20 rules of formulating knowledge in learning - The Diigo Meta page

• 23 Oct 15
  

  plasticcones

  BartonLee (30 Jun) Real World General Learning_Working memory etc *** SuperMemo

• 13 Oct 15
  

  hugowhittaker1
  • The 20 rules of formulating knowledge in learning
  • First  read a chapter in your book that puts them together (e.g. the principles of the  internal combustion engine). Only then proceed with learning using individual  questions and answers (e.g. What moves the pistons in the internal combustion engine?),  etc.
  • Stick to the minimum information principle
  • material
  • techniques

  3 more annotations...

• 09 Oct 15
  

  Gloria Doherty

  gamification formulating language app translation engagement design

• 08 Oct 15
  

  hai_ahi
  • Effective learning: Twenty  rules of formulating knowledge
  • This article will help you overcome one  of the greatest difficulties you will face when trying to accelerate learning: formulating  knowledge
  • . You will notice that the first 16 rules revolve around making memories simple! Some of the rules strongly overlap.
  • Do  not learn if you do not understand
  • Learn before  you memorize - build the picture of the whole before you dismember it into  simple items in SuperMemo. If the whole shows holes, review it again!
  • Build upon the  basics - never jump both feet into a complex manual because you may never see  the end. Well remembered basics will help the remaining knowledge easily fit  in
  • Stick to  the minimum information principle - if you continue forgetting an item, try  to make it as simple as possible. If it does not help, see the remaining rules (cloze  deletion, graphics, mnemonic techniques, converting sets into enumerations, etc.)
  • Cloze deletion is easy  and effective - completing a deleted word or phrase is not only an effective  way of learning. Most of all, it greatly speeds up formulating knowledge and is highly  recommended for beginners
  • Use imagery -  a picture is worth a thousand words
  • Use mnemonic  techniques - read about peg lists and mind maps. Study the books by Tony  Buzan. Learn how to convert memories into funny pictures.  You won't have problems with phone numbers and complex figures
  • Graphic deletion is as  good as cloze deletion - obstructing parts of a picture is great for learning  anatomy, geography and more
  • Avoid sets - larger sets are virtually  un-memorizable unless you convert them into enumerations!
  • Avoid enumerations -  enumerations are also hard to remember but can be dealt with using cloze deletion
  • Combat interference -  even the simplest items can be completely intractable if they are similar to other items.  Use examples, context cues, vivid illustrations, refer to emotions, and to your personal  life
  • Optimize wording -  like you reduce mathematical equations, you can reduce complex sentences into smart,  compact and enjoyable maxims
  • Refer to other  memories - building memories on other memories generates a coherent and  hermetic structure that forgetting is less likely to affect. Build upon the basics and use  planned redundancy to fill in the gaps
  • Personalize  and provide examples - personalization might be the most effective way of  building upon other memories. Your personal life is a gold mine of facts and events to  refer to. As long as you build a collection for yourself, use personalization richly to  build upon well established memories
  • Rely on  emotional states - emotions are related to memories. If you learn a fact in  the sate of sadness, you are more likely to recall it if when you are sad. Some memories  can induce emotions and help you employ this property of the brain in remembering
  • Context cues simplify  wording - providing context is a way of simplifying memories, building upon  earlier knowledge and avoiding interference
  • Redundancy does not  contradict minimum information principle - some forms of redundancy are  welcome. There is little harm in memorizing the same fact as viewed from different angles.  Passive and active approach is particularly practicable in learning word-pairs. Memorizing  derivation steps in problem solving is a way towards boosting your  intellectual powers!
  • Provide sources -  sources help you manage the learning process, updating your knowledge, judging its  reliability, or importance
  • Provide date stamping  - time stamping is useful for volatile knowledge that changes in  time
  • Prioritize -  effective learning is all about prioritizing. In incremental  reading you can start from badly formulated knowledge and improve its  shape as you proceed with learning (in proportion to the cost of  inappropriate formulation). If need be, you can review pieces of knowledge  again,  split it into parts, reformulate, reprioritize, or delete. See also: Incremental  reading, Devouring knowledge, Flow of knowledge, Using  tasklists

  21 more annotations...

