Study More Efficiently With These 2 Basic Steps

Justin Sung
24 Oct 202120:51

Summary

TLDRIn this educational video, Dr. Justin, a medical doctor and learning coach, introduces effective encoding techniques for long-term memory retention. He emphasizes the importance of moving beyond rote memorization to higher-order learning, which involves deep processing and clear organizational structures in the brain. Dr. Justin discusses Bloom's and SOLO Taxonomies to understand the levels of learning and stresses the need for cognitive load tolerance. The video promises future content on specific encoding techniques, aiming to help students develop skills for better memory and learning efficiency.

Takeaways

  • πŸ” Understanding encoding: Encoding is essential for long-term memory and goes beyond just memorization or rote learning.
  • πŸ’‘ Higher-order learning: Focus on higher-order learning, such as analyzing and evaluating, to improve encoding.
  • 🧠 Cognitive load: Encoding involves cognitive load, which naturally feels uncomfortable but is necessary for effective learning.
  • πŸ‹οΈ Cognitive load tolerance: Gradually increase your tolerance for cognitive load to handle more information at once.
  • 🌐 Big picture thinking: Always relate new information to the bigger picture and organize it in a meaningful way.
  • πŸ—‚οΈ Non-linear note-taking: Avoid linear note-taking. Use methods like mind mapping to better organize and encode information.
  • πŸ”„ Immediate encoding: Encode information as soon as possible after learning it to prevent it from being isolated or forgotten.
  • πŸ“ˆ Progression of learning: Move from basic understanding to applying, analyzing, and evaluating concepts to improve retention.
  • πŸ•°οΈ Patience and practice: Developing effective encoding skills takes time and practice, similar to training muscles or learning an instrument.
  • πŸ”— Connecting ideas: Continuously compare and relate new ideas to existing knowledge to enhance understanding and retention.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video by Dr. Justin?

    -The main focus of the video is to teach the principles of effective encoding for better long-term memory retention, and to discuss the importance of cognitive load tolerance in the learning process.

  • Why is it important to understand the difference between encoding and retrieval when learning?

    -Understanding the difference between encoding and retrieval is important because it helps in organizing information in a way that makes intuitive and logical sense, which is crucial for long-term memory retention.

  • What are the two fundamental aspects of effective encoding that Dr. Justin discusses?

    -The two fundamental aspects of effective encoding discussed are increasing encoding tolerance and cognitive load tolerance, which are essential for better learning and memory retention.

  • Why does Dr. Justin emphasize the importance of not relying solely on memorization for learning?

    -Dr. Justin emphasizes this because relying solely on memorization can lead to information being isolated and not well-integrated into a larger understanding, which is less effective for long-term retention and application.

  • What is Bloom's Taxonomy and how does it relate to the video's content?

    -Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that categorizes different levels of cognitive learning, from basic knowledge recall to more complex analytical and creative thinking. It relates to the video as it helps illustrate the higher orders of learning that are necessary for effective encoding.

  • Can you explain the concept of 'cognitive load' as mentioned in the video?

    -Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort being used in working memory during learning. The video suggests that increasing one's tolerance to cognitive load is essential for better encoding and learning.

  • What does Dr. Justin mean by 'isolating information' in the context of learning?

    -Isolating information means learning or processing details in a disconnected manner, without relating them to other concepts or the overall context. This approach is discouraged in the video as it is less conducive to effective encoding and long-term memory.

  • What is the significance of 'organizational structure in the brain' when it comes to encoding?

    -The significance of having an organizational structure in the brain is that it allows for intuitive and logical navigation of information, which is essential for deep processing and higher-order learning, leading to better encoding.

  • How does Dr. Justin define 'higher order learning' in the video?

    -Higher order learning, as defined by Dr. Justin, involves deep processing and encoding, where information is not just memorized but is understood in relation to other concepts and the bigger picture, often involving analysis, evaluation, and synthesis.

  • What is SOLO Taxonomy and how does it differ from Bloom's Taxonomy mentioned in the video?

    -SOLO Taxonomy is another framework that categorizes levels of cognitive learning, focusing on the structural organization of learning outcomes. It differs from Bloom's by emphasizing the relational and contextual understanding of concepts, rather than just the type of cognitive process.

  • Why does Dr. Justin suggest that students should not write notes immediately after reading or listening to new information?

