MAKE IT STICK (Chapter1: Learning is Misunderstood)
This is a summary of the book MAKE IT STICK by Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel, and Peter C Brown. Below are some of my thoughts and inspirations about Chapter 1: Learning is Misunderstood. If you are looking forward to searching for an alternative to understanding the book's contents, feel free to read through this blog! I wish my summaries may help a little or more for you guys.
There are a few learning aspects in this chapter. First, learning requires memory to retain what we learn and to use it later. Secondly, we should keep on learning and remembering as learning is a lifelong learning process. Previous knowledge obtained helps a lot to understand a certain topic and it comes in handy for learning. Next, learning is an acquired skill, and the most effective strategies are often counterintuitive.
The first claim made in this book is to reject the mass practice and rereading text. These methods may seem effective in quantity, but they do not guarantee the quality of knowledge obtained. Just as mentioned above, most effective strategies may seem unreasonable, while common methods practised by us may not be seriously useful too.
Next, this book suggests retrieval practice as a strategy for learning. We will dive into this topic later. Retrieval practice is generally known as recalling facts or concepts from memory. An example of this method is flashcards. Quizzes after reading or understanding a text help to identify weaknesses regarding that particular topic. Hence, we are clearer about what we should focus more on in future classes or during revision. This is especially crucial as active retrieval by testing strengthens memory and interrupts forgetting. Spaced repetition is applied here together with retrieval practice. When a little forgetting happens, learning is harder, but the effects are longer-lasting. More details about retrieval practice will be discussed in Chapter 2.
Moving on, we are encouraged to solve problems before being taught the solutions to a certain topic. As an illustration, try to solve a few mathematics or physics questions the night before the lecture. It is reasonable if you are unable to solve all, but at least you tried. It leads to better learning the next day in class as knowledge is now easily absorbed and understood. Thus, prior knowledge is also required in learning. We elaborate on what we understand in our own words. Next, put new knowledge together into a larger context. Now, you may extract new ideas and organize them into a mental model and connect them to prior knowledge.
A few empirical research was conducted contrary to lore and intuition. Cognitive psychologists have been working to discover new strategies. Cognitive psychology is the basic science of understanding how the mind works, and conducting empirical research into how people perceive, remember and think. The research found that rereading textbooks is time-consuming but less effective as it does not result in durable memory. Instead, learning is stronger when it matters, when the abstract is made concrete and personal. Relating information to our surroundings creates a linkage and hence results in sustainable knowledge. Besides that, early evidence also proved that repetition by itself does not lead to long-term memory. People tend to have the illusion of mastery, which is poor metacognition. A simple example is that we often have the perception of ‘I thought I know, I thought I understand’. In reality, it does not seem to be what we have expected. Such thoughts are dangerous as we are weak in what we are confident with.
As a short recap, memory plays an important role in learning. Active retrieval, spaced practice and testing as tools of learning will be further discussed in the next few chapters. You may be a bit confused about some of the claims suggested above as they may be new to you. No worries, you may clear your doubts as you read the next few chapters. These are just a mere brief about the books.
If you wish to know more about this book, stay tuned for the next chapter!
This is a summary of the book MAKE IT STICK by Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel, and Peter C Brown. Below are some of my thoughts and