Sounds like a redundancy at first glance, right? But it is not! We’ve been learning all our lives. Right from our first steps. We learned to walk through trial and error. Spent our entire young adult life in school and went on to college, where we specialised in select subjects. You would’ve met amazing mentors and teachers along the way…but, chances are, however, no one really taught you how to learn. No, cramming for exams the night before does not count. It might’ve helped you to ace tests, but that’s as far as the advantages to cramming go.
So, what do we mean by learning to learn?
Identifying your learning process, building your ability to take on obstacles, and effectively managing your time and information. Learning to learn requires you to reflect on prior learning and life experiences to pinpoint what has worked for you. This can act as a starting point for your journey on learning how to learn.
To get started, first, we have to understand how our brains are wired for thinking. Professor Barbara Oakley is accredited for popularising the two ways our brains think; Focused and Diffused thinking.
What is the focussed mode?
The focussed mode revolves around familiar thought patterns, like addition, literary themes, or calculating interest. The problem you’re trying to solve is understood by relating it to concepts you’re already familiar with. We use this mode when we’re concentrating on something.
This is what you already probably do while you’re learning. It is narrow, targeted, and methodical. This can work great if you have a long but simple task to do.
What is the diffused mode?
How about when a problem requires you to utilise an unfamiliar approach or new ideas? That’s where the diffused mode comes in. When you need new ideas, you might need concepts that you haven’t even thought of before. This mode allows you to make random connections while thinking freely. Ever had a breakthrough while taking a shower or while doing your dishes? That’s diffused thinking at work.
In the diffused mode, you can look at things from a different, bigger perspective. Think of it like how flashlights cast a light that is broad and not narrow.
We’re often taught to take on big tasks with razor-sharp focus, which is the focussed mode. But sometimes, that might backfire. If you’re too focused on approaching a problem at a certain angle, you’re left with tunnel vision. When you’re learning something new, or perhaps something difficult, your mind needs to be able to switch between the two modes. This allows your brain to grapple and understand new concepts, by allowing your mind to think freely.
How can you utilise both modes?
Try the Pomodoro Technique
The technique suggests that you set aside 25 mins to work with focus and devoid of any distractions. After which, you can give yourself a 5-10 minute break. This gives you the time to diffuse. Your mind can wander freely and can make connections you hadn’t previously thought of.
Diffuse when you get stuck
No matter what the problem or topic is, you might reach a point where you get stuck. That’s your call to step back and diffuse. For example, go on a walk, or take a nap. Once you’re done, get back to your work, and you’ll find yourself approaching it with a fresh perspective!
Sleep on it!
Work on the problem before you go to bed, and then try again after you wake up. This gives your subconscious the time to process the information and might result in better comprehension when awake!
Block off chunks of time
Have a lot of different things that need to be done? Let’s say you have a few assignments to turn in at the end of the week. Instead of trying to take on everything one by one, try dividing/chunking your time between all of them. Assign some time for each assignment every day so you have a fresh perspective!
Conclusion
In order to learn effectively, we need to make use of both the focussed and diffused mode. Most of us make use of the focussed mode regularly but often neglect the diffused mode. However, by utilising both, you can learn more effectively! The way you divide the time between the two, and how you diffuse is all up to you! Try out different methods to diffuse to figure out which works best.
Learn more about how we enable our learners to learn effectively at Beyond 8.