15 - Introduction to Chunking

This week, we’re going to be talking about chunks,

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 of,

and creativity with the material,

and how chunks can help you do better on tests.

We will also talk about illusions of competence in learning.

This is when you’re using ineffective study methods to fool your mind

into thinking you’re learning something when you’re mostly just wasting your time.

We’ll cover what those less effective study methods are and tell you

what methods research has shown will work better to help you in your studies.

Finally, we’ll talk about something called overlearning,

which can solidly ingrain information in your mind,

but also can be a little like digging

deeper ruts as you might spin your wheels ineffectively in learning.

You can make your study time more valuable by interleaving,

providing intelligent variety in your studies.

I’m Barbara Oakley.

Thanks for learning how to learn.