Revision Tips: How to Make Your Revision More TARGETED

Summary

In this conversation, the speaker discusses effective learning and revision strategies beyond spaced repetition. They emphasize the importance of higher-order thinking for better retention and retrieval of information. Techniques like teaching, brain dumps, and creating mind maps are highlighted as methods to engage with material at various cognitive levels. The speaker also stresses the significance of understanding when to apply different techniques to address specific learning gaps and challenges.

Takeaways

• 📚 The conversation with Steph revolves around learning and productivity, focusing on effective revision techniques beyond spaced repetition.
• 🔄 Spaced repetition is deemed necessary for certain parts of information encoding but not the only method for effective learning.
• 🤔 The speaker suggests that when information feels irrelevant or difficult to retain, it might be a sign to elevate the learning process with higher-order thinking.
• 🧠 Higher-order thinking is recommended for better knowledge integration and retention, as opposed to lower-order strategies like rote memorization.
• 📉 Lower-order learning strategies have a limited ceiling in terms of effectiveness and should be used only when necessary for certain content.
• 🔑 Techniques like Anki, flashcards, and other memorization methods are acceptable for lower-order learning but have their limitations.
• 📝 The importance of retrieval practice at higher levels of mastery is emphasized for both identifying knowledge gaps and improving thinking skills.
• 👨‍🏫 Teaching is highlighted as an excellent method for revision, testing multiple levels of understanding and promoting deeper learning.
• 🔄 The effectiveness of teaching as a revision technique depends on the approach taken, requiring a structured and logical flow of information.
• 🧭 The speaker recommends restructuring and reordering information for teaching to ensure a deeper understanding of concepts and their relationships.
• 📈 The ability to choose the right revision technique based on the learning goal and available time is a mark of an intermediate to advanced learner.
• 💡 The script concludes with the idea that challenging oneself with difficult revision techniques is essential to avoid being caught off-guard during exams.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the conversation between the speaker and Steph?

The main topic of the conversation is about learning and productivity, specifically discussing the effectiveness of different revision techniques beyond spaced repetition.

What is the purpose of discussing spaced repetition in the context of the conversation?

The purpose is to explore whether there are better ways to revise information and when it is appropriate to use spaced repetition or other memorization techniques.

What does the speaker suggest is an indicator of lower order thinking in learning?

The speaker suggests that lower order thinking is indicated when one feels that information is not sticking and the brain seems to be 'ejecting' it, signaling that the information is not seen as relevant or understood.

How does the speaker propose to improve retention and retrieval of information when higher order thinking is not possible?

The speaker proposes using lower order strategies such as Anki, flashcards, and simple repetition when higher order thinking is not possible for certain subjects.

What is the significance of testing at higher levels of mastery according to the speaker?

Testing at higher levels of mastery is significant because it helps identify gaps in knowledge before exams, and it also aids in higher levels of thinking, allowing for better calibration of one's learning process.

Why does the speaker consider teaching to be a great way of revision?

Teaching is considered a great way of revision because it tests one at multiple different levels and requires understanding of the importance and relevance of different concepts and their relationships.

What is the difference between a linear teaching approach and a more effective teaching strategy according to the speaker?

A linear teaching approach may not test at a high level because it requires memorization of a process without linking information together. A more effective strategy involves understanding the importance of relationships and structuring information in a way that emphasizes key points and logical flow.

What is a 'brain dump' and how can it be used as a revision technique?

A 'brain dump' involves regurgitating everything one knows about a topic, either by writing it out linearly or mapping it out to test connections between concepts. It can be made more effective by prioritizing concepts and relationships.

Why is it important to use the right revision technique based on one's learning gaps and available time?

Using the right revision technique based on learning gaps and time availability allows for adaptive learning, ensuring that both high and low levels of thinking are addressed effectively, and that the learner can practice retrieval and prioritization as needed.

What does the speaker suggest about the difficulty of certain revision techniques?

The speaker suggests that the difficulty of a revision technique may not be due to the technique itself but rather the challenge it presents to one's knowledge and comfort level, which is something learners should embrace and control through practice.

How does the speaker relate the concept of teaching to the idea of explaining one's thought process during an exam?

The speaker relates teaching to exam explanations by emphasizing the need for logical articulation of thought processes, which is a skill developed through teaching and is crucial for effectively communicating one's understanding to an examiner.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Effective Learning Techniques and Spaced Repetition

The speaker begins a conversation about learning and productivity with Steph, discussing the importance of encoding information and the role of spaced repetition in the learning process. They touch on the idea that spaced repetition is necessary but may not be the most effective for all types of information. The speaker shares insights from a recent workshop about when to use memorization techniques like the method of loci or story method, and when to engage in higher order thinking to improve retention and retrieval. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding when lower order learning is taking place and how to elevate it to higher order thinking for better learning outcomes.

