an
event planner can help you become a better software programmer. An unusual, seemingly unrelated
background can often give you fresh insights that others can't see.
1 / 1 point
5.Question 5
Choose the best answer based on this week's videos.
On average, boys and girls are roughly equivalent with their:
verbal abilities ability to play the piccolo

math and science abilities
Correct Exactly right!
7.Question 7
Correct Yes indeed!
The habit of writing down a problem that you are trying to solve before going to bed will help
calm your mind and let your night time brain think of a solution.
In general, you can only be in one mode at a time—the inputting focused mode, or
the organizing diffuse mode, where the brain is consolidating the information. This is why it’s really
important to take little study breaks and give yourself time where you’re NOT focusing on the
information at hand. The little break is what helps the brain consolidate the new information so it can
later think more creatively about it.
Counterintuitively, when you’ve reached that point of intense frustration where you can’t seem to
make any headway, only when you STOP thinking about the problem you’re trying to solve, can you
actually regroup mentally and begin to make progress.
Correct Bingo--you're right!
8.Question 8
The Mindshift course is about
Mindreading. You can believe virtually anything into reality.
How you can do and be more, sometimes much more, than you might ever think.
Tricks your mind plays on you.

Correct Bravo--this is exactly correct. Three cheers for you! :)
1 / 1 point
9.Question 9
As we described in this week's videos, the main workings of the focused mode are centered out of
the prefrontal cortex. The diffuse mode, on the other hand, ______________________________.
(Select the single best answer.)
involves a network covering more widespread areas of the brain.

is a small but critically important area located in the hippocampus.
primarily involves the occipital lobe.
is centered on the cerebellum.

CorrectBravo--this is correct!
1 / 1 point
Getting Deeper into Happy Learning
The Value of a Poor Memory
Having a poor memory can give you an unexpected advantage--increased creativity.

Correct Bravo, you're right!
Having a poor memory is always a disadvantage, because you get there more slowly.
Un-selected is correct
s not selected.This is correct.
We have roughly four "slots" of working memory.
Correct Yes indeed, you're correct!
If we’ve practiced enough, we can build complex neural chunks that we can easily pull into
working memory and work with—the neural chunks are kind of like ribbons of thought.
Correct Exactly right--terrific!

Meditation and Mindfulness – What to Look for
Open monitoring types of meditation, such as Vipassana and mindfulness, appear to improve dif-
fuse, imaginative thinking.
Focused attention types of meditation, such as mantra, sound, or chakra meditation, appear to help
enhance focused mode type thinking.
The Pomodoro Technique as Working Meditation
Getting Past Procrastination
his video presented three different key approaches to help you tackle procrastination.
Which approach do you believe is or will be most effective in helping you tackle feelings of
procrastination when they arise?
Increasing the expectancy of success and the certainty of being rewarded by doing things like:
Taking action
Patting myself on the back when I succeed
Keeping myself inspired
Planning ahead.
Doing what I can to remove distractions andmaintain focus by doing things like:
Setting small, realistic goals
Eliminating the temptation of my cell phone
Setting up helpful routines and habits.
Doing what I can to increase the value and pleasantness of a task by doing things like:
Finding the greater life's meaning in what I'm working on
Finding ways to get into the "flow" of the material.
Creating a sense of competition, either with myself or my colleagues.
Turn whatever I'm doing into a game.
The Value of Procedural Fluency and Deliberate Practice
Practice and repetition, not to mention memorization, don’t just reinforce your understanding—they
can actually lead to a deeper and richer understanding of the material.
Bad Grades and Barb's Hands – The Value of Mental Tricks
The CONTEXT with which you view something makes an enormous difference.
Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman made a vital point when he observed
―Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it.‖
ANYONE can learn and develop mental tricks to help them reframe negative events in a more
positive way.
Learning to Reframe – Put a Label on It!
Once you've found the words for your feelings, voilà, you're already beginning
to move your thoughts from emotions to more rational cognitions.
In the discussion forum, you might want to mention something, anything that's been bothering you.
Then describe what cognitive distortion or distortions you may be using. It might be many of them.
Finally, look logically at the distortions you're using. What is the reality when you put things into a
greater life perspective just as I've done with that past episode of my own life
Integrate All Your Senses Into Learning – The Pitfalls of "Learning

Styles"
Using your "preferred" learning style can actually weaken your ability to use other ways of learning.
Learning styles forms big business--authors and companies can make a lot of money promoting the
idea of learning styles.
Can You Try to Learn Too Much?
It is possible.
Your Social Brain

Please select the correct choices regarding this week's discussion of learning styles.
It seems we often learn best when we can integrate what we’re learning using a lot of our
different senses—including hearing, seeing, and perhaps especially, being able to feel with our
hands. Correct
Learning styles form a big industry—authors and companies make a lot of money from the tests
they devise, administer and teach workshops about. So there is a BIG impetus to push the idea that
teaching to learning styles is important, even if there is a lack of scientific evidence for those claims,
and even if teaching to learning styles can actually be harmful. Correct
Learning styles form a big industry because it is such a powerful and scientifically proven
technique.
Whenever you’re learning anything, try to take advantage of ALL your senses. Don’t
characterize yourself as having a preferred learning style—instead, think of yourself as an ―all
inclusive‖ type learner. Correct
2.Question 2
In accordance with what was taught in this week's quizzes, select the following options that are true.
Focused attention types of meditation, such as mantra, sound, or chakra meditation, appear to
help enhance focused mode type thinking. Correct
Precisely correct! Moreover, this kind of meditation sometimes seems to make people feel better—it
can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, even while it builds concentration abilities.
Meditation can have surprisingly different effects depending on the type. Correct
It's important to always keep practicing your focus whenever possible.
Correct
Moreover, with open monitoring, we don’t focus on just one thing. Instead, we keep our attention open
to all aspects of experience, without judging or becoming attached to our thoughts.
3.Question 3
Select the following true statements based on the past two weeks of material:
Pushing yourself to learn as much as you can, where ever possible, is the best way to ensure that
you're making most efficient use of your capabilities and growing as much as you can as a human being.
Having a poor memory isn't all bad—a poor memory can give you advantages like creativity and the
ability to see short cuts.Correct
Yes indeed, as we know from research, those with poor working memories are often more creative. Do
you have to work harder to keep up with the “steel trap” memory types? Sure—but you wouldn’t want
to trade the asset your poor memory gives you—that is, your creativity.
A poor working memory also gives you an effective tool to figure out simpler ways to do things—it may
take you a while, but when you DO figure things out, you can sometimes see elegant simplifications and
brilliant shortcuts that the person with the strong working memory just doesn’t have the motivation to
figure out.
It's best to keep worrying and let the anxiety propel you to greater success.
Allowing yourself to react inappropriately to stressful events can open the door to serious disease.
Correct Yes, as Barb explained, allowing herself to become too stressed to ordinary events helped open
the door to her getting rheumatoid arthritis. It's a very good idea to find ways to mentally reframe when
you find yourself becoming too stressed.
4.Question 4
Select the following true statements, based on the information in this week's videos
Diffuse mode thinking is more wide-ranging. Your thoughts can bounce pretty much anywhere.
Correct
Researchers sometimes classify meditation techniques into two types that seem to be
fundamentally different: focused attention and open monitoring.
Correct
Focused mode thinking is more wide-ranging. Your thoughts can bounce pretty much anywhere.
Researchers sometimes classify meditation techniques into four types that seem to be
fundamentally different: diminished attention, self monitoring, controlled output, and buouyed
intellect.
5.Question 5
Select the true answers regarding procrastination from the material we presented this week:
One good way to tackle procrastination is to decrease your impulsiveness by doing things like:
Correct
As mentioned in this weeks videos, sports teams often use "productive procrastination" as a tool to
help them succeed competitively against other teams.
Procrastination is a bad idea when you are trying to learn something new, because the neural
structures of learning take time to grow.
Procrastination can be useful if you are trying to synthesize the material. Correct
Procrastination was emphasized as an important way to get others to help you with the work.
6.Question 6
Select the best choice to complete this sentence in accordance with what was taught in this week's
videos.
Once you've found words to describe your feelings, you're beginning to move thoughts from
emotions to more ____________________________.
deeply felt emotions poetic thoughts

