Optimal Protocols for Studying & Learning
27 Aug 2024 (20 days ago)
Improve Studying & Learning
- The best learning practices are not intuitive, and what people believe about how they learn best is likely incorrect.
- The fields of education, psychology, and neuroscience have come together to define the optimal strategies to study and learn.
- There is a rich literature on the best ways to study, dating back over a hundred years.
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- The podcast aims to provide free information about science and science-related tools to the public.
- Therapy is beneficial because it provides rapport with a trusted individual, offers emotional support and guidance, and provides insights.
- Meditation can improve focus, manage stress and anxiety, and enhance mood.
Offsetting Forgetting
- The most effective study methods are not determined by learning styles, such as visual or auditory learning.
- The most effective study methods are those that counteract the natural process of forgetting.
- This chapter will focus on evidence-based techniques to mitigate forgetting and enhance learning.
Learning & Neuroplasticity
- Neuroplasticity is the nervous system's ability to change in response to experience, and all learning involves neuroplasticity.
- There are three main mechanisms of neuroplasticity: strengthening of synaptic connections, weakening of synaptic connections, and neurogenesis (the addition of new neurons).
- While often discussed, neurogenesis is a rare occurrence in the adult human nervous system, and the strengthening and weakening of existing connections are the primary mechanisms for learning and memory.
Periodic Testing
- There are three different modes of neuroplasticity: strengthening of neural connections, weakening of neural connections, and neurogenesis.
- Testing is the best tool for offsetting forgetting and is not just a way to evaluate acquired knowledge.
- Periodically testing yourself on material while studying is one of the best ways to study and learn.
Focus & Alertness, Sleep, Tool: Active Engagement
- Neuroplasticity and learning involve converting studying efforts into knowledge retention, which is a two-step process.
- Active engagement, which means focusing and attending to the information, is crucial for learning new information.
- Focus and alertness are prerequisites for learning, as they signal to the nervous system that the information is important.
- Sleep is essential for optimal learning, as it enhances the ability to be alert and focused.
- Limiting external stress, while maintaining some level of stress to boost alertness, can improve learning.
- A silent script in your head, reminding yourself of the importance of the information, can enhance focus and alertness.
- Active learning involves voluntarily engaging attention and focus, rather than passively expecting the information to be interesting.
- People with ADHD can focus well on topics they are interested in but struggle with topics they are not excited about.
- Good learners can voluntarily force themselves to focus, which involves constantly bringing back their attention to the material.
- The strain felt during learning is a positive sign, indicating the release of neuromodulators that cue neural circuits to change.
- The agitation and strain experienced during learning are cues that the learning process is in motion.
Tool: Improve Focus, Mindfulness Meditation, Perception Exercise
- People interested in improving focus and attention should consider non-pharmacologic approaches such as hydration, caffeine intake, and sleep.
- A daily 5-10 minute mindfulness meditation, focusing on breathing, can improve focus, memory, and recall ability.
- Regularly practicing bringing your attention back to a specific visual target can improve focus and learning ability.
Sleep & Neuroplasticity, Tool: Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)
- Changes in the nervous system related to learning occur during deep sleep and sleep-like states, not during the learning process itself.
- The most significant consolidation of learned information happens during sleep on the first night after learning.
- Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) is a practice that can enhance neuroplasticity and restore mental and physical vigor, especially when sleep is insufficient.
Tools: Study Habits of Successful Students
- A study of nearly 700 medical students found that the most successful students share common study habits.
- These students schedule 2-3 study sessions per day, totaling 3-4 hours, at least 5 days a week.
- They study alone, without distractions, and make an effort to teach the material to their peers.
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Studying & Aspiration Goals; Challenging Material
- Specific ways to study should aim to maximally offset forgetting, focusing on stable learning of material.
- Highly effective medical students often have a long-term, broad, and abstract aspirational understanding of how their success will impact their lives and families.
- The study on medical students bridges the extremes of studying and learning, addressing both detailed study habits and underlying psychological motivations.
- Aspirational goals help students maintain motivation, especially when their desire or energy levels are low.
- In some countries, achieving success in medical school requires learning in a different language, which is a significant challenge.
- Students are not always thinking about how their efforts will transform their lives, but they can articulate their specific aspirations beyond just academic success.
- High-level aspirational goals are important and complement the specific daily actions taken to learn material.
- Loving the material being learned can make the aspirational component less important, but it is still valuable for challenging or less engaging subjects.
- Some of the most fondly remembered courses are those that were the most challenging.
- Effective studying often feels challenging, and effort is the cornerstone of learning, despite the desire for easier methods.