• 09 Sep 15
  

  readmore

  learning elearning

• 09 Aug 15
  

  none given

  learning education lifehacks memory

• 05 Aug 15
  

  rajaman1994

  memory

• 19 Jul 15
  

  umadoki

  lerntechnik lernstrategie

• 09 Apr 15
  

  Roman Belyaev
• 31 Mar 15
  

  Christopher Lupo

  anki memorize spaced memory

  article

• 23 Dec 14
  

  uhbif19

  formulating

  awesome learning memory delicious

• 08 Dec 14
  

  Vladimir Lev

  anki

• 11 Nov 14
  

  Kris Traughber

• 03 Nov 14
  

  sudhakaran packianathan

  learning memory education reading knowledge reference supermemo incremental interesting

• 24 Sep 14
  

  dontwantaccount
  • If you  are not a speaker of German, it is still possible to learn a history textbook in German.  The book can be crammed word for word. However, the time needed for such  "blind learning" is astronomical. Even more important: The value  of such knowledge is negligible. If you cram a German book on history, you  will still know nothing of history.
  • example is an extreme
  • Do not start from memorizing loosely related facts!
  • minimum information principle
  • Use imagery

  3 more annotations...

• 25 Aug 14
  

  rocketshooter
  • speed of learning will depend on the way you formulate the material
  • rules are listed in the order of importance
  • Do  not learn if you do not understand
  • amazing  proportion of students commit the offence of learning without comprehension
  • Learn before you  memorize
  • you need to build an overall picture of  the learned knowledge
  • Build upon the  basics
  • shorter the initial chapter of your book the better.  Simple models are easier to comprehend and encompass
  • Memorizing seemingly obvious  things is not a waste of time!
  • Stick to the minimum information principle
  • material you learn
  • formulated in as simple way as it is  only possible
  • imperative due to the way the brain works
  • simple material is easy to remember
  • easy for the brain to process it always in the same way
  • If it can run in only one unique  way, the path is continuous and easy to follow
  • Repetitions of simple items are easier to schedule
  • If you split the complex item into  sub-items, each can be repeated at its own pace saving your time.
  • Although the number of items increases, the number of repetitions of each item will  usually be small enough to greatly outweigh the cos
  • forgetting the complex item
  • remembering it only in part
  • repeating it in excessively short intervals
  • the longer the time you need to remember  knowledge, the more you benefit from simplifying your  items!
  • want a minimum amount of information to  be retrieved from memory in a single repetition!
  • Cloze deletion is a  sentence with its parts missing
  • Cloze deletion makes the core of the fast reading and learning technique  called incremental reading.
  • Visual cortex is that part of the brain in which visual stimuli are  interpreted
  • verbal processing power is greatly inferior as compared with the  visual processing power
  • Well-employed images will greatly reduce your learning time in areas such as  anatomy, geography, geometry, chemistry, history, and many more
  • why the concept of Tony Buzan's mind  maps is so popular
  • true bottleneck towards long-lasting and useful memories is not in quickly memorizing  knowledge
  • ottleneck lies in retaining memories for  months, years or for lifetime
  • with a dose of training you will need  to consciously apply mnemonic techniques in only 1-5% of your items
  • Graphic deletion  works like cloze deletion but instead of a  missing phrase it uses a missing image componen
  • ifficult to learn is an item that asks  for the list of the members of a set
  • high cost  of retaining memories based on sets
  • hould always  try to convert them into enumerations
  • ordered lists of members
  • orce the  brain to list them always in the same order
  • despite containing more information, enumerations are easier to  remember.
  • you  should always try to make sure your brain works in the exactly same way at each repetition
  • f you cannot avoid them, deal with them using cloze  deletions
  • student does not have to stop repetitions to recite the  whole sequence
  • only focus on a small part of the learned material
  • recommended that he recite the whole alphabet after making the  repetition
  • can also deal with enumerations by using grouping
  • When you learn about similar things you often confuse them
  • knowledge of one item makes  it harder to remember another item, we have a case of memory interference
  • only hermetic procedure against it is to detect and  eliminate
  • make items as unambiguous as possible
  • tick to the minimum  information principle
  • eliminate interference as soon as you spot it, i.e. before it becomes  your obsession
  • wording of your items must be optimized to make sure that in  minimum time the right bulb in your brain lights up
  • educe error rates,  increase specificity
  • Referring to other memories  can place your item in a better context, simplify wording, and reduce interference
  • One of the most  effective ways of enhancing memories is to provide them with a link to your personal life.
  • illustrate your items  with examples that are vivid or even shocking
  • Context cues simplify  wording
  • can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look
  • Redundancy    in simple terms is more information than needed or duplicate information
  • oes not have to contradict
  • you will often want to boost your  reasoning ability by asking about a solution to the problem
  • Instead of just memorizing  the answer
  • derivation steps: in more complex problems  to solve, memorizing individual derivation steps is always highly recommended
  • often the same knowledge can be represented and viewed from different angles
  • highly recommended that you include sources from which you have gathered your  knowledge
  • Knowledge can be relatively stable
  • and highly volatile
  • provide your items with time stamping  or other tags indicating the degree of obsolescence
  • The way you prioritize will affect the way your  knowledge slots in

