How to turn information into intelligence | Barbara Oakley
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
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Cramming for a test and having a hard time understanding something? Might be best to go away and come back after a while.
Your brain is constantly fluctuating between a “learning” mode and an “understanding” mode. When you’re sitting there reading (and re-reading!) a textbook, unable to make sense of it, your brain is actually learning. It just takes the decompressing part of your brain for it to all be unpacked.
It’s called the neural chunk theory and you can learn to utilize it to your advantage by learning how to study differently; small bursts of inactivity and breaks can really make a big difference in how to memorize seemingly difficult information by combining bigger and bigger “chunks” of information until you understand the big picture. It’s fascinating stuff.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/t...
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What's an example of mental chunking that you've used?
I don't know if this is real chunking, but I'm studying marketing, and recently I came across this summary of the steps to develop a marketing policy.
First, you have to study the market. Which means defining it first, and then choosing the appropriate methods to study this specific market.
Second, you have to make a strategy, based on the results of your study.
And third, you implement the strategy by operational means.
I still have a lot of gaps in my knowledge in the 3 areas, but now I'm diving deeper and learning more about each of them, so that in the end I'm able to look at a specific business, product or project and design a marketing plan that will make it successful.
@@lelouchlibritannia3771I'm trying to learn the same thing! Can you tell me what content material you are using?
Great video . Changed my thought process ❤️
In case of solving some specific integrals you need to memorize some key techniques and later on those techniques become tools for solving similar math problems and problems that are different but can be tested with your set of tools or chunks in your mind.
mental chunking reminds me a bit of mindmaps, cuisenaire rods/blocks, bullet/branch type categorizations, and maybe even parallelism (if I stretch it)...
Basically a way to organize and sort the info received (during focus mode) and lay it out (during diffuse mode) in a way that makes sense to the user in their perspective... Like making a mental infographic map of patterns useful/familiar to the brain- infomapping? Is that a real word?
That's what mental chunking reminds me of... I've used mindmap apps before and it does help like a physical extension of your memory that you can verify at a glance and update for corrections.. It helps better than traditional learning media, because it embodies the "chunking theory" to make a huge load of info more digestible by breaking it into related parts...
Remember to take an information break after watching this video, so your brain can enter the “diffuse learning mode” to retain this important piece of knowledge :)
😂 will do ☺️
that's what i'm doing
😂 nice, you have learnt it correctly
Lol
See you later 😂
People at the school are gonna be surprised when they hear that continuously studying for 6 hours a day is not gonna work
Nunca funcionou.
School it’s not here to teach something, only to create workers. To this goal, that method is still working.
Also i think she never meant studying 6 hrs straight. You need to take smart brakes here and there
@@docphillip661
School may have been built to create workers. But you have the choice to take advantage of the information given. The mindset you have is the dismissive attitude that causes people to not take stuff away from their education.
She opened my eyes with the course " learn how to learn" thanks Barbara ♥️
Thanks for the recommendation!
@@ZeeJayBay Here's a longer video with a link to the course! th-cam.com/video/O96fE1E-rf8/w-d-xo.html
That's awesome! Had no idea how popular that course was, but inspiring to see so many fans in the comments!
Facts!
Considering your comment, I searched 'learn how to learn' on TH-cam and found ted talk.
I will certainly watch it.
Thank you🙏
I love that she speaks in simple terms, with much composure and grace. What a refreshment from hyped up self-help videos teeming with over promises and exaggerations, claiming to have found the elixir of knowledge.
# The Two Modes of Learning
Section Overview: This section discusses the two different neural networks we access when perceiving things and how they affect learning.
## Focus Mode vs. Diffuse Mode
- When we first sit down to learn something, we activate task-positive networks in our brain.
- However, this isn't always the right circuit to understand and comprehend the material.
- When we get frustrated, we activate a completely different set of neural circuits called the default mode network.
- This background-processing occurs when we stop thinking about it and relax, such as going for a walk or taking a shower.
- Learning involves going back and forth between these two modes: focus mode and diffuse mode.
# Neural Chunks
Section Overview: This section explains what neural chunks are and why they are important in learning.