rational cognitions traumatizing thoughts
Correct
7.Question 7
Select the best phrase to complete the sentence in accordance with this week's videos.
As an overreaction to the extreme "learning equals memorization" idea that has endured for
thousands of years, western education has become wedded to the idea that
_______________________ is the golden key to learning.
conceptual understanding memorization social interaction meditation
Correct
8.Question 8
During the 25 minutes when you are doing a "Pomodoro," it's important to _______________________.
turn off all distractions play loud music with lyrics text and interact with friends
commit all information to memory

Correct
9.Question 9
Select the single best choice based on this week's material to fill in the blank in this question.
Poor memory has been shown to be associated with ______________________.
rheumatoid arthritis inverse brain syndrome creativity genius IQ
Correct
10.Question 10
Select the true statements from below, based on this week's materials related to your social brain.
Who you hang out with strongly influences who you are.Correct
Google found that the most innovative teams were made up of people with similar interests.
What was important in the most innovative teams was that the members of the team felt
comfortable taking risks and sometimes failing. Correct
Your temperament is determined during development and depends on early experience, but it can
be changed by moving to a new environment where you are surrounded by a different group of people.
Correct
Please select the correct choices regarding researcher Beth Rogowsky and her team's research findings
about learning styles.
Dr. Rogowsky's research has shown that there IS a statistically significant difference when it
comes to the relationship between learning style preference and instructional method for your ability to
comprehend the materials.
Dr. Rogowsky's research has shown it's NOT WISE to stick to a preferred learning style. Correct
This is correct--in fact, if you stick to one "preferred" way of learning, you can actually weaken other
ways of learning.
Targeting your “best” learning style helps you learn BETTER.
Dr. Rogowsky's research has shown it's a GOOD IDEA to stick to your preferred learning style.
Dr. Rogowsky's research has shown that there is NO statistically significant difference when it
comes to the relationship between learning style preference and instructional method for your ability to
comprehend the materials.
Correct This is correct. For example, if you are a "visual" learner, and you are presented with visual
materials, you don't do any better with those visual materials than you do with auditory materials.
2.Question 2
Select the single best option to complete this sentence:
Learning is ____________________________________________.
something so important that you should NEVER listen to music while you are trying to do it.
so important and valuable that you can NEVER do too much of it.
Something best done by using "active" approaches, where you actively work problems or put your
hands on the material yourself.
something you should accomplish while using your "best" learning style.
Correct
3.Question 3
Select the following true statements based on the past two weeks of material:
Simple mental tricks can be invaluable in not only reducing stress, but also overall in being more
effective, productive, and happy in your life and your learning. Correct
A poor working memory can actually be useful as it creates a need to figure out simpler ways to do
things. Correct
True. it may take you a while, but when you DO figure things out, you can sometimes see elegant
simplifications and brilliant shortcuts that the person with the strong working memory just doesn’t have
the motivation to figure out.
The context with which you view something makes no difference—your reaction is all that counts.
Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman makes a vital point when he observes “Nothing
in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it.”
Correct
"All or nothing thinking" is a powerful tool to help spur you to greater efforts.
4.Question 4
5.Question 5
What are the main strategies to tackle procrastination?
Increase value:
Correct
That's exactly right! You can do what you can to increase the value and pleasantness of a task by doing
things like:
Finding the greater life's meaning in what you're working on
Finding ways to get into the "flow" of the material.
Creating a sense of competition, either with yourself or my colleagues.
Turn whatever you're doing into a game.
Decrease impulsiveness.
Correct
You can decrease impulsiveness by doing what you can to remove distractionsand maintain focus,
including things like:
Increase expectancy:
Correct
You can increase the expectancy of success and the certainty of being rewarded by doing things like:
Taking action
Patting yourself on the back when you succeed
Keeping yourself inspired
Planning ahead.
8.Question 8
Select the best answer to complete this sentence based on this week's materials.
When using the Pomodoro technique, you set a timer and work to maintain your focus and attention
on a task for _25 minutes.
Correct
This is correct! Notice that this 25 minute time period is slightly more than needed to help you get past
the pain of starting work, and into the flow of the material. It also seems more doable--it's slightly less
than half an hour, after all!
1 / 1 point
10.Question 10
Select the true statements from below, based on this week's materials related to your social brain.
WEEK 3
Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential
Learning and Careers
This week, we’ll be talking about how your own career can develop and change through your
life. Your own internal feelings about what you want to do can play a critical role in your long-term
happiness. But society and culture can also have a dramatic effect on your career choices and
decisions—as can your parents, family, and friends.
We’ll talk about second-skilling yourself, and developing a talent stack of average talents that can
combine into a formidable asset. We’ll also talk about various tactics and techniques to help you survive
career changes and upheavals.
Key Concepts
Explain why it is important to broaden as well as follow your passions.
Describe career resiliency in the context of obtaining a second skill, or developing a broad talent
stack of many mediocre skills.
Explain how reading, taking MOOCs, and taking courses and seminars can help keep you
prepared and help you avoid becoming obsolete with your career skills.
Explain how hobbies can help keep your brain fresh and agile, and can sometimes even be
useful for your career.
Describe strategies that can be used to implement your mindshift when faced with individuals
who may oppose your attempts to change.
Provide an analytic comparison of why both general competence and selective ignorance can
each be important in career-building.
Discuss the advantages of feeling like an imposter.
Describe “The golden rule of career catastrophes” .
Analyze and take advantage of some of your seemingly “worst” traits.
Describe how both rational cognition and emotion can combine to make you intelligent.
Synthesize the key ideas of this course and create a game plan for your future.
Passion and Work Part 1, 2 and 3

