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Learn How to Learn Class > Chunking, Illusions of Competence, Recall, Mini-testing, Mistakes > Flashcards

Chunking, Illusions of Competence, Recall, Mini-testing, Mistakes Flashcards

1
Q

What is a chunk:

A

Compact packages of information that your mind can easily:

  1. store
  2. access
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2
Q

When trying to learn something new, what does it seem like in your brain? A good analogy…

A

a bunch of puzzle pieces that are floating around but not connected, so they don’t make a lot of sense to your brain

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3
Q

What does a chunk allow your brain to do?

A

Chunking is the mental leap that lets your brain unite bits of information together through MEANING.

The united meaning = a chunk

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4
Q

What is the measure of united meaning?

A

A chunk

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5
Q

Why is a chunk much easier to remember than unconnected pieces of information?

A

Because it is a lot of information formed into a logical whole - so brain only has to remember 1 thing rather than all its individual pieces

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6
Q

What are the 2 benefits of chunking?

A
  1. Unites many pieces together into one logical meaning - compresses it so fits better into working memory
  2. United meaning is clearer to see in terms of how it fits into the big picture of what you are trying to learn - its relationship to the rest of the information
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7
Q

Why is it much less effective to memorize individual facts rather than unite facts/information into chunks of logical meaning/understanding?

A

Because individual pieces of information not connected to its whole so you can understand its meaning in context

  1. doesn’t help you understand what’s really going on OR
  2. how the concepts fit together.
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8
Q

In the chunk analogy, explain the parts

A
  1. individual puzzle pieces of related information

2. whole puzzle (the chunk) bound together by meaning or use

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9
Q

What is a key function related to chunking that occurs in working memory in the focused mode of thinking?

A

the brain focuses its attention to search for stored information from various areas of the brain and to connect them in order to tie together ideas or concepts.

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10
Q

What is the first step in creating a chunk?

A

Focusing attention in focused mode to deliberately work to bind information together through meaning or use (process) in order to create greater meaning and relate it to what is already known.

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11
Q

Give 4 examples of thoughts chunks can pertain to:

A
  1. acronyms
  2. ideas
  3. concepts
  4. relationships
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12
Q

What inhibits the brains ability to focus attention to find connections between information and bind them through meaning or use?

A
  1. Stress
  2. Anger
  3. Fear
  4. Hunger/thirst
  5. love (distraction)
    ie - any emotion or need related to survival
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13
Q

What is a memory trace?

A

a loop of neurons (pathway) that fire and wire together to create meaning or use

complex neural activity that ties together abstract chunks of information so they make sense as a concept or idea

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14
Q

What is rote focus?

A

rote memorization - the act of memorizing facts such as vocabulary or math facts so they can be used later during focused mode of thinking and during chunking

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15
Q

What is one of the first steps to gaining expertise in any subject?

A

Isolating information to be chunked and then chunking them together into concepts, mental leaps that unite scattered bits of information through meaning

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16
Q

What subjects do neural chunks apply to?

A

All subjects: music, science, sports - anything that needs to be mastered. Even daily actions and routines, like getting dressed and driving are neural chunks

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17
Q

What is the relationship between chunks and neural pathways?

A

Chunk = a network of neurons that have been trained to fire together so you can think a thought or perform an action SMOOTHLY, without having to THINK.

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18
Q

What creates strong memory traces?

A

Focused practice plus repetition

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19
Q

What creates chunks?

A

Focused practice plus repetition

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20
Q

What is the process for expertise to be built

A
  1. Rote memorization of isolated “ingredients” (i.e. vocabulary)
  2. Chunking individual concepts or ideas or processes
  3. Practice and repetition of chunks
  4. Linking chunks together and practice/repeat together so that the chunks merge and form larger chunks/memory traces
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21
Q

Why don’t you need to remember all the details of a concepts once you master the chunk?

A

Because the details are merged within the chunk. Once you retrieve the chunk, the details come flowing out with it. Ex: Chunk process: getting dressed in the morning. You don’t have to think through every step, just the idea of getting dressed. then your brain takes over the details.