## Creating Well-Practiced Patterns
- When learning something new, you want to create a well-practiced neural pattern that you can easily draw to mind when you need it.
- These patterns are called "neural chunks."
- Chunking theory is incredibly important in learning because it helps us develop well-practiced patterns that make tasks seem easy.
- The bigger the library of these patterns, the more expertise you have in that topic.
# Chunking Theory
Section Overview: This section delves deeper into chunking theory and how it relates to expertise.
## Solid Neural Patterns
- Nobel Prize-winner Simon found that if you're a chess master, the higher your ranking in chess, the more patterns of chess you had memorized.
- Research shows that the better your expertise at anything, the more solid neural patterns (or neural chunks) you have.
- It's important to create well-practiced patterns related to multiplication, division, calculus concepts like limits, integrals, and derivatives.
- Practicing with each one of these enough makes it almost like backing up a car.
# Developing Chunks
Section Overview: This section discusses how to develop chunks when learning something difficult.
## Practice with Key Problems
- When learning something difficult, find key problems and try working them cold.
- If you can't solve the problem, take a peek at whatever hints you need to be able to finish working it.
- Try working the problem again cold without looking at the answer.
- Repeat this process over several days until you can step through all the solution steps in your mind.
## Develop Automatic Patterns
- By practicing key problems repeatedly, patterns become automatic.
- After several days of practice, you will have created valuable chunks that allow you to solve new problems more easily.
## All Learning Involves Neural Chunks
- Realize that all learning involves getting these neural chunks together.
❤
Thanks ❤
Thank you, so great 😁
Thanks
❤
I figured out at an early age that when I would get frustrated with a word search puzzle, I would get up and walk away for a drink of water and restroom break. When I came back, words jumped out at me.
When I want to learn new information, I pair the learning with an art project. I learned the basics of SQL in 2 days, and I built my first terrarium with a waterfall. I've decided to commit and will continue with the data analyst education using this same application.
When I feel weak and question myself, I remember her and then stand up and keep going. I finished her course, in about a week, in 2016, learning how to learn. I am happy there are people like her on this planet. I bet she has changed the hearts and minds of millions to learn and thrive, demystifying whatever they might have believed about themselves and about learning!
That's an incredible testament, thank you for sharing!
What's course?
@@alawiachusna9198The course is 'Learning how to learn'. She has shared it on Coursera for free.
2 types:
- We have two different neural networks when perceiving things: task-positive networks and default mode network.
Process
- When we first focus on learning something, we activate task-positive networks, but they might not be the right circuits for comprehension.
Pain
- Frustration arises when we can't understand the material using the task-positive networks.
Change ON/OFF
- When we give up and shift our attention away, the default mode network and related circuits activate, leading to comprehension.
ON/OFF
- Learning involves switching between focus mode and diffuse mode (task-positive networks and default mode network).
- Both modes are necessary for learning, as we need to focus to load information into our brains and then switch to diffuse mode for background processing.
CHUNKS
- Creating neural chunks, or well-practiced patterns, is important for learning.
- Neural chunks help us easily recall information when needed.
- The more well-practiced neural patterns we have, the more expertise we have in a particular topic.
- Chunking theory was explored by Nobel Prize-winner Simon and is significant for deep learning and expertise development.
- The higher your ranking in chess, the more patterns of chess you have memorized, known as neural chunks.
- Expertise in any field is associated with solid neural patterns or chunks.
- Practicing and mastering specific patterns in a subject, such as multiplication or calculus, enables quick recall and application.
- The misconception that too much practice kills creativity is untrue; the right kind of practice is essential.
- Interleaving techniques and solving different types of problems is more effective than repetitive practice.
- When learning something difficult, find key problems and attempt to solve them without assistance.
- Revisit the problem later and try to solve it again without looking at the answer.
- Gradually practice and reinforce the problem-solving process to develop automatic patterns.
- Developing valuable chunks allows for efficient recall and problem-solving during tests.
- Connecting neural chunks helps solve new problems and enhances learning and problem-solving abilities.