Tool: Testing as a Learning Tool
- Remodeling of neural connections occurs during sleep.
- Testing is one of the most effective ways to learn and retain information, as well as to prevent forgetting.
- Reading material once and then actively recalling the information is more effective for learning and retention than repeatedly reading the material.
Self-Testing, Repeated Testing
- Three groups of participants were tested on their ability to retain information about biology and animals. One group studied the material four times, the second group studied the material three times and took a test, and the third group studied the material once and took three tests.
- The participants who took more tests retained more information than those who simply studied the material multiple times.
- Participants who studied the material multiple times were more confident in their ability to retain the information, even though the participants who took multiple tests performed better.
Testing Yourself & Knowledge Gaps
- A personal anecdote is shared about studying for a neuroanatomy course by visualizing and mentally navigating the nervous system, highlighting the effectiveness of self-testing and identifying knowledge gaps.
- The importance of finding individual-specific study and self-testing methods is emphasized, despite research challenging the concept of distinct learning styles.
- An example is given of reviewing scientific papers by mentally summarizing key points and analyzing important graphs while taking a walk, further illustrating personalized learning techniques.
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- Electrolyte drink “Element” contains sodium, magnesium, and potassium, but no sugar.
- Even mild dehydration can negatively impact cognitive and physical performance.
- Electrolytes, especially sodium, magnesium, and potassium, are crucial for cell function, particularly in neurons.
New Material & Self-Test Timing
- Testing oneself or being tested by a teacher is the best way to offset forgetting.
- Literature supports that testing oneself is more effective than just studying repeatedly.
- One experiment had three groups: one group studied and took a test immediately, another group studied, had a delay, then took a test, and the third group studied, had a long delay, then took a test.
- The first group, which took a test immediately after studying, performed the best on the final test.
- The second group, which had a delay before the first test, performed in the middle.
- The third group, which had a long delay before the first test, performed the worst.
- Testing oneself soon after being exposed to new material helps consolidate information in neural circuits and offsets natural forgetting.
- Testing is not just for evaluating performance but also for consolidating information in the brain.
Familiarity vs Mastery
- There are differences in how the brain processes initial exposure to material compared to when a person is tested on that material.
- Testing oneself on material soon after the first exposure helps to reduce forgetting.
- Familiarity with material and the ability to recall it are two different things, and different areas of the brain are activated for each.
Self-Testing & Offsetting Forgetting
- Self-testing on newly learned material can improve retention by approximately 50% compared to not testing at all.
- Most information encountered daily is forgotten, and self-testing helps mitigate this natural forgetting process.
- Testing oneself on material soon after learning it significantly reduces forgetting, even up to a year later.
Best Type of Self-Tests; Phone & Post-Learning Distractions
- Open-ended, short-answer, and minimal prompt tests are the most effective types of self-tests for learning.
- Engaging in distracting activities, such as using a phone, immediately after learning can hinder the ability to remember the material.
- Testing oneself on material soon after being exposed to it helps in offsetting forgetting and enhances neuroplasticity.
Tool: Gap Effects; Testing as Studying vs. Evaluation
- Gap effects, which involve taking short pauses during learning, allow the hippocampus to replay information at a much faster rate, similar to REM sleep, enhancing memory consolidation.
- Testing, whether self-administered or teacher-led, should be viewed as a study tool rather than a means of evaluation. It helps identify knowledge gaps and reinforces learning by comparing answers with correct ones.
- Extensive research highlights the effectiveness of testing as a study method compared to other learning approaches, emphasizing its importance in various learning environments.
Tool: Emotion & Learning, PTSD, Deliberate Cold Exposure, Caffeine
- Emotionally charged experiences, especially negative ones, are more easily remembered due to the release of adrenaline and other neuromodulators that strengthen neural connections.
- Deliberate cold exposure, such as a cold shower, can enhance memory consolidation by triggering the release of adrenaline.
- Caffeine consumption can slightly elevate epinephrine levels, potentially improving learning, but alertness and attention are more crucial for effective learning.
Tool: Interleaving Information; Unskilled, Mastery & Virtuosity
- Interleaving information during the learning process, by incorporating seemingly unrelated anecdotes or facts, can enhance overall learning ability.
- Interleaving may be effective because it allows the brain to generate more repetitions of the new information and integrate it with existing knowledge.
- Testing is not only a means of assessment but also a powerful tool for reinforcing and building knowledge by counteracting the forgetting process.
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- A new book titled "Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body" is available for pre-sale at protocolsbook.com, covering topics like sleep, exercise, stress control, focus, and motivation.