    -Dr. Justin suggests this because immediate note-taking can reduce cognitive load too quickly, preventing the brain from organizing the information in relation to other concepts and the bigger picture, which is crucial for effective encoding.

  • What is the role of 'chunking' in the learning process as alluded to in the video?

    -Chunking is a learning technique where information is broken down into smaller, more manageable 'chunks' that are easier to process and remember. The video implies that chunking can be incorporated into advanced encoding techniques once the basic principles of effective encoding are mastered.

  • How does Dr. Justin propose to deal with the feeling of being overwhelmed by too many connections and relationships between concepts?

    -Dr. Justin suggests starting with applying the information to simpler problems before moving on to more complex analysis and evaluation. This step-by-step approach can help build cognitive load tolerance and make the process of encoding more manageable.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“š Introduction and Basics of Encoding

Dr. Justin introduces himself as a medical doctor and learning coach, explaining the importance of encoding in learning. He suggests watching his previous video on active recall and spaced repetition for better understanding. He emphasizes that encoding involves cognitive load, which feels uncomfortable and confusing at first, but it's a normal part of the learning process.

05:00

🧠 Understanding Cognitive Load and Higher Order Learning

Dr. Justin discusses the challenges of encoding and the misconception that immediate results are achievable. He compares the process to training muscles or learning an instrument, requiring consistent effort over time. He outlines the importance of higher-order learning, deep processing, and having an organizational structure in your brain to effectively encode information.

10:01

πŸ” Bloom's Taxonomy and Higher Order Thinking

Dr. Justin explains Bloom's Taxonomy, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond memorization and understanding to higher-order thinking levels like applying, analyzing, and evaluating information. He highlights the significance of analyzing relationships between concepts and the need for a clear, logical organizational structure in the brain for effective encoding.

15:02

πŸ—‚οΈ SOLO Taxonomy and Relational Learning

Dr. Justin introduces SOLO Taxonomy as another framework for understanding learning levels. He stresses the importance of relating new information to existing knowledge and the bigger picture. For effective encoding, it's crucial to focus on higher-order thinking, which naturally incorporates lower-level processing without isolating information.

20:02

πŸ“ Effective Note-Taking and Cognitive Load Tolerance

Dr. Justin advises against linear, wordy note-taking, which reduces cognitive load but hinders encoding. He suggests practicing retaining information before taking notes and gradually increasing cognitive load tolerance. This skill is fundamental for advanced encoding techniques and enhances retention, making the learning process more efficient and effective.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Encoding

Encoding is the process of converting information into a form that can be stored in long-term memory. In the video, Dr. Justin emphasizes the importance of encoding as the first step in learning effectively, highlighting that it involves organizing information logically and intuitively for better retention.

πŸ’‘Cognitive Load

Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. Dr. Justin explains that encoding naturally involves cognitive load, and students need to build their cognitive load tolerance to handle more complex information without becoming overwhelmed.

πŸ’‘Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework for categorizing educational goals into levels of complexity and specificity, ranging from simple recall of facts to higher-order thinking skills like analysis and evaluation. Dr. Justin uses this framework to illustrate how students should aim to reach higher levels of learning for effective encoding.

πŸ’‘Higher Order Learning

Higher order learning involves complex cognitive processes such as analysis, evaluation, and creation. Dr. Justin emphasizes that effective encoding happens at these higher levels of learning, where information is deeply processed and integrated into existing knowledge.

πŸ’‘Sensory Memory

Sensory memory is the brief retention of sensory information after the original stimulus has ended. Dr. Justin mentions that information in sensory memory must be quickly transferred to working memory to avoid being forgotten, highlighting the importance of timely encoding.

πŸ’‘Working Memory

Working memory is a cognitive system responsible for temporarily holding information available for processing. Dr. Justin stresses that students have only seconds to encode information from working memory to long-term memory, making efficient encoding strategies crucial.

πŸ’‘Organizational Structure

Organizational structure refers to how information is arranged and connected in the brain. Dr. Justin explains that encoding requires a clear organizational structure, where new information fits logically and intuitively with existing knowledge, aiding in long-term retention.

πŸ’‘Relational Learning

Relational learning involves understanding how different pieces of information are related. Dr. Justin discusses how effective encoding requires students to relate new information to existing knowledge and the bigger picture, rather than isolating facts.