Thank you for reiterating the video in text form.🌱
Yay 🙌 thanks
❤🎉🎉
Looked for 30 sec. ended up clicking the video at 8 min and now I watched the whole thing.
Very educational and good information
I concur, over the last 9 months of my life, I dedicated myself to learning and knowledge (programming/data/security) and it’s changed my outlook for the better. I will know what it’s like to not have to “live within my means”, and I will change my families life.
she sheds light on the importance of flexibility and openness in our thinking to combat the "Einstellung" phenomenon. Remember, staying curious and embracing novel experiences can keep our minds agile and receptive to new ideas. 🧠✨
Dr Barbara Oakley’s Learning How to Learn course in Coursera helped me a lot in my personal life and at work. I was able to use it to battle through some of the darkest moments in my life. The brain is a powerful, amazing organ. Learning how it works helps us with all aspects of our life and get us stay grounded.
Very much in line with my experience as a Physics teacher of 30 years.
I will use this video next semester for my new students. Many thanks
So glad it was helpful! Tell your students we say hi!
She has just summarized the main ideas of the "Learn how to Learn" Course 😌✨
It's amazing how you can consistently find experts that can speak and explain so well.
It's the well afterall
there are even more who don't, the vast majority of experts don't explain well. They're also ones who produce groundbreaking research too.
I've started her course on coursera but didn't finish it. Because I have trouble sustaining my interest in things over a long time. But I really liked it. It was very well written.
Barbara is brilliant. Her series on metalearning blew my mind.
I might have to look up her work in Metalearning but I remember taking her course "Learning how to learn" on coursera years ago and it was really commendable 💐
@@raytabinterahman5854INDEED ❤
where is the course offered?
@@RojinaPanta1 I found it on a series of TH-cam videos.
@@75blackviking could you share the link here? I just could find one video for chelsea finn related to metalearning
It’s like I tell new people at work (retail) if you have a empty shelf and you don’t know what to put their, leave it alone and move onto something else that you do know what to do with. I guarantee you in 30 mins or so the answer will come to you. I have found with my short time in this planet, when it comes to understanding or learning. The answer usually seems counterintuitive.
Indeed - when things are intuitive, perhaps we never need to wonder or think about them! Great example and thank you for sharing.
Brain would keep on working for solutions when it encounter a problem
Two examples of Focused and Diffused, assimilation of information, it's purpose and learning. :
1. Use of the Central Vision for a select Foucus and a peripheral Vision encompassing broader canvas in a diffused mode, akin to zooming to wide angle (defused) from telephoto (focused) A constant interplay.
2. In calculus the differentiation at point is a focused, and integration process is diffused.
3. Practice & repeat exercises should not become a rote/mechanical learning without really understanding. Once understood is never forgotten !
Her book, A Mind for Numbers, changed my life
Could you explain how?
@@jamesgonzalez-ruiz3740 It taught me how to learn and be creative. It gifted me confidence in my intellectual ability, specifically in math, science, and various creative disciplines. Honestly, no exaggeration, my approach to life is fundamentally different as a direct result of the book.
It's not just theory. It provides methods for overcoming when you're stuck on a concept or retaining key ideas.
I keep returning to it for a refresher. Top 5 books of all time IMO
@@samtallen0what are your other 4 books, then? Thanks
@@redone823 The 4 Hour Body - Tim Ferriss
The Rational Optimist - Matt Ridley
Mindset - Carol Dweck
The Beginning of Infinity - David Deutsche
The same
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:09 🧠 We have two distinct neural modes for learning: "focus mode" and "diffuse mode."
01:32 🔄 Learning often involves switching between these two modes to understand and comprehend information effectively.
02:55 🧩 Creating well-practiced neural patterns or "neural chunks" is crucial for expertise in any field.
04:23 🤯 Expertise is linked to the number of solid neural patterns (neural chunks) one has related to a particular subject.
06:46 📚 Effective learning involves practicing key problems or patterns repeatedly to develop automatic neural chunks.
08:11 🧩 Developing neural chunks is a powerful technique for learning and problem-solving across various domains.
