Most viewed Study Advice is Wrong (Learning Expert reacts)

Summary

In this video, Dr. Justin Sun critiques and analyzes Marty Lobdell's popular study techniques video, which has garnered 22 million views. Sun, a learning researcher and coach, discusses the evolution of learning science over the past 12 years, emphasizing the importance of learning efficiency and the quality of knowledge acquired. He delves into concepts like active learning, the role of environment in studying, and the misuse of rote memorization. Sun also addresses the significance of understanding versus memorizing facts, the value of study groups, and the necessity of sleep for memory consolidation. He provides modern insights and methods for effective learning, advocating for strategies like the SQ3R technique and the use of mnemonic devices.

Takeaways

• 📈 Study efficiency is not just about covering more content in less time; it's about the quality of knowledge acquired and the ability to retrieve and apply it effectively.
• ⏰ The Pomodoro Technique is recommended for maintaining focus during study sessions, suggesting that studying for 30 minutes followed by a short break can improve efficiency.
• 🛋️ The environment plays a significant role in study habits, with dedicated study spaces and environmental cues like a 'study lamp' enhancing focus and productivity.
• 💤 Sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, and inadequate sleep can significantly impair learning efficiency and the retention of information.
• 🔍 Active learning strategies such as teaching others, using analogies, and engaging with the material through questioning and self-testing are more effective than passive reading or highlighting.
• 📚 Textbooks are valuable learning tools when used correctly with strategies like SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) to enhance understanding and retention.
• 📝 Note-taking immediately after lectures helps in consolidating the information and fighting against rapid knowledge decay.
• 🧠 Cognitive habits and the ability to process information effectively are more important for learning than just attention and focus.
• 🔑 Understanding the difference between memorizing facts and grasping concepts is vital, with the latter providing a deeper and more lasting learning experience.
• 🔄 The order of learning information may not always align with the presentation order, and reordering information to suit one's own understanding is a key part of effective learning.
• 📉 Recognition and recollection are not the same; being able to recognize information does not equate to being able to recall it, highlighting the importance of active retrieval practice.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video being reacted to in the script?

The main topic of the video is about efficient studying methods, specifically reacting to Professor Marty Lobdell's 'Study Smart' video, which has been viewed millions of times.

Who is reacting to the video and what is their background?

Dr. Justin Sun is reacting to the video. He is a learning researcher, a learning coach, and the head of learning at 'I Can Study', where he has helped thousands of learners around the world to learn more efficiently.

What is the critique on the efficiency graph presented in the video?

The critique is that the efficiency graph does not have numbers on the axis, which makes it difficult to understand and measure the efficiency of learning. Efficiency is not just about covering more content in less time but also about the quality of knowledge built and the ability to retrieve it.

What is the Pomodoro Technique mentioned in the script and how is it suggested to be used?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves studying for a set period (e.g., 25 minutes) followed by a short break (e.g., 5 minutes). It is suggested to be used to maintain focus and attention, which can improve learning efficiency.

Why is studying in the same environment where other activities are performed not recommended?

Studying in an environment where other activities like sleeping, socializing, and eating take place can be distracting and make it difficult to focus. The environment should be dedicated to studying to create the right psychological cues for learning.

What is the importance of creating a dedicated study area according to the script?

Creating a dedicated study area helps in associating that space with learning, which can improve focus and make the act of studying more automatic. It also helps in training the mind to study while seated in that area.

What is the significance of the 'study lamp' experiment conducted at the University of Hawaii?

The 'study lamp' experiment demonstrated that by using a specific lamp only for studying, students were able to create a focused study environment. This simple change led to an increase in their grade point average compared to a control group.

What is the difference between learning facts and understanding concepts as discussed in the script?

Facts are discrete pieces of information, while concepts are the understanding of how things work or are interconnected. The script emphasizes that while facts can be easily looked up, understanding concepts is more important for long-term retention and application.

How does sleep affect learning according to the script?

Sleep, particularly rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, which is the process of moving information from short-term to long-term memory. Inadequate sleep can hinder this process, leading to poor retention of learned material.

What is the SQ3R method mentioned in the script and why is it effective for studying from textbooks?

The SQ3R method stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. It is effective because it encourages active engagement with the material by asking questions before reading, looking for answers while reading, and reinforcing the information through recitation and review.

What are mnemonics and how are they suggested to be used in the script?

Mnemonics are memory aids that help in recalling information. They can include acronyms, coined sayings, and interacting images. The script suggests using mnemonics for memorizing facts, especially when the information is a checklist or a list that needs to be recalled in a specific order.

What is the role of study groups in effective learning as per the script?

Study groups are suggested as an underutilized resource for learning. They can help in understanding complex concepts by discussing and explaining them to each other, thus reinforcing learning and potentially leading to better performance.

What is the importance of active learning techniques like teaching someone else or explaining to an empty chair?

Active learning techniques such as teaching someone else or explaining to an empty chair are important because they involve the act of retrieval, which is a powerful way to reinforce learning. It also helps in identifying gaps in understanding.

Why is it suggested not to highlight everything while studying from a textbook?

Highlighting everything in a textbook is discouraged because it can lead to a lack of focus on the most important information. It's better to identify key points for highlighting to ensure that the brain can easily distinguish and remember the most critical information.

What is the significance of the 'meaningful learning' discussed in the script?

Meaningful learning refers to the process of relating new information to what one already knows, making it easier to organize and retrieve. The script emphasizes that meaningful learning is more effective than rote memorization and involves creating a network of connected information.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Efficient Studying

The video begins with the host, Dr. Justin Sun, introducing the topic of efficient studying by reacting to Professor Marty Lobdell's popular study techniques video. Dr. Sun, a learning researcher and coach, contrasts his experience with Lobdell's authority on the subject. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the concept of learning efficiency, which is not just about speed but also the quality of knowledge retained and its applicability. The host invites viewers to like the video for better algorithm visibility and promises to dissect the key points of efficient studying from Lobdell's perspective.

05:02

🕒 The Study Efficiency and Breaks Debate

This paragraph delves into the concept of study efficiency, highlighting the lack of numerical indicators on efficiency scales as a common point of confusion. Dr. Sun explains that efficiency is not merely about speed but also about the quality and retrievability of knowledge. He discusses the importance of outcome focus, suggesting that one should measure study efficiency based on the time taken to reach a desired level of knowledge retention and application. The video also touches on the detrimental effects of prolonged studying without breaks, advocating for the Pomodoro Technique to maintain focus and recharge attention.

10:03

🌿 Environmental Cues and Study Habits

The speaker discusses the impact of environmental cues on study habits, citing a study from the University of Hawaii that experimented with using a dedicated lamp for studying to create a focused study environment. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of having a specific study area and how it can improve academic performance. Dr. Sun adds his own recommendations for creating an effective study environment, such as using noise-cancelling headphones and screen dividers to minimize distractions.