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22
Q

How would your brain store “how to play a song”

A

as a very large neural representation of many smaller neural chunks that are knitted together - 1 part of the song at a time

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23
Q

How would you approach learning a new song to play/

A

You would:

  1. Listen
  2. Watch
  3. Try to figure out underlying patterns of the song
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24
Q

What is a neuro mini-chunk?

A

Small bits of information bound together

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25
Q

Give some examples of mini-chunks

A

Music: small passages of songs
Sports: different foot moves in soccer
Math: different aspects of a concept - like types of triangles

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26
Q

What’s the goal of knitting together neuro mini-chunks into large chunks?

A

Once knitted together, these practiced chunks become seamless and can be recalled without much to little thought at all to connecting the neural pathways together

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27
Q

What are the best kinds of chunks?

A

The ones that are so ingrained that you don’t even have to consciously think about CONNECTING the neural pathways together - practice makes perfect/permanent -

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28
Q

What are some examples of perfect chunks?

A
  1. Doing math problems without having to think about how
  2. Playing a song
  3. Hitting a ball
  4. Swimming
  5. Diving
  6. Solving a chemical equation
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29
Q

What is the point of strategically converting complex ideas, movements, concepts, reactions into a single chunk?

A

so your brain does not have to consciously think about connecting the neural pattern together - its seamless and reflexive.

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30
Q

Why are math problems shown step by step?

A

So as you are learning how to solve new types of problems, you can see each chunk and figure out why it works. Then once you’ve practiced how each step works, you can knit them all together into a large chunk that becomes seamless.

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31
Q

Whats a good analogy for mini-chunks as part of complex chunks?

A

Using a road map to get from point to point to point until your brain imbeds that knowledge as one large chunk. Don’t have to think about every turn, the brain knows exactly what comes next without having to think about it

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32
Q

What are the steps of chunking?

A
  1. Give undivided attention to the information you want to chunk
  2. Strive to understand the basic idea you are trying to chunk - figure out the gist/the main idea
  3. Practice and repeat to strengthen neural pathways, patterns and memory traces
  4. Demonstrate your understanding through doing
  5. Gain context - figure out exactly how and when to use your new chunk:
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33
Q

What happens in the brain when you first begin to learn something new?

A
  1. You make new neural patterns (pathways) and

2. Connect them to Prior Knowledge (pre-existing patterns spread throughout your many areas of your brain)

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34
Q

What is prior knowledge?

A

Pre-existing patterns of neural pathways already spread throughout many areas of your brain

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35
Q

Why is it necessary to give undivided attention during the first step of chunking?

A

Distractions cause the brain to not really focus on chunking the new material so
your octopus tentacles can’t reach very well if some of them are off on other thoughts and using some of your wm slots

36
Q

what does it mean to synthesize understanding?

A

to figure out the meaning by connecting new information to pk and making sense of it

37
Q

During understanding synthesis, what strategy is important to maximize the brain’s ability to get the gist?

A

Allow both modes of thinking to take turns so that diffuse thinking can make random connections and get the big idea AND then dump it into the focused mode to put all together as understanding

38
Q

What happens when the brain has an “Aha!” moment - when it first understands something?

A

The understanding acts like “learning superglue” to hold together the underlying memory traces -it forms a trunk of a tree (if its something new) or becomes a branch on an existing tree from which even more detail (deeper understanding) can grow into leaves - in other words attach to other memory traces

39
Q

Can you create a chunk if you don’t understand it?

A

Yes, but it’s often a useless chunk that won’t fit in with or relate to other material you’re learning.

40
Q

Does initial understanding and the formation of a chunk mean expertise?

A

NO, not at all. Expertise requires practice and repetition, and retrieval practice

41
Q

Why can you have an “aha” in class but forget it by the time you get home

A

you achieved initial understanding and put together a chunk, but the chunk broke back apart because you didn’t glue the pieces together

42
Q

In math and science, what can speed up the memory creation process?

A

Work to understand and then practice to mastery (do it, don’t just think you know it) before moving on to the next topic. If you wait to practice until later, your chunk will fall apart and you have to start all over

43
Q

Once you reach understanding, how can you begin to glue it in place?

A

Hands - on practice recalling your understanding: retrieval/recall !!!! Very important to do this right now before going any further.

