LEARNING HOW TO

LEARN

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Have you ever felt frustrated at

learning?

Have you preferred doing things

other than studying?

Do you easily forget what youve

learned?

FEAR NOT!
Here are tips and facts that will
help you learn how to learn.

I GOT A C WHY?!

I read the whole book!

I created a conceptual map!
I watched the whole MOOC videos!
I studied all night long!

(Are these things you would normally say?)

ILLUSIONS OF LEARNING
Do you learn just by

Reading?
Highlighting?
Creating conceptual maps?
Studying one day before the test?
Watching videos?
Studying all at once?

HOW DO WE ACTUALLY LEARN?

Focused mode vs. diffused mode

Working memory vs. long-term memory
Chunks

WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR BRAIN?

FOCUSED MODE

Intense concentration
Certain degree of
familiarity with the
concepts/problems
Important for chunk
formation

DIFFUSE MODE

Relaxation (even while

sleeping)
New insights
Based on preliminary
thinking (focused mode)
Big picture perspective

Both are important for learning and problem solving, but they appear at
different times/ways.

I DONT REMEMBER THAT!

WORKING MEMORY

LONG-TERM MEMORY

Short-term
Immediate use
Limited capacity for
holding information
Repetition is needed
Handles new
information for a
short period of time

Long-term
Lasting use
Unlimited capacity for
holding information
Revisit is useful
Takes time and
practice to store new
information

CHUNKS

Pieces of information bounded together

through meaning or use*.

We learn through chunks:

When they are gathered together, they are

more easy to remember and help us see
the larger picture.
*Barbara Oakley (2014). A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and
Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)

CHUNK FORMATION

Focused
attention

Understanding

Practice

TIPS TO AVOID ILLUSIONS (AND

ACTUALLY LEARN)

Focus and understand what you are

learning.
Recall what you have learned.
Use study intervals (not everything at
once).
Practice.
Have relaxation periods.
Test yourself.

ILL DO IT AS SOON AS...

Sounds familiar?
We all have fallen victim to procrastination:
Postponing things for later.

WHY DO WE DO THAT?

Its easy.
It could be a bad habit.
It makes us feel good for a while.
We avoid things that make us uncomfortable.
We see the product as a never-ending and
difficult task.

TIPS TO AVOID
PROCRASTINATION

Focus on the process, not the product.

Ignore distractions.
Find (create) a comfort place to study.
Have positive feelings towards learning.
Reward yourself.
Use the pomodoro technique:
Set

time to work and then to relax

(e.g. 25 minutes 5 minutes)

FINAL SUGGESTIONS
Switch
betwe
en
focuse
d and
diffus
e
mode

Form
chun
ks

Rewa
rd
yours
elf

Enjoy
your
learni
ng

Practi
ce

Avoid
distrac
tions

HOPE IT HELPS!
Thanks!

REFERENCES

Barbara Oakley (2014). A Mind For

Numbers: How to Excel at Math and
Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)

Barbara Oakley (2014). Learn how to learn

MOOC videos