The cognitive science of learning Flashcards
______________ science is the study of the mind & intelligence, while ______________ science is the study of the anatomy & physiology of the brain.
Cognitive science / neuroscience
What is the psychology theory that is typically associated with drill and practice?
behaviorism
Most famously promoted as an education philosophy by the psychologist B.F. Skinner in the 1960s, behaviorism is often contrasted against constructivism, in which knowledge should instead be acquired only by project-based learning activities and deeper thought.
Brainscape incorporates both philosophies of learning. The act of understanding concepts well enough to make your own flashcards (or suggest thougtful edits to existing flashcards) is a constructivist activity, while studying the flashcards is a behaviorist activity, thus combining the best of both worlds.
What is the cognitive science term for when you think of an answer in your head (rather than just recognizing it on a list of multiple choices)?
active recall
(aka “retrieval practice”)
This is the mental tactic you are using when studying flashcards.
Active recall has been shown to be an order of magnitude more effective than just passive review of your notes, or practicing multiple choice or matching quizzes where all you have to do is “recognize” the right answer.
What is the cognitive science term for reflecting upon your existing knowledge or thought processes?
metacognition
By forcing you to ask yourself “how well did I know this?” on each flashcard, Brainscape is helping you exercise your metacognitive capacities, while deepening your learning in the process.
What is the cognitive science term for spreading successive exposures to a concept across longer and longer intervals of time, to strengthen the memory trace?
spaced repetition
Brainscape automates and personalizes spaced repetition, by using your confidence level in each flashcard to determine its specific interval of repetition.
What is the term for new knowledge or skills being “too hard” – due to the fact that there are already too many other “new” concepts in your short-term memory?
cognitive load
Brainscape prevents cognitive load by making it decreasingly likely that a new card is shown, the more “1s” you have rated.
By the time you have rated 7 cards as confidence level 1 (which is the max number of items that the average person can keep in short-term memory), Brainscape will not show any new cards until you’ve moved some of those 1s to higher confidence levels.
What is the cognitive science term for that “sweet spot” where you are just at the fringe of your knowledge or skill capacity?
i.e. where you are refreshing existing knowledge just the right amount, while adding new knowledge in just the right -sized increments for your brain to absorb it optimally
the zone of proximal development
(ZOPD)
Brainscape’s study algorithm keeps you in the zone of proximal development by introducing new items only as your cognitive load can handle it, while still repeating your weaker items until they advance to greater confidence
What is the cognitive science term for frequently switching between different subjects while studying?
interleaving practice
(or mixed practice)
In Brainscape’s mobile app, the ability to study a mix of flashcards across many subjects, just by tapping a single Study button, is a form of interleaving practice.
Research shows that this type of studying is the most effective way to make knowledge stick, since it “keeps you on your toes”, prevents fatigue in just one part of your brain, and better mimics the unpredictability with which knowledge might actually be thrown at you in the real world.
__________ knowledge is conscious knowledge of facts & concepts that can be verbalized, whereas __________ knowledge involves knowing HOW to do something, like ride a bike, write a paper, or solve complex math problems.
declarative / procedural
Study tools like Brainscape are typically best at helping you dominate the declarative knowledge portion of your learning, and are best combined with practice activities that help you improve the procedural knowledge component (aka “skills”).
The cerebral _______ is the outer layer of the cerebrum (the largest part of the brain), where most complex reasoning takes place.
cortex
Humans have a thicker cortex than other primates and mammals. The “newest” part (i.e. the part that evolved last) – called the neocortex – makes up over 90% of humans’ cerebral cortex.
What part of the inner brain resembles a seahorse and is responsible for regulating learning & memory?
hippocampus
