Here’s how to learn absolutely anything, according to a world expert | Science of Learning - Quartz

Photo: Annabelle Timsit

Annabelle Timsit, early childhood development reporter at Quartz argues, "It’s easy to get discouraged when we’re trying to learn a difficult new subject. But according to the creator of one of the world’s most successful online courses, almost anyone can learn anything—with the right technique."

Brain hacking: A world-renowned expert tells you how you can learn anything
Photo: Quartz

Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, is the creator of “Learning How to Learn,” a massive open online course (or MOOC) that’s already been taken by approximately 2.3 million students across 200 countries. The course draws on neuroscience research to offer practical advice for anyone struggling with a tough subject or a procrastination habit. Now she’s co-authored a new book, Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying, that offers advice for children and young adults just in time for back-to-school season.

Quartz spoke with Oakley about some of her best tips for learning, whatever your age—from why you shouldn’t study in the same place every day to how the “hard start technique” can improve your performance on tests.

This interview has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.

Quartz: Why, and how, do you believe that anyone can learn anything?

Oakley: My philosophy is that, because people often don’t know how their brain learns, they tune out to learning...

What got you interested in this?

I flunked my way through elementary, middle, and high school math and science. I really loathed those topics. It’s kind of ironic, in that I’m now a professor of engineering, and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

I didn’t begin studying remedial high school mathematics until I was 26 years old. I learned math as an adult, and it wasn’t easy. But then I applied ideas from language learning to learning mathematics: Plenty of practice and repetition. And, it worked!

The Pomodoro Technique 

Let’s talk about something that a lot of people struggle with: Procrastination. How can people avoid procrastinating on their studying?

One of the best ways to tackle [procrastination] is the Pomodoro technique, which was invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. The brilliance of this technique is, it’s so easy. 

You set a timer for 25 minutes, and then you focus as intently as you can for those 25 minutes. Whenever you catch your thoughts wandering, which they will, you just bring them back and continue to focus, because anybody can work for 25 minutes...

Should people listen to music when they study?

It’s probably not bad, as long as you’re not listening to really loud music or music with lyrics. But also be aware that, if you are studying for a test, you can get used to the music and you’re probably not going to be hearing that music when you’re taking the test, so it might turn into a missing environmental cue that makes it just a bit tougher when you are taking the test.

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Source: Quartz and The Pomodoro Technique (YouTube)