  68 more annotations...

• 09 Aug 14
  

  David A. Hale

  Rules of organizing knowledge for easier recall and long-term memorization, by spaced repetition proponent Piotr Wozniak.

  learning education psychology memory spaced repetition

• 24 Jul 14
  

  Dimitrios Skrapalioris

  "20 rules of formulating knowledge"

  Super-Great

• 06 Jul 14
  

  Alexander Krutikov

  anki

• 02 Jul 14
  

  lyrius

  Apprentissage rule learning

  • Tony Buzan
• 11 May 14
  

  Jason Yau

  Tips on formulating flashcards/knowledge
  

  anki flashcards

• 10 May 14
  

  Nicole Schoen
  • This article will help you overcome one  of the greatest difficulties you will face when trying to accelerate learning: formulating  knowledge
  • The rules are listed in the order of importance.
  • Do  not learn if you do not understand
  • Learn before you  memorize
  • build an overall picture of  the learned knowledge. Only when individual pieces fit to build a single  coherent structure, will you be able to dramatically reduce the learning time
  • Build upon the  basics
  • The picture of the learned whole  (as discussed in Rule 2: Learn before you  memorize) does not have to be complete to the last detail. Just the opposite, the  simpler the picture the better.
  • Do not neglect the basics.
  • Remember that usually you spend 50% of your time  repeating just 3-5% of the learned material [source]!
  • Basics are  usually easy to retain and take a microscopic proportion of your time. However, each  memory lapse on basics can cost you dearly!
  • Stick to the minimum information principle
  • The material you learn must be formulated in as simple way as it is  only possible.
  • If you split the complex item into  sub-items, each can be repeated at its own pace saving your time.
  • Very often, inexperienced  students create items that could easily be split into ten or more simpler  sub-items!
  • Although the number of items increases, the number of repetitions of each item will  usually be small enough to greatly outweigh the cost of (1) forgetting the complex item  again and again, (2) repeating it in excessively short intervals or (3) actually  remembering it only in part!

