Online Learning Can Be Awesome. Here's How.
Summary
TLDRThe speaker discusses the overwhelming abundance of learning resources in the digital age and the challenges it presents. They suggest evaluating resources based on their target audience, whether they prioritize foundational or advanced knowledge, and whether they focus on rigorous procedures or conceptual understanding. The importance of practice, community interaction, and real-world application is emphasized, advocating for a balanced approach to learning that incorporates both in-app and out-of-app experiences. The script concludes with a call to support giveinternet.org, an organization providing internet access to students in underserved areas.
Takeaways
- š Historically, access to learning resources was scarce, but today we have an abundance of materials like books, videos, and podcasts.
- š¤ To be an effective online learner, it's important to consider what type of learning resource to use, whether it's a course, textbook, or online platform.
- š When evaluating learning resources, consider if they are aimed at beginners or advanced students and if they focus on definitions and procedures or intuition and understanding.
- š Look for resources that complement each other, serving as primary and reference materials, or alternating between them for a well-rounded learning experience.
- š Practice is crucial for learning, so seek out resources that offer ample opportunities for applying knowledge and skills through questions and problem-solving.
- šŖ The quality of practice matters; aim for challenging exercises that promote skill development rather than just simple check-your-understanding questions.
- š„ Interacting with others through online forums or communities can significantly enhance the learning process by providing diverse perspectives and answers.
- šļø Spread out learning over time for better retention and consider how you will structure your learning sessions for long-term skill development.
- šÆ Think about when and how you will use the knowledge gained from learning resources in real-life situations beyond the course environment.
- š Mix in-app practice with out-of-app practice to ensure that skills transfer effectively from the course to real-world applications.
- š Recognize the privilege of internet access, as many people worldwide lack this fundamental resource for learning and growth.
- š° Consider supporting organizations like giveinternet.org that work to provide internet access to students in need, enabling them to access educational opportunities.
Q & A
What is the main challenge the speaker identifies with the abundance of learning resources available today?
-The main challenge is that having access to so many resources can make learning harder, as opposed to learning from a single textbook or as an apprentice, where the focus is more concentrated.
What are the two key dimensions the speaker suggests considering when evaluating learning resources?
-The two dimensions are whether the resource is aimed at beginners or advanced students, and whether it focuses on rigorous definitions and procedures or on intuition and conceptual understanding.
Why might someone choose to use multiple learning resources in tandem?
-Using multiple resources can complement each other, allowing one to serve as a primary source while another serves as a reference or provides additional practice opportunities.
What does the speaker suggest about the importance of practice in learning?
-The speaker emphasizes that practice is crucial, and it's important to look for resources that offer challenging questions and opportunities to apply and grow skills.
How does the speaker evaluate the quality of practice provided by a learning resource?
-The speaker evaluates practice quality by considering whether the questions are merely check-your-understanding type or if they are challenging enough to promote skill development.
What role do online forums play in the learning process according to the speaker?
-Online forums provide a platform for interaction, allowing learners to ask questions, receive answers, and benefit from the diverse perspectives and expertise of the community.
Why is it beneficial to have a vibrant community as part of a learning resource?
-A vibrant community enriches the learning experience by exposing learners to questions and answers they might not have thought of, and by providing a range of expertise levels for more comprehensive understanding.
What is the speaker's approach to spreading learning over time for long-term skill growth?
-The speaker suggests spreading learning across time by planning out learning sessions and avoiding cramming, as this aids in long-term retention and understanding.
How does the speaker view the difference between in-app and out-of-app practice?
-The speaker acknowledges that in-app practice is often simplified and provides instant feedback, but emphasizes the importance of also engaging in out-of-app practice to better simulate real-world application of skills.
What is the purpose of the organization giveinternet.org as mentioned by the speaker?
-Giveinternet.org aims to provide internet access to students, particularly in underserved areas, to enhance their educational opportunities, enabling them to access resources, continue their education, and improve their future prospects.
Why does the speaker advocate for donating to giveinternet.org?
-The speaker advocates for donating because it addresses a fundamental barrier to educationālack of internet accessāand because donations through the provided link will be matched, doubling the impact.