05:00

🤔 The Role of Teaching and Brain Dumps in Learning

In the second paragraph, the speaker delves into the effectiveness of teaching as a revision technique, highlighting the importance of structuring information logically to ensure a comprehensive understanding. They discuss the difference between simple memorization and the deeper understanding required for effective teaching, emphasizing the need for logical flow and prioritization of concepts. The speaker introduces the concept of a 'brain dump' as an alternative method to activate similar processes as teaching, suggesting that mapping out information can enhance the effectiveness of this technique. The paragraph concludes with the idea that understanding and applying the right learning technique based on one's weaknesses and time constraints is a hallmark of an intermediate level learner.

Keywords

💡Encoding

Encoding refers to the process of converting information into a specific format that can be stored and retrieved from memory. In the context of the video, it is the initial step in learning where information is absorbed and processed. The script mentions 'encoding process' and discusses what comes after encoding, indicating its foundational role in learning and productivity.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced Repetition is a learning technique where material is reviewed at increasing intervals over time, which is believed to enhance long-term retention. The script touches on this method, questioning if there are better ways to revise and suggesting that spaced repetition is necessary but not sufficient for all types of information.

💡Lower Order Learning

Lower Order Learning is a term used in the script to describe a mindset where one feels the need to repeat information without truly understanding it, often because the information doesn't seem relevant or meaningful. It's contrasted with higher order thinking, indicating a level of learning that involves more surface-level memorization rather than deep understanding.

💡Higher Order Thinking

Higher Order Thinking involves critical analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information, as opposed to simple memorization. The script suggests using higher order thinking to integrate knowledge more effectively, thereby improving retention and retrieval. It is presented as a strategy to overcome the limitations of lower order learning.

💡Memorization Techniques

Memorization Techniques are methods used to aid the memory retention of information. The script mentions several techniques such as the Method of Loci, Link method, and Story method, and discusses their appropriate use in lower order learning situations where deep understanding is not possible.

💡Anki

Anki is a popular flashcard application that uses spaced repetition to help users memorize information. The script refers to Anki as an example of a lower order strategy that can be effective for memorizing certain types of content that do not lend themselves to higher order learning.

💡Retrieval Practice

Retrieval Practice is the act of recalling information from memory as a means of strengthening memory pathways and improving future recall. The script emphasizes the importance of retrieval practice, especially at higher levels of mastery, to calibrate one's sense of learning and identify knowledge gaps.

💡Meta-Cognitive Level

Meta-Cognition refers to the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes. The script discusses the importance of being in tune with one's learning at a meta-cognitive level, which involves reflecting on and adjusting one's learning strategies based on the effectiveness of previous attempts.

💡Teaching

Teaching is presented in the script as a powerful method of revision because it requires the teacher to understand and articulate the material at multiple levels. It also tests the teacher's ability to prioritize and structure information in a logical flow, which can be a high level of cognitive engagement with the material.

💡Brain Dump

A Brain Dump is a technique where one writes out everything they know about a subject without concern for structure or organization. The script suggests that this method can be effective for revision, especially when it is followed by mapping out the information to test connections and prioritize concepts.

💡Prioritization

Prioritization in the context of the script refers to the process of determining the most important concepts or ideas within a body of knowledge. It is highlighted as a key aspect of effective learning and revision, especially when time is limited or when creating a mind map to focus on the most critical elements.

Highlights

Discussion about the effectiveness of spaced repetition and its necessity for certain parts of information encoding.

Introduction of the concept of lower order learning and its indication when knowledge is not sticking.

Suggestion to use higher order thinking to improve knowledge integration and retention.

Explanation of when to use memorization techniques like the Method of Loci or story method.

Differentiation between lower and higher order learning strategies and their respective ceilings.

Importance of retrieval practice and revision at higher levels of mastery for effective learning.

Advocacy for using practice questions and past papers for learning, with a focus on leading with uncertainty.

Teaching as a revision method and its effectiveness depending on the approach taken.

The necessity for restructuring and reordering information when teaching for effective learning.

Feynman's technique of teaching concepts to younger audiences as a method for simplifying complex ideas.

Brain dump technique for activating teaching-like processes without actually teaching someone.

Creating mind maps for testing connections and prioritizing concepts as a form of effective revision.