-I had put my focus on developing one single skill without thinking about how much that skill was really
needed in the working world and without thinking about whether other skills might complement
and enhance my ability to get the kinds of jobs I wanted to have. This is part of what I call the Passion
Trap. We're often encouraged to follow our passions by well meaning people, friends and teachers,
especially who don't themselves have to suffer the consequences of long term difficulties in getting a
job. Friends after all, often want to make you happy right now. So, they'll often tell you what they think
you want to hear. Teachers have a job teaching about their passion. This means that they benefit from
encouraging you to take the classes and even aim towards their professions even if the chances of you
actually getting a job related to that profession are minimal.
-it's best to broaden your passions instead of just blindly following them.
- There usually isn’t much difference between someone who’d been working the same job six months
versus six years. Second-skilling doesn’t need to be as difficult as many people think. Skill development
curves are typically logarithmic, not linear.
-Being mediocre at a lot of things--having a "talent stack," can be valuable--don't discount the value of
your additional skills, even if you don't think you're the best at them.
-Hobbies also play a role in your life of learning—not only do they make you happy, they help keep your
brain fresh and agile.
Hidden talents
Tell us know about some of your hidden talent and potential—and get ideas from the hidden talent and
potential of others!
Hmmm, good at maths, writting scenarios, crochetting, languages, being modest, not being modest, :-)
operations management 15 May, 2020
Mindshifting – What to Do in the Face of Opposition

Who you are is not just you – who you are also depends on your environment. This means that by
changing your environment, you can speed up the process of mindshifting.
General Competence versus Selective Ignorance

The Value of Feeling Like an Imposter
Avoiding Career Ruts and Surviving Career Catastrophes
Wherever you are in your career path, whether young, mid-career, or even in retirement, it can help to
keep your eye on the big picture of societal trends in relation to your special skills.
We know that language and culture are important, but in today’s society, technological, scientific, and
mathematical literacy and expertise are of increasing importance as well.
If you have a “soft skill” area of interest, it can be a good idea to balance that with some technical or
analytical skills.
If you already have sharp analytical skills, it’s a good idea to enhance your talent stack by working on
your “soft skills,” such as speaking ability or writing.
Bad Traits as Best Traits

The Intelligence of Emotions
he ancient neural systems interact with one another like players in an orchestra. This complicates the
search for effective treatments for mental disorders and reminds us that, although we talk about this or
that chemical system, brain systems are deeply integrated.
Week 3
LATEST SUBMISSION GRADE
100%
1.Question 1
In this MOOC, the term "passion trap" is defined as:
The phenomenon where we're encouraged to “follow our passions” by well-meaning people—
friends and teachers especially—who don’t themselves have to suffer the consequences of long term
difficulties in getting a job.
The frustrating feeling you get when your passions aren't fulfilled.
The state you fall into when you are passionately arguing about your career choice in a defensive
manner.
A meditative state where passions are trapped away within the diffuse mode.
Correct
2.Question 2
Choose the best answer to complete the sentence in light of a key point that was made in this week's
videos.
In Western cultures and societies, self-confidence and certainty is often praised. But the
reality is that self-doubts can sometimes be a _________________ thing because they can
help you have a "beginner's mind" that is open to new experiences.
good
Correct
3.Question 3
What does the term "second skill" mean? (Check all that apply.)
Learning to pronounce the first fifty digits of the number π.

Preparing for the possibility that your primary occupation could be discontinued or become
obsolete. Correct
This is a term meant solely to designate those who are filling in for a co-worker.
To become prepared for an alternate career by learning a new skill set. Correct
To become specialized in counting the number of seconds that have unfolded since a race begins.
4.Question 4
Select the true statements from below based on this week's materials.
You should follow your passions in finding and pursuing your career, no matter what the cost. Debt
should not be a factor.
Who you are is not just you – who you are also depends on your environment. This means that by
changing your environment, you can speed up the process of mindshifting.Correct
Well thought-out career changes can become a vitally important creative fuel. As career change
type and frequency vary considerably within different cultures, this can affect the rate and direction of
overall development for entire societies. Correct
It's important to try to "fake people out"--even lying if you need to--in order to dominate others
and become successful.
If you're making a mindshift, count yourself lucky if those around you are supportive, and use the
opportunity to go as far as you can down your new learning path. Correct
5.Question 5
Select the true answers from below related to this week's materials.
Second-skilling is not a wise idea--it's much better to keep your focus on what you're familiar at.
Non-academic topics, for example, working as a DJ, learning to perform magic, or public speaking,
can be invaluable assets to your career. Correct
Exactly right!
Second-skilling is quite difficult, because skill development curves are linear, not logarithmic.
Sometimes you might find yourself blocked when you are aiming for a certain career. If you are
blocked, either temporarily or permanently, in what you want to learn or do, that’s often a great
opportunity to second-skill yourself, or to do something else that’s equally exciting or fulfilling.
Correct
6.Question 6
The "Golden Rule of Career Catastrophes" states that:
It's never as bad as you think it is at the time, and there's always a silver lining.
Career catastrophes are something you should aim for because self-destruction is an interesting
process.
Career catastrophes are amongst the worst challenges people face, there's no recovery from them.
Correct
7.Question 7
Select the single best answer from this week's videos to complete the sentence below.
If you have long term goals in a difficult-to-master area, one of the best things you can do is
to _______________________ what you are learning.
time yourself in believe in immerse yourself in become frustrated with
Correct
8.Question 8
Select the true statements from below.
The interaction of many ancient neural systems, such as those involving serotonin and
noradrenaline, complicates the search for effective treatments for mental disorders and reminds us
that, although we talk about this or that chemical system, brain systems are deeply integrated.
Correct
The three neuromodulatory systems based serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine, interact
strongly with emotional systems in the brain. Without these systems, we would not be human; with
them, we are able to form social bonds, evaluate dangerous situations, and learn new skills.
Correct
Emotions are relatively unimportant for social interactions, learning and decision making.
Emotions are important for social interactions, learning and decision making. Correct
9.Question 9
Select the best word or phrase to complete this sentence, based on this week's videos.
If you have a poor working memory, you are more likely to be more
__________________________.
lazy sleepy creative creepy

