Learning new skills or knowledge can be challenging, especially if you have to follow strict rules or guidelines. Sometimes, the best way to learn is by doing, experimenting, and making mistakes.
This is what the famous inventor and entrepreneur Richard Branson meant when he said, “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
But how exactly does learning by doing work? And what are some of the best strategies to learn anything faster and better?
How to Learn Anything Faster: 5 Effective Strategies
In this article, we will explore 5 effective methods that are backed by neuroscience and psychology research. These methods are:
- Active learning
- Spaced repetition
- Interleaving
- Retrieval practice
- Feedback
1. Active Learning
Active learning is a process of engaging with the material you are learning, rather than passively absorbing it. Active learning can involve asking questions, summarizing, explaining, applying, or creating something based on what you learned.
Active learning helps you to deepen your understanding, retain more information, and transfer your knowledge to new situations.
The benefit of active learning is that it activates multiple brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the cerebellum which are involved in executive functions, memory formation, and motor skills, respectively.
By stimulating these regions, active learning enhances your cognitive abilities and improves your neural connections.
A study by Freeman et al. (2014) found that students who participated in active learning activities in STEM courses had higher exam scores and lower failure rates than those who received traditional lectures.
The researchers estimated that active learning could increase student performance by 0.47 standard deviations, which is equivalent to raising a C+ grade to a B.
Some examples of active learning activities are:
- Taking notes by hand, rather than typing or copying.
- Making flashcards or mind maps to review the key concepts.
- Teaching someone else what you learned, or explaining it to yourself out loud.
- Solving problems or exercises that require you to apply what you learned.
- Creating a project or a product that demonstrates your learning.
2. Spaced Repetition
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