15:04

🧠 Cognitive Habits and Conceptual Understanding

The paragraph focuses on the difference between rote memorization and understanding concepts, with Dr. Sun arguing that while memorization can be effective, true learning comes from understanding and being able to apply knowledge. He explains that grasping concepts allows for long-term retention and is more valuable than memorizing facts, which can be easily looked up. The speaker also touches on the advantages and disadvantages of different learning techniques and the importance of self-regulated learning.

20:04

🔁 The Importance of Repetition and Meaningful Learning

This section of the script discusses the effectiveness of repetition in learning, using the alphabet as an example to illustrate how associating information with meaning can enhance memory retention. Dr. Sun points out that creating meaning is more effortful than superficial learning but is essential for deeper understanding. He also addresses the common misconception that creating meaning doesn't require effort, clarifying that it does and that this effort is beneficial for learning.

25:06

📝 Note-Taking and Active Learning Techniques

The speaker emphasizes the importance of active learning strategies such as note-taking and teaching others. He suggests that expanding on notes immediately after a class helps consolidate learning and fight against rapid knowledge decay. Dr. Sun also recommends teaching an empty chair as a method of retrieval practice, which reinforces understanding and reveals gaps in knowledge.

30:07

💤 Sleep and Memory Consolidation

In this paragraph, the focus is on the critical role of sleep in memory consolidation. Dr. Sun explains the process of sleep-dependent memory consolidation and how inadequate sleep can hinder the brain's ability to store and retain information. He advises students to prioritize sleep over excessive studying, as sleep deprivation can significantly impair cognitive function and learning efficiency.

35:09

📚 Textbook Study Techniques and SQ3R

The speaker introduces textbook study techniques, specifically the SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review), as an effective way to engage with textbook content. Dr. Sun acknowledges that while the method may seem outdated, it still provides a structured approach to learning from textbooks. He encourages students to use this technique to enhance their study sessions and improve information retention.

40:09

🧠 Pneumonics and Analogies for Memorization

The final paragraph discusses the use of pneumonics and analogies as memory aids for memorization. Dr. Sun explains different types of pneumonics, such as acronyms and coined sayings, and their effectiveness in recalling lists of information. He also highlights the power of analogies in understanding complex concepts, as they require a deep level of understanding to create an accurate and comprehensive analogy.

Keywords

💡Efficient studying

Efficient studying refers to the practice of learning in a way that maximizes the retention and understanding of information in the shortest amount of time. In the video, the concept is discussed in terms of not just covering more content quickly, but focusing on the quality of knowledge acquired and the ability to apply it. An example from the script mentions that studying for a long time without breaks can lead to a decrease in efficiency due to mental fatigue.

💡Learning science

Learning science encompasses the research and understanding of how people learn and the most effective methods to facilitate learning. The video mentions that a lot has changed in learning science over the last 12 years, indicating the evolving nature of educational strategies and the importance of staying updated with new findings.

💡Cognitive habits

Cognitive habits are the mental practices and strategies that individuals use to process and retain information. The script discusses the importance of developing these habits for effective learning, noting that simply having focus and attention is not enough; one must also have the fundamental cognitive habits to process information deeply and consolidate it into their knowledge network.

💡Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. In the video, it is suggested as a way to maintain focus and prevent burnout during study sessions, emphasizing the importance of taking regular breaks to recharge and enhance overall study efficiency.

💡Environmental cues

Environmental cues are the stimuli in our surroundings that can influence our behavior and focus. The script talks about how the environment can significantly impact a student's ability to study, such as using a dedicated study lamp to create a study environment and turning away from the bed to avoid the cue that it's time to sleep.

💡Rote memorization

Rote memorization is a learning method where information is memorized exactly as it is, without necessarily understanding the underlying concepts. The video script critiques this method, suggesting that while it can work, it is not the most efficient or effective way to learn, especially in college where understanding concepts is more important than memorizing facts.

💡Conceptual understanding

Conceptual understanding involves grasping the abstract ideas and principles behind the facts. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding concepts over memorizing facts, as concepts provide a deeper and more lasting form of knowledge that can be applied in various situations.

💡Study groups

Study groups are collaborative learning sessions where students come together to discuss and understand course material. The script mentions the benefits of study groups, such as the ability to gain new insights and clarify misunderstandings through peer-to-peer teaching.

💡Active learning

Active learning is an approach to education where students engage in activities that require them to actively manipulate and reflect on the material being studied. The video script suggests that techniques such as teaching an empty chair or writing notes in one's own words are forms of active learning that can enhance understanding and retention.

💡Mnemonics

Mnemonics are memory aids or techniques that help in remembering information. The script discusses various types of mnemonics, such as acronyms and analogies, as effective tools for memorizing facts, especially when the information is a discrete list or needs to be recalled in a specific order.

💡Sleep and memory consolidation

Sleep and memory consolidation refers to the process by which the brain strengthens and reorganizes memories during sleep. The video script highlights the importance of adequate sleep for learning, explaining that sleep deprivation can negatively impact the consolidation of new information and lead to poor retention.

Highlights

Reacting to Mighty Lobdell's 'Study Smart' video, which has been viewed 22 million times.

Dr. Justin Sun introduces himself as a learning researcher and coach, providing context for his perspective on the video.

The importance of understanding the concept of learning efficiency and its measurement.

The average student's study efficiency graph is discussed, highlighting the need for an outcome focus in learning.

The ineffectiveness of prolonged studying without breaks, and the negative reinforcement it creates.

The Pomodoro Technique is recommended for maintaining focus and studying efficiency.

The role of environmental cues in study habits and the impact of studying in multi-purpose rooms.

Creating a dedicated study area with a 'study lamp' to enhance learning focus.

The difference between rote memorization and deeper processing for effective learning.

The value of understanding concepts versus memorizing facts in learning.

The impact of sleep on memory consolidation and the importance of adequate rest for learning efficiency.

The misconception of highlighting as a study method and the difference between recognition and recollection.

The effectiveness of teaching others as a learning method and the importance of retrieval practice.

The use of SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) as a textbook study technique.

Mnemonic devices like acronyms, coined sayings, and interacting images for memorizing facts.

The power of analogies in learning and the importance of creating accurate and comprehensive analogies for understanding complex concepts.

Final thoughts on the value of Marty Lobdell's video and the evolution of learning science over the past 12 years.