Correct
10.Question 10
Select the best two options to complete this sentence, based on this week's videos.
Reflecting back into earlier weeks of the course, philosopher and historian of science
Thomas Kuhn found there were two kinds of people who make important paradigm shifts:
________________ and ____________________.
hikers older people people who had switched disciplines or careers Correct
young people Correct
WEEK 4
Adopting a learning lifestyle
In this final week of the course, we'll be exploring how and why to keep yourself in 'mindshift'
mode. We'll give you all sorts of insider tips on how to pick out the best online learning with materials
that are right for you. And we'll also talk about other ways of learning—ways that can make you 'the
smartest person in the room.'
Disruption lies ahead in the world—this week, we'll help you seize the advantage. Off we go for
our final week of Mindshift!
Key Concepts
 Describe how exercise, learning, exposure to new environments, and even video games can
help create and nurture new neurons and synapses that help create a “cognitive reserve”
that keeps you healthy as you age.
 Explain how and why good online teaching can sometimes be even better than face-to-face
teaching.
 Describe why MOOCs can be a good way for adults to keep up with a learning lifestyle.
 Explain how to select the best online learning experience.
 Explain the different types of mentors and describe their effects on your career.
 Relate what research has shown about the value of reading in promoting good health, and
describe the benefits of reading when interacting with others.
 Integrate learning into your lifestyle.
Introduction
Disruption lies ahead in many industries. Disruption that means opportunity for those who know how Comment [K1]: disruption = noun
to effectively navigate their way into a life of learning. 1.disturbance or problems which interrupt an
event, activity, or process.
"the scheme was planned to minimize
disruption"
Why Should You Keep Learning? disturbance, disordering,
1. remećenje 2.. prekid
Exercise, learning, and exposure to new environments can help create and nurture new neurons and
synapses. These new synapses and neurons create what's called a cognitive reserve. When some
synapses and neurons naturally disappear as part of the aging process, you've got others waiting in
the wings that can take over the neural pathways and maintain your mental abilities. Researchers
are uncovering new ways to help our brains maintain their youthful flexibility even as we age.
You might be surprised to hear that action videos can actually be really helpful here. Eventually we
may well see video games being prescribed by doctors.
There’s only modest decline in your neural birth rate as you age. But unless your brain continues to
encounter NEW experiences—which often means learning something new—your new neurons will die
off before they mature and hook into the larger neural network.
For new learning as well as mental health, it’s important to help new neurons to be born, survive,
and thrive.
Physical exercise is one of the most powerful “medications” we know of that helps produce new
neurons.
A useful way to allow the new neurons to survive, thrive, and make new connections is to do
something truly new and different every day.
In brain terms, if you don’t use it, you can lose it—no matter how innate and natural your gifts
might seem.
Hobbies do much to help keep us mentally tuned up. You should be taking an accredited university
course instead.
How to Get the Most from MOOCs
Before enrolling in a MOOC, it's a good idea to investigate the following:

Reviews of the course from an online source.
Correct
Exactly right! Other people can give a great sense of how they've liked a course.
Reviews of the course from an online source.
is selected.This is correct.
Exactly right! Other people can give a great sense of how they've liked a course.
The weekly workload.
Correct
This is important so you can see if the course fits into your pre-existing work schedule.
The weekly workload.
This is important so you can see if the course fits into your pre-existing work schedule.
The course syllabus.
Correct
Yes indeed!
The course syllabus.
Yes indeed!
Whether the teacher seems to be able to convey the material effectively (even just 30 seconds or so
can help you get a sense of this).
Correct
Right! Micro-expressions play a role here.
Dirty Little Secrets of Traditional vs Massive Online Teaching

Select the following true statements based on the information in this video.
Universities CAN add real value to what you’re learning by lending insight from research.
Correct
That's right! Universities CAN add real value to what you’re learning by lending insight from research.
is selected.This is correct. That's right!
Though universities can provide invaluable insight from research into whatever you’re trying to
learn, they’re often not used to competition in teaching. This is part of why there can be such a range of
quality in online materials. Correct Yes indeed.
Though universities can provide invaluable insight from research into whatever you’re trying to learn,
they’re often not used to competition in teaching. This is part of why there can be such a range of
quality in online materials.
Yes indeed.
Online learning is always better than face-to-face. Un-selected is correct
Online is a different world—it combines academia, with Silicon Valley, with a little bit of
Hollywood. And there's nothing wrong with that! Correct
University teaching often involves filling a specified time slot—say forty hours in a semester. There’s
little motivation to be more efficient—to find clever ways to memorably communicate the materials in
25 hours, say, instead of 40. This is part of why new online learning approaches, as with MOOCs, can be
so powerful. Correct
A Visit to Barb's Basement: The Secret Sauce of Learning How to Learn
Select the following true statements based on the information in this video.
-From an evolutionary perspective, things that appeared to suddenly loom closer to you were more
likely to kill you. - This is correct.
This means that going from full body to half body on video, which simulates looming motion, activates
neural attentional mechanisms and helps keep your attention on the screen.
- A good script allows for a MOOC that keeps your attention because there is little wasted time.
This is correct.
-You can learn how to set up a little video studio and edit video yourself by just searching for guidance
online. -This is correct.! Actually, you can learn to do a lot by just learning online!
As this video emphasized, it's best to leave video editing to the experts.
Un-selected is correct
MOOC Tips Part 2 – Looking More Deeply Into Quality Learning

When we understand something through a metaphor, we are putting into action the same neural
circuitry we use to understand the in-depth concept itself.
Mentors in Your Life
Look for ways to make yourself useful to your mentor, ensuring that the benefits of the relationship
go both ways. (Of course, if you don't personally know your mentor, it's a better idea to simply pay
the benefits forward to someone who you yourself mentor!)
Read, Read, Read
if you can carve out 20 minutes a day, that will lead to 35 books read in 1 year.
"If you want to be the smartest person in the room, it's pretty easy. You just need to read more than
everyone else.
Surviving in the New Information Economy
Discovering Your Hidden Potential
Explore
0

 Chryseis Naumovski
Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential
Week 4
Final Examination
Prev
Next
 Week 4: Adopting a Learning Lifestyle
o
Video: Lecture4-1 Week 4 Introduction
56 sec
Video: Lecture4-2 Why Should You Keep Learning?
5 min
Video: Lecture4-3 MOOC Tips Part 1 – How to Get the Most from MOOCs
3 min
Video: Lecture4-4 Dirty Little Secrets of Traditional vs Massive Online Teaching
4 min
o
Video: Lecture4-5 A Visit to Barb's Basement: The Secret Sauce of Learning How to Learn
5 min
Video: Lecture4-6 MOOC Tips Part 2 – Looking More Deeply Into Quality Learning
4 min
Discussion Prompt: Best MOOCs and best MOOC-making!
5 min
Video: Lecture4-7 Mentors in Your Life
5 min
Video: Lecture4-8 Read, Read, Read
3 min
Discussion Prompt: Favorite book or author
5 min
o
Video: Lecture4-9 Surviving in the New Information Economy
5 min
Video: Lecture4-10 Week 4 Wrap Up
3 min
Video: Lecture4-11 Finale: Discovering Your Hidden Potential
4 min
Discussion Prompt: Share your Mindshift!
5 min
Quiz: Final Examination
25 questions
Reading: Please Rate this Course on Class Central
5 min
Video: LectureOptional Bonus Video: Nelson Dellis Memory Tips #5 Language Learning
11 min
Video: LectureMemory Tips: Nelson Dellis on How to Memorize a Speech or a Script
13 min
QUIZ • 50 MIN
Final Examination
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DUEJun 1, 8:59 AM CEST
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Grade
99%
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Final Examination
Graded Quiz • 50 min
Due Jun 1, 8:59 AM CEST
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GRADE
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Final Examination
99%
1.Question 1
When you feel as if you've understood an idea or concept, that's a good signal that you have truly
mastered the materials. (Select the single best answer below.)
True. Your internal intuition is usually correct when it comes to whether you've truly mastered the
material.
False. You can easily fool yourself about whether you have understood the materials. And truly
mastering the materials takes a lot more than simple understanding--it also takes practice and
repetition. You should test yourself at every possible opportunity to ensure you have truly mastered
the material.
True. That "click" of understanding ensures you have mastered the material.
Correct
Bravo--this is the correct answer!
1 / 1 point
2.Question 2
Based on what you have learned in this course, which of the following statements about learning
styles are true?
The idea that you should use your "preferred learning style" in order to learn best is promoted by
authors and companies that make a lot of money off of their tests and books. But relying on a
"preferred learning style" is actually a bad idea, because it weakens your ability to learn using a
variety of ways.
Correct
Bravo--this is 100% correct!
Visual learners have been shown to learn better when learning by visual means, while auditory
learners learn better when learning by auditory means.
It seems we often learn best when we can integrate what we’re learning using a lot of our different
senses—including hearing, seeing, and perhaps especially, being able to feel with our hands.
Correct
You've got it exactly right!
Relying on a "preferred learning style" helps you learn much better because it puts your innate "best"
learning mechanism to its best use. For example, if you are an auditory learner, you should put your
focus on learning by listening.
1 / 1 point
3.Question 3
One of the most important themes of this MOOC is (choose the single best answer):
The internal combustion engine is the most important development in today's society.
Horses are important today in how human history will continue to unfold.
Becoming aware of your own learning style is a key to your success in learning.
Don't just follow your passion—broaden your passion. Try to learn new concepts, skills, and ideas,
even if at first those new areas might not seem natural for you.
Correct
Yay for you—this is 100% correct!
1 / 1 point
4.Question 4
Select the single best true statement in accordance with the insights taught in this MOOC.
Reading books appears to lengthen people's lifespans—more so than reading magazines or