Adapting revision techniques based on time availability and learning gaps.

The intermediate learner's understanding of different techniques and their effects on learning outcomes.

The challenge of explaining one's thought process in a logical manner for exam responses.

Addressing the misconception that certain revision techniques are too hard due to discomfort with the challenge.

The importance of controlling the timing of difficulty in learning to avoid in-exam struggles.

Transcripts

welcome to my conversation with Steph

wish who's going to ask me a bunch of

questions about learning or productivity

which I don't know exactly what we're

going to be talked about today but every

time I'm traveling it seems that this is

a good way of making some content

because I'm usually too busy and I don't

have a studio to set up everything but

at least I can keep providing you some

value when I'm on the road so yeah Steph

what are we talking about today all

right so we've been talking a lot about

encoding on the channel recently and

we've touched a little bit more on Space

repetition in one of our recent videos

so I think a lot of people are wondering

if not space repetition then what are

some better ways to do revision

so it's like we've talked about the

encoding process now what's next after

it's all being encoded so space

repetition is still going to be

necessary it's just that it's only

necessary for some parts of the

information I was actually doing a

workshop today and this topic kind of

came up the idea of when is it

appropriate to use something like space

repetition or memorization technique

like metablo Kai or link method or story

method or anything like that and

whenever you feel that you're entering

into that sort of lower order learning

kind of mindset that low order thinking

so again that's that type of mindset

where you think that's not going to

stick I need to just repeat this again

and again I can you can almost feel it

sort of leaking out of your brain that

is your brain telling you this is not

something that's relevant I don't get

this it's not going to stick I don't see

why I need to hold on to it and you're

feeling your brain almost ejecting it

that's kind of what we're feeling so

that's lower order thinking and that's

sort of the indicator for your brain

that things could be taken up a notch so

when we feel like that the first thing

is well you know can we reduce that by

flicking it up a gear using some of a

higher order thinking so that we are

able to integrate that knowledge more

and therefore improve our retention and

improve our retrieval of it if that's

not possible which for some subjects is

as high as 30 of the content for some

subjects as low as you know less than

five percent of the content uh we do

need to learn it using lower order

strategies so lower order strategies

including something like Anki and flash

cards and just the repetition and things

like that I'm pretty sure the last time

I was in a hotel room talking to you

this is also the topic that we talked

about yeah so that's one aspect it

doesn't really matter which memorization

technique we're using to fill that

purpose as long as it gets the job done

it's going to be fine like lower order

has a pretty low ceiling in terms of its

effect so any any technique that hits

that ceiling it's going to be fine so

flashcard's okay you know Memory Palace

method of loci Link method story method

you know power system tables all of

these things are going to be perfectly

fine and there's lots of other videos

you know available to to look at that so

that's going to be totally okay it's

important that you retrieve and do

revision at higher levels of Mastery not

only because of the fact that that is

how we're tested and therefore or we

want to find gaps in our knowledge there

before the exam hits but also because of

the fact that testing at higher levels

of Mastery also helps us with the higher

levels of thinking in itself it kind of

allows us to calibrate our sense of

learning so in the initial encoding part

if we're not really sure whether we

thought about it at a high level and

whether we encoded it properly when you

test at that high level we can calibrate

that feeling like oh yeah I thought I

did it well and it turns out yes it did

work or Oh I thought I did a well but it

didn't quite work and then that allows

us to be more in tune with our learning

at that meta-cognitive level so other

techniques that you could use outside of

memorization is you know using you know

your practice questions and past paper

questions and things like that but again

like what I talked about in previous

videos I talked about on the live

coaching session right and then also the

the USMLE video about how we can take a

question and how we can create an answer

sheet how we can lead with uncertainty

rather than needing to rely on answers

and work explanations and things like

that so that's one area that we can

extend it out a lot of people often say

that teaching is a great way of revision

and it is teaching is a fantastic way of

revision because it tests you at

multiple different levels but it also

depends on how you're actually teaching

it for example if I'm teaching you

something and I just start from wherever

I feel like I want to start and I just

go like in a single linear order

starting from start to finish going over

like just whatever I can think of almost

just ranting that is not testing at a

very high level right so why is that why

do you think that that's not testing at

a very high level right I think because

when you're just going linearly you sort

of have to memorize the entire process

it has to go from a after B is after

that is C and you're not really linking

together and information is isolated

you're not finding out how are different

concepts related to one another

yep so that's that's true but it's

actually it's even a level beyond that

right because in order for you to teach

effectively you need to know where to

start and what to go to next and what

the next point is so what that requires

is more than just understanding that

things are related because that's kind

of that mid to high level understanding

that there are relationships but the