Transcripts

today we're going to be reacting to one

of the most viewed videos on learning

and studying that has ever been posted

it is Mighty lobdell's study L study

smart which has been viewed 22 million

times which I think is going to be

interesting because number one I haven't

actually seen this and number two a lot

has changed in the learning science over

the last 12 years so I'm going to be

really interested to see what Professor

Lobdell has got to say if you're new to

this Channel and you're wondering who

the heck are I am to be reacting to

Professor lobdell's talk I'm Dr Justin

sun and compared to Professor Lobdell

I'm really no one but I'm a learning

researcher and a learning coach and the

head of learning at I can study for the

last 10 years I have helped thousands of

Learners around the world learn more

efficiently before we jump into the

video I would appreciate it if you could

give this video a like it really does

help with the algorithm without further

Ado Professor Lobdell are hand it over

to you I don't so I'm going to pick out

kind of the most important things and

make sure I get to those right off the

bat let's say this is efficient studying

and I know there are no numbers there

but higher means more efficient lower

means low or no efficiency and this axis

we're looking at time here's what

happens for the average student for her

6 o'cl in the evening after okay I'm

going to let them cook don't worry but

it's an interesting point the fact that

there's no numbers on the axis of

efficiency that is actually something

that people struggle with is

understanding how do you know whether

you learning is more or less efficient

it's actually really challenging because

we don't actually have a really good

concept of what efficiency is a very

technical thing to try to get an

understanding of efficient is not just

covering more content in a shorter

amount of time because learning is about

what you're able to do with the

knowledge so you have to actually

measure your efficiency based on the

quality of knowledge that you're

building if for example you studied a

lot you know covered a lot of content in

a short period of time but you're not

able to retrieve that knowledge or you

can retrieve it but you can only

retrieve it in a very very very simple

way it wasn't actually efficient when

you compare it to what you needed to do

with that so there's an outcome Focus

there and I teach this in my program in

a lot more depth but the nutshell of

this is figure out how you need to use

your knowledge and then think how long

does it take for me to get to the level

of retention that I need for the level

of knowledge that I need and then look

at the total amount of time that it took

to do that so that includes not just the

amount of time that you spend on a

single day studying but also how long

does it take for you to cover all your

flash cards that you need to cover as

well as any practice tests and whatever

like the total amount of time spent to

study to reach the level of knowledge

you need to retrieve and use the

knowledge that you need to use it at at

the level of retention that you think is

optimal and desirable and necessary that

will give you the information around

your learning

efficiency anyway moving on after her

supper at The Residency dining hall she

popped herself down at her little study

area and started studying but here's

what

happened by about

6:30 she was in a major slump but what

was her goal the to study 6 hours so she

continued to sit at her little desk and

stare at

Pages until

midnight she was at her desk six hours

how long did she actually study about 20

30 minutes now there's a simple conduct

in Psychology that all of you are aware

of things that are reinforced we tend to

do more of things that are punished or

ignored we tend to do less of you know

we operate by those principles to a

large

degree if you're sitting there for 6

hours are you good no once you get here

you're looking at your book going I hate

geography I hate literature I hate

psychology all the things we're trying

to get you to fall in love with you're

hating it and so her actual good

studying was followed by five and a half

hours of pain and misery I would bet you

I don't know for a fact that as the

quarter progressed she sat

down and finally she was done before she

even started she sat down and just

stared at a book and she fled every

class now now had she taken this little

seminar or figured things out on her own

she'd know what to do first rule the

moment you start to slide you're

shoveling against the tide what you need

to do is what take a break here's what's

cool about it you can study for a half

hour it doesn't take a half hour break

to recharge your batteries for most

people about five minutes and this is

where you go away do something fun for

five minutes call a friend talk to a

child talk to a parent a roommate enjoy

some music do something you enjoy and

actually say this is my treat for having

studied for 30 minutes effectively go

back and here's what happens your

efficiency is nearly 100% study a half

hour take a break study a half hour

study a half hour now had she done that

over a course of six hours she would

have got about 5 and a half hours of

serious studying and about a half hour

total break time I so overall solid

advice right I can't fold it I would not

dare to you know really put much vote on

Mighty Lobdell cuz he's kind of like a

legend honestly but it's not actually

quite accurate because what you're

actually refreshed on is not your

efficiency it is your focus and

attention which is not always the same

thing thing if all it took to learn

effectively was attention and focus it

would actually be a relatively easy

thing a lot of people can study with

good focus and and good attention for a

short amount of time but then their

actual performance with that knowledge

is not always the same again it depends

on the way that you can uh retrieve that

knowledge so if you've ever learned

something and at the same like let's say

that the teacher just explained

something to you in class and you were

focused and you were paying attention

and you're trying to figure it out and

your friend is able to figure it out and

they get it and then they can explain it

to you in a way that is very simple and

like they've clearly understood it but

you weren't able to do that it wasn't

cuz you weren't paying attention it's

not CU you weren't focused it's not CU

you weren't you know energetic enough

it's because you lacked the fundamental

cognitive habits to process the

information in a way that allowed you to

make sense of it unpack it and

consolidate it back into your network

and that's a cognitive process taking a

break doesn't necessarily mean you

suddenly magically gain that skill it is

great for rejuvenating your

focus like 100% should you do this RIS

timing yes I I strongly encourage it it

is going to allow you to stay focused

for a longer period of time

100% is that the thing that actually

improves your learning

efficiency only if your efficiency is

mostly held back by declining focus and

energy is that the case for most people

probably for most people a big part of

their studying efficiency is capped

because their focus only lasts for 20 to

30 minutes and that will help when you

do this you'll realize that's no longer

a problem for you anymore if you still

have difficulties and you still struggle

it means that the thing that's holding

you back now is something else you still

improved you're still getting better but

now there's just another thing and as

you continue to R these barriers you

just get bitter and bitter and bitter

and that's the self-regulated learning

game that's how you become an efficient

learner let me ask you what's the

primary function of a bedroom what's the

secondary

function good most groups go I go take

py 20 225 to learn about it it's

functional okay primary function of a

dining T eating primary function of a

living

area Okay Recreation socializing right

now a lot of students don't realize how

much we're controlled by environmental

cues a piece of research then at

University of Hawaii researchers asked

the students what's the biggest problem

with studying they said we can't get

into it the university in question had

primarily dorm rooms very few computer

students to the university most of you

seen a dorm

room oh okay most of you seen a dorm

room they're usually rectangular if it's

a tuplex one side bed another side of

bed everything kind of mirr image study

area study area right you got a closet

or wardrobe so it's real interesting in

one room you sleep you groom you talk

with people you socialize you study you

snack you're all in one room it's a

multi-purpose room and yet you're

supposed to study if your door is open

what happens everybody hey L what's up

you know and then they got to come in

and talk to you very quickly you can't

get to studying well the professors

heard that the students couldn't get

into studying but they knew what the

dorms looked like in the Hawaiian dorms

all of the rooms had a goose neck lamp

so the professor said we're going to try

a little experiment take that lamp make

a little sign and put it on it study

lamp Okay use it only for studying you

don't dress by it you don't have BS

sessions by it you don't snack by it you

don't clean the room by it nothing you

use the other lights for all other

functions there's the way works and it's