For math, close the book and start working out problems. For science, close the book and recite back your understanding several times.

44
Q

Give examples of how to retrieve/recall your understanding

A
  1. write it out over and over without looking
  2. create a map with all the pieces you’ve learned SO FAR and do it several times without looking
  3. verbalize the meaning several times, trying to switch it around
  4. spaced repetition exercises
  5. visualize

Then, most importantly, refer back to the text and your notes and recall again and again!

45
Q

What is gaining context?

A

learning WHEN to use that technique instead of some other technique - the act of going beyond the initial problem and seeing it more broadly so you can see how it fits into the bigger picture

46
Q

Give examples of gaining context:

A
  1. Identify when to use your new chunk - trying to solve a particular type of math problem
47
Q

What will practicing with chunks achieve?

A
  1. glue the chunks together so that the memory traces remain intact - strengthen the mini-chunks
  2. gain context - see how it fits and when/how to use
  3. broaden the network of neurons connected to your new chunk - this way your chunk is accessible from many different paths
48
Q

What are the two ways that learning can take place?

A
  1. bottom up chunking process

2. top down big picture process

49
Q

what is the bottom up chunking way of learning?

A

building chunks piece by piece and then practicing and repeating to strengthen each chunk for easily access them when needed

50
Q

What is the top down big picture process of learning:

A

building learning by first getting the big picture:
Do a search PRIOR to striving to understand so you can:
1. get a broad idea of exactly WHAT you will be learning (that way you can link it to what you already know) and
2. see how things fit in relationship to each other - is it a new tree or branches or leaves on an existing tree

51
Q

How do bottom up chunking and top down big picture processes come together?

A

Through the process of gaining context. Context is taking your chunks and fitting them together to what you know and into its “fit”

52
Q

Using a math technique, explain chunking and context

A
  1. Chunking means learning WHAT it is and HOW to use a given technique
  2. Context means learning WHEN to use that technique as opposed to some other technique
53
Q

Give an example of top down big picture processing

A

Doing a 2 minute picture walk thru of a chapter before you begin working to understand its chunks of meaning

54
Q

What does top down big picture processing allow you to do?

A
  1. know where to put the chunks you are building

2. know how the chunks relate to one another

55
Q

Give some examples of big picture items

A
  1. book’s outline or table of contents
  2. flow charts
  3. tables
  4. concept maps
  5. chapter/section headings
  6. words in bold
56
Q

Steps of the top down picture process

A
  1. Preview
  2. Identify key chunks to strive to understand
  3. Activate PK through an activity
  4. Create questions from big picture items
  5. But DO NOT create a concept map
57
Q

When you begin chunking, where should you start?

A

Start with the items from your top down preview. Gain understanding of these and then fill in the details (dates, formulas, names, etc)

58
Q

What is a good analogy to visualize where to begin chunking?

A

Visualize putting together a puzzle. Go through the box and group like pieces and then begin building those chunks.

  1. eventually the chunks will begin to connect so the chunks get bigger
  2. Eventually the whole puzzle will be complete
59
Q

Why should you NOT create a concept map prior to learning the chunks, that is, before the chunks are embedded in the brain?

A

Because that’s not how the brain learns best. That would be like trying to learn advanced chess strategy BEFORE you understand the basic concepts of how the pieces move.

60
Q

What is recall?

A

mental retrieval of the key ideas rather than just passive reading and rereading.

61
Q

How does the retrieval process/recall make learning more productive?

A

It creates “mental hooks” that we can hang our thinking on as we are striving to understand chunks

62
Q

What are the benefits of recall?

A
  1. Enhances deep learning
  2. Makes understanding quicker because it forms mental hooks (like velcro so stuff sticks to it) that we can hang our thinking on as we are trying to understand
  3. Helps form chunks
  4. Makes learning time more focused and effective
63
Q

When is it a benefit to re-read material as opposed to doing recall during reading?

A

when you are re-reading as a form of spaced repetition but that would be inefficient

64
Q

How many of the slots are used when you first are learning new information?

A

All 4 and information processing is flowing through all of them like a whirlwind as the brain is trying to

  1. understand to form chunks
  2. place the chunks into the big picture and figure out when to use it to solve problems
65
Q

As you begin to understand new chunks, how is wm affected?