  • Here is a striking example:

     

                 

    Ill-formulated  knowledge - Complex and wordy

    Q: What are the characteristics of the Dead Sea? A: Salt lake located on the border between Israel and Jordan. Its shoreline  is the lowest point on the Earth's surface, averaging 396 m below sea level. It is 74 km  long. It is seven times as salty (30% by volume) as the ocean. Its density keeps swimmers  afloat. Only simple organisms can live in its saline waters

    Well-formulated  knowledge - Simple and specific

    Q: Where is the Dead Sea located?   A: on the border between Israel and Jordan Q:  What is the lowest point on the Earth's surface?   A: The Dead Sea shoreline   Q: What is the average level on which the Dead Sea is located?   A: 400 meters (below sea level)   Q: How long is the Dead Sea?   A: 70 km   Q: How much saltier is the Dead Sea as compared with the oceans?   A: 7 times   Q: What is the volume content of salt in the Dead Sea?   A: 30%   Q: Why can the Dead Sea keep swimmers afloat?   A: due to high salt content   Q: Why is the Dead Sea called Dead?   A: because only simple organisms can live in it   Q: Why only simple organisms can live in the Dead Sea?   A: because of high salt content
  • This is particularly visible in the long  perspective, i.e. the longer the time you need to remember  knowledge, the more you benefit from simplifying your  items!
  • Note in the example above how short the questions are. Note  also that the answers are even shorter! We want a minimum amount of information to  be retrieved from memory in a single repetition! We want answer to be as  short as imaginably possible!
  • Cloze deletion is easy  and effective
  • If you are a beginner and if you find it difficult to stick  to the minimum information principle, use cloze deletion! If you are an advanced user, you  will also like cloze deletion. It is a quick and effective method of converting textbook  knowledge into knowledge that can be subject to learning based on spaced repetition.  Cloze deletion makes the core of the fast reading and learning technique  called incremental reading.
  • Use imagery
  • Visual cortex is that part of the brain in which visual stimuli are  interpreted. It has been very well developed in the course of evolution and that is why we  say one picture is worth a thousand words. Indeed if you look at the number of  details kept in a picture and the easiness with which your memory can retain them, you  will notice that our verbal processing power is greatly inferior as compared with the  visual processing power. The same refers to memory. A graphic representation of  information is usually far less volatile.
  • Well-employed images will greatly reduce your learning time in areas such as  anatomy, geography, geometry, chemistry, history, and many more.
  • Use mnemonic  techniques
  • Before you start believing that mastering such techniques  will provide you with an eternal solution to the problem of forgetting, be warned that the  true bottleneck towards long-lasting and useful memories is not in quickly memorizing  knowledge! This is indeed the easier part. The bottleneck lies in retaining memories for  months, years or for lifetime!
  • Graphic deletion is  as good as cloze deletion
  • Graphic deletion  works like cloze deletion but instead of a  missing phrase it uses a missing image component. For example, when learning anatomy, you  might present a complex illustration. Only a small part of it would be missing. The  student's job is to name the missing area. The same illustration can be used to formulate  10-20 items!
  • Each item can ask about a specific subcomponent of the image. Graphic  deletion works great in learning geography!
  • Avoid sets
  • For example: What countries  belong to the European Union? You should avoid such items whenever possible due to the high cost  of retaining memories based on sets
  • If sets are absolutely necessary, you should always  try to convert them into enumerations. Enumerations  are ordered lists of members (for example, the alphabetical list of the members of the  EU). Enumerations are also hard to remember and should be avoided. However, the  great advantage of enumerations over sets is that they are ordered and they force the  brain to list them always in the same order.
  • you  should always try to make sure your brain works in the exactly same way at each repetition.
  • It is nearly impossible to memorize sets containing more than five  members without the use of mnemonic techniques, enumeration, grouping, etc.
  • Note that in the example above, we converted a  15-member set into 9 items, five of which are 2-3 member sets, and one is a six member  enumeration. Put it to your SuperMemo, and see how easy it is to generate the list  of the European Union members using the historic timeline!
  • Avoid enumerations
  • If you cannot avoid them, deal with them using cloze  deletions (overlapping cloze deletions if possible).
  • They are still far more acceptable than sets.
  • Still it is  recommended that he recite the whole alphabet after making the  repetition. However, once all individual pieces are well remembered, reciting the whole  should be a pleasant and speedy action that produces little frustration.
  • Learning poems is an example of learning enumerations (all words and sentences have to be  uttered in a predefined sequence); however, due to strong semantic connections, the rhyme  and the rhythm, it may often be possible to effectively remember poems without using cloze  deletion and without the frustration of forgetting small subcomponents again and again.
  •              