so easy everyone of you can do this get

a little lamp you probably have one

already if you don't my gosh yard sale

garage s you pick them up for nothing

get that lamp and it becomes your study

lamp so if you have to study in your

bedroom turn your desk away from the bed

that's the like how you been to the mall

it makes you want to go to sleep by the

way you can't study in the bed it's also

bad for your back if you know about

posture turn your back to the bed have a

blank wall have your lamp have your

books ready to go because you can Fu

away a lot of time getting ready can't

you how many of you can futs and Fs yeah

you're ready to go turn on the lamp and

start studying the moment you lose your

Edge 15 20 30 minutes later turn the

lamp off get up and leave the desk what

you're training yourself to study while

seated there and it becomes increasingly

automatic as did the raising of the hand

you sit turn the lamp on and you're

ready to go it's like magic the students

who did that were one grade point higher

the next term compared to the control

group that didn't do it one grade point

simply by creating a study area now if

you study in the kitchen dining remove

all food cues because I know what

happens there you start thinking turkey

in the fridge so it's a kind of a

longish point there to make but it's an

important point which is that yes your

environment really makes a big

difference to your focus and your

behaviors in general and this is all

kind of modern behavioral change and

recommendations should really be focused

on trying to change your environment and

obviously it's the same for you know

getting distracted by things and

procrastinating a few things that I'll

add onto this the principles in theory

are perfectly sound like nothing really

has changed too much since this talk but

a lamp is great actually got a lamp

right here on my disc as well that I

turn on when I really need to get my

focused work done but there's a few

other things like having a good set of

headphones that you know like a

Bluetooth like noise cancelling

headphones there's a very specific app

that I personally use to create like

white noise and block out those types of

distractions I think it's just called

White Noise light or something White

Noise light or White Noise app or

something like that and so that's just

an app that I'll use to create kind of

like a auditory focus zone if you do

study in your bedroom do not study in

your bed like you know Maria is saying

it's honestly a really really bad thing

to do and I know a lot of people do I

know it's comfortable but that's not the

point like it's going to ruin your sleep

and it's going to ruin your studying

like once you start ruining your sleep

and your study simultaneously by

studying in bed it's such an uphill

battle to try to fight against that so

don't do that turn your desk away from

the bed another thing that you can try

to find is like screen dividers or

dressing room dividers they're basically

these like fold out kind of panels and

you can pick them up off like you know

like Amazon or somewhere for like 5 10

bucks and you can just stick them

against the wall when you're not using

them but then when you do need to use

them you put them behind your desk like

behind your chair to create almost like

a little cubicle of focus for yourself

and you can have your you know your lamp

on your headphones on and it creates a

really really really great like focused

environment what I used to do is I used

to also put kind of old blankets over

the dividers as well so it actually

creates like a thick like more

soundproof wall anyway these are some of

the things that you can do but you want

to try to manipulate and change that

environment as much as possible as you

can see obviously here like this is my

office this is my space I do not

recreate at all in this area like this

is an area I use only for work and study

if I'm just chilling I'll take my laptop

and I'll take it upstairs if I want to

play games like I've got a PlayStation I

bought a PlayStation because I do not

want to actually play games on my you

know MacBook or my desktop or whatever

it is like I want to have a dedicated

space and a dedicated console for just

like chilling out and playing games few

little tips yeah swiss cheese in the

fridge oh yeah sand when you're reading

it over and over or saying it over and

over the term for that is rote

memorization spelled r o te it can work

it is the way most of us were taught in

elementary school the way I understand

it a lot of Asian schools depend heavily

on rote and some of you may be darn good

at it and if you can memorize and

actually understand by repetition and

it's effective for you don't change but

for most of us it's not the most

efficient or effective way I would argue

just you should still change there just

there's no benefit the way to learn

efficiently in college first you have to

decide what am I learning is it a

concept or wait so just one one thing is

that most people don't know how to know

if they understand something and this is

the problem with a lot of like speed

reading techniques is that they say ah

not only am I increasing my reading

speed but my comprehension is also

really high how do you even measure your

comprehension what does comprehension

even mean you got to understand that

when you test someone's comprehension we

say that word as if it means something

else but it's not it is actually just

learning and it is incredibly difficult

to test someone's learning at all the

different levels that you need to test

it at a lot of these you know techniques

they say I'm going to double or triple

your reading speed and then your

comprehension is going to be 80 90 you

know 100% and the way that they're

testing the comprehension is just like

literal like hug fact recall and it's

like to be honest that is the least

important type of comprehension to even

test on so there's an issue is that if

you are relying a lot on these like rot

memorization repetitive strategies then

you're probably not even aware that you

need to test your understanding of that

knowledge at different levels of

complexity as well and if you are doing

that then you're probably not using this

method because you'd realize how limited

it is fact a fact is the discreet little

piece of information Sigman Freud is the

father of psychoanalysis that's a fact

okay but understanding what

psychoanalysis is is a concept okay

understanding the name of a bone is a

fact understanding what it does in the

body gets into a concept okay so in

studying sometimes there are a lot of

facts in fact I use Anatomy as a good

example you got to memorize bones

muscles organs tissues a lot of it but

if you simply memorize and don't

understand the function of it the

comprehension of the actual Concepts

it's a lot of wasted learning really

just to know a name of a bone is like

yes so what okay what does it do how

does it function so if it's a or a fact

toid you have to approach it one way and

I'll talk about how you do that but in

most college classes what we as

professors are most concerned about is

that you grasp the concept because

Concepts once grasped will stay with you

lifetime facts can easily get confused

but that's why we have Google why we

have reference books if you know the

concept you can quickly look up the fact

if you have to know that for particular

fact neat thing is I get questions who

has more Advantage younger students or

older students depends on what you're

talking about most of us as we get older

realize concepts are what are really

important to make our lives better to be

effective in our work to be effective in

our personal lives facts though we

realize we can look up we can get those

if we need them young people actually

often learn facts very quickly but they

never think about the concept ccept I'll

give you a simple example I'm an old guy

okay so I do have some things that

respectfully I want to call out and

point out about what Mar LEL has just

said here first of all it is an

oversimplification to think about

learning as either facts versus Concepts

and you know the research on this was

been out for like since 1999 and in 2001

then it was reviewed again 2007 so like

by the time this talk was made there was

enough research around this to kind of

not oversimplify it to this point it's

it's a different thing to know a fact

it's a different thing to know concept

and I agree completely with everything

that he's talking about in terms of the

fact that facts really aren't as

important but then there's another thing

in terms of how you are able to use

those facts and how you're able to use

those Concepts and whether the way that

you understand it is the same way that

you would use it and then how those

different facts and Concepts relate to

each other and that's actually where the

the peak knowledge is and probably if

you know might L ever watches this video

which I doubt he ever will but he

probably knows that like intuitively

that it's not just the understanding of

the concept it's the understanding and

the implication of that concept and its

impact that it has on other Concepts and

that's what true expertise and Mastery

is which I'm sure he already knows but

he just doesn't explain it that way now

the difficult part is that when

especially for he talks about how young

people really focus on facts a lot it's

a lot of that is because a lot of

Assessments really emphasize these facts

