The Best Learning Tool in History - 400 years ahead of its time!

Summary

This video script explores the transformative power of essay writing as a learning technique, tracing its roots back to Michel de Montaigne and demonstrating its alignment with Bloom's revised taxonomy. It emphasizes the development of critical thinking, effective communication, and the integration of retrieval practice and self-questioning for deeper understanding. The script also recommends Jordan Peterson's essay guide and introduces brilliant.org for interactive learning, advocating for essay writing as a comprehensive strategy to enhance learning and problem-solving skills.

Takeaways

• 📚 Essays are a powerful learning technique that can improve thinking and communication skills.
• 🎓 The modern essay form was created by Michel de Montaigne in the 16th century, emphasizing the value of writing for personal understanding.
• 🤔 Writing essays helps form ideas, explore thoughts, and develop arguments, similar to the process used by renowned thinkers and writers.
• 🧠 The act of essay writing naturally incorporates elements of Bloom's revised taxonomy, engaging various levels of cognitive function.
• 📝 Critical thinking is enhanced through essay writing, as it requires identifying evidence, evaluating it, and drawing logical conclusions.
• 📈 Retrieval practice, a highly effective learning strategy, can be utilized while preparing for essay writing by recalling information without the source material.
• ❓ Asking 'how' and 'why' questions during the reading and writing process deepens understanding and links new information to existing knowledge.
• 📘 A good essay title should allow for reasoning, analysis, and evaluation, guiding the structure and argument of the essay.
• 📝 The process of writing an essay encompasses most effective learning strategies, making it an efficient way to learn and understand new topics.
• 👨‍🏫 Jordan Peterson's free essay guide provides a comprehensive step-by-step approach to writing essays, emphasizing structure and logical progression.
• 💡 Brilliance.org, the sponsor of the video, offers interactive lessons to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills through hands-on learning.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video about the effectiveness of essay writing as a learning technique?

The video argues that essay writing is a powerful learning technique because it enhances critical thinking, improves understanding and insight, and significantly boosts one's ability to communicate ideas both in writing and verbally.

Who is credited with the creation of the modern essay form?

The modern essay form is credited to the French writer and philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who started writing essays in the mid-6th Century in France.

What does the term 'essay' originate from and what does it mean?

The term 'essay' originates from the French word 'essai', which means an attempt or a trial.

How does essay writing align with Bloom's Taxonomy of cognitive functions?

Essay writing aligns with Bloom's Taxonomy as it involves remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating, which are the cognitive steps needed to develop expertise on a topic.

What is the connection between essay writing and critical thinking?

Essay writing encourages critical thinking by requiring the writer to identify evidence, evaluate it, probe, investigate, spot flaws in logic, reason, and draw conclusions.

What learning strategy does the video suggest using while reading before writing an essay?

The video suggests using retrieval practice as a learning strategy while reading before writing an essay, which involves reading a page, closing the book, and writing everything remembered about that page.

What is the 'learn it linked' approach mentioned in the video and how does it help with learning?

The 'learn it linked' approach involves asking how and why questions while learning and linking new information to what one already knows. This helps move information from working memory to long-term memory, deepening understanding and aiding retention.

What is the recommended structure for an essay according to Jordan Peterson's essay guide?

According to Jordan Peterson's essay guide, the recommended structure is 100 words split into 10 sentences per paragraph, with each paragraph covering one idea, and the paragraphs following a logical progression towards the conclusion of the argument.

What is the role of the title in an essay and what should it achieve?

The title of an essay should give the scope for reasoning, analyzing, and evaluating. It should state the writer's position and provide a reasoned argument on how that position was arrived at.

What is the benefit of using the platform 'brilliant.org' as mentioned in the video?

Brilliant.org is beneficial for learning by doing with interactive lessons in various subjects. It helps develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills through hands-on interaction with concepts, which is proven to be more effective than passive learning methods.

What is the significance of the Battle of Hastings in the context of critical analytical writing presented in the video?

The significance of the Battle of Hastings in the context of critical analytical writing is to demonstrate how to go beyond mere description and delve into the transformative impact of the event, such as how it changed the culture, language, and economy of England.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Power of Essay Writing in Learning

This paragraph introduces the concept of essay writing as a potent learning tool, emphasizing its effectiveness in enhancing understanding and insight. It narrates the historical origin of the modern essay, tracing back to Michel de Montaigne, a French Renaissance thinker who pioneered the form. Montaigne's work illustrates writing's capacity to develop thought and meaning. The paragraph also touches on the broader impact of essays on communication skills and the potential for essay writing to improve critical thinking, aligning with Bloom's revised taxonomy of cognitive functions.

