Education Archives

Learn by Making Mistakes: Incremental Progress With Trial & Error

What are you learning these days? Are you discouraged by the challenge? What if you saw mistakes as progress? One of the hallmarks of learning is that you don’t get something right the first time. True learning is a process that takes time, and it often requires baby steps and even missteps. Incremental progress is progress all the same, and it can be an incredibly effective way to learn. Read on for advice and encouragement to learn by making mistakes.

How to Do Well in School & Beyond: Learn Like a Pro

What if you could read more efficiently? Would you like to be able to memorize the material you’re learning? What’s the best way to prepare for an exam? Drawing on the latest research in cognitive psychology and education, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe provide proven techniques for mastering new skills and knowledge quickly and efficiently. They provide practical tips for excelling in academic settings so you can become a better learner for life. Continue reading to discover how to do well in school and unlock your full learning potential.

How to Test Yourself: Using Self-Testing to Retain & Recall Material

What’s the most effective form of studying? How long should you wait between learning and self-testing? You can remember what you learn and strengthen your learning skills by testing yourself during the learning process. We’ve collected several techniques from a few sources that will help you retain and recall information effectively. Continue reading to learn how to test yourself and maximize your study routine.

How to Do Well on Exams: Tips for Before & During a Test

Are you an excellent student except when it comes to exams? Is it hard for you to demonstrate what you’ve learned? You can be an excellent learner but struggle when it comes to exam time. Tests are a unique, but indispensable, part of academics. To succeed as a student, you must perform well on tests. In Learn Like a Pro, education and learning experts Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe share test-taking strategies. Keep reading to learn how to do well on exams by following their recommendations for what to do before and during a test.

How to Improve Your Learning Skills: Tips From Education Pros

What would you learn if you only knew you could? How might you get better at learning itself, opening the door to countless opportunities? Research shows that, no matter your age or stage in life, you can learn anything you want. Not only can you acquire new knowledge and skills, you can get better at learning, which is a skill of its own. Keep reading to discover how to improve your learning skills with advice and techniques from education experts.

How to Make Notes for Studying: 3 Tips From Learning Experts

What are the best ways to make notes and then use them to study? What methods will help you internalize the material? Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe are experienced educators and learning experts who struggled to learn in the past. In their book Learn Like a Pro, they provide practical tips for excelling in academic settings so you can become a better learner for life. Read more to learn how to make notes for studying that will help you learn and recall the material more effectively.

How to Read and Understand Effectively: 3 Tips to Read Like a Pro

When you read, does it feel like the material doesn’t stick? Do you wish you could read faster without sacrificing comprehension? Reading is one thing. Understanding what you read is another. Recalling what you read is yet another thing. In Learn Like a Pro, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe provide strategies to help you become a more efficient reader. Take a look at their advice on how to read and understand effectively.

How to Motivate Yourself to Learn: 5 Ways to Bypass Discipline

Do you get tend to give up when a challenge is too difficult? Does anyone encourage you to learn and hold you accountable? You’re probably well aware that motivation and self-discipline help when you want or need to learn something new. In Learn Like a Pro, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe contend that, the more motivation you have, the less self-discipline you need. Keep reading for their advice on how to motivate yourself to learn.

How Active Recall Learning Helps You Absorb More Information

What’s the best way to learn? Does active recall learning work with all types of material? Whether you’re a student, professional, or lifelong learner, Learn Like a Pro by Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe can help you become a more effective learner. The authors offer tips and techniques for excelling at the key elements of learning, including how to actively engage with your materials. Continue reading to understand how active recall learning works.

How to Use Focused and Diffuse Modes of Attention in Learning

What’s the best way to use the Pomodoro method when learning something new? Is it possible to deliberately switch between two different modes of attention? In Learn Like a Pro, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe explain that the brain has two modes of attention: focused and diffuse mode. They discuss how each mode works and then show how you can use both focused and diffuse modes of attention in learning. Read more to understand how these modes of attention work, and how you can effectively put them to work for you.