Written By Keisya Talitha
Humans are creatures that learn new things every day whether consciously or unconsciously. But the truth is, in most cases, we do not know the process behind it. Therefore, we often make mistakes and choose the wrong way to effectively learn. This article will give you further explanation about what is happening in our brains when we learn new things and how to understand our brains to learn better.
At the most fundamental, there are around 86 billion neurons located in our brains. These neurons are messengers that send information in electrical signals to each other. They can form connections up to more than 10.000 neurons. Then, they will form just like spider webs in our brains. When we learn new things, this connection is formed and it gets stronger once we practice. This activity is called “Neuroplasticity”.
The connection gets stronger when we try to recall or retrieve the information that we have learned. The stronger it gets, the better our brain will memorize and we will be able to recall the memory later. On the other hand, when we stop practicing, it means the weaker the connection can be and they can be pruned too. As a result, it will be hard for us to recall what we have learned again later. Frequently practicing is highly recommended.
But the key point is not only how frequently we are practicing the materials, it is also about actively recalling the information and helps to strengthen and activate the neuron connections. Such as using the active recall method. Active recall helps strengthen neuron connections and improves long-term memory retention. We can do this method in several different ways. Such as the SQ3R method where your learning will be divided into 5 sections.
First, survey or skim the material and get a brief idea. Next, question ourselves and try to find the answer later when we read the material. Once done with reading, retrieve or recall the information we have read by using flashcards, taking notes of things you only remember, or trying to re-explain the material without seeing it. Lastly, review what was the material and summarize it without looking. Another way we can try the Feynman technique by re-teaching the material we have learned to someone younger without even looking. This will force us to think of the simplest way possible to teach the material to someone younger so they can understand.
Despite all these effective methods, some methods are often mistaken to be effective such as rereading, highlighting, and others that do not require any active recalls. These methods only help us to passively learn and create a feeling of familiarity in our brains. Which is often mistaken as mastery. They do not involve long-term memory and will not help to strengthen neuron connections as they do not require the act of actively recalling material throughout the learning process.
In conclusion, it is highly recommended to learn using active methods that require actively recalling the information such as the SQ3R, flashcards, and the Feynman technique. Also, frequent practice is important for forming a long-term memory. Start to avoid passively learning methods that only raise familiarity rather than mastery such as rereading and highlighting material. Remember, new connections of neurons are formed when we learn new things. Our goal is to help strengthen these connections and avoid them getting pruned by learning actively not passively.
References
Sarrasin, Jérémíe Blanchette et al. (2020). “Understanding Your Brain to Help You Learn Better”. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2020.00054#ref5. Retrieved on February 10, 2024.
“Active Recall vs Rereading: Which Study Technique is Better?”. (2023). https://roshelinarush.com/active-recall-vs-rereading/. Retrieved on February 10, 2024.
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