05:00

🤓 Enhancing Learning Through Essay Writing

The second paragraph delves into the benefits of essay writing for learning, particularly in developing critical thinking skills. It contrasts descriptive statements with analytical writing, urging the reader to question and investigate deeper meanings. The paragraph also highlights the importance of reading as a precursor to essay writing, which facilitates the use of retrieval practice—a proven learning strategy. It suggests using 'how' and 'why' questions to deepen understanding and to connect new information with existing knowledge, as advocated by educational experts like Barbara Oakley, Terrence Sejnowski, and Bethany Rowski in their book 'A Mind for Numbers'. The paragraph concludes with advice on crafting an essay, including the significance of a good title and the structure of a reasoned argument.

10:01

📝 Mastering Essay Writing with Expert Guidance

The final paragraph provides practical advice on essay writing, starting with the importance of having a clear title and developing a reasoned argument. It mentions Jordan Peterson's free essay guide as a valuable resource, despite the author's personal unfamiliarity with Peterson's work. The guide is praised for its comprehensive step-by-step instructions on essay structuring, outlining, writing, editing, and improvement. The paragraph also introduces 'Brilliant.org' as a platform for interactive learning, which complements essay writing by fostering problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The sponsor's offer for a free trial and a discount on their annual premium subscription is highlighted, encouraging learners to explore and benefit from the platform's resources.

Keywords

💡Essay Writing

Essay writing is a method of learning that involves crafting a structured piece of writing on a particular topic. In the video, it is presented as a powerful learning technique that can improve thinking and understanding. The script discusses how essay writing can be applied to various subjects, including math and physics, and how it can enhance one's ability to communicate ideas both in writing and verbally.

💡Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne was a French writer and philosopher who is credited with creating the modern essay form. The script mentions Montaigne's decision to write essays as a way of developing understanding and insight, which highlights the historical significance of the essay as a tool for learning and self-reflection.

💡Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that classifies the different levels of cognitive function required for learning. The revised version of the taxonomy, mentioned in the script, uses verbs to describe the steps in cognitive development. The script argues that essay writing inherently involves all the steps of the revised Bloom's Taxonomy, thereby making it an effective learning strategy.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and reason about information or arguments. The script emphasizes the role of critical thinking in essay writing, where one must question assumptions, identify evidence, and draw logical conclusions. This process is integral to the development of a well-reasoned argument in an essay.

💡Retrieval Practice

Retrieval practice is a learning strategy where learners attempt to recall information from memory, which has been shown to be highly effective for learning. The script suggests using retrieval practice during the note-taking process for essay writing, which can lead to better retention and understanding of the material.

💡How and Why Questions

The script recommends asking 'how' and 'why' questions as a method to deepen understanding of a subject while reading. This technique encourages learners to think critically about the material and make connections to what they already know, which is essential for effective learning and essay writing.

💡George Orwell

George Orwell was an influential essayist and novelist. The script mentions him as one of the great thinkers who used essays as a means of exploring and communicating their ideas, illustrating the impact and reach of essay writing across various disciplines and historical periods.

💡Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf, like George Orwell, was a renowned essayist and novelist. The script refers to her as an example of a thinker who used the essay form to delve into her thoughts and ideas, underlining the role of essay writing in the development of intellectual thought.

💡Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson is a psychologist and author who has created a free essay guide, as mentioned in the script. Despite the script's author not endorsing Peterson's paid essay advice platform, the guide is recommended for its step-by-step instructions on essay writing, which aligns with the video's theme of the effectiveness of essay writing as a learning tool.

💡Brilliant.org

Brilliant.org is a learning platform sponsored in the script that offers interactive lessons in various subjects, including math, data analysis, programming, and AI. The platform is highlighted for its effectiveness in developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills, which are essential for essay writing and learning.

💡Learning Strategies

Learning strategies refer to the methods and techniques used to facilitate the learning process. The script discusses several learning strategies, such as retrieval practice and asking 'how' and 'why' questions, that are incorporated into the process of essay writing, emphasizing their importance in enhancing learning and understanding.

Highlights

Essays are an effective way of learning and can be applied to subjects like maths and physics.

Michel de Montaigne created the modern essay form in the 16th century, transforming his personal reflections into a powerful learning tool.

Writing essays helps develop understanding, insight, and critical thinking.

Renowned thinkers like George Orwell and Virginia Woolf used essays to explore and form ideas.

Benjamin Bloom's revised taxonomy illustrates the cognitive steps involved in writing essays, highlighting their role in developing expertise.