and a lot of teachers actually tell

people to memorize facts so young people

are kind of like LED astray by a lot of

bad advice and by what apparently is

important which is apparently I should

learn all these facts because clearly

that's the way that I'm tested on it the

skill is about being able to learn all

your facts without sacrificing the

ability to gain the true exper te and

indeed as you get older especially

Beyond uni and you know Advanced like

postgraduate degrees the facts really do

become very very non-important to the

point where you can kind of just skim

over most of those facts here we go I'm

going to read to you 13 letters from our

alphabet you all know the alphabet right

should be meaningful as soon as I finish

I want you to say them back to me in the

same sequence that I give them to you so

I'll say them and I'll go like that just

say them back y t h don't write them a u

s p d p a y

h boy somebody sounded like they got

quite remember and I sit in front of

classes where they go for 50 minutes I'm

giving them wisdom and they're not

taking a damn note and then they wonder

why they don't remember you can't

remember everything in a lecture I'm

going to rearrange the letters a little

bit see if you do any better r s most of

you got all 13 and you thought coming to

this lecture you might gain nothing

expanded to 13 did you give them again

what are

they damn you're good or I'm good now

obviously it was a little easier those

were the same 13 letters same ones if

you're studying anything conceptual and

you're trying to memorize it it's like

ytr it doesn't make any sense it's in

one eye out the other if it's out loud

one ear out the other but if you take

the time to discover the meaning in it

suddenly it clicks and I could probably

ask you next week what were those 13

letters and most of you tell me at the

end of the quarter I could ask you most

of you could tell me you might be

confused was it happy Wednesday or

Thursday but you'd guess probably

Thursday now some of you are in my intro

class this quarter I do something that I

wish I had time to do I divide the class

in two using a card so half reads one

the other half reads another card I have

one group try to estimate the number of

vowels in a series of words that I read

to them so they're thinking about the

words we'd say that's superficial

thinking how many vowels in mosquito how

many vowels in Bottle how many vowels in

elephant and they get to write down what

they think is a number of vowels the

second group are instructed they're told

you need to think about how valuable

this item would be if you were stranded

on a deserted island and you then rate

its value on a fivepoint scale one being

no value five being highly valuable

that's called deeper processing you're

now thinking about it in terms of its

application or use by the way I always

think elephant is a fun one I'd give it

a five okay not only company but if you

got really hungry you got a lot of food

there right right I then read I think

it's about 30 words everybody's writing

down their numbers I then have them do a

stalling exercise where they write their

name phone number and address that's to

dump short-term memory because they

might be thinking about the words I just

read if you're now writing your name and

address it changes your focus short-term

memory only lasts about 20 to 30 seconds

it's pretty brief so I count it on the

clock after 30 seconds I say now write

down as many words that you can recall

this one is so powerful the group that's

counting vowels on average remembers

five out of about 30 words time time

again the group that's thinking about

the usefulness on a deserted island

remembers 10 okay it's slightly more 55

5.5 versus 10.5 but very close to a

doubling without doing any more effort

simply by thinking about it instead of

just cying to superficially think about

it this okay really important points

here interesting he says not without any

more effort because it is actually more

cognitive effort and actually that's the

point so like he sort of actually

contradicted himself I think

unintentionally because he said before

like trying to create meaning is one of

the biggest struggles of learning and

then now he sort of talks about the fact

that it doesn't take effort but that

that is the effort so the second

activity which is about assigning value

to something that is one of the most

important things to do in learning and

you'll see this principle come up in my

videos constantly which is that an

effective technique isn't just about

finding relationships and comparing

things to each other you have to

actually make a value judgment about how

important it is that forces you to

prioritize and that is the higher order

learning that I always talk about when

you're making a value judgment you have

to then think about it in relation to

other things in relation to a context in

relation to a bigger picture it forces

it to be not only part of a network but

to understand its position and strength

within that Network you know it's a

great demonstration of this particular

activity but it does take more mental

effort than the superficial learning

usually does especially when you're

studying complex Concepts over a long

period of time it is more mental effort

and the problem is that people don't

know that it's meant to take more effort

e and that effort is good for you and so

they kind of avoid that and that's what

I again something that I talk about very

often which is a misinterpreted effort

hypothesis so the other thing is that he

talked about how you know he had the

letters you know like happy Thursday and

uh it was like you know what are the

letters and how you trying to memorize

them a really interesting analogy that

we can draw from that which is

completely like relevant for the real

world is that when you learn something

in a curriculum there is an assumption

that the order in which your presented

information is a good order for you to

learn it in and it is usually not and

and you actually have to understand that

the order that is best for you and for

your brain is probably going to be

different to the order it was presented

to you or the way that is in a textbook

or something like that and reordering

information is a crucial part of

learning effectively to figure out what

is happy Thursday because what makes

sense in this case happy Thursday

everyone understands that it makes sense

for everyone everyone is has the right

order that makes it easier for them but

for knowledge that's not the case

because what makes sense for you for

knowledge depends on what you already

know so the right order that makes the

most sense for you is going to be

different sometimes to what makes sense

for another person and so figuring out

your best order also takes time and

thinking about why is this valuable how

important is it that is a great question

to ask yourself when you're studying to

help you figure out what is the right

order because you want to learn the

things that you think are the most

important and make the most sense and

are the most logical and intuitive and

you want to continue to chain that

together this is where as a student the

more you get into the understanding the

better now this raises a fun question

what is the meaning of meaning if I say

something is Meaningful or meaningless

what am I really saying I'm not going to

go through a big drill which is kind of

fun of teasing it out of you but a

meaningful piece is a piece that relates

to something you already know and the

best little analogy is it's it's like a

file system that you've already got

established you add a new entry to it so

it's all neatly organized and it's very

easy if you've got a file system to add

a new entry we do with computers also

almost good analogy because the file

system I would recommend not thinking

about your memory like a filing system

because a filing system suggests that

knowledge can only exist in one cabinet

and that those cabinets are separate

from each other I would encourage people

to think about it a little bit more like

like a jigsaw puzzle that you're trying

to

build each piece of the puzzle fits

somewhere and it belongs somewhere and

to find it let's say you want to find

the piece related to a particular cloud

in the sky in your jigsaw puzzle you

know where to find that because you know

that clouds are in the sky which tends

to be higher up on the puzzle and you

know the clouds are in the left corner

that's where you look for it so you can

retrieve it CU you know where it is but

it's position is relative to all the

other positions and it's not necessarily

like you can categorize that however you

want to categorize it and it's not like

a fixed isolated kind of thing like a

filing system is the other way as a

teacher I think all of us as we are

teachers we all try to make things

meaningful in our classes so we give

stories we give examples but sometimes

our examples don't work for you this is

where you have to tease it out so I'm

going to go to a couple things to help

you there first study groups We

underutilize Them especially Community

College would people get through med

school without study groups not very

many uh do we have vet tech back there

dental hygiene Tech pretty sophisticated

stuff they have to learn right do they

do study groups no oh my I would hope

they do I would encourage them to do it

where I've got students to form study

groups performance of the groups go up

