Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn

Introduction

### Course Review: Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects **Overview:** In today’s fast-paced world, mastering complex subjects has become essential for personal and professional development. Coursera’s highly acclaimed course, *Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects*, offers invaluable insights drawn from expert learning techniques across various disciplines such as art, science, literature, and even athletics. With a deep dive into cognitive psychology, this course provides a structured approach to understanding how our brains learn, along with practical strategies to enhance that process. **What You’ll Learn:** The course is divided into several modules designed to take you through the intricacies of effective learning. Here’s a brief overview of each module: 1. **What is Learning?** This introductory module lays the foundation for understanding the complexity of the brain and its various modes of thinking. Using metaphors and analogies, the course simplifies these concepts, allowing you to grasp how different types of thinking can shape your learning experience. You’ll also discover essential information about memory and strategies to combat procrastination, along with insights into how sleep affects your learning. 2. **Chunking:** In this module, you'll delve into the concept of ‘chunks’—compact packages of information that your brain can quickly access. Understanding how to form and utilize chunks can significantly improve your memory, comprehension, and performance in exams. The course addresses common pitfalls such as illusions of competence and emphasizes techniques like interleaving that can boost your learning effectiveness. 3. **Procrastination and Memory:** Here, the relationship between procrastination and memory is explored in-depth. The course highlights how procrastination can hinder your ability to create solid chunks in long-term memory, offering practical tips for overcoming this barrier. You’ll learn effective methods to tap into the brain's powerful long-term memory systems, which will aid in retaining knowledge. 4. **Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential:** This final module broadens your understanding of how to enhance your learning experiences. It encourages interaction with peers, self-recognition of strengths, and provides strategies to overcome the dreaded ‘imposter syndrome.’ By utilizing checklists—similar to the ones used by fighter pilots and surgeons—you’ll learn to prepare for challenging assessments. Ultimately, the module promotes a lifestyle enriched through continuous learning. ### Why You Should Take This Course: - **Accessibility:** The course structure is designed for easy comprehension, making it accessible to learners of all levels. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone seeking personal growth, you will find the content relatable and actionable. - **Research-Based Techniques:** The strategies presented are rooted in scientific research, ensuring you are learning methods proven to work. This is not just theory; it’s backed by cognitive science. - **Practical Application:** Each module includes practical exercises and activities to reinforce the learning concepts, making it easier to implement what you learn in real-world situations. - **Self-Paced Learning:** You can learn at your own pace, allowing you to fully absorb the material without the pressure of deadlines. - **Community Interaction:** Engage with a diverse group of learners worldwide. The course encourages sharing perspectives and experiences, enriching your learning further. ### Conclusion: *Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects* is a must-take course for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of effective learning strategies. It combines theoretical insights with practical applications, empowering you to take charge of your learning journey. Whether you’re battling procrastination, striving for better memory retention, or simply eager to expand your knowledge, this course equips you with the necessary tools to unlock your potential. I highly recommend enrolling in this course on Coursera—it could very well transform your approach to learning and lead you to achieve your educational and professional goals. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to master the art of learning!

Syllabus

What is Learning?

Although living brains are very complex, this module uses metaphor and analogy to help simplify matters. You will discover several fundamentally different modes of thinking, and how you can use these modes to improve your learning. You will also be introduced to a tool for tackling procrastination, be given some practical information about memory, and discover surprisingly useful insights about learning and sleep.

(Please note that this module should only take about an hour--the extra time quoted relates to purely optional activities.)

In this module, we’re going to be talking about chunks. Chunks are compact packages of information that your mind can easily access. We’ll talk about how you can form chunks, how you can use them to improve your understanding and creativity with the material, and how chunks can help you to do better on tests. We’ll also explore illusions of competence in learning, the challenges of overlearning, and the advantages of interleaving.

In this module, we talk about two intimately connected ideas—procrastination and memory. Building solid chunks in long term memory--chunks that are easily accessible by your short term memory—takes time. This is why learning to handle procrastination is so important. Finally, we talk about some of the best ways to access your brain’s most powerful long term memory systems.

In this module we’re going to talk more about important ideas and techniques that will enhance your ability to learn. You’ll also discover how to more profitably interact with fellow learners, how to recognize your own strengths, and how to avoid the “imposter syndrome.” Fighter pilots and surgeons use checklists to help them with their critical duties—you can use a similar checklist to help you prepare for tests. Ultimately, you will learn more about the joys of living a life filled with learning!