We live in the golden age of information. There is always a new book to read, new podcast to hear, new interview with a master. Truly, there is always something new to learn. The impulse is to flit from one topic to the next, dabbling here one day, there tomorrow. We can easily be afflicted with the fear of never catching up. While a noble outlook – the hunger to learn is after all, a good thing – ironically this hunger can keep us from learning much of anything if we don’t manage it properly. Instead of crumbling under the tyranny of the new, a more reliable method for learning is reviewing what we’ve already read.
Constant consumption creates an illusion of learning, which is the opposite of true knowledge. To learn a fact, we have to tie it to other related information and give that information meaning. The constant availability of new “content,” creates what I call the “tyranny of the new;” a constant compulsion to read the latest headlines, statistics, and other form of updates and ignoring the wealth of information represented by the past. The problem is, focusing exclusively new information crowds out the older, fundamental principles required to actually put the new information in context.
How memory works
Our memories are so complex even scientists don’t fully understand them. However, we do know memory is basically divided between long- and short-term memory. Long-term memory stores our permanent knowledge, things like your name, address, your siblings or parent’s names, and facts you’ve been exposed to so many times, you don’t have to think about them. Short-term memory holds a small amount of temporary information, like the name of a colleague you just met. Recitation remains in short term, as well, but we are aiming to get knowledge into the long-term store. We move information from short to long-term memory through repetition, such as reviewing your book notes from time to time, exposing yourself to those same ideas again and again.
Not fast and new, but by reviewing past lessons
The answer is not more information faster, but an intentional deep learning of high quality information. Learning requires reflection and down time. It requires pausing from inputting information to reviewing and replaying the material you’ve read. Gathering sources is the easy part, taking the time to organize a plan takes a bit more thought, though it is well worth the effort.
To retain more information, thus increasing our knowledge of the world, we should shift our learning habits from gathering as much information as possible, to focusing on retaining the most information as possible. Instead of tuning into whatever happens to pop up, look for ideas with intention. You can improve the percentage of information you learn by improving your study methods. Looking at the study habits of high-achieving students provides an example, as psychology lecturer and author Paul Penn writes, “Research into the study habits of high- and low-achieving students suggests that the former don’t spend much more time studying per se. Rather, they spend more time doing things such as organising and thinking about their source material, in addition to articulating it in their own words. Effective studying is more a question of how you study than how much of your life you devote to it.” Penn also encourages learners to focus on building their own understanding of the material, and not trying to reproduce someone else’s understanding.
The most effective students don’t rely on reading the same information repeatedly, hoping the important information sticks. Instead, they structure a plan to include reflection and writing, two of the most important aspects in moving information from short-term to long-term memory. Writing is the act of documenting your thoughts. If you can think it, you can write it. Once it’s written down, you can look over your thinking for gaps or faulty logic. You can test your knowledge of the topic. You can see on paper how it relates to other, perhaps dissimilar subjects. This process of writing down your understanding, and inspecting it for faults or gaps, repeated over time, is how you build a solid understanding of a topic.
Spaced repetition
Spaced repetition is a method of learning where the same information is presented at different time intervals, reinforcing it in our memory. This helps move information from short-term to long-term memory. Instead of perpetually cramming new information into our minds and hoping something sticks, we should review what we’ve read. A single pass through is not enough to grasp information on a deep level. If you want to remember what you read, you should review what you read at different points over time.
When you’re reading a book or essay, write out notes in your own words. Then, after a few days, review that information, and produce as much as possible from memory. After another few days or weeks, write out your understanding of it, and review it again. After another few weeks, write out your understanding, and review your notes. Repeat this process until you are able to summarize from memory the information contained within those notes.
Researchers are still learning more about how spaced repetition works, and there hasn’t been a clear winner determined between uniform spacing and expanding spacing. As of right now, there doesn’t seem to be a significant difference between testing recall every five days, versus testing on days one, five, ten, and fourteen, for example. This means you are free to space your intervals in a way that works with your reading and learning schedule, and enjoy the benefits.
Photo by Robert Tudor on Unsplash