dramatically now part of it is probably

because they're motivated to do that so

it's a bit confounded but I'm convinced

there's also the power of studying with

other people I know these Concepts in

Psych so well I can't see how they're

confusing but another student who's just

found the answer can sometimes turn say

Thursday here's what it's about and you

go ah is that what Mr Lobdell was saying

God so easy but I can't do that because

I don't see where the problems lie in

that particular concept study groups are

great okay I'm not going to tell you how

many of you totally hurt yourself in

studying I like kind of agree but also

kind of a disagree with that study

groups can be helpful but also study

groups can be a waste of time as well if

you're not using them correctly I don't

know if I've got a video on my Channel

about that but if I don't I I will make

another one talking a little bit more

about how to extract the most out of

study groups I see a lot of people use

study groups kind of like an excuse to

not study you know they're trying to

make study groups so that studying

becomes easier but you can't really

avoid the mental effort involved in

learning properly the study group should

actually enhance your ability to face

the difficulties of learning more

productively not kind of create an

illusion that you're learning because

you're having some conversations with

people the other thing is also just

because someone explain something to you

in a way that makes sense doesn't mean

that you can then create that

explanation yourself when you need to

and this is the an illusion of learning

as well in fact you already probably

know this that just because someone

explained something to you in makes

sense when they explain it doesn't mean

that you can create that explanation

otherwise studying would honestly be

really easy as soon as you understand

anything you would just remember it and

be able to retrieve it in fact that's

kind of the easy part of studying the

difficult part of studying is the

process from going from understanding to

being able to retrieve from memory at

different levels of complexity so it's

not really as simple as that if you

magic mark highlight whatever you call

it your textbooks the little yellow pink

green glow-in-the-dark sort of thing how

many of you use the mark

those were invented in 65 year I started

college so I bought one I turned entire

books ugly orange then I figured it out

if You' color page solid orange you've

actually highlighted nothing yeah by

highlighting everything you've really

highlighted zip so I did the clever

thing and you guys are way ahead of me

what do you highlight folks the most

important thing when do you do it when

you first read the book right or the

chapter so you read through are you

studying no I'm reading for the most

important things Z and some of you get

out rulers to make it really neat take

hours to make pretty little then you go

back to the start of the chapter you

read the first thing you underlined and

you go I remember that no you don't you

recognize it people are incredible at

confusing recognition with recollection

your visual recognition threshold is so

great you could see a person once see

them years later go I know you were you

a student at Pierce College yeah did you

take psych yeah from lob

yeah 36 years I run into that okay proof

of this grab a magazine in your house

that you haven't looked at for a while

leave through it you will get the

illusion of remembering virtually every

advertisement and article but to prove

that it's not recollection it's actually

you know it's really simple to prove

this it's like you can take like a

dollar bill or you know your local

currency and if someone shows it to you

you can see it and you can recognize it

immediately but if you wanted to draw it

very very few people would know it well

enough to actually draw what a dollar

bill looks like accurately even if

you've seen it thousands of times in

your life and this is the case for most

of the things that we you know have in

our in our life that we can recognize

you could have you know like your phone

you've got your phone in your hand and

you're using it like every single moment

of every single day but if you need to

actually draw exactly what that phone

looks like you might actually struggle

you might miss a few things so this is

again it's one of those illusions of

learning is recognition is not the same

thing as recollection recognition before

you turn to the next page predict what's

on it there's no way you're going to be

right but as soon as you turn go oh I

remember that no you don't you recognize

it now going back to your book you've

highlighted the most important stuff you

now go back to stud and that is exactly

the reason why you shouldn't check your

answers to an exam straight away and

then if you feel like oh it makes sense

not like review the material when you do

a question and you get it wrong or you

don't feel confident there is a

knowledge Gap there what your answer

sheet say is like almost irrelevant

let's say you feel unconfident and then

your answer sheet says that you got it

right you were still not confident you

just got lucky so you still need to

review that knowledge Gap let's say that

you got it wrong and then you read the

answers and then you're like oh that

answer makes sense I know that I just

made a silly mistake no you got it wrong

if you knew it you would have gotten it

right so that is a knowledge Gap so a

lot of the time I see people saying I

make all these silly mistakes and exams

all the time I very very rarely see true

silly mistakes almost always they are

knowledge gaps that went either

undetected because they didn't test

themselves or they were detected but

ignored because they thought it's just a

silly mistake I'm not make this mistake

and yes in the real exam you may not

make that same mistake you're just going

to make a different one that's basically

the same thing stud it you say oh I

remember it so do you study it no so

what don't you learn the most important

part of the chapter then I shake my head

and think poor baby you think you knew

it but in fact you recognized it you

didn't know it now back to this Active

Learning how do you know you know it if

you can look at it go to the next one

read it and then stop and go back to the

one before look up in the sky and in

your own words say what that was about

yeah you know it you will not forget it

overnight unless you suffer a pretty

major cerebral accident just doesn't

happen while we're talking about this

just not correct like he said short-term

memory is very very short but we know

that the knowledge Decay is you know

obviously a real thing the way that your

brain forgets information is not

necessarily linear or predictable all

the time learning is just really

complicated and but actually to my

lopel's credit a lot of the research

around like the nuances around

forgetting and spacing and memory I

think 12 years ago wasn't very strong

but just because you can remember

something from looking up with what's

you know this is essentially free recall

or uncued recall depending on what it is

just because you can demonstrate that

once or twice doesn't actually mean that

you're going to have good retention of

that for you know much longer those of

you that have lots of flash cards you

know this is the case because you have a

flash card that you got right you got

right you got right and then you give it

like a day and then like suddenly you

just like didn't remember it anymore and

it feels kind kind of random that that

happens most of you undo good studying

by not sleeping adequately some of the

latest work on reming we're not sure

exactly how but there's something going

on it involves the hippocampus it

involves the storage from a transitory

long-term memory to a permanent what we

call consolidation that just labels it

doesn't really say what's happening but

we're getting increasing evidence that

that consolidation process is dependent

on rapid eye movement sleep which if

you're an adult happens about every hour

and a half once you fall asleep if

you're not getting a good night

typically around eight hours you're not

getting enough Rim what you've studied

doesn't become permanent and I can tell

you there are studies that show simply

by getting better rest some students

improve markedly in their performance

because their brain now stores it a lot

more efficiently everything he has said

is the same as it is now we still don't

know why it happens we now call it sleep

dependent memory consolidation and it is

dependent on rim and have no room more

answers in terms of like the mechanism

behind it well not really and it is

still just as important and I have all

the time people leaving comments on my

YouTube videos and on Instagram and on

Tik Tok and whatever and if you're not

following me on those then you really

should but they always say like hey I'm

sleeping like four or 5 hours and I'm

not really like studying you know very

effectively what's the technique that I

should use it's like the technique you

should use is to sleep more when you are

sleep deprived nothing else really

matters sleep deficiency has such a

profound impact on your ability to learn

that it's kind of like having like a

whole arm that's cut off and you're just

hemorrhaging blood all over the walls

and all over the floor and you've got

like a bleeding nose and you're thinking