πŸ’‘Cognitive Load Tolerance

Cognitive load tolerance is the ability to handle increasing amounts of information and mental effort without becoming overwhelmed. Dr. Justin advises students to gradually build their cognitive load tolerance to improve their capacity for learning and encoding complex information.

πŸ’‘Rote Learning

Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. Dr. Justin critiques rote learning for its inefficiency in creating meaningful, long-term knowledge and contrasts it with higher-order encoding strategies that focus on understanding and application.

Highlights

Dr. Justin, a medical doctor and learning coach, introduces the concept of encoding for effective learning and long-term memory retention.

Encoding techniques are inherently challenging due to the cognitive load involved, which is a normal part of the learning process.

The importance of understanding the difference between low and high orders of learning for effective encoding.

Bloom's Taxonomy and SOLO Taxonomy as frameworks to understand higher order learning and encoding.

The necessity of relating new information to existing knowledge and the bigger picture for successful encoding.

The automatic filling in of lower order thinking by the brain when higher order thinking is the focus.

The benefits of delaying note-taking to increase cognitive load tolerance and enhance memory encoding.

The comparison of learning to training muscles or learning an instrument, emphasizing the time needed to develop encoding skills.

The process of moving from memorization and understanding to higher levels of thinking like analyzing and evaluating.

The role of chunking and non-linear note-taking in facilitating the encoding process.

The importance of building an organizational structure in the brain for intuitive and logical navigation of information.

The potential for high retention rates of 80-90% with effective encoding techniques.

The upcoming release of videos providing examples and addressing common mistakes in encoding.

The significance of practicing and gradually increasing cognitive load to improve encoding skills.

The potential for advanced encoding techniques to become more accessible with the development of cognitive load tolerance.

The upcoming exploration of interleaving, microlearning, and effective use of flashcards in the encoding process.

The promise of future videos to cover memorization techniques that complement encoding for filling knowledge gaps.