newspapers.
Research has shown that reading magazines or newspapers is better than reading books in
extending lifespans.
As this course describes, research has shown that it's best to work math problems in order to extend
your life--it's much better than reading books.
This MOOC made the point that technology is vital in today's society, and knowing about how
engines and other modern technology works has been shown by research to extend your life.
Correct
That's exactly right! One controlled study of well over 3,000 participants found that book readers had
a survival advantage over those who only read newspapers or magazines, or who didn’t read much
at all. Basically, book readers showed a 20% reduction in risk of mortality over the 12 years of follow
up compared to non-book readers.
1 / 1 point
5.Question 5
Select the following true statements in accordance with what has been taught in this MOOC.
If you have learned one skill or subject, aspects of what you have learned can be helpful even when
you are learning a very different subject or skill.
Correct
Exactly right! You learn how to learn better through your initial learning. But you can sometimes
transfer essential knowledge and ideas from one area into another, which can make it easier to learn
the second subject even if it seems to be unrelated to the first.
Paradigm shifts in science occur only due to insights from younger people who haven't yet been
indoctrinated into thinking the same way as everyone else.
Having a background in an unrelated field may make you feel intimidated when you try to learn a
new area or discipline—but it can eventually help you to be more innovative.
Correct
Exactly right! To use an analogy from the Harry Potter book series, you may feel like a muggle when
you're trying something new, but your seemingly unrelated background can give you secret
superpowers that will eventually show themselves! You will tend to see what's going on in your
discipline in a fresh way, and your background will give you very different insights from others.
Old or young, you may feel like you have a childlike incompetence when you are learning something
new, or you are changing disciplines or careers. This is typical. But the feelings of incompetence will
gradually pass. The creative power you bring to the table because of your willingness to change can
be invaluable.
Correct
Exactly right! This is a key idea of this MOOC.
1 / 1 point
6.Question 6
Part of the reason it's important NOT to procrastinate when you are learning something new and
difficult is:
Cramming has been shown by research to improve learning.
Your brain can only grow so many new neural synapses each day. Waiting until the last minute to
cram means that you'll be developing a poor neural architecture related to what you're learning.
Correct
Exactly right! This image gives an illustration of the new neural synapses that develop overnight
when you're learning something new.
Cramming has been shown by research to improve your brain's neuro-synaptic speeds.
The stress of an impending deadline can be uncomfortable, making it harder to learn.
You didn’t select all the correct answers

0.75 / 1 point
7.Question 7
If you ARE considering career change, or even simple second-skilling, three approaches you can
take are dabbling, leading a double life, or being a contrarian.
Correct
Bingo, that's correct!
When making a "mindshift," for example, by changing careers, it's important to remain open to what
is new around you, rather than reverting to old thought patterns.
Correct
100% correct--bravo!
If you keep getting deep indications that a certain career path is not for you--for example, you
repeatedly do very badly over several years on an important test for medical school--you should just
keep trying anyway. Sooner or later, you'll succeed by sheer willpower!
Well-thought-out career change, whether a small shift to a different department, or a major shift to a
whole new discipline, can help form a vitally important creative fuel for all societies.
Correct
Bravo, that's exactly right!
1 / 1 point
8.Question 8
Select the single true answer as described in this course.
Testosterone has what kind of effect on boys and girls and their beliefs about what they are
best at?
Testosterone can on average slightly delay boys' verbal abilities, leading boys to believe their math
abilities are better than their verbal abilities. This is even though boys and girls have the same
ability, on average, with math.
Testosterone can on average slightly enhance girl's mathematical abilities, leading girls to believe
their math abilities are better than their verbal abilities.
Testosterone can on average slightly delay girls' verbal abilities, leading girls to believe their math
Testosterone can on average slightly enhance boys' math abilities, leading boys to become better at
math.
Correct
Bravo, this is exactly correct!
1 / 1 point
9.Question 9
Getting your attention OFF the topic helps open up the very different diffuse mode circuits, and lets
your brain find new paths for thinking about what you’re trying to understand.
Correct
Bravo--this correct!
The relaxed, ―focused‖ mode is the mode that often does the background processing that helps us
solve difficult problems and understand difficult concepts.
Keeping your attention focused ON the topic helps open up the very different diffuse mode circuits,
and lets your brain find new paths for thinking about what you’re trying to understand.
The relaxed, ―diffuse‖ mode is the mode that often does the background processing that helps us
solve difficult problems and understand difficult concepts.
Correct
Good for you--you've got this right!
1 / 1 point
10.Question 10
(Select the single true option below) When it comes to listening to music:
You should never listen to music while studying.
Graphic lyrics improve reading comprehension.
You should use common sense and discover what works for you.
Louder volume improves material retention.
Correct
Exactly right--bravo!
1 / 1 point
11.Question 11
According to the videos of this course, you often subconsciously use two tricks to increase your
focus when trying to remember something. Select those tricks below.
Averting your gaze to avoid overloading your working memory
Correct
Bravo, this is precisely correct!
Closing your eyes to help ignore distractors.
Correct
Bravo, this is precisely correct!
Tapping your fingers to create a learning rhythm.
Humming "happy birthday"--the familiar tune will help you focus and maintain your attention.
1 / 1 point
12.Question 12
Chose the single best phrase to insert in the sentence below.
Even rude and mean people can be mentors to us--since they can show us what we
_________________want to be like.
really
always
seemingly
don't
Correct
Exactly correct!
1 / 1 point
13.Question 13
Chose the true answers below based on the content of this MOOC.
When we understand something through metaphor, we are putting into action the same neural
circuitry we use to understand the in-depth concept itself. That's why metaphors can be a powerful
tool to help us learn more easily and effectively.
Correct
Yup--that's right!
Mentors can even be online nowadays.
Correct
Bravo--that's right!
If you make a habit of reading not only material from your discipline, but also a little bit from outside
your discipline, you have a much better chance of bringing creative new perspectives to your
discipline.
Correct
Yes indeed--you're 100% correct!
Different environments can affect your emotions and how you think.
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
14.Question 14
Select the single best phrase to complete the sentence below.
The easiest way to decide whether an online learning experience is right for you is to check
out _____________________________.
an online ranking site, such as Class Central
YouTube
a library book
a TV special, as described in detail in one of the videos of this course
Correct
Yes, you're exactly right!
1 / 1 point
15.Question 15
Choose the best phrase from below to complete the sentence.
Research has shown that if you watch a professor on a video for about
______________________, you can get a good sense of how effective that professor actually
is.
30 minutes
30 seconds
An hour
Two weeks
Correct
Bravo, this is exactly right!
1 / 1 point
16.Question 16
Check the following true statements, according to the information we've given in Mindshift.
Words such as magnification, overgeneralization, and pejoratives represent labels that we can use
to help move your thoughts from emotions to more rational cognitions.
Correct
Bravo, that's exactly correct!
Real expertise requires only conceptual understanding, because you can always look anything up if
you need to.
Finding positive ways to think about a negative experience is beneficial.
Correct
In many instances, your previous background, even when seemingly unrelated, can prove to be a
surprising enhancement to your current job or studies.
Correct
Positive reframing is a way of turning on and amplifying your emotional feelings, which helps make
you feel better.
1 / 1 point
17.Question 17
Check the following true statements, according to the information we've given in Mindshift.
Real expertise can only be acquired through a college degree.
If you have a race car brain, just be aware—one of your biggest assets can become your biggest
liability if you get too used to thinking you’re always right and that you’re the smartest person around.
Correct
Bravo, that's true!
Memorizing an equation can help you understand that equation more deeply, especially if you’re
trying to understand what’s going on with that equation as you are memorizing it.
Correct
Bravo, that's true!
Practice, repetition, and some memorization can help you "chunk" key concepts and procedures--a
vitally important part of learning.
Correct
Yes, that's exactly right!
1 / 1 point
18.Question 18
Select the best single phrase to complete this sentence, based on this course.
Practice can help you develop _______________________________.
a sense of déjà vu.