Outlines
š The Challenge of Abundance in Learning Resources
The first paragraph discusses the historical scarcity of learning resources compared to today's overwhelming abundance. It poses questions about how to effectively choose and utilize the vast array of learning materials available online, such as courses, textbooks, videos, and podcasts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of evaluating these resources based on their target audience (beginners or advanced students) and their focus (rigorous definitions or conceptual understanding). The paragraph also mentions the value of complementary resources and the role of practice in learning, suggesting that a mix of content and practice is ideal.
š¤ Evaluating and Integrating Learning Resources
In the second paragraph, the speaker continues the discussion on learning resources by focusing on the aspect of practice and the importance of finding the right balance between content and practical application. They stress the need for challenging questions and activities that promote skill development. The paragraph also touches on the significance of community interaction through online forums and the benefits of diverse expertise within these communities. The speaker encourages periodic self-evaluation of the learning process to ensure it is effective and to identify any gaps in understanding or practice.
š The Importance of Internet Access for Learning
The final paragraph shifts the focus to the broader issue of internet access as a prerequisite for online learning. The speaker highlights the work of giveinternet.org, an organization that provides internet access to students in underserved areas, enabling them to access educational resources and opportunities. The paragraph outlines the organization's approach, which includes working closely with local communities and adapting to meet their specific needs. The speaker also encourages donations to giveinternet.org to support their mission and mentions that donations made through a provided link will be matched, thereby doubling the impact.
Mindmap
Keywords
š”Learning Resource
š”Apprenticeship
š”Coursera
š”Khan Academy
š”Crash Course
š”Beginner vs. Advanced
š”Rigorous Definitions
š”Practice
š”Online Forum
š”Long-term Growth
š”giveinternet.org
Highlights
The historical scarcity of learning resources contrasts sharply with today's abundance of books, videos, and online content.
The overwhelming availability of learning resources can make the learning process more challenging rather than easier.
Effective online learning involves choosing the right learning resources based on several considerations.
Learning resources can be categorized as beginner or advanced based on their content depth.
The balance between rigorous definitions and intuitive understanding is crucial when selecting learning resources.
Complementary resources that offer a mix of foundational knowledge and advanced insights can enhance learning.
The value of practice in learning cannot be overstated, with a focus on the type and quality of practice provided.
Content creators like Andy from andyguitar.co.uk incorporate practice into their courses, enhancing the learning experience.
The importance of finding or creating opportunities for practice to solidify learning.
Online forums and communities offer interactive learning experiences that can enrich understanding.
Evaluating the quality of interaction in online communities is key to leveraging them for learning.
The concept of spreading learning over time for long-term skill development.
The application of learned skills in real-life scenarios is distinct from in-app or course-based practice.
The importance of mixing in-app practice with out-of-app practice to bridge the gap between learning environments.
The periodic reevaluation of learning resources and methods to ensure they are effective and meeting learning goals.
The digital divide and the efforts of organizations like giveinternet.org to provide internet access to students in need.
Giveinternet.org's approach to addressing the fundamental issue of internet access for educational purposes.
The call to action for donations to giveinternet.org to support educational opportunities for underserved students.
Transcripts
For most of human history, you would be luckyĀ to have one single textbook - one preciousĀ Ā
learning resource that you would reread dozensĀ of times. Today, there are hundreds, thousands,Ā Ā
millions of books, videos, blog posts, andĀ podcasts all trying to teach you something.Ā Ā
We have an absolute embarrassment of riches.Ā But that doesn't necessarily make learningĀ Ā
easier. In some ways, having access toĀ all of these resources is harder than,Ā Ā
say, learning as an apprentice orĀ learning from a single textbook.
To be a really effective online learnerĀ I try to answer the following questions.Ā Ā
What Learning Resource should I use? Do IĀ take a Coursera course or download a goodĀ Ā
textbook or fire up Khan Academy or make myĀ way through a Crash Course on YouTube or findĀ Ā
a good blog or download an app? There are lotsĀ of ways to evaluate these learning resources,Ā Ā
but here's a couple of dimensions to consider.Ā One question is: is this a learning resourceĀ Ā
aimed at beginners or is this for more advancedĀ students? YouTube videos and online courses areĀ Ā
often created to introduce a subject - to provideĀ some kind of basic foundation - while blog postsĀ Ā
by specialists and textbooks can offer moreĀ nuanced, advanced takes on things. AnotherĀ Ā
question is: is this a resource that focuses onĀ rigorous definitions and procedures or is it aĀ Ā
resource that focuses on intuition and conceptualĀ understanding? Often, you're looking for resourcesĀ Ā
that complement each other. You can use one as aĀ primary and another as a reference or you couldĀ Ā
bounce back and forth between the two as you'reĀ learning the subject matter. Some people have alsoĀ Ā
created amazing guides to the resources out thereĀ like Susan Rigetti's guide to learning physics.
