How to Become a More Effective Learner is another post found via Guy Kawasaki. It’s not bad list, so here is the repost.

  • Memory Improvement Basics – This should actually be item 0 in her list as it just redirects you to another article.
  • Keep Learning (and Practicing) New Things – Essentially, Use it or Lose it. Another mention of pruning when I first encountered here.
  • Learn in Multiple Ways – If something is tucked away in different parts of your brain by learning it different ways there is a greater chance you will be able to recall it when needed
  • Teach What You’ve Learned to Another Person – In addition to the extra money, this is the main reason why I teach. If I can teach something, I know I have it figured out.
  • Utilize Previous Learning to Promote New Learning – Do the mental mappings when learning something. For instance, if you are an English and you are learning French, do the language conversion in your head before you speak. Once you don’t need the conversion anymore you really know the subject.
  • Gain Practical Experience – If only learning were as easy as reading a book. I’ve read close to a dozen lacrosse books, but I only get better by practicing.
  • Look Up Answers Rather Than Struggle to Remember – Put a timeout on your attempts to answer a problem.
  • Understand How You Learn Best – Even though I know both the organizers of PSL and a number of people who have loved it, I also know that I don’t do well in the immersive, experiential learning that happens there. Everyone is different, and only you will know best; don’t let your boss bully you into taking a course or training which doesn’t suit your learning style.
  • Use Testing to Boost Learning – Tests apparently boost recall. The article implies a written test, but even being challenged in the community should could I think. Teaching (above) is also a form of testing. If you don’t think so, go teach a course.
  • Stop Multitasking – I’ve noticed this myself recently. When I am learning something I can’t be too distracted; music is very throw-in-background, etc. On tasks I know well I can have all sorts of distractions thrown at me. I think distractions are the biggest source of multitasking for knowledge workers these days; especially in bad open-office configurations.