Learning How to LearnBrian’s notes from Dr. Barbara Oakley’s speech @NTU

Crash course from TEDxOaklandUniversity

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O96fE1E-rf8

Contents1. Basics - How the brain learns2. Sleep & Exercise make you smarter3. Other learning techniques4. How to deal with procrastination5. Race car brain v.s. Hiker brain6. Passion7. Appendix

a. Qs from the panel

b. Good presentation techniques by Dr. Oakley

How the brain works

Focus v.s. Diffuse mode

Imagine your brain is like a pinball machine

Focus v.s. Diffuse mode● Focus mode:

○ Thoughts can only travel in a limited part of brain○ Like a flashlight - you can turn on anytime you want○ You tend to go on the thinking path you had in the past

● Diffuse mode: relaxing the mind○ Thoughts can travel broadly accross the entire brain○ Not like a flash light - you can’t turn it on whenever you want (just like you

can’t make yourself fall asleep immediately)

● You can’t be in both focus and diffuse mode at the same time

Switch between ‘focus’ & ‘diffuse’ mode to learn new things

Interchange between two modes - like hitting the ping-pong ball back and forth

Learn a bit everyday, don’t try to learn everything in a single shot

Like weightlifting, you can’t train your muscles only on game day, you have to train them periodically beforehand.

Sleeping & Exercisinghelps learning

● Allows fluids to wash the toxins between the neurons away

● Q: How much hours of sleep is recommended?

○ A: We don’t know

● Enhances the growth of neurogenesis (based on research from here)

Sleeping Exercising

Other Learning Techniques

Other Learning Techniques● Metaphors are a great way to help you learn

● Hard start, (then) jump to easy○ Start with the hardest problem○ Stop yourself when you hit a wall

(sometimes as short as 2 min.)○ Go back to a easy problem (your subconscious actually

is solving the problem in the back of your head)○ Then go back to the hard problem

● Test yourself on EVERYTHING ○ Flashcards are your friend

Other Learning Techniques

● Q: Is listening to background music while learning good or bad?:○ We don’t know. Both have their own supporters.

● Practice makes permanent.

● Change your study location occasionally to become independent of the environment.

● How to learn something hard: Recall○ Look at the material real quick, then look away and

try to recall it.

● Teaching is one of the best ways to learn.

Procrastinating

Dealing with Procrastination

● Procrastinating can become a habit

● The answer - Pomodoro technique○ 1. Important: turn off ALL distractions

(such as cell phone notifications)○ 2. Set timer to 25 minutes○ 3. Focus intensively with all your heart○ 4. Reward yourself

○

Dealing with Procrastination○ The thought of facing a task you dislike is like

feeling pain to the brain, but the brain actually stops hurting after doing the task for 20 min.

○ During the 25min. pomodoro, do NOT focus on finishing the task, instead, focus on focusing

○ Other tips:■ Eat the frogs first (do the things you hate

the most first)■ Break things down into in bite size pieces■ Make a task list the night before

Which kind of brain are you?Race car v.s. Hiker

Reach conclusions real fast

Although you think slower, or often get distracted, you’re actually more creative because you can touch the pine trees and smell the flowers along your hike (because your working memory picks up new things more frequently). Thus although you need to spend more time to catch up with race car brains, it’s well worth it.

Race Car brain Hiker brain

Don’t just ‘follow’ your passion, ‘BROADEN’ your passion’

-Dr. Barbara Oakley

Brian 註: 近似於 “愛你所選，選你所愛 ”

Thanks

Appendix - Qs from the panel● NTU老師Q: How to use diffuse mode when teaching / giving a speech:

○ Humor (for just a few seconds)■ E.g. technique that 補習班 uses

○ Small activities for the audience● NTU老師 Q: how to motivate students?

○ Barbara: Care about them - e.g. remembering their names, showing that you really want to help them succeed● 冠緯Q: Online master degree (UIUC online data science master) v.s. Real degree at campus:

○ Her father on her joining the army to learn a language: “Oh, you’re gonna learn something!”○ You often learn a lot of “other” stuff you didn’t intend to when you’re on campus

● 學生Q: What she thinks coursera can improve on?○ Quiz: design different problem levels

● 學生Q: What’s Barbara’s take on “collaborative learning” (e.g. study groups):○ She thinks it’s a fad: it’s a helpful way, but definitely not the ONLY way

■ E.g. You can also imagine your neighbor - try explaining something to your imaginary neighbor● 學生Q: How to become better at public speaking / answering questions immediately?

○ “Practice, practice, practice” => be persistent● 學生Q: procrastination v.s. Diffuse mode: what’s the difference?

Appendix - good presentation techniques ● Start with a story

○ E.g. She moved to 10 different places before the age of 10● Start with a question:

○ E.g. Student asked her: How did you change your brain● 虧自己

● Humorous● 鮮明對比

○ E.g. People who took photos in Antartica look like heroes, I just looked cold.● Use metaphors● 內心小劇場

● 演戲