    A poem  that is hard to remember

    Q: The credit belongs ... (Teddy  Roosevelt)    A: The credit belongs to the man who's actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust  and sweat; a man who knows the great enthusiasm and the great devotions, who  spends himself  in a worthy cause, who in the end knows the triumph of high achievement, so that his place  shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat

    A poem  split into easy items

    Q: The credit belongs ... (Teddy  Roosevelt)   A: to the man who's actually in the arena Q: The credit belongs to the man who's actually in the arena ...   A: whose face is marred by dust and sweat (a man who knows the great enthusiasm)   Q: whose face is marred by dust and sweat ... (The  credit belongs)   A: a man who knows the great enthusiasm and the great devotions (who  spends himself in a  worthy cause)   Q: a man who knows the great enthusiasm and the great devotions ...  (The credit belongs)   A: who spends himself in a worthy cause (who in the end knows the triumph of high  achievement)   Q: who spends himself in a worthy cause ... (The  credit belongs)   A: who in the end knows the triumph of high achievement (so that his place shall never  be), etc. etc.

     

    Does it all sound artificial? It does! But  you will never know how effective this approach is until you try it by yourself!
  • Combat interference
  • When you learn about similar things you often confuse them.
  • In simple terms: you will get confused about what is what.
  • Interference is probably the single greatest cause of  forgetting in collections of an experienced user of SuperMemo.
  • • make items as unambiguous as possible
     
    • stick to the minimum  information principle (many of the remaining rules in this text are based on avoiding  interference!)
     
    • eliminate interference as soon as you spot it, i.e. before it becomes  your obsession (e.g. as soon as you see the word inept  you think "I know the meanings of inept  and inapt but I will never know which is  which!")
     
    •    

      in SuperMemo use View  : Other browsers : Leeches  (Shift+F3) to regularly review and eliminate  most difficult items

       
     
    • read more: Memory  interference
  • Optimize wording
  • Note that the loss of information content in  this item is inconsequential. During repetition you are only supposed to learn the name: Quark.  You should not hope that the trailing messages on the ownership of PageMaker and the year  of its development will somehow trickle to your memory as a side effect. You should decide  if the other pieces of information are important to you and if so, store them in separate  items (perhaps reusing the above text, employing cloze deletion again and optimizing the  wording in a new way). Otherwise the redundant information will only slow down your  learning process!
  • Refer to other  memories
  • Personalize  and provide examples
  • One of the most  effective ways of enhancing memories is to provide them with a link to your personal life.
  • Personalized examples are very  resistant to interference and can  greatly reduce your learning time
  • Rely on emotional  states
  • If you can illustrate your items  with examples that are vivid or even shocking, you are likely to enhance retrieval (as  long as you do not overuse same tools and fall victim of interference!)
  • A well-thought example can often reduce your  learning time several times!
  • Context cues simplify  wording
  • You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question.
  • Redundancy does not  contradict minimum information principle
  • passive and active approach: if you learn a  foreign language, e.g. Esperanto, you will often build word pairs such as phone-telefono,  language-lingvo, hope-esperanto, etc. These pairs require active recall of the  foreign word. Active recall does not, however, guarantee passive recognition and you may  fail with telefono-phone, lingvo-language, or esperanto-hope. Adding new  elements with swapped questions and answers may in some cases be redundant but it does not  contradict the minimum information principle! Your items are still as simple as possible.  You just get more of them
  • reasoning cues
  • derivation steps
  • multiple semantic representation
  • flexible repetition
  • Provide sources
  • Adding reliability labels may also be helpful (e.g. Watch out!, Other  sources differ!, etc.). Sources should accompany your items but should not be part of the learned knowledge  (unless it is critical for you to be able to recall the source whenever asked).
  • Provide date stamping
  • It is important that you provide your items with time stamping  or other tags indicating the degree of obsolescence.
  • Prioritize
  • Prioritizing sources
  • Extracting knowledge
  • You will need to extract those parts that are most likely to impact the  quality of your knowledge.
  • You can do it by (1) marking paragraphs in a book or journal,  (2) pasting relevant web pages to SuperMemo, (3) pasting relevant passages  to SuperMemo, (4) typing facts and figures directly to SuperMemo  notes,  etc. You will need some experience before you can accurately measure how much knowledge  you can indeed transfer to your brain and what degree of detail you  can feasibly master. Your best way to prioritize the flow of knowledge  into your memory is to use incremental  reading tools
  • Transferring knowledge to SuperMemo
  • Formulating items
  • Using forgetting index - you can use the forgetting index to prioritize pending items. The sequence of  repetitions will naturally be determined by SuperMemo; however, you can request higher  retention level for items that are more important and lower retention level for items of  lower priority
  • Learning

