Los pequeños descansos que ayudan al cerebro a aprender cosas nuevas
Summary
TLDRThe video script explores the counterintuitive concept that continuous studying or practicing isn't the most efficient way to learn. Instead, scientific studies suggest that taking breaks, or 'recesses' for the brain, can enhance learning by allowing the brain to consolidate information more durably. Researcher Leonardo Claudino's study on brief rest periods shows that the brain uses these intervals for rapid mental 'replay' of newly learned material. This process may transfer memories from the hippocampus to the neocortex for long-term storage. The script also touches on the benefits of sleep for learning and the importance of strategic breaks in teaching and rehabilitation, emphasizing the need for further research to determine the ideal break duration.
Takeaways
- 📚 Continuous studying or practicing isn't the most efficient way to learn something new.
- 🧠 Taking breaks or 'recesses' for the brain can actually enhance learning and memory consolidation.
- 🔬 Studies by Leonardo Claudino and colleagues have shown that the brain uses rest periods to mentally 'replay' what was just learned.
- 🎼 This replay process can help transfer memories from the hippocampus to the neocortex for long-term storage.
- 🛌 Sleep has long been known to aid in learning by allowing the brain to process and consolidate information without external distractions.
- 🔄 The new findings suggest that brief rest periods complement the consolidation process that occurs during sleep.
- 🚫 It's advisable not to practice to the point of exhaustion; instead, give the brain a chance to process and store new information.
- 👨🏫 For educators, planning rest periods during lessons can be beneficial as students' brains continue to work during these breaks.
- 💡 Strategic breaks can be particularly helpful for individuals with brain injury sequelae to maximize rehabilitation sessions.
- ⏱ There's no 'one-size-fits-all' duration for rest periods, but equal durations of practice and rest, like 10 minutes each, have shown positive results.
- 🧘 Cognitive psychologist Barbara Oakley explains that the brain operates in focused and diffuse modes, both of which are necessary for effective learning.
Q & A
What is the common instinct when preparing for an important exam, musical recital, or work presentation?
-The common instinct is to study and practice as much as possible without stopping to cram as much information as possible into the brain.
What do scientific studies suggest about continuous studying or practicing as a learning method?
-Scientific studies suggest that continuous studying or practicing is not the most efficient way to learn something new.
How do breaks or 'recess' for the brain help in the learning process?
-Breaks allow the brain to consolidate or record information more durably, which helps in better learning.
Who is Leonardo Claudino and what is his contribution to the study of brain learning during rest?
-Leonardo Claudino is a researcher and co-author of a study published by the United States National Institutes of Health in 2021, which explores how the brain learns during brief rest periods.
What did Claudino's study discover about the brain's activity during rest?
-The study discovered that the brain uses rest periods to perform a rapid mental 'replay' of what has just been learned.
What was the original goal of Claudino's research?
-The original goal of Claudino's research was to help patients who had suffered from cerebrovascular accidents to recover movements and skills.
How did the researchers analyze the brain activity of volunteers in the study?
-The researchers used magnetoencephalography to observe the brain activity of 33 right-handed volunteers as they learned to type a sequence of numbers with their left hand.
What does the brain's 'replay' during rest help achieve in terms of memory?
-The brain's 'replay' helps a memory transition from the hippocampus, where transient memories are stored, to the neocortex, where more durable long-term memories are kept.
How does sleep aid in the brain's processing and consolidation of learned information?
-Sleep helps because when we are asleep, the brain is not receiving as many external stimuli, allowing it to focus on consolidating the learned information.
What is the potential relationship between sleep and brief rest periods in terms of learning?
-Some scientists believe that sleep may encode a more complete experience or context, while brief rest periods might record more specific details or movements.
What is the recommended approach when learning something new according to the script?
-The recommended approach is not to practice to the point of exhaustion but to give the brain opportunities to process and store what is being learned.
How can teachers or coaches integrate the concept of rest into their teaching or training sessions?
-Teachers or coaches should plan for breaks during lessons or practice sessions, as these breaks allow students' brains to continue learning even when they are resting.
What is the ideal duration for these rest periods in learning?
-There is no 'magic recipe' for the most efficient rest duration for learning, but in the study mentioned, volunteers learned more when practice and rest durations were similar, such as ten minutes of practice followed by ten minutes of rest.
According to Barbara Oakley, how does the brain need to operate to learn effectively?
-According to Barbara Oakley, the brain needs to alternate between focused mode (when we are paying attention to something) and diffuse mode (when the brain is more relaxed) to learn effectively.