like what can I do to stop my bleeding

nose like buddy you got bigger problems

to worry about than a bleeding nose the

you know fix the source of the hemorhage

and if you if you're sleep deprived I

know it's difficult to fix it

practically like sleep apnea or insomnia

can actually be really challenging and

you may actually need a c or GP or a

psychologist someone to give you some

techniques to really get on top of it

but it is very very worth it it's not

always easy and sometimes you got to

sacrifice like if you're not sleeping

enough cuz you're studying so much you

actually just need to study less just

try to be more efficient just just

literally just make a decision to study

less and if that means that you don't do

as well or you don't feel as confident

or you don't feel as secure or whatever

it is you just deal with it study less

sleep more and then start working on the

other things trust me trust me this is

coming from someone that has had a lot

of experience with sleep deprivation in

my personal life as well as obviously

professionally by the way if you know

anybody who sleep apnea biggest thing

they tell you is I can't remember

anything my brain shot sleep because

they don't make any money I tell

students and they go yeah that's nice

but they continue to use their time for

other things it's kind of interesting

isn't it the best advice sleep better

and most of you will do better most of

you won't even begin to take it and I

know why you got so many other things to

do I'd ask you this are they important

is studying and learning the most

important thing you're doing as a

student if so maybe you need to give up

some of the other activities I have

students tell me I don't have enough

time there's two what 162 hours in a

week we all have the same amount of time

Marty has no more nor less than anybody

in this room the real question is what

do I I do with my 162 hours am I going

to use it well or use it not so well

okay I'm G to give you a couple other

tips here taking notes so vital but most

students who do it haven't learned a

very simple rule the first moment you

get after a class ideally right after

the class you should sit down with your

notes and expand on everything you

jotted down give it depth flesh it out

okay if you even wait to go home and do

it a couple hours later you'll have

forgotten some of your own notes how

many of you have done that you've

written beautiful notes you get them

home you don't know what the hell you WR

big difference here yes this is true

true because in this instance we're

presuming that their first encounter

with the information happens during the

class or the lecture in which case you

are fighting against an incredibly rapid

knowledge Decay rate so literally

minutes after you leave that room you're

starting to forget stuff and you will

forget stuff very quickly especially

like classes and University lectures

which are usually very dense there's a

lot of information that was packed in

there and you're going to forget a lot

of it very quickly the most effective

thing that you can do to fight that is

not just to consolidate it straight away

it's to make sure that you're doing your

pre-study and priming when you give your

brain some of the anchor points of the

concepts and Main ideasa so it knows how

to think about and organize that

information it means that as you are

learning you know how to file it away

and create meaning out of it which means

that you fundamentally encode it to a

higher quality so there you're going to

hold on to that information more easily

whenever someone says that they're

feeling overwhelmed in class or in

lectures Almost 100% of the time it's

because of inadequate priming if you

take that to the extreme it would be

studying the entire lecture fully before

you even attend the lecture obviously

you're not going to get overwhelmed by a

lecture where you're not learning

anything new you don't have to do it to

that level so the question is well where

do you draw the line at what point is it

not worth it to cover the lecture to

that level of depth and often you can

spend maybe 10 to 15 minutes getting a

basic idea of the biggest pictures and

Concepts within that lecture form a

general map of it and if you can form a

general map of not just those Concepts

but also the wider topic as well and

then when you go into the lecture you'll

find that it is vastly easier to handle

it without being overwhelmed and I would

say if you are feeling overwhelmed in

class or inure this is the first place

to look at in fact like I can almost

guarantee that is where the solution to

this problem is going to be what is this

okay well that's a wasted can also take

the form of recitation how many you know

the best way to learn is to teach

somebody else well if you've got family

members or roommates teach them

geography psychology Anatomy they often

love it one of my dearest students two

years ago God I loved her I finally met

her parents says I've heard so much

about you I hear every lecture you've

given she would come home sit around the

dinner table and recapitulate what I

talked about it's powerful because it

reinforces your learning plus it tells

you if you really understood it because

if mom or dad says I don't quite get

that you go uh I don't understand it

either then very quickly you have to go

back and redo it teaching another person

now some of you may not have anybody at

home to teach or they're not interested

too bad Teach an empty chair there's

nothing wrong with talking out loud

thinking is internal talking to a large

degree there's also non-talking thinking

talking out loud as long as you know

you're doing it is not abnormal if you

think it's somebody else or it's a real

person in an empty chair talk with me

I'll try to get you lined up with

someone who can help if you have

roommates or friends say I'm just doing

this little Socratic thing where I'm GNA

explain it to an empty chair dialogue

with that empty chair practice it now

for some of you writing it out in your

own words so all of that what he said

about teaching very very good advice

teaching is a great way to have that act

of retrieval and again I'm extend it a

little further to say don't teach people

that take the same subject as you you

don't want to be teaching someone that

already has knowledge about the subject

especially if they've got more knowledge

than you because gaps in your ability to

explain you need to be able to figure

that out and if the other person is

filling in the gaps themselves based on

what they already know if they're kind

of just playing along that's actually

not very helpful for you it would be

better to have just taught the empty

chair because at least with the empty

chair you have to to be the one to judge

whether what you've taught actually

makes sense is a good thing I'm lazy I

want to talk about textbooks I brought

the one I'm using in intro right now

most students have not been taught how

to use a textbook and yet it's such a

powerful tool because they Haven been

taught the power of the tool a large

percentage don't even buy the book in

part because they're getting so darn

expensive over 100 bucks for this little

puppy here I believe there you have it

in 2012 it cost 100 bucks to buy a

textbook you can't see because the

screen is covering it but this shelf of

textbooks

here it's probably like3 to $4,000 of

textbooks did it provide me $3 to $4,000

worth of Education these books are

designed for what's called pedagogy

that's a fancy way of saying helping you

learn and they are seriously done to be

at least according to the people doing

it the most effective way of teaching

students actually let me just say this

textbooks are honestly kind of a scam

they're like way too expensive for what

they are like we live in a modern day

with like Google we should not be paying

the hundreds to like you know like

multi- hundreds of dollars for a

textbook doesn't make sense yeah I think

these Publishers are honestly kind of a

scam and this is kinding from someone

like I've actually written chapters in

textbooks not that I really got any

money from that don't know the effective

way of using it how many of you know of

sq3r none one two I assumed all my

students were still learning this until

a few years ago I asked it died out

there's also an sq4r there's a newer

version of it which uh I'm not so

familiar with sq3 r survey that's the S

question that's the Q then you have

three Rs read recite review and we were

taught this because they knew

pedagogically way back in those dark

ages of the 60s that you retain much

more from a text if you survey question

read recite or recite and review so how

do you do the survey these are not

novels in a novel you wouldn't want to

read the last page would you FYI this

sq3r or sq sqp 3r I think is effective

it's actually one of the first learning

strategies I myself learn and I remember

exactly where I learned it from it was

kind of serendipitous and I picked this

up and it is actually effective and now

there are other methods that have been

developed that are like take it to the

next level so it's a little I would say

outdated but most people don't even do

this version you know so if if you've

never heard of this before and you're

wanting just like a quick fix to help

with your studying this is like findan

technique and this these are like two of

the easiest simplest things that you can

apply straight away that give you an