Essay writing involves analyzing, evaluating, and creating, which are crucial for critical thinking.

Critical thinking is essential for evaluating evidence, probing logic, and drawing conclusions.

Retrieval practice is a highly effective learning strategy, supported by extensive research.

Asking 'how' and 'why' questions while learning deepens understanding and connects new information to existing knowledge.

Barbara Oakley and her co-authors recommend the 'learn it linked' approach to move information from working memory to long-term memory.

Essay writing encompasses most effective learning strategies, making it a powerful tool for quick and thorough learning.

A good essay title provides scope for reasoning, analyzing, and evaluating.

Jordan Peterson's free essay guide offers a comprehensive step-by-step process for writing effective essays.

Peterson's guide suggests a structured approach with 100 words per paragraph, each covering one idea.

Brilliant.org offers interactive lessons in various subjects, promoting hands-on learning and critical thinking skills.

Transcripts

you won't believe how effective essays

are as a way of learning I I know you're

jub I was but I wish I discovered them

much sooner I've missed out and I don't

want you to miss out so in this video

I'm going to show you why essay writing

is such a powerful learning technique

I'll show you how it can improve your

thinking and in case you're wondering

whether it works for subjects like maths

and physics it does and I'm going to

share some really useful essay writing

techniques and learning resources to get

you started it's a story where we go

from mid-6th Century France to modern

day Neuroscience a story about the

science of learning the human brain

George Orwell Virginia wolf we even

mentioned Jordan Peterson and by the end

you will have transformed your ability

to learn and think do with that what you

will it's easy to see essays as homework

like an assignment set by a Cher and

they can be that but if that's all they

are to you then you're really missing

out have you heard of the French writer

and philosopher Michel de monana on the

28th of February 1571 which was his 38th

birthday he did something unexpected he

was a nobleman he lived in a castle just

outside Bordeaux and you could say he

had a midlife crisis but instead of

buying a sports car or ill advised

fashion items or chasing women half his

age Montana moved a desk and a thousand

books into one of the towers in his

castle and started to write the result

of that decision was the creation of the

modern essay form and with it one of the

most original and influential thinkers

of the Renaissance Montana innately

recognized the power of writing as a way

of developing understanding and insight

and he turned that in on himself and

despite writing in the introduction to

his book on essays I am myself the

matter of my book you would be

unreasonable to spend your leisure on so

frivolous and vain a subject it became a

bestseller of its day and had a profound

impact on English and French literature

Shakespeare was a fan of Montana here's

an apology I think I've been

mispronouncing his name it's Montaine

not Montana sorry but what's all this

got to do with using essays as a way of

learning well we're not ready for that

bit yet it is coming incidentally the

word essay comes from the French SI I've

probably mispronounced that too meaning

an attempt or a trial some of the

greatest thinkers in recent human

history wrote essays I don't have time

to list them all but there's Carl San

George Orwell Joan didan Virginia wolf

that's just four out of hundreds the

essayist and novelist Jan didan

said I write entirely to find out what

I'm thinking what I'm looking at what I

see and what it means and that's the

point even renowned thinkers writers and

essayists aren't writing simply to share

their thoughts and ideas they write to

form those ideas they write to find

meaning explore thoughts and develop

arguments but what's that got to do with

you will writing essays make you a

well-renowned thinker probably not but

it will make you a better thinker and

it'll improve your understanding of the

world there's another benefit too you

will see a huge Improvement in your

ability to communicate your ideas

written and verbal if you have that kind

of mind you're probably thinking show me

some evidence that what you say is true

okay I will let's start with Bloom

Benjamin Bloom was an educational

psychologist he spent his entire career

researching learning in particular he

studied the different levels of

cognitive function required for certain

types of learning and what it takes to

become an expert he classified the

cognitive steps needed to develop

expertise on the topic these have become

known as Bloom's taxonomy actually

that's not completely true what I've

just shown you is the revised blooms

taxonomy it was changed in 2001 to make

the steps verbs rather than nouns but

looking at it again what do you

notice can you write an essay without

going through these steps I don't think

it's possible let's try and experiment

which of these steps could you drop

remember That's essential understand and

That's essential too

apply we'll come back to that one

analyze to write a good essay you need

to analyze the sources break down their

arguments and work out exactly the ideas

that they're attempting to convey which

ideas are the most convincing and why

are some of the ideas flawed that's

evaluation and create where does that

come in well you're going to be writing

an essay an original work based on these

steps that's everything well apart from

apply maybe but it doesn't really matter

that apply isn't included because it's

these top three steps the analyze

evaluate and create which are the most

important here's why did I say that

essay writing would make you a better

thinker I did let's look at how that

works now we're going to talk about

critical thinking critical thinking is

the ability to identify evidence and