  73 more annotations...

• 03 May 14
  

  Adam Bro

  learning education lifehacks knowledge Memory supermemo reference language psychology

• 29 Apr 14
  

  greymalkin

  "incremental reading"

  memory

• 03 Apr 14
  

  Loughlin O'Nolan

  learning education lifehacks psychology

• 18 Mar 14
  

  Lavran Johnson
• 31 Jan 14
  

  Quan Nguyen Nhu

  learning memory education

• 16 Jan 14
  

  Srilekha Bathi

  learning Memory education lifehacks psychology supermemo

• 31 Dec 13
  

  sebas 227

  learning Memory education lifehacks supermemo reference interesting

• 29 Dec 13
  

  leomarzo

  How to learn? Very interesting!

  learning

• 17 Dec 13
  

  zhoux1009

  education

  • Do  not learn if you do not understand
  • Learn before you  memorize
  • Only when individual pieces fit to build a single  coherent structure, will you be able to dramatically reduce the learning time
  • you need to build an overall picture of  the learned knowledge
  • Do not start from memorizing loosely related facts! First  read a chapter in your book that puts them together (e.g. the principles of the  internal combustion engine). Only then proceed with learning using individual  questions and answers (e.g. What moves the pistons in the internal combustion engine?),  etc
  • Build upon the  basics
  • The shorter the initial chapter of your book the better.  Simple models are easier to comprehend and encompass. You can always build upon them later  on.
  • Basics are  usually easy to retain and take a microscopic proportion of your time. However, each  memory lapse on basics can cost you dearly!
  • Stick to the minimum information principle
  • Simple is easy
      By definition, simple material is easy to remember.
  • Repetitions of simple items are easier to schedule
      I assume you will make repetitions of the learned material using optimum inter-repetition  intervals
  • Cloze deletion is easy  and effective
  • If you are a beginner and if you find it difficult to stick  to the minimum information principle, use cloze deletion!
  • Cloze deletion makes the core of the fast reading and learning technique  called incremental reading.
  • Use imagery
  • Use mnemonic  techniques
  • mind maps, peg lists, mnemonic  techniques, etc.
  • Graphic deletion is  as good as cloze deletion
  • Avoid sets
  • Avoid enumerations
  • Enumerations are also an example of classic items that are hard to  learn

  • Easy to  learn items

        Q: What three letters does the alphabet begin with?
      A: ABC

    Q: Fill out the missing letters of the alphabet A ...  ... ... E
      A: B, C, D

     

    Q: Fill out the missing letters of the alphabet B ... ... ... F
      A: C, D, E

     

    Q: Fill out the missing letters of the alphabet C ... ... ... G
      A: D, E, F

  • A poem  split into easy items

        Q: The credit belongs ... (Teddy  Roosevelt)
      A: to the man who's actually in the arena

    Q: The credit belongs to the man who's actually in the arena ...
      A: whose face is marred by dust and sweat (a man who knows the great enthusiasm)