Another way to evaluate learning resources is toĀ ask a different question: how am I going to beĀ Ā
getting the right practice or experience? ManyĀ online courses are content heavy - they wantĀ Ā
to tell you a lot of stuff. And, as students,Ā we also tend to favor content over practice.Ā Ā
It takes less effort to watch a video aboutĀ physics than it does to sit down and do someĀ Ā
physics problems. So when I look at an onlineĀ course or a learning app, I think about whereĀ Ā
and when I'll actually be getting practice atĀ something. What percentage of the time that IĀ Ā
spend in the course is actually spent on answeringĀ questions or solving problems or getting practiceĀ Ā
at some skill or applying some ideas? I want thatĀ percentage to be on the higher side. I also thinkĀ Ā
about the value of the practice that I'm getting.Ā Are these questions little, dinky, true-or-false,Ā Ā
check-your-understanding questions? Or are theyĀ questions that are actually going to challenge meĀ Ā
so that I can grow my skills? In some cases, theĀ practice is already built into the subject matter,Ā Ā
even in a content-heavy course. Andy,Ā from andyguitar.co.uk, presumes thatĀ Ā
you are sitting there with your guitar or yourĀ ukulele as you are watching his content. That is,Ā Ā
you are practicing with him, before him, afterĀ him and so some amount of practice is alreadyĀ Ā
incorporated into the course. But in otherĀ cases you have to actually find those practiceĀ Ā
opportunities or you're reliant on the teacher toĀ provide you with certain practice opportunitiesĀ Ā
and - again - this is where complimentaryĀ resources come into play. Have a resourceĀ Ā
that explains things really well but doesn't giveĀ you any practice? That's great. Pair it up withĀ Ā
another resource that gives you more practiceĀ but maybe doesn't explain things that well.
Another question I like to askĀ about learning resources is:Ā Ā
where can I interact with others? YouĀ can learn a lot by yourself, of course,Ā Ā
but you can learn even more when you interactĀ with other people. One kind of resource thatĀ Ā
we haven't talked about yet is the onlineĀ forum. I'm looking for at least one resourceĀ Ā
that I'm using to have access to a vibrantĀ community. iIdeally it's a place where I canĀ Ā
ask questions and receive answers but evenĀ just lurking on the forums or in the commentĀ Ā
sections of videos can enrich the learningĀ experience. People ask questions I wouldn'tĀ Ā
have thought of and people provide answersĀ that I wouldn't have thought of either. ThereĀ Ā
are also other things to consider. Are peopleĀ asking good questions? do a lot of questionsĀ Ā
go unanswered? Are people interacting politelyĀ and respectfully? Is there a range of levels ofĀ Ā
expertise within the community? If everyone'sĀ a beginner, there might be more confusion thanĀ Ā
clarity. But if everyone's an expert, I might notĀ understand the conversation in the first place.
As I'm using these resources I ask myself a coupleĀ of other questions. How am I going to spread myĀ Ā
learning out? I'm almost always thinking in termsĀ of long-term growth of skills and spreading outĀ Ā
our learning across time is important for thisĀ kind of goal. Once I commit to learning something,Ā Ā
I think about what the next learning session isĀ going to be like. What am I going to do duringĀ Ā
that time and when is it going to happen?Ā I don't want to cram everything in all atĀ Ā
once. Even subtle changes like splitting a 2-hourĀ reading session into two one hour blocks can haveĀ Ā
long-term benefits for learning. Fundamentally,Ā I don't think of learning as shoving moreĀ Ā
information into my head. I think of it moreĀ like becoming really good friends with the topic.