evaluate it to probe to investigate to

spot flaws in logic to reason and draw

conclusions instead of saying the Battle

of Hastings was fought in 1066 which is

descriptive critical analytical writing

would say Williams victory at the Battle

of Hasting transformed England forever

it was the start of Norman rule over the

country which changed the culture

language and economy wait a minute is

that really critical analytical writing

can you believe me when I tell you that

how did it transform England how did it

change the culture language and economy

how was that significant when you're

thinking critically about your own work

or other people's work these are some of

the questions that you should be asking

yourself I'm going to give you some

advice on essay writing soon but before

I do that I want to give you some other

reasons as to why it's really effective

to write an essay you usually need to

read something first which gives you the

opportunity to use the most effective

learning strategy that researchers have

found now if you watch this channel

regularly you'll know what it is because

I rarely stopped talking about it study

after study has shown retrieval practice

to be the most effective form of

learning this metaanalysis of 217

studies into retrieval practice confirms

that it's more useful than rereading

which is counterintuitive but although

it feels reassuring rereading is not

particularly effective because when

you're doing it you're not engaging with

the material like you are when you're

trying to retrieve it and you can use

retrieval practice in your notetaking

process what you do is you read a page

and then close the book and then with

the book still closed you write

everything that you can remember about

that page write as much as you can and

if you take notes that way you'll

remember much more quickly and

thoroughly essay writing also encourages

you to use another technique the

research has shown is highly effective

can you think of something that could

improve your understanding as you're

reading a book how about asking yourself

how and why questions so you're learning

about photosynthesis instead of just

trying to remember what photosynthesis

is you ask yourself why is this

important how does it affect other life

on Earth what would happen if

photosynthesis wasn't possible what does

photosynthesis rely on why should you do

this because it deepens your

understanding of the subject and you can

take it further by connecting what

you're learning to what you already know

in their book on Common Sense teaching

which despite its title is also a great

book about how to learn effectively

efficiently Barbara Oakley Beth rowski

and teren sski delve into the science of

how our brains work and learn they

suggest the learn it linked approach

doing this will help move information

from your limited working memory to your

almost unlimited long-term memory so as

you're summarizing notes ask how and why

questions and Link what you're learning

to what you already know because that

will help you learn but you know what

that's exactly what you should do when

you're writing an essay if you want to

write a good one you see essay writing

encompasses almost all of the most

effective learning strategies so you

want to learn something quickly and well

write an essay on it so how do you write

an essay well that's what this bit's

about first you need a title now if your

essay has been set by a tutor they would

have given you a title if it hasn't then

you'll have to come up with the title

yourself what makes a good title usually

something that gives you the scope to

reason analyze and evaluate consider the

importance of photosynthesis to life on

Earth could be an interesting title the

essay should State your position and a

reasoned argument of how you've arrived

at it it will analyze and evaluate it

will raise objections and then respond

to them with an exquisitly argued

position as to why those objections

don't stand up depending on the type of

essay The Objective could be to persuade

the reader that this is the only

sensible conclusion that can be drawn

and now it's time to talk about Jordan

Peterson now he and I are probably not

natural bedfellows actually I haven't

read any of his books and what little I

know about him is just from a few

YouTube videos that I've seen and most

of those have been about lobsters so I

don't really know enough to form an

opinion on him but I'm about to

recommend something that he's created so

it's important that you know that I'm

not receiving any money or benefiting in

any way to do so now he has created a

free essay guide uh you can download it

from the link in the description and it

is very good I found it by chance when I

was looking for essay writing resources

to share for this video and I think

you'll like it now I've since discovered

that he has a paid for essay advice

platform which I'm not endorsing because

I've never used I've no idea what it's

like but I have read his essay guide

it's 25 pages long the tone and style

are a bit arrogant but I like the advice

it explains the benefits of writing and

gives a step-by-step guide on how to

write an essay it suggests how to

structure it 100 words split into 10

sentences per paragraph with each

paragraph covering one idea the

paragraphs should follow a logical

progression towards the destination of

your argument it talks about topics and

how to create a reading list how to

create an outline and then how to start

writing how to edit and how to improve

prove it's a comprehensive guide on how

to write an essay and Peterson says that

students following it will produce

something that is at least very good I

agree with that um I've linked to it in

the description as well as a couple of

other essay writing resources too if you

want to set yourself a challenge learn

something new and become an expert

Problem Solver then I think you should

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