Subjects who practice on a series of similar tasks show gradual improvement in performance beyond the anticipated improvement on the particular task, a type of positive transfer which has been called learning how to learn, or learning-set.
Although learning to learn is supposed to be a commonplace, there is practically on literature on it in the area of human learning, in contrast to the extensive literature on animals.
Descriptions of human learning to learn are usually reported only as ancillary findings, while analytic research has rarely been attempted. It therefore seems worthwhile to describe certain characteristics of human learning to learn.
Although learning to learn is supposed to be a commonplace, there is practically on literature on it in the area of human learning, in contrast to the extensive literature on animals.
Descriptions of human learning to learn are usually reported only as ancillary findings, while analytic research has rarely been attempted. It therefore seems worthwhile to describe certain characteristics of human learning to learn.
How to Learn (Almost) Anything
Have you ever read an informative book, only to later remember just a few main points — if anything at all? The problem might be that you’re using one of the least efficient ways of learning available.
The Cone of Learning
(This is a guest post by Glen Allsopp of PluginID).
When Glen was taking music lessons at school, there was a poster on the wall that really grabbed his attention. It wasn’t difficult for a random object to attract your gaze as our Scottish teacher at the time didn’t have much in the way of keeping you interested. The poster outlined the different ways that we remember things and how different activities increase our chances of remembering something over others.
The Cone of Learning
(This is a guest post by Glen Allsopp of PluginID).
When Glen was taking music lessons at school, there was a poster on the wall that really grabbed his attention. It wasn’t difficult for a random object to attract your gaze as our Scottish teacher at the time didn’t have much in the way of keeping you interested. The poster outlined the different ways that we remember things and how different activities increase our chances of remembering something over others.
After doing some research, He found that the contents of that poster were based upon the work of Edgar Dale back in 1969.
Dale looked at the most effective ways of learning by teaching people similar material in different ways and noted the ability to recall the information after the teaching was finished.
Today, many of you may know this as the Cone of Learning, but beware:
although the cone is in fact based upon the results of Dale’s research, the percentage figures were never actually cited by Dale, and added by others after the initial investigation.
Even though the Cone of Learning that became widespread contains erroneous figures, itdoes represent a guideline for the most effective learning techniques that the human brain is able to acquire and store information from.
Dale looked at the most effective ways of learning by teaching people similar material in different ways and noted the ability to recall the information after the teaching was finished.
Today, many of you may know this as the Cone of Learning, but beware:
although the cone is in fact based upon the results of Dale’s research, the percentage figures were never actually cited by Dale, and added by others after the initial investigation.
Even though the Cone of Learning that became widespread contains erroneous figures, itdoes represent a guideline for the most effective learning techniques that the human brain is able to acquire and store information from.
Based on the above research we can see that:
The Cone of Learning suggests why you are more likely to remember parts of a movie than you are from a book on the same topic. A film uses audio and visual aspects that the brain is more likely to store and hold available for recollection (memory).
- The least effective way to learn something is to listen to a lecture on the topic or read information about it.
- The most effective way to learn something is to teach others and use it in our own lives.
The Cone of Learning suggests why you are more likely to remember parts of a movie than you are from a book on the same topic. A film uses audio and visual aspects that the brain is more likely to store and hold available for recollection (memory).