A

all four slots are still used, but you will actually feel the concept or technique chunk connecting more easily, becoming smoother and easier to do. like 1 long ribbon flowing through the slots in a loop

66
Q

Once you “get it”, what is wm like?

A

The chunk becomes a “dangling” smooth strand that’s easy to follow from 1 slot, like a hyperlink that will take your brain to an entire web page full of the information related to that chunk. it’s ready to be practiced and repeated even more so that it can move from wm into lt memory. in the meantime, the other 3 slots are open for the brain to work on other things

67
Q

Why is it critical that YOU are the one gaining understanding of chunks rather than using someone else’s notes or summaries?

A

Because it is this process of working with information to understand it, recalling it through retrieval practice and repeating it over and over to form a chunk that actually makes you learn the information as KNOWLEDGE rather than just isolated memory chunks that cannot be connected without more work.

68
Q

What is required for you to master material and do well on testing?

A

You must have the information persisting in your memory and that requires YOU to do the work yourself because it is the work that places it into memory as real knowledge.

69
Q

What are the illusions of competence?

A

The concept that you are competent or have mastered certain material when you have not.

70
Q

What is a common example of an illusion of competence?

A

Glancing at a solution or steps to a solution and thinking you truly know it

71
Q

Is highlighting and underlining effective?

A

NO, not really. we highlight to remember what was important but that’s ineffective. You should be working on very small parts of information at a time, working to understand it and then do recall tactics to begin forming the chunks and making connections in your brain before moving on to the next chunk of info -dont need the highlighting because you are still on the same page.

72
Q

Can highlighting be an illusion of competence?

A

Absolutely. Often people believe that highlighting is actually a tool tp move the info directly into the brain, that that is all the work that’s needed to get it off the page and into long term memory

73
Q

Is annotation effective?

A

Absolutely. Capturing your thinking and putting it into your own words in writing either on post its or in margins is a form of summary and recall practice

74
Q

What strategy should you use if you do highlight?

A

Before highlighting anything, read and work to understand the information, put it verbally in your own words, capture it in some written format and then you can highlight it but keep it to no more than 1 sentence per paragraph

75
Q

Give examples of illusions of competence

A
  1. re-reading notes or text without stopping to recall
  2. highlighting without stopping to form understanding, summarize, capture first
  3. glancing at solutions or answers and assuming you already knew it instead of working it out or answering it yourself without looking
76
Q

Why do students study in ways that lead to illusions of competence?

A
  1. They believe it magically gets the information into the brains, but it doesn’t
  2. It’s a lot faster and easier than stopping, summarizing, working to understand and recall practice
77
Q

Does spending a lot of time “studying” guarantee you will actually transform information into knowledge?

A

NO - you can waste a lot of time if you don’t do it right but instead just creating illusions of competence

78
Q

What is mini-testing?

A

Small little tests that you can form to test yourself during the time you are trying to understand and BEFORE moving on to the next topic. Recall is an example, but using Brainscape is a formal testing process

79
Q

Why is testing important?

A
  1. Shows you what you really know and don’t know
  2. Eliminates your ability to form illusions of competence
  3. Helps strengthen connections
  4. Helps form meaning/chunks
80
Q

Is it bad to make mistakes?

A

Not at all. It’s a good thing.

81
Q

Why are mistakes a good thing to make?

A

They allow you:

  1. to see flaws in your thinking
  2. repair your thinking/flaws
  3. embed correct chunks
82
Q

When should recall?

A

Any extra few minutes you have, practice recall

83
Q

Where should you recall

A
  1. In your learning environment while you are forming chunks

2. out of your learning environment in various physical locations

84
Q

What impact does where you learn have to do with embedding?

A

You actually embed subliminal cues present in the room where you were studying. So, it’s easier to recall when in that space because those subliminal cues help act as triggers

85
Q

Why is it good to practice recall outside your original learning space?

A

The absence of subliminal cues present during the initial chunk-building are absent, so recall is independent of those triggers. This is important because you need practice testing yourself away from those triggers so when you are actually tested, you won’t be looking for those cues to help trigger your memories

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