immediate result honestly like if I had

if I could only tell someone to use two

things and I they only had like 4 hours

to master the techniques out say findan

technique excuse to out find out who

done it it ruined the whole thing but

this is a textbook so what you do is you

actually go through the entire chapter

you look at pictures okay what's this

about apples what's this about a duck

bill platypus okay and what you're doing

is you survey you ask questions what are

formal Concepts what's a superordinate

concept what are natural concept

prototypes what is a prototype so you

raise questions as you go through it

only takes a couple of minutes to survey

a chapter in any class okay as you're

surveying you simultaneously raise

questions what you're doing then is

causing you to be looking for answers

and this is a powerful thing how many of

you have noticed when you're looking

through a newspaper for a piece of

information you can find it it kind of

jumps out at you but if you're just kind

of reading it haphazardly kind of

casually most of what you read you don't

even remember there's something about it

and I can't explain it I can only

describe it if you intend to find

something you find it I've got a little

demonstration I could have brought where

I actually show a placard with the words

Boston and London printed on them and I

hold it up for 20 seconds out of a group

this size maybe two or three of you'd

see Boston and London because before I

do it I tell you to look for letters

symbols and numbers I create what's

called a set you're now expecting not to

see words but letters and even though

Boston and London are printed on

diagonal most people don't see it

likewise if you just kind of go through

a book without asking questions first

you kind of skiz over the content you

don't have the search mechanism going

okay the reading followed by the

recitation I talked about that

technically before a test it should be

review it should be in the barn now

you're just catching up to make sure you

haven't lost anything or confused

anything but I know how this works

because we schedule tests most students

don't start studying until shortly

before an exam and much like my friend

they put so much time all MK together

and only study for about a half hour

pull all nighters so they don't get the

good rest come in and do poorly you're

undoing yourself if you start studying

early and do some of the things I talked

about the time to get to the test you're

just reviewing at that point not truly

studying okay use the book correctly

sq3r okay I got one last thing and I'm

going to I'm going to get it you got to

memorize

facts how do you do that and I love it

because I get a lot of students from

Anatomy coming to me going I can't

remember what you use theonics

in my view they're quicker easier than

rote memorization and I do use them

theonics come in several flavors we have

acronyms we have the

coined

sayings and interacting

images there are other types of

pneumonics technically taking notes is a

pneumonic because a pneumonic is any

system that facilitates recall most of

what I've been talking about are

technically pneumonics but these are

more formal okay how many of you've

learned that you can take letters and

form a word of it using those letters to

remember certain facts okay uh ones that

come to my mind Roy GB how many you know

about Roy G you

know those are the colors of the rainbow

now if you're in an art class that could

be important if you're taking physics

and you're learning about the spectrum

of light when it goes through a prism or

you're breaking down light in anything

that refracts it out like a rainbow you

know colors are what the longest

pneumonic that I ever used was to

memorize the elements of the periodic

table and I don't know if there is a

better way to do this and I never really

bothered to look cuz I was like 16 and

just dumb um and so my friend taught me

the first part and it went Harry he

likes beer but cups not over full that

takes you to probably like like Florine

probably and then to fill out the

remaining for the first 20 elements I

didn't just pronounce just pronounce the

elements as it's written on the periodic

table so when Harry he likes beer but

Cup's not over full then Mig alipus

Clara and I I'm pretty sure that's

correct and that takes you to the first

20 elements of the periodic table And I

memorized that pneumonic when I was 16

and I promise I haven't been repeating

that every you know like few months for

the last 15 years so pneumonics work

they are very very powerful like you

know these acronyms and coin sayings and

all these things they're very effective

and you should 100% use them when it's

appropriate what I would recommend

though is just don't go too overboard

with your pneumonics pneumonics are

great when what you need to learn is a

very isolated list and you know that the

way you need to use that information is

like a checklist for example a pneumonic

that I used to use all the time was when

I was diagnosing a patient that came in

with chest pain and so there was a

pneumonic that was called teer te e p i

d they stand for different conditions

that are potentially life-threatening

and common enough that you need to look

for them tension numor oophagy rupture

pulmonary emol is M es schic heart

disease and the dissection aoic

dissection so like see this you know

these are pneumonics that I use all the

time and it's effective because it's

like a checklist but let's say that

you've got other types of information

it's just like a list of information a

list of facts but you know that the way

you use that information is not like a

checklist but rather you actually need

to know those facts individually to pull

them to connect them to other bits of

information or manipulate them in some

other way theonics aren't going to be

the best way to do do that because when

you learn something through a pneumonic

you are packaging it and storing that

package which is effective but it means

if you need to use the things that are

inside that package it's not very

efficient because you need to take the

package open up the package look at each

thing and then consciously connect it

together if it's something that needs to

be connected anyway it's better to chunk

and package it in a way that includes

that connection and relationship through

some other method of learning of which

you know there's many different

Alternatives so are great but again just

know what they're useful for and use

them appropriately CU you can get to the

point where you've got so many

pneumonics that you actually forget what

you pneumonics even mean or you've got

pneumonics just to remember pneumonics

easy now how long would you have I'm

gonna go with one and you can help me on

this 12 cranial nerves give me the

saying one of the probably most

powerful technically pneumonics but I

don't really talk about them as

pneumonics that you can use is to create

analogies when you try to create analogy

for something again it's quite

complicated and this video is already

pretty long so I'm just going to cut to

it just use analogies it's very very

powerful it is one of the strongest most

powerful memory a techniques that you

can use that also tests your higher

order learning and understanding of it

because to create a good analogy it has

to be accurate it has to be

comprehensive and it has to be

consistent otherwise it's not analogy

like I can't say learning is like eating

a salty piece of bread sometimes when

you eat it it's really hard to chew it

and swallow it

it's like okay sure but salt is like a

flavor is learning kind of like a flavor

you know like if the analogy is only

suitable for like one tiny line of

thought it's not a very good analogy you

want an analogy that's like very very

robust so like sometimes I'll talk about

learning being like soling a jigsa

puzzle that's a great analogy because of

the fact that it's accurate and it

applies consistently for lots of

different facets of how learning works

and so using analogy again it's a little

bit more effortful than thinking of an

acronym or just a saying for it but a

lot of the time if you are needing

to understand information in a way

that's a little bit more complex and

higher order than just a cognitive

checklist then an analogy would be one

of my first go-to things that I'd

recommend that was it a talk viewed 22

million times by the prolific Professor

emiritus Marty Lobdell you know an

absolute Legend and I know that I've

been criticizing a lot of you know what

he has been talking about and adding my

own kind of points but I do so with the

utmost respect he has contributed a lot

and at the time when he made this video

the research was not as good as it is

now I mean there's probably more that

we've learned about how Learning Works

in the last 10 years than the last 50

years before that combined so welld

deserving on 22 million views I liked it

and I think there's very interesting

points and nuances that I've been able

to point out I'm going to wrap it up

there because this video is long as e

already and I'm getting hungry

personally I need to go have dinner but

anyway if you're looking for a place to

start with my videos so you can get a

little bit more deep on some of the

topics that I've talked about today then

check out this playlist that I've

created for you but otherwise thanks so

much for watching and I'll see you next

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