Transcripts

play00:00

okay so um encoding and uh increasing

play00:04

that long-term memory not being over

play00:06

reliant on space repetition and active

play00:08

recall here's how you do it for those

play00:10

that are new my name is dr justin i'm a

play00:12

medical doctor a learning coach and i

play00:14

help students learn to learn if you

play00:16

haven't watched my video on the problem

play00:18

to do with active recoil and space

play00:20

repetition and this thing called

play00:22

encoding versus retrieval and the idea

play00:24

of cognitive load and all of that sort

play00:26

of stuff you definitely want to check

play00:27

that out first otherwise this video

play00:29

isn't gonna make as much sense for those

play00:32

of you that have seen it okay let's dive

play00:34

into some of the basics

play00:36

hey it's um future me and someone said

play00:38

that i should do a quick introduction

play00:40

about the points i'm gonna cover and i

play00:42

forgot to do that so in this video i'm

play00:43

going to talk about uh the basic

play00:45

principle behind how you can do encoding

play00:48

and then i'm going to talk about the

play00:49

second point which is to increase your

play00:52

encoding

play00:53

tolerance and cognitive load tolerance

play00:55

because those are two like fundamental

play00:57

fundamentals it doesn't get more

play00:58

fundamental than that they're like the

play01:00

step zero of starting to do effective

play01:02

encoding what you'll find is that i

play01:03

don't talk about specific like

play01:05

techniques like step one step two step

play01:06

three do this like write your notes like

play01:08

this so you're probably going to have

play01:10

questions like how do i write my notes

play01:12

or what do i do for this subject or what

play01:14

i do for this subject and the reason

play01:15

that i didn't cover that is because

play01:16

there's like literally hundreds of

play01:18

different variations of this and so it's

play01:20

better for me to just teach you the

play01:21

principle if it abides by the principles

play01:23

that i talk about in this video it's

play01:25

probably gonna be okay-ish if it doesn't

play01:28

abide by these principles then it's

play01:29

definitely not okay but again i've got

play01:32

other videos that i'll post up about you

play01:34

know more specific techniques and

play01:35

examples and this is really just that

play01:37

first step introduction into the basics

play01:39

of encoding which i hope to just build

play01:41

on in future videos anyway back to the

play01:43

actual thing before we really start uh

play01:45

it is important to realize that encoding

play01:48

techniques are not

play01:50

easy by nature like literally by

play01:52

definition right encoding involves

play01:54

cognitive load and cognitive load

play01:57

naturally feels uncomfortable naturally

play01:59

feels confusing so if you are using an

play02:01

encoding technique especially a new one

play02:03

that you haven't tried before and you're

play02:05

finding that it's hard to wrap your head

play02:07

around and you're just like generally a

play02:09

little lost that's actually completely

play02:11

normal in fact if you didn't feel that

play02:12

it probably means you're doing it wrong

play02:14

so a lot of students will use an

play02:15

encoding technique the first time

play02:18

they'll give it a go and they feel this

play02:20

and then they back off they will give up

play02:22

they'll say hey it's not working for me

play02:24

i'm not getting those results the

play02:25

results do not come immediately it's

play02:28

kind of like training your muscles it's

play02:30

kind of like learning to play an

play02:31

instrument it takes time to develop the

play02:33

skill for some people that's only a few

play02:35

days for some people it's only a few

play02:37

hours but for most people that that's

play02:40

around a month to two months and that

play02:42

that can be a little bit daunting but i

play02:45

do promise that the the result pays off

play02:47

so how do we do this whole encoding

play02:49

thing there are a lot of different

play02:50

techniques that you can use to encode

play02:52

but every single encoding technique has

play02:54

to sort of follow a few basic principles

play02:57

and i'm gonna

play02:58

drive them down to just two okay so the

play03:01

first step is understanding about

play03:02

different orders of learning there are

play03:04

low orders of learning and there are

play03:06

higher orders of learning deep

play03:07

processing higher encoding this happens

play03:10

a lot more when we're at the higher

play03:11

order of learning so encoding is really

play03:13

only happening when you have clear

play03:15

organizational structure in your brain

play03:17

what that means is that you not only

play03:18

know what the information is but you

play03:20

know how it fits in there is a way of

play03:23

navigating this information in your

play03:24

brain that makes intuitive and logical

play03:27

sense there usually isn't a lot that

play03:29

relies on you having memorized things

play03:31

like memorize different groups of

play03:33

anything it's usually pretty logical and

play03:36

so someone that has done a high level of

play03:38

encoding when they explain something it

play03:40

sounds very simple and you can often

play03:43

get that feeling of like wow i never

play03:46

thought of it that simply before and

play03:48

then you can do the classic kind of

play03:49

explaining it to a five-year-old or

play03:52

explaining it to a 10 year old and that

play03:53

is a sign

play03:55

generally of someone having a higher

play03:57