Made with HARPA AI
There are two different nural circuits. Default mode network and focus mode. You can only stay in one mode at a time. Focus mode is for feeding the information in the brain and default network is for understanding and making sense of that information. -Feed information, detach and focus on something else so that your default nural network mode do it's work to convert that information into wisdom.
Her book "A mind for numbers" is excellent. It elaborates on the topic she speaks about in this video.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:09 🧠 Two neural networks: Focus mode vs. Diffuse mode for learning.
01:32 🔄 Learning involves alternating between focus and diffuse modes.
02:55 🤖 Develop well-practiced neural chunks for efficient recall.
04:23 🔍 Expertise is built on a library of solid neural patterns (chunks).
05:47 🏋️♀️ Effective practice enhances learning without killing creativity.
07:17 💡 Incremental practice on key problems creates automatic neural chunks.
Made with HARPA AI
Not just learning, but also creative breakthroughs and insights also come during breaks/rest/walks/near-sleep states when the brain is not engaged.
Over the years I’ve adopted a system that may actually be similar to what is portrayed in this video. I have been describing it as starting to work on learning or understanding something and then, when my brain feels overtaxed, I step away and trust my brain to continue working on the effort I’m the background. I then wait for the product of said background brain activity to present me with understanding and-or I revisit the conscious effort.
*Hey I'll refer you to this dude online who guided me through my first ever experience,he got all kinds of psychedelic stuffs and he also ship discreetly to any location*
He is on telegram¿¿¿
Coldtrips
Very deep and simple explanation indicates the genius of this professorship
Andrew Huberman has a podcast on this subject that explains it in detail very well too!
Fantastic to be Alive AND Aware!
Exploring the brain is fascinating 🙏
It feels like we're tapping into something
This is so true. I do that everyday in my job and not for learning something new only but to solve complex problems
5:43 Do the right kind of practice. Dumb repetition is not useful. Try interleaving. Analogy to first time learning a song.
I took her course. The concepts are spot on.
If you ask yourself how to do something but do not have the answer, do something else. The answer may come right after. I realise that when I am fully proficient. This means not staying stuck on a task I can't do in the moment for various reasons and doing something else instead. I often find the answer while I do the other useful thing. A way is to focus on things you can do rather than those you can't. And then it clears the path to harder ones, becoming more easy, having less on the the way of performing.
I'm here the well to support your channel and the informational content...
Appreciate the work and efforts 👍👍
I know from the bottom of my heart that one day *The Well* will come at the top .
Awww, cheers! Hope we do and will remember you were here from the beginning! 🙂
@@The-Well from beginning to *infinity and beyond*
TH-cam Algorithm, please more videos like this ❤, love it ❤
🎯 Key points for quick navigation:
00:09 *🧠 Awareness of the existence of 'false effect' highlights how we perceive the world through two distinct neural networks.*
00:35 *🔄 Frustration during focused learning occurs because we may engage the wrong brain circuit to understand material.*
01:05 *🌌 Switching to diffuse mode allows for subconscious processing of information, leading to sudden comprehension later.*
02:01 *🔁 Effective learning requires alternating between focus mode and diffuse mode to solidify understanding.*
02:55 *⚙️ Developing well-practiced neural patterns, referred to as 'neural chunks,' is crucial for mastering new skills.*
03:54 *🚗 Mastery in tasks like driving is achieved through practice, reinforcing neural chunks that simplify execution.*
04:49 *♟️ Higher expertise correlates with the ability to access a broader range of well-developed patterns, enhancing performance.*
05:47 *💡 Practicing techniques in varied ways can enhance creativity while developing skills, contrary to the belief that repetition stifles it.*
06:17 *📚 Working through challenging problems multiple times, similar to practicing a song, reinforces learning and pattern recognition.*
08:11 *⚡ Creating and connecting neural chunks enables problem-solving and enhances performance during tests.*
Made with HARPA AI
Listen to her ten times and there are ten new things to learn . ❤
sometimes it may be true, but practicing anything makes it a habit, and habit come to you even with eyes close, its been so much practiced... its automatic, that's how i know why or what of anything.. over analyzing it doesn't give you a clear picture, but thought process and thinking through and practice.. and sometimes you are so natural in so many things that you surprise even yourself as you go through process of either discovering anything or learning or finding solutions whether to sciences math machines tech or social civil problems of society.