What does taking a break during practice, such as playing a piano song, entail?
-Taking a break during practice means pausing occasionally and either stopping the activity or doing something completely different that does not interfere with the brain's replay process.
Outlines
📚 The Power of Breaks in Learning
This paragraph discusses the common belief that continuous studying or practicing is the best way to prepare for important exams, performances, or presentations. However, recent scientific studies suggest that taking breaks is more efficient for learning. The brain consolidates and records information more durably during rest periods. Leonardo Claudino's study, published by the National Institutes of Health in 2021, reveals that the brain uses these breaks for a quick mental 'replay' of newly learned material. The study aimed to help stroke patients recover by analyzing the brain activity of volunteers learning to type a sequence with their non-dominant hand. Using magnetoencephalography, scientists discovered that during breaks, the brain replays what was just learned, aiding the transfer of memories from the hippocampus to the neocortex for long-term storage. The paragraph also touches on the known benefits of sleep for learning and the potential complementarity of sleep and breaks in learning processes.
🧠 Switching Modes for Effective Learning
The second paragraph delves into the brain's need to alternate between focused and diffuse modes for effective learning. It emphasizes the importance of taking breaks from focused activities, such as practicing piano, to allow the brain to consolidate knowledge without interference. The paragraph introduces Barbara Oakley's work, highlighting the two complementary modes of brain function: focused mode for attention-intensive tasks and diffuse mode for relaxed states. The advice is to avoid using breaks to learn something new, ensuring the brain has the opportunity to solidify the information from the previous focused session. The summary underscores the science-backed strategy of incorporating breaks to enhance the learning process.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Efficient learning
💡Consolidation
💡Rest periods
💡Mental replay
💡Hippocampus
💡Neocortex
💡Rehabilitation
💡Cognitive modes
💡Focused mode
💡Diffuse mode
💡Optimal duration
Highlights
Continuous studying or practicing is not the most efficient way to learn something new.
Scientific studies show that taking breaks can help consolidate learning more effectively.
The brain uses rest periods to perform a quick mental 'replay' of newly learned information.
Leonardo Claudino's study on how the brain learns during brief rest periods was published by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in 2021.
The study aimed to help stroke patients recover movements and skills.
Researchers analyzed the brain activity of 33 right-handed volunteers learning to type a sequence with their left hand.
The brain's 'replay' during rest periods was observed using magnetoencephalography.
The replay helps transfer memories from the hippocampus to the neocortex for long-term retention.
Good sleep has long been known to aid in processing and consolidating learned information.
The new discovery is the power of short breaks on the go for memory and learning.
Scientists believe that sleep and short breaks may complement each other in the consolidation process.
It is recommended not to practice to exhaustion when learning something new; allow the brain time to process and store information.
For educators, planning breaks during lessons or practice can be beneficial for students' learning.
People with stroke sequelae can also benefit from strategic breaks during rehabilitation sessions.
There is no 'magic recipe' for the most efficient type of break for learning, as it varies.
In the typing study, volunteers learned more when practice and rest durations were similar, such as 10 minutes each.
Cognitive psychologist Barbara Oakley explains the brain's focused and diffuse modes and their importance in learning.
To effectively learn, the brain needs to switch between focused and diffuse modes.
During breaks, avoid activities that interfere with the brain's replay of learned information.
Transcripts
Imagínate que vas a tener un examen muy importante, un recital musical
o una presentación en tu trabajo.
¿Cuál sería nuestro primer instinto?
Estudiar, estudiar, practicar y practicar lo más posible sin parar para meterle toda
la información posible a tu cerebro, ¿no?
Pero una serie de estudios científicos muestran que practicar o estudiar sin parar no es
la forma más eficiente de aprender algo nuevo.
De hecho, los nuevos descubrimientos muestran que hacer pausas o darle casi un “recreo”
a tu cerebro lo ayudan a aprender mejor.
Porque durante estos períodos de descanso tu cerebro puede consolidar o grabar de manera
más duradera gran parte de la información o las habilidades que quieres aprender.
El investigador Leonardo Claudino es coautor de un estudio publicado de los Institutos
Nacionales de Salud de Estados Unidos, publicado en el 2021, sobre cómo aprende el cerebro
durante breves períodos de descanso.
Y descubrió que el cerebro aprovecha estas pausas para hacer una “repetición” mental
súper rápida de lo que acaba de aprender, ya sea un concepto que estás aprendiendo
para la escuela, una nueva coreografía de baile o una canción nueva en el piano.