repetitive brain function syndrome
memory lapses
neural chunks
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
19.Question 19
Select the true answers below based on the information in this MOOC.
"Fluorescent learning" is one of the best approaches for making ideas stick in your mind.
(H. Zell, own work, Fluorescence of Aragonite, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aragonit_-
_Fluorescence.gif)
Hobbies also play a role in your life of learning—not only do they make you happy, they help keep
your brain fresh and agile.
Correct
Bingo, that's right!
Being mediocre at a lot of things--having a "talent stack," can be valuable--don't discount the value
of your additional skills, even if you don't think you're the best at them.
Correct
Exactly right!
There usually isn’t much difference between someone who’d been working the same job six months
versus six years. Second-skilling doesn’t need to be as difficult as many people think. Skill
development curves are typically logarithmic, not linear.
Correct
That's right!
1 / 1 point
20.Question 20
Select the single best word based on this week's materials to complete the best sentence.
The best of online learning combines academia, with Silicon Valley, with a little bit of
_____________________________, and there's nothing wrong with that!
teaching
Hollywood
research
drudgery
Correct
Yay you--this is the correct choice!
1 / 1 point
21.Question 21
Select the true statements from below, based on this week's materials.
Exercise relates to your physical body and doesn't relate to your ability to learn.
A useful way to allow the new neurons to survive, thrive, and make new connections is to do
something truly new and different every day. This automatically presents your brain with novel
experiences.
Correct
Exactly right!
Learning a foreign language when you are older may also be especially worthwhile, because the
areas of the brain positively affected by language learning include many areas that are negatively af-
fected by aging.
Correct
This is very true.
In brain terms, if you don’t use it, you can lose it—no matter how innate and natural your gifts might
seem.
Correct
Yes indeed!
1 / 1 point
22.Question 22
Select the single best phrase or idea, based on the key ideas of this MOOC, to help complete the
sentence below.
Where ever you are in your career path, it can help to keep your eye on
_______________________________.
the weather
the MOOC you are planning to take
the big picture of societal trends
(This is because looking at change through history helps remind us that change is only to be
expected.)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMongol_Empire_map.gif, by User:Astrokey44
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
23.Question 23
Key ideas in this MOOC include which of the following points?
A really meaningful mindshiftoftenisn’t just about following your passions, but about broadeningyour
passions—re-envisioning yourself and the directions you can take, both in your private life and in
your career, and then taking the steps as a learner to make this revisioning a reality.
Correct
Bravo!
"Selective ignorance" of areas you don't like and don't want to be involved in is a bad idea. You
should learn areas that could turn you into an assistant for other people, even if you don't like those
areas or people.
People have the ability to learn and change at every age and stage and in virtually any direction.
Correct
Yes indeed!
People can often do more, change more, and learn more—often far more—than they’ve ever
dreamed possible. Our potential is hidden in plain sight all around us.
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
24.Question 24
Select the three true statements from below.
As Terry Sejnowski pointed out, "Can you remember the last time you got angry? How long did your
angry mood last?" This was used to make the point that emotions are typically slow in onset and can
last for a long time.
Correct
Bravo--exactly right!
Researcher Paul Ekman found 6 universal expressions of emotion in all the human societies that he
studied.
Correct
Yes indeed!
angry mood last?" This was used to make the point that emotions are typically fast to occur, and only
last a few moments.
For a long time emotions were considered unreliable compared with cognition. This has all changed
in the last few decades.
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
25.Question 25
Select the single best phrase from below, based on this MOOC, to complete the sentence.
Research has shown there is a counter correlation (when one goes up, the other goes down),
between school grades and ___________________________.
neatness
shoe size
friendliness
creativity
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
Final Examination
100%
1.Question 1
When you feel as if you've understood an idea or concept, that's a good signal that you have truly
mastered the materials. (Select the single best answer below.)
True. Your internal intuition is usually correct when it comes to whether you've truly mastered the
material.
True. That "click" of understanding ensures you have mastered the material.
False. You can easily fool yourself about whether you have understood the materials. And truly
mastering the materials takes a lot more than simple understanding--it also takes practice and
repetition. You should test yourself at every possible opportunity to ensure you have truly mastered
the material.
Correct
Bravo--this is the correct answer!
1 / 1 point
2.Question 2
In accordance with what was taught in this MOOC, select the true statements from below.
Open monitoring types of meditation, such as Vipassana and mindfulness, appear to

improve focused type thinking.
Correct
You've nailed it--this is 100% correct!
Focused attention types of meditation, such as mantra, sound, or chakra meditation, appear to help
enhance focused mode type thinking.
Correct
Yes indeed--this is exactly right!
Scientific research on meditation is still in its infancy, but researchers sometimes classify meditation
techniques into two types that seem to be fundamentally different: focused attention and open
monitoring.
Correct
You're right--congratulations!
1 / 1 point
3.Question 3
One of the most important themes of this MOOC is (choose the single best answer):
The internal combustion engine is the most important development in today's society.
Don't just follow your passion—broaden your passion. Try to learn new concepts, skills, and ideas,
even if at first those new areas might not seem natural for you.
Becoming aware of your own learning style is a key to your success in learning.
Horses are important today in how human history will continue to unfold.
Correct
Yay for you—this is 100% correct!
1 / 1 point
4.Question 4
Select the single best answer based on the teachings of Mindshift.
One of the very best ways to be the smartest person in the room is to
_____________________.
eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

study your own discipline with single-minded intensity.
make a habit of reading plenty of books, like Warren Buffet.
exercise on a daily basis.

