You could probably improve it slightly further by trying to generate your own theories before reading chapters and learning the material in different locations.
Thanks for the link, that was a very interesting read!
The generation technique reminds me a lot of active recall. In both cases doing some sort of work yourself improves retention.
I imagine it works best with theoretical material, and for many topics it would be near impossible to use. For example, recently I’ve been studying some nuclear physics, which it is very empirically based. The equations are made to fit the experimental data, and so are difficult to generate.
Seemingly a better way to use the technique would be for the material to be presented with key parts missing, and the learner would have to generate just those parts. This, of course, requires specifically prepared material, and not just the conventional textbooks I am using.
There seems to be a definite relation between active recall, the testing effect, spaced repetition, generation, learning in different environments, changing the parameters of learning. They seem to all work with long term memory by either filling short term memory up with different material or waiting until short term memory forgets the material in question. At least, that’s my reading of the research.
I found out about these learning effects while researching the interaction between spaced repetition and deliberate practice. I’m starting to think that certain parts of deliberate practice are wrong. Namely conflating measured improvement in a task directly after training with actual learning (ie how much skill you retain after a couple of days).
I would love to know what long term application of these techniques look like. Are you cumulatively improving faster than if you took a more traditional approach(massing many practice problems in one time frame)?
I would love to know what long term application of these techniques look like.
I’ve only been using SRS for around 6 months, and only starting doing textbooks this way in June, so I have no direct evidence for long term effectiveness. Also, the first five textbooks I Ankified were from classes I had already taken.
Are you cumulatively improving faster than if you took a more traditional approach(massing many practice problems in one time frame)?
Of the texts of previously unlearned material I done this for, most (all but one) have been for classes I am currently taking. In these I have been adding chapters to Anki prior to the material being covered in class and waiting until it’s taught in class to do any practice exercises.
Because of this pacing, I haven’t been progressing any faster, but I am doing significantly better in those courses than before...
...which might only be because I’m using SRS now when I didn’t before.
It actually sounds like you’re getting a third effect out of your setup. Namely interleaving.
http://learninglab.uchicago.edu/Publications_files/5-CogsciIddeas2005.pdf
You could probably improve it slightly further by trying to generate your own theories before reading chapters and learning the material in different locations.
Thanks for the link, that was a very interesting read!
The generation technique reminds me a lot of active recall. In both cases doing some sort of work yourself improves retention.
I imagine it works best with theoretical material, and for many topics it would be near impossible to use. For example, recently I’ve been studying some nuclear physics, which it is very empirically based. The equations are made to fit the experimental data, and so are difficult to generate.
Seemingly a better way to use the technique would be for the material to be presented with key parts missing, and the learner would have to generate just those parts. This, of course, requires specifically prepared material, and not just the conventional textbooks I am using.
There seems to be a definite relation between active recall, the testing effect, spaced repetition, generation, learning in different environments, changing the parameters of learning. They seem to all work with long term memory by either filling short term memory up with different material or waiting until short term memory forgets the material in question. At least, that’s my reading of the research.
I found out about these learning effects while researching the interaction between spaced repetition and deliberate practice. I’m starting to think that certain parts of deliberate practice are wrong. Namely conflating measured improvement in a task directly after training with actual learning (ie how much skill you retain after a couple of days).
I would love to know what long term application of these techniques look like. Are you cumulatively improving faster than if you took a more traditional approach(massing many practice problems in one time frame)?
I’ve only been using SRS for around 6 months, and only starting doing textbooks this way in June, so I have no direct evidence for long term effectiveness. Also, the first five textbooks I Ankified were from classes I had already taken.
Of the texts of previously unlearned material I done this for, most (all but one) have been for classes I am currently taking. In these I have been adding chapters to Anki prior to the material being covered in class and waiting until it’s taught in class to do any practice exercises.
Because of this pacing, I haven’t been progressing any faster, but I am doing significantly better in those courses than before...
...which might only be because I’m using SRS now when I didn’t before.