¿Pero cómo es que Leonardo y sus colegas descubrieron esto de nuestros cerebros?
Su investigación tenía como objetivo original ayudar a pacientes que han tenido accidentes
cerebrovasculares a recuperar movimientos y habilidades.
Para esto, analizaron la actividad cerebral de 33 voluntarios diestros mientras aprendían
a teclear una secuencia de números con la mano izquierda.
Primero, los voluntarios tenían que teclear tantas secuencias como fuera posible durante
diez segundos con su mano izquierda.
Luego, les pedían tomar un descanso de diez segundos.
Repitieron este ciclo 30 veces.
Usando una prueba llamada magneto-encefalografía, los científicos se dieron cuenta que, durante
las pausas, los cerebros de los voluntarios repetían
rápidamente lo que acababan de aprender.
Los investigadores creen que este replay del cerebro ayuda a que un recuerdo pase del hipocampo,
la parte del cerebro donde están nuestros recuerdos más transitorios, a zonas del neocórtex
o neocorteza.
Ahí es donde se quedan los recuerdos más duraderos a largo plazo.
Ya conocíamos un poco sobre este proceso de consolidación de conocimiento.
Los investigadores del sueño saben desde hace tiempo que dormir bien ayuda al cerebro
a procesar lo que ha aprendido y consolidar ese aprendizaje.
La razón es simple: cuando estamos dormidos, el cerebro no recibe tantos estímulos externos
y puede concentrarse en esta consolidación.
Lo nuevo ahora es el poder que tienen los pequeños descansos sobre la marcha para nuestra
memoria y aprendizaje.
Y aunque falta mucho por investigar, algunos científicos creen que a lo mejor ambos procesos
de consolidación se complementan: cuando dormimos, tal vez el cerebro codifique
una experiencia más completa, el contexto.
Pero estas pausas pequeñas quizás registren más detalles o movimientos más específicos.
Y ahora quizás te estás preguntando, ¿estos descansos nos ayudan para aprender cualquier
cosa?
Como dije antes, todavía falta mucho por investigar, pero lo que les consta a los científicos
es que si empiezas a aprender algo nuevo, sea lo que sea que estés estudiando, lo recomendable
es no practicar hasta el agotamiento.
Hay que dar oportunidad a nuestros cerebros de procesar y almacenar lo que queremos aprender.
Si eres profesor o maestro o das clases de algún deporte, esto mismo aplica para tus
alumnos.
Si vas a enseñarles algo nuevo, planea esas pausas durante la clase o la práctica.
Porque, aunque parezca que tus estudiantes están descansando, sus cerebros no paran
y siguen activos.
Y no solo las personas sanas pueden beneficiarse de estos campos de estudio.
Para las personas con secuelas de accidentes cerebrovasculares usar pausas estratégicas
puede ayudarles a aprovechar al máximo las sesiones de rehabilitación.
¿Y cuál es la duración ideal de estos descansos?
Todavía no tenemos una "receta mágica" para el tipo de descanso más eficiente para ayudar
al cerebro a aprender cada cosa.
Como los estudios científicos se realizan en entornos de laboratorio muy controlados,
lo que allí se observa no siempre es exactamente igual en la vida real.
Sin embargo, en el estudio que mencionamos antes, de aprender a teclear algo con la mano
izquierda, los investigadores observaron que los voluntarios aprendían más cuando la
práctica y los descansos tenían una duración similar.
Por ejemplo, diez minutos de práctica y diez minutos de descanso.
¿Y qué cuenta como un descanso?
Aquí entra el trabajo de la investigadora de psicología cognitiva Barbara Oakley, autora
del libro “Aprender a aprender”.
Ella explica que el cerebro funciona de dos formas distintas, que se complementan en el
aprendizaje: el modo enfocado (cuando estamos poniendo atención a algo) y el modo difuso
(cuando tu cerebro está más relajado).
El cerebro necesita cambiar entre el modo enfocado y el difuso para aprender de manera
efectiva.
Entonces, si estás practicando una canción en el piano, lo ideal es hacer pausa de vez
en cuando y, simplemente, dejar de tocar o hacer otra cosa completamente diferente que
no interrumpa con las repeticiones del cerebro.
O sea, que no uses tu descanso para aprender otra canción o practicar un idioma.
Dale chance a tu cerebro de consolidar ese conocimiento.
Así que ya sabes, si quieres aprender algo nuevo, la ciencia nos dice que cuando te tomas
un descanso, tu cerebro no se queda quieto.
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