Correct
Exactly right! As professional investor Jake Taylor notes: "I became determined to learn how Warren
Buffett had learned so much in one lifetime. Although both Mr. Buffett and his associate, Charlie
Munger, have exceptionally high IQs, I believe their astounding wisdom comes from reading so
many books. Their real competitive advantage is that they’ve simply out-read everyone else. Want to
be the smartest person in the room? It’s simple. Read more. Even just 20 minutes a day will get you
through 35 books in twelve months. Imagine how much smarter you’ll be one year from now having
read 35 books. Imagine three years from now and 100 books later. That will improve every decision
you make and interaction you have. It all compounds together to make for a richer, more successful
life."
1 / 1 point
5.Question 5
Paradigm shifts in science occur only due to insights from younger people who haven't yet been
indoctrinated into thinking the same way as everyone else.
If you have learned one skill or subject, aspects of what you have learned can be helpful even when
you are learning a very different subject or skill.
Correct
Exactly right! You learn how to learn better through your initial learning. But you can sometimes
transfer essential knowledge and ideas from one area into another, which can make it easier to learn
the second subject even if it seems to be unrelated to the first.
Old or young, you may feel like you have a childlike incompetence when you are learning something
new, or you are changing disciplines or careers. This is typical. But the feelings of incompetence will
gradually pass. The creative power you bring to the table because of your willingness to change can
be invaluable.
Correct
Exactly right! This is a key idea of this MOOC.
Having a background in an unrelated field may make you feel intimidated when you try to learn a
new area or discipline—but it can eventually help you to be more innovative.
Correct
Exactly right! To use an analogy from the Harry Potter book series, you may feel like a muggle when
you're trying something new, but your seemingly unrelated background can give you secret
superpowers that will eventually show themselves! You will tend to see what's going on in your
discipline in a fresh way, and your background will give you very different insights from others.
1 / 1 point
6.Question 6
The best strategies for tackling procrastination, as discussed in this course, are:
Doing what I can to remove distractions and maintain focus by doing things like:
 Setting small, realistic goals

 Eliminating the temptation of my cell phone
 Setting up helpful routines and habits.
Correct
Increase resiliency and resting state attitudes by:
 Relaxing whenever possible

 Disparaging myself when I do something wrong.
 Watching documentaries.
 Purchasing new clothing to create a fresh look and feel.
Increasing the expectancy of success and the certainty of being rewarded by doing things like:
 Taking action
 Patting myself on the back when I succeed
 Keeping myself inspired
 Planning ahead.
Correct
Doing what I can to increase the value and pleasantness of a task by doing things like:
 Finding the greater life's meaning in what I'm working on

 Finding ways to get into the "flow" of the material.
 Creating a sense of competition, either with myself or my colleagues.
 Turn whatever I'm doing into a game.
Correct
1 / 1 point
7.Question 7
Fill in the blank with the single most appropriate response according to this week's videos.
If you make a habit of reading, not only within your discipline or subject area, but also
devoting a little time to reading and learning seemingly completely unrelated material, you
have a much better chance of ______________________.
liking the original subject you work with, even if you don't like it very much to start with.
bringing creative new perspectives and approaches to your discipline through the metaphors that will
naturally develop in your mind.
learning twice as much.

relaxing and getting away from it all.
Correct
Bravo--this is exactly right!
1 / 1 point
8.Question 8
Select the single true answer as described in this course.
Testosterone has what kind of effect on boys and girls and their beliefs about what they are
best at?
Testosterone can on average slightly delay boys' verbal abilities, leading boys to believe their math
Testosterone can on average slightly delay girls' verbal abilities, leading girls to believe their math
Testosterone can on average slightly enhance boys' math abilities, leading boys to become better at
math.
Testosterone can on average slightly enhance girl's mathematical abilities, leading girls to believe
their math abilities are better than their verbal abilities.
Correct
Bravo, this is exactly correct!
1 / 1 point
9.Question 9
Correct
Bravo, exactly correct!
The focused mode helps us make intuitive leaps—connections between new ideas you didn’t
realize were connected.
When you’re concentrating intently on something and you find yourself growing frustrated, the best
thing you can do is often to get your concentration OFF what you’re trying to understand.
Correct
The diffuse mode helps us make intuitive leaps—connections between new ideas you didn’t realize
were connected.
Correct
The diffuse mode only turns on when you aren’t thinking of anything in particular, so you can’t just
concentrate and turn it on, like you can with the focused mode.
Correct
1 / 1 point
10.Question 10
(Select the single true option below) When it comes to listening to music:
Louder volume improves material retention.
You should use common sense and discover what works for you.
Graphic lyrics improve reading comprehension.
You should never listen to music while studying.
Correct
1 / 1 point
11.Question 11
Choose the single best answer to complete the sentence from the choices below, based on the
ideas of this MOOC.
In medical school, good memorizers can sometimes procrastinate when it comes to studying
for tests. This can result in ________________________________.
improved understanding of complex systems.
better terminology retention.
poor understanding of how complex systems function.
a better social life.
Correct
Three cheers--this is exactly correct!
1 / 1 point
12.Question 12
Chose the single best phrase to insert in the sentence below.
Even rude and mean people can be mentors to us--since they can show us what we
_________________want to be like.
don't
really
seemingly
always
Correct
Exactly correct!
1 / 1 point
13.Question 13
Chose the single best word or phrase to complete the sentence below.
Mentors aren't necessarily ___________________ figures who spend many hours brain-
storming and guiding you to your future.
silly
parent-like
unknown
eloquent
high ranking
Correct
1 / 1 point
14.Question 14
Select the best phrase to complete the following sentence:
In well-made videos for online learning, complex images should appear

________________________________.
all-at-once
first thing
part-by-part
with fluorescence, as shown in this image:

_Fluorescence.gif)
Correct
1 / 1 point
15.Question 15
Choose the best phrase from below to complete the sentence.
Research has shown that if you watch a professor on a video for about
______________________, you can get a good sense of how effective that professor actually
is.
30 minutes
An hour
30 seconds
Two weeks
Correct
Bravo, this is exactly right!
1 / 1 point
16.Question 16
Select the single best description of the term "imposter syndrome" as used in this course.
Imposters are those who think that the others around them are somehow better, more gifted, or
possessing more ability. Feeling like an imposter is a very common feeling when changing
professions or learning something new.
Imposters like to work as mannequins in department stores.