Another question: when am I actually going toĀ use what I am learning? We talked before aboutĀ Ā
whether a learning resource provides practiceĀ opportunities. More practice opportunities andĀ Ā
better practice opportunities, well, that's good.Ā But the practice that we're getting inside theĀ Ā
closed environment of an online course is boundĀ to be a little bit different than how we wouldĀ Ā
apply what we are learning outside of that course.Ā The math problems that you confront in school areĀ Ā
different in important ways from the math problemsĀ that you might confront outside of school. You mayĀ Ā
have to write an essay in class, but it's stillĀ probably more constrained than the task of writingĀ Ā
an essay in real life. Of course, the fact thatĀ there's a difference between in-app practice andĀ Ā
out-of-app practice is often what makes the appĀ good for learning in the first place. SimplyPiano,Ā Ā
for instance, does, I think, a pretty good jobĀ at teaching fundamental piano skills. And there'sĀ Ā
lots of practice involved. But the practiceĀ that you get during those courses is still aĀ Ā
little bit different than actually playing sheetĀ music or even accompanying other musicians. TheĀ Ā
pieces are shorter and simplified and you getĀ instant feedback and you don't have to turnĀ Ā
the pages and you don't have to coordinate withĀ anyone else. But the reason that they do thatĀ Ā
is to make things easier to learn. Still, IĀ like to mix up my in-app practice with plentyĀ Ā
of out-of-app practice. I never want to deceiveĀ myself into thinking that my performance insideĀ Ā
the bounds of the course will be the sameĀ as my performance outside of those bounds.
Now, I don't definitively answer these questionsĀ every time I go to learn something new. In fact,Ā Ā
I think it's impossible to answer theseĀ questions in the beginning. Rather, theseĀ Ā
are questions that I asked myself periodicallyĀ as I am learning something. What is this resourceĀ Ā
really helping me to do? Am I getting theĀ right kind of practice? What else is missing?
If you have other tips about onlineĀ learning, please put them in theĀ Ā
comments below so that other people canĀ benefit from them - including myself.
But you know what else helps us to learnĀ effectively? Having internet access in theĀ Ā
first place. It's easy to forget that there'sĀ about a billion people without internet access.Ā Ā
So this embarrassment of riches that we take forĀ granted they've barely seen. That's why I'm tryingĀ Ā
to raise awareness for an organization calledĀ giveinternet.org. They provide internet accessĀ Ā
to students so that the students can get betterĀ jobs, they can contribute to their communities,Ā Ā
and they can learn cool new skills. There's threeĀ reasons why I like giveinternet.org. The first isĀ Ā
that they are close to the problem. the groupĀ still works out of Tbilisi in Georgia and hasĀ Ā
helped students in Georgia for years before theyĀ branched out into new areas. And when they do moveĀ Ā
into new areas they find partner organizationsĀ that they can trust and adapt their processes toĀ Ā
meet local needs. Currently, they work in refugeeĀ camps and with some of the most underservedĀ Ā
communities in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Lebanon,Ā India, and Georgia. The second reason I like themĀ Ā
is that their leadership learns over time. TheĀ group began in Georgia translating Khan AcademyĀ Ā
videos into Georgian. But then they realized thatĀ many Georgians did not have internet access inĀ Ā
the first place to even take advantage of theseĀ translated videos. So they focused on what theyĀ Ā
saw was the more fundamental problem. The thirdĀ reason that I like them, and probably the mostĀ Ā
important reason, is that giveinternet.org isĀ not interested in just throwing the internet atĀ Ā
someone and walking away. They work with studentsĀ to connect them to educational resources and,Ā Ā
together with partner organizations, fill gaps inĀ educational systems. For instance, a student at aĀ Ā
refugee camp may go to school for a few years butĀ then when they return home without a computer andĀ Ā
without internet access they can't continue theirĀ education. That's where giveinternet.org steps in.Ā Ā
So if you have a few bucks lying around, and youĀ want to give students educational opportunitiesĀ Ā
that they otherwise wouldn't have, donatingĀ to giveinternet.org is a great way to do it.Ā Ā
And if you donate through my link below yourĀ donation will be matched, so you'll be ableĀ Ā
to double the impact that you will have. That'sĀ it, thanks for listening. I'll see you next time.
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