The Feynman Technique

Named after Richard Feynman, this learning technique is useful for anyone, to
learn basically anything at a deeper level, in a short period of time. Instead of
using the passive learning method that is less effective, the Feynman
technique is an active way of learning.

Indeed, this technique is the exact technique Richard implemented to master

his exams in Princeton University, stated out clearly by James Gleick, in his
biography of Feynman.

You can use the Feynman technique to:

 Learn a new concept or knowledge in a short period of time.

 Understand a topic or study you don't really "get".

  Improve knowledge retention after your studies regardless you're a
student, employee, or employer.

 Preparing to memorize a set of information for a presentation or an

exam that usually take a huge amount of time (and stress) to produce a
lousy result, the Feynman technique delivers a better result in less time
(you can achieve the desired results in less than 30 minutes.)

 Making an idea or concept your own by delivering it in your own words

with your personal experiences and input. In another word, steal like an
artist.

Let's go through the Feynman technique so you can implement this to learn
anything faster and better.

Step 1: choose your concept

Step 1 doesn't sound like a step at all. But this is one common mistake people
made in their learning. Failing to draw a clear line and define what concept we
want to learn is the guaranteed way to waste all the time and energy you
invest into your study.

The first step is to select the concept you want to learn. If the concept is new
to you, walk through it for one to two times before you proceed to step two.
Take out a blank piece of paper and write the title out on top of the page.

Step 2: teach it (to a toddler)

Now, write down everything you know to explain the concept. Pretend like
you’re teaching it (not to an expert or your professor) but to a toddler. This
eases off the pressure to get everything right and helps you to revise the
concept you just learned in your own words. Avoid using any jargon
vocabularies in this step because that usually how we fool ourselves.

This step is crucial because it doesn't only revise what you have already
known, it also reveals and pinpoints the areas that you don't fully understand.
Step 3: fill in the gaps
There will be questions and gaps pop up when we are doing step two. No
worries, that’s the point of using this technique. You now have a clearer
picture of what you know and what you still don’t know.

Go back to the materials to fill in the gaps. This process helps you to
understand the knowledge at a deeper level. Repeat step 2 and 3 until you
feel you can understand and explain the concept completely.

Step 4: review and simplify

Review the final concept you get. If you are using overly wordy or confusing
language, or you simply rephrase the paragraphs without truly understand the
concept, try again so you filter the content.

Simplify your vocabularies and language so you’re explaining it in your own

analogy. One way to do this is by pretending you’re teaching verbally. If you’re
using your own words and have a complete grip on the concept, your speech
and presentation should be smooth without very little lags.
Final thoughts
This technique reminds me of my years in the university where I spent very
little time memorizing, but a great deal of time in explaining the lecture to my
friends (before I understand a topic entirely) and revising on the gaps I found I
didn’t understand.

This not only a useful learning technique but also a great window for us to see
perspectives of genius in learning. Learning it not about remembering, but
understanding. How do you know when you understand a certain concept?
When you can explain it simply in your own words.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”