Imposters are those who don't follow their passions.
Imposters think of themselves as actors in a play.
Correct
Bravo, this is correct!
1 / 1 point
17.Question 17
Check the following true statements about the Pomodoro technique.
If distracting thoughts arise, you're not doing the Pomodoro technique correctly.
The Pomodoro technique is primarily meant to help you overcome feelings of shyness.
Distracting thoughts will sometimes arise when you are doing the Pomodoro technique. You just let
them flow right on by and then return your thoughts to your task.
Correct
Bravo--this is correct!
Once you've completed the 25 minutes of a Pomodoro, it's time for a reward.
Correct
Bravo--this is correct!
1 / 1 point
18.Question 18
Select the best single phrase to complete this sentence, based on this course.
Practice can help you develop _______________________________.
memory lapses
neural chunks
a sense of déjà vu.
repetitive brain function syndrome
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
19.Question 19
Select the true answers below based on the information in this MOOC.
Being mediocre at a lot of things--having a "talent stack," can be valuable--don't discount the value
of your additional skills, even if you don't think you're the best at them.
Correct
Exactly right!
"Fluorescent learning" is one of the best approaches for making ideas stick in your mind.
_Fluorescence.gif)
Hobbies also play a role in your life of learning—not only do they make you happy, they help keep
your brain fresh and agile.
Correct
Bingo, that's right!
There usually isn’t much difference between someone who’d been working the same job six months
versus six years. Second-skilling doesn’t need to be as difficult as many people think. Skill
development curves are typically logarithmic, not linear.
Correct
That's right!
1 / 1 point
20.Question 20
Select the following true statements from this week's materials on online learning.
The more time you devote to active elements of the MOOC like discussion forums and projects, the
more the material will stick with you.
Correct
Exactly right!
Online learning is generally inferior to face-to-face learning.
Don’t enroll in too many courses at the same time. You’ll get more out of your learning experience if
you study a few subjects deeply rather than many of them superficially.
Correct
Yes indeed!
To play it safe, it’s often a good idea to arrange to have twice the recommended time available just
in case when you are deciding whether to sign up for a MOOC.
Correct
Very good!
1 / 1 point
21.Question 21
Select the two most important true answers from the options below, based on this week's
discussions.
Part of the reason why there is such a range in the quality of university online materials is:
There is no accrediting authority for universities.
At many universities, especially the world's elite, the attention goes towards doing great research--
NOT great teaching.
Correct
Yes, that's right.
Universities are not used to competition in teaching.
Correct
That's right! This will slowly change in the years to come.
Universities have limited budgets.
1 / 1 point
22.Question 22
Select the single best phrase or idea, based on the key ideas of this MOOC, to help complete the
sentence below.
Where ever you are in your career path, it can help to keep your eye on
_______________________________.
the MOOC you are planning to take

the big picture of societal trends
(This is because looking at change through history helps remind us that change is only to be
expected.)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMongol_Empire_map.gif, by User:Astrokey44
the weather
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
23.Question 23
Select the true statements based on this course, from those listed below.
Mindshift—deep changes in life that occur through learning—is something that can be done at any
age, with any goal in mind.
Correct
That's right!
Background and training from the past that might at first seem entirely useless often proves valuable
in your new job or field.
Correct
Yes indeed!
Lifelong learning keeps our minds fresh as we age.
Correct
Correct!
"General competence," along with "selective ignorance," can be valuable in helping you toward
success in your career.
Correct
Yes!
Learning and change are only for young people.
1 / 1 point
24.Question 24
Select the three true statements from below.
Researcher Paul Ekman found 6 universal expressions of emotion in all the human societies that he
studied.
Correct
Yes indeed!
angry mood last?" This was used to make the point that emotions are typically fast to occur, and only
last a few moments.
angry mood last?" This was used to make the point that emotions are typically slow in onset and can
last for a long time.
Correct
For a long time emotions were considered unreliable compared with cognition. This has all changed
in the last few decades.
Correct
Exactly right!
1 / 1 point
25.Question 25
Select the single best phrase from below, based on this MOOC, to complete the sentence.
Research has shown there is a counter correlation (when one goes up, the other goes down),
between school grades and ___________________________.
neatness
creativity
friendliness
shoe size
Correct
Exactly right!

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1 Introduction – About Mindshift

The Value of Being a Slow Learner

The Fengjia Night Market in Taichung, Taiwan

The Value of Your Past

Should You Listen to Music When You're Studying?

We also described the importance of developing a library of

The Changing World – Matching Aspirations with Opportunity

Natural Passions, Career Choice, and Gender

Active learning. Try to actively do whatever you are trying to learn.

Is more distracting than musics without lyrics.

On average, boys and girls are roughly equivalent with their:

Correct Bravo--exactly correct!

Studies have shown that outdoor lighting promotes ______________________________.

confusion arousal laughter sleepiness alpha brain waves

On average, boys and girls are roughly equivalent with their:

verbal abilities ability to play the piccolo

Correct Exactly right!

Mindreading. You can believe virtually anything into reality.

Tricks your mind plays on you.

involves a network covering more widespread areas of the brain.

primarily involves the occipital lobe.

is centered on the cerebellum.

The Value of a Poor Memory

Having a poor memory can give you an unexpected advantage--increased creativity.

Correct Yes indeed, you're correct!

Correct Exactly right--terrific!

The Pomodoro Technique as Working Meditation

Getting Past Procrastination

Bad Grades and Barb's Hands – The Value of Mental Tricks

Learning to Reframe – Put a Label on It!

Integrate All Your Senses Into Learning – The Pitfalls of "Learning

Can You Try to Learn Too Much?

Your Social Brain

deeply felt emotions poetic thoughts

commit all information to memory

Passion and Work Part 1, 2 and 3

Mindshifting – What to Do in the Face of Opposition

General Competence versus Selective Ignorance

Bad Traits as Best Traits

Learning to pronounce the first fifty digits of the number π.

lazy sleepy creative creepy

How to Get the Most from MOOCs

Before enrolling in a MOOC, it's a good idea to investigate the following:

Dirty Little Secrets of Traditional vs Massive Online Teaching

A Visit to Barb's Basement: The Secret Sauce of Learning How to Learn

MOOC Tips Part 2 – Looking More Deeply Into Quality Learning

Mentors in Your Life

Read, Read, Read

Surviving in the New Information Economy

Discovering Your Hidden Potential

Video: Lecture4-1 Week 4 Introduction

Video: Lecture4-2 Why Should You Keep Learning?

Video: Lecture4-4 Dirty Little Secrets of Traditional vs Massive Online Teaching

Discussion Prompt: Best MOOCs and best MOOC-making!

Video: Lecture4-7 Mentors in Your Life

Video: Lecture4-8 Read, Read, Read

Discussion Prompt: Favorite book or author

Video: Lecture4-10 Week 4 Wrap Up

Video: Lecture4-11 Finale: Discovering Your Hidden Potential

Discussion Prompt: Share your Mindshift!

Quiz: Final Examination

Reading: Please Rate this Course on Class Central