Bridging the Gaps: A Portal for Curious Minds - "Learning How to Learn"
Barbara Oakley, a popular course lecturer on Coursera, the world's largest online open teaching platform, once knew nothing of mathematics and became a PhD in engineering. Through brain science, Barbara Oakley has helped more than 1.8 million readers understand the brain to Operate logic and find an effective path for independent learning. She is a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and Coscella's first 'innovation lecturer'. Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behaviour.
This interview is about learning how to learn - the person being interviewed is Barbara Oakley She shares how to learn, and in "Learning How to Learn," Barbara Oakley and co-author Terence Sejnovsky explain learning strategies you can use to excel at what you're doing or learn anything. For example, why do we sleep?
"Focus" and "Diffusion" modes When people study, sometimes they focus and sometimes the brain wanders. Both modes allow the brain to learn new things. So - take a break, meditate, think about other things, and give yourself plenty of time in both modes. It is essential to take regular breaks while studying.
Recall Dr Oakley cites Dr Jeff Karpicke's research to support the scientific idea of spending a few minutes recalling the information you're trying to learn. It's a way of moving something from short-term memory to long-term learning, and even recalling information in a different physical environment can help your brain better grasp it.
The best way to learn something is to break it down into smaller concepts. It's like putting together a puzzle, but you know not only the individual parts but how they fit together and become more familiar with them. Dr Oakley recommends a good step-by-step process to learn something. For example, it involves scanning the syllabus of a book or course to get a rough idea of the big picture. Second, look at an example. Then, do it yourself. Finally, do this again and again in different contexts. Oakley proves this based on personal experience. From childhood through her career in the U.S. Army, she struggled with technical subjects. However, recognizing the benefits of technical competence, she began to overcome technophobia and eventually earned a PhD in systems engineering.
Additionally, Barbara Oakley and other authors edited the book "Practicing Sustainability," which says that sustainability is for everyone, but everyone applies it in different ways, by defining and shaping it differently - just as water is rimmed and shaped by its container. A wide range of perspectives emerged from their paper, confirming an important insight: that sustainable development is pursued in different ways, not only due to different interpretations but also because of different incentives, trade-offs and altruistic motivations. Over time and with much-needed critical thinking, sustainability will become an even more integral part of our culture. By sharing the experiences and clear insights of today's experts, practising sustainability is a stepping stone to the future.
https://barbaraoakley.com/books/practicing-sustainability/
