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General > Learning How to Learn > Flashcards

Learning How to Learn Flashcards

1
Q

Two fundamentally different modes of thinking

A

Focused and the Diffuse modes

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2
Q

Concentrating intently on something you’re trying to learn or to understand

A

Focused mode

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3
Q

A relaxed thinking style related to a set of neural resting states

A

Diffuse mode

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4
Q

Can you be in both modes of thinking at the same time?

A

No

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5
Q

How do the two modes of thinking help to learn effectively?

A

To learn effectively we must switch back and forth between the two modes by taking thoughts ideas from the diffused mode of thinking and building on them in focused mode.

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6
Q

How much energy does your brain use?

A

The brain weighs only 3 pounds, but consumes 10 times more energy by weight than the rest of the body

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7
Q

How many synapses are in your brain?

A

A million billion synapses

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8
Q

What are the connections between neurons called?

A

Synapses.

Neurons become linked together through repeated use.

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9
Q

How thin are synapses?

A

A micron in diameter

Human hairs are 20 microns

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10
Q

What happens when you think about something that you don’t want to do?

A

Procrastination causes you to access the part of the brain associated with pain. In order to stop this feeling of uneasiness your brain switches your attention to something else.

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11
Q

How can stop procrastinating?

A

Just begin the work, and soon after the feeling of neuro-discomfort will disappear.

The Pomodoro technique is useful for avoiding procrastination.

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12
Q

Why are those involving math and science, sometimes, a bit more challenging?

A

These are abstract ideas that aren’t tangible in the real world.

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13
Q

How can we better learn abstract ideas like math and science?

A

Practice makes permanent.

Practice with ideas and concepts you’re learning in math and science to help enhance and strengthen neural connections.

The ideas are abstract, but the neural thought patterns you are creating are real and concrete.

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14
Q

What technique can we use to allow the two thinking modes to help us study more effectively?

A

Use the Pomodoro technique to focus for 25 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break and focus on something else while allowing the diffused mode of thinking to help better understand concepts.

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15
Q

What study technique should be avoided?

A

Cramming: This will lead to a weak knowledge base because you don’t leave time for the synaptic connections to form between neurons.

You will forget what you learned through natural memory dissipation processes.

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16
Q

What are the two major memory systems?

A

Long term memory, and working memory.

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17
Q

The type of memory for what your immediately processing in your mind

A

Working memory

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18
Q

A storage warehouse in your mind capable of storing billions of items.

A

Long term memory

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19
Q

How many chunks of information can you hold in working memory?

A

Researchers believe its about 4 chunks.

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20
Q

Why is long term memory important to learning?

A

Long-term memory is important because it’s where you store fundamental concepts and techniques that are often involved in whatever you’re learning about.

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21
Q

How do you move new information from working memory to long-term memory?

A

Practice and repetition over time.

Spaced repetition.

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22
Q

Your brain builds up toxins just by being awake. What happens when you fall sleep?

A

Sleep is the brain’s way of keeping itself healthy.

Your brain cells shrink, creating space between them, and allowing fluid to flow through and flush the toxins out.

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23
Q

How does sleep help learning?

A

Neural patterns strengthen during sleep helping you to understand what you’re trying to learn.

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24
Q

Uniting bits of information together through meaning

A

Chunking

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25
Q

Pieces of information bound together through meaning or use

A

Chunks

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26
Q

What is the first step to chunking new information?

A

Focused mode thinking

Focus your undivided attention on the information you want to chunk because working memory only has 4 slots.

27
Q

What is the second step to chunking new information?

A

Understanding the basic idea of the concept.

28
Q

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

A

Yes, but it’s often a useless chunk.

It won’t fit in with or relate to other material you’re learning.

29
Q

How do you know you actually understand something?

A

When you are able to do it yourself.

30
Q

What is the third step to chunking?

A

Looking at the big picture to gain context so you can see when and when not to use this chunk.

31
Q

What does gaining context mean to learning?

A

Going beyond the initial problem, looking at the big picture to see more broadly so that you know not only when to use a chunk, but when not to use it.

32
Q

What is the bottom-up chunking process?

A

Using practice and repetition to build and strengthen the chunk.

33
Q

What is the top-down chunking process?

A

Looking at the big picture to gain context about what you’re learning.

34
Q

What is the difference between chunking and context?

A

Chunking is learning how to use a technique.

Context is knowing when to use that technique.

35
Q

How can you use recall to improve learning?

A

Informally test yourself on what you just learned

36
Q

What is illusion of competence in learning?

A

Believing you have understanding when you don’t.

37
Q

How can you defeat illusion of competence?

A

By using recall to test yourself on whatever you’re learning.

38
Q

Why are mistakes helpful in learning?

A

Making mistakes helps you correct your thinking and gets you back on the right track.

39
Q

Chemicals that influence how a neuron responds to other neurons

A

Neuromodulators

40
Q

Neuromodulator particularly important for focused learning when you are paying close attention

A

Acetylcholine

41
Q

Chemical substance that controls motivation

A

Dopamine

42
Q

Addictive drugs artificially increase what chemical

A

Dopamine

43
Q

A loss of interest in things that once gave you pleasure

A

Anhedonia: Inability to feel pleasure.

44
Q

Severe loss of dopamine neurons causes resting tremor, slowness, rigidity

A

Parkinson’s Disease

45
Q

A complete lack of any movement

A

Catatonia

46
Q

Neuromodulator that strongly affects your social life

A

Serotonin

47
Q

What does Prozac do?

A

Increases Serotonin

48
Q

Inmates in jail for violent crimes have some of the lowest levels of what chemical?

A

Serotonin

49
Q

Previously learned chunks can help you understand new concepts through what process?

A

Transfer

50
Q

Continuing to study or practice after you’ve mastered what you can in the session

A

Overlearning

51
Q

Repeating something you already know well can lead to what problem?

A

Illusion of Competence

You think you’ve mastered the full range of material, when you’ve actually only mastered the easy stuff.

52
Q

Intentionally focusing on the more difficult material

A

Deliberate practice

53
Q

A neural pattern you’ve already developed and strengthened, may prevent a better idea or solution from being found

A

Einstellung (Mindset) refers to a person’s predisposition to solve a given problem in a specific manner even though better or more appropriate methods of solving the problem exist.

54
Q

Practicing by jumping back and forth between problems or situations that require different techniques or strategies

A

Interleaving

55
Q

What is meant by “science progresses one funeral at a time”

A

People entrenched in the old ways of looking at things die off.

56
Q

How can you start building flexibility and creativity where you leave the world of practice and repetition and begin thinking more independently?

A

Interleaving

57
Q

What are the 4 parts of a habit?

A
  1. The cue
  2. The routine
  3. The reward
  4. The belief
58
Q

Process vs. Product

A

Process is your habits.

Product is the outcome of your habits.

59
Q

How can focusing on process and not product help?

A

It can help prevent procrastination.

Don’t think about the outcome but rather focus on beginning the process.

60
Q

What is the trick to overriding a habit?

A

Changing your reaction to the cue.

61
Q

How can you begin tapping into your visual memory system?

A
  1. Create a memorable visual image of what your trying to remember
  2. Try to feel, to hear and even to smell something you’re trying to remember.
  3. Create meaningful groups with acronyms or sentences that simplify the material
  4. Memory Palace
62
Q

What process takes the brain state in active memory and stores it in long term memory by modifying synapses on the dendrites of neurons?

A

Consolidation.

Consolidating ideas from short term memory to long term memory.

63
Q

A process that can alter older memories?

A

Reconsolidation

64
Q

What is more effective than any drug on the market today to help you learn better?

A

Exercise

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