order of learning so how do we know what

play03:59

higher order learning is there are two

play04:01

different frameworks that we can use to

play04:03

understand this the first one is called

play04:04

bloom's taxonomy and as you can see the

play04:07

lower order learning is really the stuff

play04:09

at the bottom levels the remembering and

play04:12

the understanding a lot of people will

play04:13

say that just memorizing something is

play04:16

not real learning understanding is when

play04:18

you're getting real learning that's not

play04:19

true because understanding something is

play04:21

still very isolated when we're doing

play04:24

good encoding we never want information

play04:26

to be isolated every single thing that

play04:29

you consume every information that comes

play04:31

into your sensory memory that you shunt

play04:33

into your working memory again if this

play04:35

is foreign to you check out that other

play04:36

video that i mentioned before all of

play04:38

that stuff in our working memory that's

play04:40

gonna be forgotten in seconds we've got

play04:43

seconds so in the in the seconds that

play04:46

that information is in our working

play04:47

memory that's our opportunity to encode

play04:50

it into our long-term memory if we miss

play04:52

that window we're wasting time so we

play04:55

can't just consume information first

play04:58

and then settle on it and then

play05:00

consolidate it and then try to encode it

play05:02

afterwards by then it's already late

play05:04

we've already put it into kind of like a

play05:07

a memorization box we're already sort of

play05:10

looking at it in terms of stuff to wrote

play05:12

learn through repetition and what i

play05:14

found is that students that are

play05:15

generally pretty heavy with the rote

play05:18

learning or the memorization if they

play05:20

don't follow this right order then they

play05:24

are so pulled into their previous habit

play05:27

of just rote learning that it's it's

play05:30

very very very difficult to break out of

play05:31

and certainly will waste a lot of time

play05:33

so step number one as soon as possible

play05:37

we want to just jump to higher order

play05:39

learning and that is something like

play05:41

applying but more so things like

play05:44

analyzing and evaluating the ideas

play05:47

so here's how we work up the ladder and

play05:49

i want you to think about where you

play05:50

spend most of your time thinking again

play05:52

we want to be at those higher levels not

play05:55

just in general but as early as possible

play05:58

okay that's that's the key so the lower

play06:00

level is about remembering this is just

play06:02

like recalling facts and individual

play06:04

details

play06:05

the next level is about understanding if

play06:07

you understand it you can explain it the

play06:10

next level above this is applying so

play06:12

this means solving problems but the

play06:14

problems are usually pretty

play06:17

concept specific like isolated problems

play06:20

testing on just individual concepts and

play06:22

then we have analyzing so analyzing is

play06:24

the first point at which we're starting

play06:26

to take ideas and bring them together

play06:29

and comparing them against each other so

play06:31

it's not just about having one idea and

play06:34

then just understanding that idea really

play06:35

really well

play06:36

and focusing on understanding that idea

play06:38

and you'll hear me talk about this in a

play06:40

lot of other videos as well it's about

play06:42

taking that idea and then looking at it

play06:43

in relation to another idea and

play06:46

comparing and contrasting between them

play06:49

but not just one or two but multiple

play06:52

different ideas and seeing their

play06:53

relationships between them and then the

play06:55

next step evaluating this is about not

play06:58

just comparing and contrasting the ideas

play07:00

but it's about figuring out how we can

play07:02

judge them how we can prioritize them so

play07:05

we might know that we have three

play07:08

concepts that are related to each other

play07:10

concept a concept b concept c and we

play07:13

know that there is a relationship here

play07:15

evaluating would be saying okay which of

play07:17

these relationships is actually the most

play07:19

important is it this one here or is it

play07:22

is it this relationship that's the most

play07:23

important or is it kind of like okay a

play07:26

that leads to b and then a and b

play07:28

together combined lead to c is that the

play07:31

nature of the relationship so when

play07:33

you're analyzing you may have an

play07:35

understanding that there is a

play07:37

relationship you may get an idea that

play07:39

they are connected that they are related

play07:42

to each other that they exert some kind

play07:43

of influence but when you're evaluating

play07:46

it means that you understand it much

play07:47

more deeply you're very explicit you're

play07:50

very clear about what the nature of that

play07:52

relationship is and how important it is

play07:56

in the in the big picture in the grand

play07:58

scheme of things so i want you to start

play08:00

trying to find the similarities

play08:01

essentially doing that level five

play08:04

thinking of uh evaluating or analyzing

play08:08

the information with this next part so

play08:10

another taxonomy that we can use apart

play08:12

from blooms is solo taxonomy and i

play08:15

personally like this one a little bit

play08:16

more so if you think about this one this

play08:18

part where we're actually saying that

play08:20

the ideas don't exist in isolation

play08:22

anymore but we actually sign a c the