level above that is understanding why

those relationships are important and

how they are important and what contexts

they're important and so when you're

trying to teach something and if you're

trying to teach something well you try

to figure out what is important and what

paths do I need to emphasize and what

parts do I need to start with and then

what parts can I fade away and what path

can I de-prioritize or put later in my

teaching and that often requires us to

restructure information and reorder

information so you know teaching is a

method that already a lot of people are

using and they find good effect with but

some people use teaching and they don't

actually find good effect with it and

it's not that the teaching as a

technique is wrong it's that the way

that we teach it makes a big difference

on how it forces us to think about

things just like the type of question a

practice question asks us changes the

way that we think about that particular

thing a more difficult question makes us

think at a higher level so when we're

teaching we don't have that cue so we

need to hold ourselves to that standard

so figure out what the most logical

possible flow is one of the great like

feynman's sort of you know he talked

about this a lot is the idea of like

sort of teaching something to a

five-year-old or teaching something to a

10 year old but it's not in just

teaching something to a five-year-old

that there is the value right you can't

just like use five-year-old words and

like teach the entire topic for like an

hour the idea is that you're able to

package something simply and concisely

but comprehensively and accurately

there's no way you can be both simple

comprehensive and concise without

knowing exactly what it is that we're

honing in on and we're trying to pin

onto and so teaching to a five-year-old

or a 10 year old is a good kind of

approach to take so that's a that's a

good technique and then you can take it

up another level so you could do that

and then you could do you know the level

beyond that which might be like you know

teach it to a you know a 15 year old and

you can continue up until you get to the

desired level that you want to get to so

yeah so something like teaching will be

a great technique as well you can

alternatively activate similar types of

processes as you would when you're

teaching even without teaching so a

common method is called a brain dump and

a brain dump involves just sort of

regurgitating everything that you know

about something and you can just write

it out you know linearly in a linear

brain dump is still effective make it

even more effective at the higher levels

by not only writing everything out but

then also mapping it out so now you're

testing on the connections and things or

you could say well I'm going to create a

map of only the most important ideas and

you can force yourself to prioritize the

concepts and prioritize certain

relationships and the good thing about

having a range of different options and

knowing this will test me at this high

level whereas this will test me at this

low level is that you can use the

technique that is right for where your

gaps are and where your weaknesses are

and you can use the technique that you

have the time for like doing a basic map

of just the main ideas of a topic if I

only take 15 minutes and that's testing

at a very high level because it's

requiring strict prioritization about

the knowledge so that's something that

you could fit in when you don't have

much time to study but it's still

effective revision and retrieval

practice for that higher level of

thinking it's not going to be very good

for the low levels but it's going to at

least hit some of the high level and

we've got a little bit more time maybe

on the bus you can you know do your

flashcards for some of the low-level

stuff and you can bridge the gap between

the two by fleshing out that mind map

later or you can do the teaching and so

you can fill your time adaptively

depending on what's available and so the

Hallmark of someone that is at least an

intermediate level learner is they

understand how different techniques

produce different effects and they can

use the right technique to produce the

right effect

I think that no one's of knowing when to

use each technique to achieve the

particular result that you want it's

something that not a lot of people

appreciate and what you say about the

explanation and prioritization and

thinking of where to even start

explaining really resonates with me

because I was just having a teaching

session with some of my tutoring

students and I find that when you're

actually answering your exam questions

as well you need to be able to

articulate your line of thinking in a

way that is logical and easy for the

examiner to award your points one thing

is that some people will say that you

know they're not going to do a certain

type of revision or something because

it's too hard to do but I mean it's like

what about it is hard like is your

revision technique like do a one-handed

handstand on like a you know balancing

board and then like you know recite it

like is it hard because you can't do

that or is it hard because it's

challenging your knowledge in a way that

you're not comfortable with so you've

got to ask yourself well am I going to

be challenged this way eventually and

the answer is yes then you need to be in

control of when that difficulty happens

you know you don't want that difficulty

to occur for the very first time

mid-exam obviously you know that's kind

of the worst case scenario yeah that's

the whole meme of like studying well in

advance studying just before the exam

and studying

yeah exactly yeah so studying in the

exam is um you know it's a Bittersweet

moment because you always think like man

this exam would actually be quite fun if

I wasn't actually getting assist on it

if it wasn't actually weighted but it's

not a great feeling to have so placing

that burden on yourself at an earlier

stage of the process you know it goes a

long way

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oh

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please

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