Ultralearning

Question 1

What is an Ultralearning Project?

Answer 1

A self-directed, challenging and time-consuming project.

Question 2

What is Metalearning?

Answer 2

The process of learning how to learn. Metalearning is looking for the big picture and then using it to devise your optimal learning strategy.

Question 3

What is a Metalearning Map?

Answer 3

Breakdown of the topic into three categories: concepts (what needs to be understood), facts (what needs to be memorized) and procedures (what needs to be done).

Question 4

What is the Metalearning process?

Answer 4

1. Create a Metalearning Map.
2. Identify which aspects of the map might prove challenging and brainstorm techniques for overcoming them.
3. Establish how you’re going to learn.

Question 5

How much time should be spent Metalearning?

Answer 5

10%

Question 6

How do we establish how to learn?

Answer 6

Research people who’ve acquired a similar skill or institutions that offer accreditation in your field of study.

Use online course lists or syllabi to find the resources, tools, and texts that are considered essential in the field.

Question 7

What is the pomodoro technique?

Answer 7

Switch between 20 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest.

Question 8

What does it mean to switch into ‘autopilot’ mode?

Answer 8

When you might feel like you’re getting a lot done, but you’re not fully engaged with your task and thus you’re less likely to retain new material.

Question 9

What is interleaving?

Answer 9

A strategy to combat autopilot where you deliberately alternate between materials and modes of learning. Ideally, tackle your project in short, regularly-spaced sessions. For example, 5 2-hour sessions rather than 1 10-hour session. In each session, focus on a different aspect or skill set, like vocabulary or grammar.

Question 10

What is mental arousal?

Answer 10

Level of energy or alertness.

Question 11

What happens with high mental arousal?

Answer 11

Intense and narrow focus. Ideal for repetitive tasks.

Question 12

What happens with low mental arousal?

Answer 12

More relaxed and wide-ranging type of focus. Ideal for lateral thinking and forming connections.

Question 13

How should we alter our behavior based on mental arousal?

Answer 13

Focus on simple tasks with high mental arousal and more complex tasks with low mental arousal.

Question 14

What is Transfer?

Answer 14

Transfer is the process of learning something in one context and transferring it to another.

Question 15

What is Target Environment?

Answer 15

The context in which learned skills and knowledge are actually applied.

Question 16

What is Directness?

Answer 16

A quality of ultralearning where an ultralearner keeps the path between their learning environment and their target environment as direct as possible.

Question 17

What is Project-Based Learning?

Answer 17

Situating skill learning directly in your target environment. No transfer required.

Question 18

How do you practice Directness?

Answer 18

The most direct way to learn something is to do it.

Question 19

What is Immersive Learning?

Answer 19

Total immersion in the target environment.

Question 20

What is the Flight Simulator Method?

Answer 20

Learn by replicating the conditions and pressures of your target environment as closely as possible.

Question 21

What is Drilling?

Answer 21

Repeated exercise of a technique in order to perfect it.

Question 22

What is Direct-Then-Drill?

Answer 22

Start with direct practice and identify areas that would benefit from drilling. After drilling, go back to direct practice until it becomes necessary to drill again.

Question 23

What is Rate-Determining Step?

Answer 23

The step that unlocks the next level of knowledge or opens up the broadest range of applications.

Question 24

What is Time-Slicing?

Answer 24

Isolate one step in a more involved process and repeat the step until you’ve perfected it.

Question 25

What are Cognitive Components?

Answer 25

Separate high-level areas of the topic. For example, vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling in learning a language. These can sometimes benefit from drilling.

Question 26

What is Copycat Method?

Answer 26

Choose something in your topic that you admire and try to emulate it as closely as you can.

Question 27

What are the two methods for improving retrieval?

Answer 27

1. Review: Going back over the materials you’ve just studied.
2. Recall: Trying to recall facts and concepts from memory.

Question 28

Which retrieval method is more effective?

Answer 28

Recall.

Question 29

What is Free Recall?

Answer 29

After a study session, write everything you’ve learned in as much detail as possible.

Question 30

What is the Question Approach?

Answer 30

Rather than writing notes, write questions that force recall.

Question 31

What is the Project Approach for retrieval?

Answer 31

A recall-based challenge where you set yourself a task to complete that will test what you’ve learned so far.

Question 32

What is Outcome Feedback?

Answer 32

Feedback based on the outcome of the task. Typically hard to glean additional information aside from success or failure.

Question 33

What is Informational Feedback?

Answer 33

Informational feedback alerts you to the fact that you’re doing something wrong. It might help in isolating problem areas and mistakes, but it doesn’t do much to tell you how to fix the problems.

Question 34

What is Corrective Feedback?

Answer 34

Feedback that tells you both what you’re doing wrong and how you can fix it.

Question 35

What is Fail for Feedback?

Answer 35

Extending yourself to the point where you fail in order to get Informational or Corrective Feedback. Pushing beyond your limits will elicit helpful feedback; acting on that feedback will extend your limits.

Question 36

What is Meta-Feedback?

Answer 36

Feedback on your learning rate.

Question 37

What is Spaced-Repetition-System?

Answer 37

A system for learning discrete chunks of information.

Question 38

What is Refresher Project?

Answer 38

A way to test your retention by regularly putting your skills into practice.

Question 39

What is Overlearning?

Answer 39

Pushing yourself beyond your skill level.

Question 40

What is Embrace the Struggle?

Answer 40

Resist taking shortcuts in your learning. Instead take the long and hard route.

Question 41

What is Struggle Timer?

Answer 41

Force yourself to sit with every challenge or obstacle for at least ten minutes before looking for a simpler solution.

Question 42

What is another way to deepen the understanding of core concepts?

Answer 42

Look at the theorems, ideas, and processes that expert practitioners in your field have formulated, then try and prove them or replicate them. Try to understand the procedure and thought patterns behind it.

Question 43

What is Experimentation?

Answer 43

The act of going from a skilled practitioner to an innovator.

Question 44

What is Copy-Then-Create?

Answer 44

A technique where you start from a known good example, master it and then innovate on top of it.

Question 45

What is the Constraint method?

Answer 45

Impose constraints on your learning to force yourself to try something new. For example, paint a picture using only shades of green.

Question 46

What is the Hybridization method?

Answer 46

Combining two possibly orthogonal techniques or skills to produce something new.