play08:25

connections between them

play08:27

we're getting this in this kind of

play08:28

relational type of learning but then

play08:31

when we actually start implementing the

play08:34

bigger picture we have an understanding

play08:35

of its significance with the bigger

play08:37

picture that's now activating higher

play08:39

order learning so in order to do correct

play08:41

encoding we always need to try to relate

play08:45

the information to each other

play08:48

and to the bigger picture

play08:50

so we're always trying to relate the

play08:51

information to each other

play08:53

and to the bigger picture now for some

play08:55

people this is actually an automatic

play08:57

process that they'll do

play08:59

students that are already pretty good at

play09:00

encoding they will naturally do this but

play09:03

i found that

play09:04

a lot of the time this process goes

play09:06

sort of subconscious and they will sort

play09:08

of flick in and out of this method of

play09:11

thinking what i'm saying is that it's

play09:12

actually possible very possible like

play09:15

this is legitimately kind of one of the

play09:18

core principles of a lot of the

play09:21

techniques that i teach

play09:22

is the idea that you don't actually need

play09:25

to

play09:26

really spend much time at all on the

play09:29

lower levels of thinking you don't

play09:31

really need to try to memorize or try to

play09:34

understand something now you're thinking

play09:35

justin how am i going to evaluate and

play09:37

analyze and get an understanding of the

play09:39

big picture of something without even

play09:41

knowing what it is like how without

play09:43

understanding something how will i be

play09:45

able to do that and the answer is that

play09:46

you can't you can't do that and that's

play09:48

the point your brain will automatically

play09:51

will automatically fill in

play09:53

the lower order levels of thinking so

play09:56

the idea here is that you set your goal

play09:58

your focus your objective is to do the

play10:01

higher order thinking as early as

play10:04

possible by doing that your brain will

play10:06

automatically do the memorizing and the

play10:08

understanding and the application of it

play10:10

on the way there without you even trying

play10:12

to do that and the benefit of this is

play10:14

that because you have the big picture in

play10:17

mind the information naturally becomes

play10:20

more organized because if you were to do

play10:22

it step by step if you were to take each

play10:24

individual piece of information sensory

play10:26

memory into your working memory you say

play10:28

okay i'm gonna memorize this okay now

play10:29

i'm gonna try to understand it more

play10:30

deeply okay now i'm going to try to

play10:32

apply this and then i'm going to try to

play10:34

see how it fits in the big picture

play10:36

if you were to do that then each piece

play10:38

of information is being consumed

play10:40

individually and it's isolated and at

play10:43

that point remember we've got seconds to

play10:45

encode it from our working memory to our

play10:46

long-term memory at that moment we have

play10:48

decided that we are going to look at it

play10:50

in isolation first and already our

play10:53

organizational structure is starting off

play10:55

on the wrong foot so now we have to

play10:56

spend time to unlearn the way that we

play10:59

had organized it and then find another

play11:01

way to organize it afterwards so it's

play11:03

kind of like if you have a really messy

play11:04

room it's like putting all of your stuff

play11:06

in there first and then going into your

play11:08

messy room and saying okay let's clean

play11:10

it up it actually makes more sense to

play11:12

take each individual item look at all

play11:14

the other items you need to put into

play11:15

your room think okay i can see that i've

play11:18

got a lot of stationery i probably need

play11:20

to find a way to organize that station

play11:22

area in my room so if you're thinking

play11:23

about this to begin with when you pick

play11:25

up your pencil then you know where it's

play11:28

going to go so it's organized to begin

play11:30

with it takes a little bit longer to

play11:33

process through the information the

play11:34

first time around but it's

play11:36

it's much incomparably faster and it

play11:39

saves you a lot of time because that

play11:41

information is encoded straight away and

play11:42

you'll find that retention can be 80 90

play11:45

i mean i've got some of the students on

play11:46

my course that are saying that their

play11:47

retention is like 90 plus after two

play11:49

three weeks of not even having looked at

play11:51

it again and that's

play11:53

far above the uh what the research says

play11:56

is is the just generally accepted norm

play11:58

of around forty to sixty percent sort of

play12:00

fifty percent area so that's the first

play12:01

thing okay that's the first thing so let

play12:03

me just really quickly summarize that is

play12:05

that in order to do coding you have to

play12:06

you have to try to organize the ideas in

play12:08

relation to the big picture and you do

play12:10

this by comparing the ideas against each

play12:11

other and against the big picture and

play12:12

creating an actual organizational system

play12:14

so each piece of information knows where

play12:16

to fit so every technique that you use

play12:20

should

play12:21

try to leverage off that that means

play12:22

you're not just reading something and

play12:24

just writing notes on it you shouldn't

play12:26

be doing that if you read something and

play12:27