In short "practice makes perfect" thank you
I've been taking her Coursera course. It is such great value.
Shared this with my children...both are young professionals.
Well personally this was self realisation for me like 6yrs ago. I have full real experience for this
I read her book. She's so awesome. Thank you Dr. Oakley!
Everybody watching this: watch it again and this time concentrate on her mannerisms (her hand movements). Look how she's illustrating the concepts and actions in space and time with her hand movements, mimicking the very actions taking place in the brain and placing it (maybe relative to one another) forming a spacial map (possibly) of where these things occur in HER brain.
Fascinating.........it's like watching a designer explaining the features of the inside of a house and where everything is situated and how it is used.
I wonder how much of the content one would be able to guess, if it were possible to just focus on the mannerisms without listening to the audio...............
The brain is truly the most fascinating organ of the body: a vastly incomplete and unexplored universe .......
The best explanation for algebra homework I've ever heard.
Wow, I had been wondering why Khan Academy worked so well, but it turns out this is what it emphasizes you to do the whole time. Amazing video!
In simple, Practice again and again, Never give up.
So chunking is like writing up libraries or packages for your program! You write up the code, review and edit it to get it working, and then you import it anytime!
Diffusion has changed my absorption of knowledge for the better. It reminds me of the MIB movie where Josh Brolin tells Will Smith "I told you to trust the pie".
when there is a goal, intelligence is defined as the way of least resistance to reach that goal
when there is no goal, intelligence is just the state of the brain as is
That's nice. I always had this notion of "new information needs to sink in" but I never really could explain it. So that is why learning only hours before a test does not quite work 😂
What a short and amazing class! I never saw learning that way, I guess that's why pedagogues recommend the spaced repetition method to build stronger neural patterns over time.
*Hey I'll refer you to this dude online who guided me through my first ever experience,he got all kinds of psychedelic stuffs and he also ship discreetly to any location*
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Coldtrips
Thanks Barbara
*Hey I'll refer you to this dude online who guided me through my first ever experience,he got all kinds of psychedelic stuffs and he also ship discreetly to any location***
He is on telegram ✓✓✓
Coldtrips
What a wonderful teacher. Thank you. 🙏🏽
In the top-down approach, one has to understand the different components as building blocks... And the behavior of each components...
Then...
Depending on the specification, you just take whatever is needed...
Then tinker your way down to the minutest detail...
You can't do it if you have not understood the topic by heart...
So what is neural pattern or neural chunk exactly? Is every thought or motion sequence a chunk or pattern. Then yes repeat it does improve the efficiency. But isn't that obvious?
ASU Coursera, Teach English Now, brought me here. ❤🎉 This is a wonderful information.
I seem to recall Piaget talking about learning as going from a state of mental equilibrium to a state of disequilibrium as our mind structure and world structure meet and our brains adjust to accommodate the new information.
I think this is the reason why suddenly i can expert in memorize multiplication from 1 to 10. At first, it was so difficult to learn those multiplication. My head hurts so much. And then, i took a break a few month because there were holiday, suddenly i mastered it. My teacher told me to teach my friends because i'm the one who can memorized it better
This explains why it takes time to really Master material. And why 4 years in college just focusing on College is important not necessarily better than people that have to go to work and college like myself. Although I would prefer to be able to spend time just focusing on the learning ass back I just can't afford to live and go to school full-time being an older adult learner. But I'll get it done
Intelligent is the feature of maximun laws understanding and binding them together to make more perfect error free reality, the knowledge which cannot be applied to the reality is just a peace of another informatiom
Her course about learning how to learn on Coursera is amazing. Highly recommended.
Awesome teacher, feels nice to listen to her.
This is one of the best interviews from you guys! I love the amazing works!!! Sending mad love!
Thanks so much!!
