Learning to Learn. Overview and Action 2. DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE limits forgetting

Learning to Learn 
     Athletes train.
     Students train.
     Learners train and self-educate.

The 3 Barriers to Learning.
    
      3. Shallow processing.
      2. Forgetting.
      1. Slow brain bandwidth.

Action 2.  Begin a Distributed Practice routine.  
                    Review questions from the day before at 1 day later.  
                    Every Sunday, review the previous 3 weeks of questions.
                    With every review, learn again any forgotten material to keep                
                                 forever....

Why.  Interval learning is superior to steady state learning otherwise know as cramming.  Retrieval of previously learned material is integral to long term learning.  In fact, retrieval is the evidence of long term learning or not forgetting. If one is able to retrieve or use in a different context then one understands and can apply the lesson learned anytime and any place.

How.  Review questions of learned material after 1 day, and weekly  review questions of learning over the past 3 weeks intervals.  One will review learned material a total of 4 times within the month.  If one ever needs to validate learning, return to the questions again to sort the learned from the forgotten.

What. The key to a computer database is context.  Memory is stored in a retrievable database analogous to flash memory.  

The more context retrievals take place the greater number of keys to remember.  Time, place, emotion, order, importance, novelty and relationship also provide memory keys for retrieval.

Learners remember the beginning and end of list.  Therefore, organize the material to be learned into different lists, ordered lists, relationship lists etc.

Learners test better in the short term if the context of learning is the context of the test.  At the pool, learners in the water and learners on the pool deck retrieved best if tested in the same state as they learned and less well if tested in a different context.  Retrieval in multiple different contexts aids testing in real life where all the important testing occurs. Varying the context removes the context clue making retrieval harder yet stronger due to more keys.

Learners who practice batch basketball shots do not perform as well in games as those who practice varying context shots.  The retrieval and change in context makes the memory stronger, more accurate and enduring.  Same for Golf. Same for other subjects.  Varying the context separates the essential from the frame.