just write notes on it straight away

play12:29

then you're not letting your brain

play12:31

figure out how to organize it first you

play12:34

should never really be committing

play12:36

anything

play12:37

you know into your notes or anything

play12:39

like that

play12:40

until you've figured out a way to

play12:43

organize it in relation to other

play12:45

concepts and in relation to the bigger

play12:47

picture right so we're always looking

play12:49

for those relationships we're always

play12:51

looking to build big picture relevance

play12:54

now

play12:55

it sounds simple and for some of you it

play12:56

truly will be simple and for those of

play12:58

you you're probably already a pretty

play12:59

good academic achiever yourself this

play13:01

part of the message is really for those

play13:03

students that are listening that will

play13:05

struggle with this and this is the

play13:07

statistical majority vast majority of

play13:10

students even some high achieving

play13:12

students especially in the high school

play13:13

level they're high achieving because

play13:15

they're relying on repetition

play13:17

but this is a completely different

play13:19

method of thinking so you could be a

play13:20

very high achiever

play13:22

but you may actually still be not that

play13:25

good at encoding uh and then what you'll

play13:27

find is that as the information gets

play13:29

harder and harder this repetition-based

play13:31

learning becomes less and less

play13:32

sustainable like like i talked about in

play13:34

my last video so for those of you that

play13:36

are struggling with this method of

play13:38

thinking just remember what i said

play13:40

before is that it is a skill you do need

play13:43

to

play13:43

you know practice it and that confusion

play13:46

of thinking how does this fit how does

play13:48

it come together where does it connect

play13:51

can i organize it this way or maybe i

play13:53

can organize it this way instead all of

play13:56

that is good that that's learning that's

play13:58

good cognitive load being used and

play14:01

that's actually directly contributing to

play14:03

improving your memory and i'll be

play14:05

releasing several videos coming up as

play14:07

well where i go through actual examples

play14:10

of subjects where i go through and and

play14:13

you'll see what i mean

play14:15

by this comparison and the relationship

play14:17

and you'll see the areas where you might

play14:18

struggle so i've got a bunch of videos

play14:20

coming up on that let me say it again

play14:22

i've got videos of examples coming up

play14:25

all right i'm doing my best to try to

play14:28

cover the material as best as i can in

play14:31

this format but youtube is honestly not

play14:33

a great format for delivering stuff that

play14:35

is like pretty sequential and uh like

play14:38

has you know a pretty specific structure

play14:40

in terms of how i need to teach it so

play14:42

that's the first thing the second thing

play14:44

is a much uh smaller point and this is

play14:47

just something that's going to help you

play14:48

do that first thing which is you need to

play14:51

start training your cognitive load

play14:53

tolerance you need to start becoming

play14:55

more and more familiar with the idea of

play14:57

keeping information in your brain

play14:59

when you when you're writing notes you

play15:01

will get the sensation that as soon as

play15:04

you've written notes about it there's a

play15:06

sort of burden that's been lifted from

play15:08

your mind you can kind of breathe a

play15:10

little bit easier you can probably

play15:11

relate to this feeling that's not

play15:13

necessarily a good thing and this again

play15:17

is pretty nuanced because it can be good

play15:19

sometimes and it might not be and again

play15:21

i've got videos on that coming up as

play15:22

well but as a rule of thumb if you're

play15:24

someone that generally writes notes in a

play15:26

very linear format

play15:28

and by linear what i mean is that your

play15:30

notes kind of just look like this you

play15:31

might have some bullet points in there

play15:33

as well but they're pretty pretty linear

play15:35

you might be typing them you might be

play15:37

using an app like notion or something

play15:39

the idea is that all of these ways of

play15:41

writing notes are linear and they're

play15:43

usually quite wordy so this method of

play15:46

writing notes is not very effective for

play15:49

a number of different reasons and if

play15:51

you're doing it that way already you

play15:53

probably

play15:54

have a habit of

play15:56

reducing your cognitive load and

play15:58

offloading it into your notes and that's

play16:01

that's not a good thing because it means

play16:02

that yes you've got a record of it but

play16:04

you're not actually encoding it so that

play16:06

again is going to create future work for

play16:09

yourself and repetition is going to end

play16:10

up wasting a lot of time what you want

play16:11

to do is you want to get into the habit

play16:13

of slowly increasing your cognitive load

play16:15

capacity so if you're finding it really

play16:17

really difficult if you tending to write

play16:19

a lot of notes just practice

play16:23

reading something or listening to

play16:24

something and instead of writing notes

play16:26

straight away get into the habit of just

play16:28

holding on to that information a little

play16:30

bit more

play16:31

taking in a little bit more information

play16:33

and asking yourself the questions how

play16:35

does that relate to what i just learned

play16:37

and then how does that relate to the big

play16:39