Amazing technique u have described, I m very thankful to u and utube
I think that learning to learn is extremely important. These are also connections in between neurons. It’s a skill, just like maths, that can help you learn more efficiently. The learning patterns may differ from person to person.
*Hey I'll refer you to this dude online who guided me through my first ever experience,he got all kinds of psychedelic stuffs and he also ship discreetly to any location*
He is on telegram>>>
Coldtrips
Thank you for the clarification. I'm trying to master a new program on my own.
Good luck!
There are two different types modes.
First one is focused mode and other one is diffused mode.
When we start studying.it's means that we are in focused mode. Then after a while, during study we start feeling frustrated and then we go to walk and any other things. Now we are in diffused mode. Diffused works in background in our mind. we even cannot realise, our brain is working on the same topic that we have lifted. And then when we go to the same topic ,again in focused mode. Hurrah! It starts making sense
Thank you for that tip.. I really struggle with my final task, thank you very much to show that..😊
Thank you for your professionalism.
Important part is internal patterns and also external hard patterns both should be inter-weaved. Years will pass with single pattern. If explored to maximum extent and discovered for benefit of all society it will create much more complex sub- patterns etc etc.
He is on telegram ✓✓✓
I always work on several paintings at the same time. If I get stuck on one piece i.e., can't see the next move, I move to the next and so forth. When I come back to a painting, I can usually see the next move.
This is a wonderful process! Thanks for sharing!
Bardzo mi sie podoba Pani przekaz wiedzy. Wszystkiego dobrego.
Beautiful ✨
I love Barbara Oakley.
It was good podcast about learning process. Thank you for awekening
Thank you Barbara.
Excelent video. Thank you very much.
Saludos desde La Ciudad del Humo.
So are mental models are like pre-fab mental chunking?
Love this. Thank you for finding me, 'The Well'.
Focus on the heart, and transfer the image seen by the eyes to the memory of the brain, and it will be easy to call back things in the memory.
Actually we need a thousand of her to change humanity...😊
Thank you for this video.
Wow !, you change my world, thank you
I read her book "evil genes". I had the impression she should have sometimes used "Cluster B" instead of "borderline" in the book. But otherwise an enjoyable book. So when I read her name I already knew that's going to be a good video.
Come back here
Instead of going from focus to defuse, can you say focus on subject a and then focus on subject b, and get the same effect?
my adhd brain: wait, so we're not supposed to stay awake for three days straight burning ourselves out getting half good at the assignment?
Thanks Barbara..
Thank you very much I needed this
Thanks you so much, this information is of so much value to me
If you're reading her book "A mind for numbers". This video is a good summary of that book.
Amazing video thanks!
I got your book Barbara, great stuff. Love the example riddles.
*Hey I'll refer you to this dude online who guided me through my first ever experience,he got all kinds of psychedelic stuffs and he also ship discreetly to any location*
He is on telegram>>>
Coldtrips
How can you tell if this is the correct explanation? Maybe the effect of taking a rest is that you return to the task refreshed and mentally more effective when you try again.
When you acquire new knowledge, it's beneficial to pause for 5-10 minutes to allow for spaced repetition, a proven technique for enhancing memory retention. During this break, engage in cognitive 'chunking' by labeling, categorizing, and mentally organizing the information. This process helps to strengthen neural networks in your brain, making it easier for the information to transition from your short-term 'memory cache' to long-term storage. Keep in mind that rushing to absorb new information could compromise the consolidation of the previous data, although human memory is more complex than simple overwriting. By understanding and applying these principles, you can optimize learning efficiency
*Hey I'll refer you to this dude online who guided me through my first ever experience,he got all kinds of psychedelic stuffs and he also ship discreetly to any location*
He is on telegram¿¿?
Coldtrips
I so wish my maths lecture could listen to this 😭 😭
She wrote a great book; highly recommended
This is talked about in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance “. Came out in 1974.
I have a question. I have ADHD, and it made me wonder how this works with my condition since I generally oscillate quickly between focus and "distraction" (switching attention/consciousness to another topic). How does the brain handle this rapid alternation between brain modes?
Thank you.😊❤