#75, "Make It Stick"

"Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning"

Peter C. Brown, 

How can you get surface learning into durable, easily retrieved memory? That is the central question behind this book, co-written by two psychologists and one self-described "storyteller." The authors explain, examine, and analyze an impressive array of studies describing how the mind works, study habits that foster durable learning, as well as those that are statistically meaningless, and 

The best way to learn, the authors tell us, is to enable memory retrieval. That is, learning occurs best when I hear or read something, then later try to recall it. When we first study something, say, a textbook, the information is immediately placed into "working memory," the frontline of cognitive function that deals with moment-by-moment comprehension, decision-making and instinct. Because so much happens in working memory, information tends to be shuffled to the back of the mind, or long-term memory, when it is not in use. That makes sense. Retrieval practice is therefore used to strengthen the connection between immediate working memory and long term memory. The effort to remember a thing builds that connection better than the standard study technique of cramming or rereading. Flash cards are a good example of a way to foster this kind of memory retrieval. This powerful practice, coupled with other techniques such as chunking (grouping small pieces of information into larger groups), interleaving (learning a thing in the context of another thing), using mnemonics and "memory palaces," spacing retrieval practice, and varying practice all add up to significant improvement in retention and  durable, sustained long term memory.

It also ties in very well to another book I read recently, nearly point-by-point in some areas. Both books tell of the importance of developing and maintaining a "growth mindset," a concept picked up from Carol Dweck's work. Both take time to discount the pervasive notion of learning styles (kinesthetic, auditory, visual). It is interesting to see similar material presented in different ways, but often in terms that I've now become familiar with. I think that has increased my understanding of the material, as I am coming into a topic with some background knowledge (another thing that both books talk about at length).

The authors also look at what they call "illusions of knowing," which they tie to the short-term gains that we seem to have when we reread a text. This illusion manifests initially in the ability to recall facts and bullet points, but often belies the truth that we are ignorant of foundational concepts or key ideas, which we are unable to retrieve beyond the short-term. Again, they stress that for long-term, deep and rounded learning, this surface-level "understanding" is best bolstered by the techniques mentioned above.

It is fairly easy to read, as long as you maintain focus--I had to go back in the middle of the section on chunking because I spaced out and missed an important concept--and has implications for both students (of all ages) as well as parents and teachers. As I am all three of these, I found it relevant, enlightening and engaging. #whatIreadin2017