picture

play16:40

ask yourself these questions

play16:42

and as you do this more and more you

play16:45

will start to be able to hold on to more

play16:47

and more information at a time

play16:49

to a certain point where you'll be able

play16:51

to really

play16:52

read for 15 20 30 minutes without

play16:55

writing any notes at the end of it you

play16:57

can put down a very highly organized

play17:00

beautifully processed set of notes and

play17:02

people will look at you and think man

play17:03

how did you actually do that and that

play17:05

takes time and it takes practice but

play17:08

slowly graduate gradually just trying to

play17:11

expand your tolerance for cognitive load

play17:14

is very very important skill

play17:16

most of the more advanced encoding

play17:18

techniques

play17:19

require you to be able to have require

play17:21

you to tolerate a certain level of

play17:24

cognitive load uh to be able to do it at

play17:26

all if you don't have a certain level of

play17:28

tolerance a lot of these techniques are

play17:30

just completely impossible so this is

play17:33

something that you're going to need to

play17:34

develop as like a very fundamental skill

play17:37

for any and

play17:39

reasonably even intermediate encoding

play17:42

techniques from this we'll be able to

play17:44

build on this we'll be

play17:46

able to incorporate things like chunking

play17:48

we'll be able to use non-linear note

play17:50

taking like mind maps we'll be able to

play17:52

bring them together into something that

play17:53

i call chunk mapping which is a very

play17:55

specific variation of mind mapping that

play17:59

facilitates this chunking process

play18:02

optimally we'll be able to start

play18:04

layering in

play18:06

a lot of other techniques like more

play18:07

interleaving micro learning we'll see

play18:10

how flash cards can fit into this system

play18:12

we'll see how we can do our space

play18:14

repetition in a healthy and productive

play18:15

way we'll learn how to add on

play18:18

memorization techniques that

play18:21

supplement this just like rote learning

play18:22

techniques to fill in any other gaps we

play18:24

can look at revision techniques all of

play18:26

these things we can start layering on

play18:28

but we can't do any of that unless we

play18:31

patch the hole in the bucket right we

play18:33

can't we can't do anything else until

play18:35

that hole in the bucket is already at

play18:38

least reasonably patched and that means

play18:40

we need to start getting a system where

play18:42

our encoding is relatively high and

play18:44

we're not forgetting things quite as

play18:46

quickly the first time we learn it and

play18:49

this is a process that again it will

play18:52

take you some time but i also promise

play18:55

that it will contribute uh and help you

play18:58

and and benefit you for those of you

play19:00

that struggle with the idea of like

play19:02

comparing and thinking about the big

play19:03

picture if you find that you've got way

play19:06

too many relationships way too many

play19:08

connections and it's just overwhelming

play19:10

then what i'd suggest is that you take

play19:12

it down a notch first think about

play19:14

applying the information first so we

play19:17

know that applying the information is

play19:19

not quite as good as that high level

play19:21

evaluation where we're comparing and

play19:23

contrasting and prioritizing different

play19:25

ideas but it's still a lot better than

play19:27

just the memorization and understanding

play19:29

so if you think about taking information

play19:30

in and just thinking how can i apply

play19:32

this how can i apply this and you focus

play19:34

on that that will increase your

play19:35

tolerance a little bit when you're good

play19:37

at that then you can bring it up to the

play19:38

next level all of the stuff that i've

play19:40

just talked about that i've only briefly

play19:42

mentioned i have plans to make videos on

play19:44

all of that and i've got a lot of

play19:45

examples that i can work through stuff

play19:47

that my students have sent me

play19:49

where there are very common mistakes and

play19:51

issues that are found that i think

play19:52

you'll find very helpful i've got all

play19:54

this footage i just need to sit down and

play19:55

edit them because again youtube is not

play19:57

my full-time thing the the teaching

play19:59

students how to learn that's my

play20:01

full-time thing this is just something

play20:02

that i do when i have the time and space

play20:04

to be able to do it so that stuff is

play20:06

coming out if you do want to see again

play20:09

that step-by-step process then feel free

play20:11

to check out the course that i've got

play20:13

where i go through all of this sort of

play20:15

stuff and more and all the examples all

play20:18

of that stuff you can learn a little bit

play20:19

more about that if you check the link in

play20:20

the description as well or you can just

play20:22

simply wait for my next big batch of

play20:24

videos to come out hopefully you enjoyed

play20:26

this if you did please leave it a like

play20:27

if you have any questions anything you

play20:29

want to clarify as always leave a

play20:30

comment do my best to try to answer them

play20:33

as long as they are relatively

play20:34

respectful anyway thanks for listening

play20:36

and i'll see you in the next one

play20:40

[Music]

play20:51

you

Rate This
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
Encoding TechniquesMemory ImprovementCognitive LoadActive RecallLearning StrategiesStudy SkillsStudent TipsEffective LearningLong-term MemoryDr. Justin