     

    Q: whose face is marred by dust and sweat ... (The  credit belongs)
      A: a man who knows the great enthusiasm and the great devotions (who  spends himself in a  worthy cause)

     

    Q: a man who knows the great enthusiasm and the great devotions ...  (The credit belongs)
      A: who spends himself in a worthy cause (who in the end knows the triumph of high  achievement)

     

    Q: who spends himself in a worthy cause ... (The  credit belongs)
      A: who in the end knows the triumph of high achievement (so that his place shall never  be), etc. etc.
  • Combat interference
  • You can never be sure when  it strikes, and the only hermetic procedure against it is to detect and  eliminate
  • • make items as unambiguous as possible
     
    • stick to the minimum  information principle (many of the remaining rules in this text are based on avoiding  interference!)
     
    • eliminate interference as soon as you spot it, i.e. before it becomes  your obsession (e.g. as soon as you see the word inept  you think "I know the meanings of inept  and inapt but I will never know which is  which!")
  • Optimize wording

  • Better  item: fewer words will speed up learning

        Q: Aldus invented desktop publishing in 1985 with PageMaker but  failed to improve. Then ... blew past (PageMaker remains No. 2)
      A: Quark

    Or better:

     

    Q: Aldus invented desktop publishing with PageMaker but failed to  improve. It was soon outdistanced by ...
      A: Quark

     

    Or better:

     

    Q: PageMaker failed to improve and was outdistanced by ...
      A: Quark 

    Or better:

     

    Q: PageMaker lost ground to ...
      A: Quark
  • Note that the loss of information content in  this item is inconsequential. During repetition you are only supposed to learn the name: Quark
  • Refer to other  memories
  • . Better  focus helps eliminating interference
  • Personalize  and provide examples

  • Easier  item

        Q: What is the name of a soft bed without arms or back? (like the  one at Robert's parents)
      A: divan
  • Rely on emotional  states
  • Context cues simplify  wording

  • Context-labeled  items increase success rate

        Q: bioch: GRE
      A: glucocorticoid response element
  • Redundancy does not  contradict minimum information principle
  • passive and active approach: if you learn a  foreign language, e.g. Esperanto, you will often build word pairs such as phone-telefono,  language-lingvo, hope-esperanto, etc. These pairs require active recall of the  foreign word
  • reasoning cues: you will often want to boost your  reasoning ability by asking about a solution to the problem. Instead of just memorizing  the answer you would like to quickly follow the reasoning steps (e.g. solve a simple  mathematical equation) and generate the answer
  • Provide sources
  • Provide date stamping
  • When learning software applications, it is  enough you stamp the item with the software version
  • In case of statistical figures, you  might stamp them with the year they have been collected
  • Prioritize
  • Prioritizing sources - there will always be  a number of sources of your knowledge. If you are still at student years: these will most  likely be books and notes pertaining to different subjects. Otherwise you will probably  rely more on journals, Internet, TV, newspapers, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc
  • Extracting knowledge
  • You can do it by (1) marking paragraphs in a book or journal,  (2) pasting relevant web pages to SuperMemo, (3) pasting relevant passages  to SuperMemo, (4) typing facts and figures directly to SuperMemo  notes,  etc
  • Transferring knowledge to SuperMemo
  • Formulating items - make sure that  explanatory or optional components of the answer are placed in the parentheses so that  your attention is focused on the most important part of the item
  • Using forgetting index - you can use the forgetting index to prioritize pending items
  • Learning

  49 more annotations...

• 21 Nov 13
  

  Ed Fry

  learning education psychology

• 01 Nov 13
  

  buraiyan
• 24 Oct 13
  

  dickbarba

  memorize

• 01 Oct 13
  

  Ryan Muller

  spaced-repetition learning memory

• 30 Sep 13
  

  nishav05

  memorization repetition study learning guide tutorial lifehacks

• 07 Sep 13
  

  e-nawar
• 14 Aug 13
  

  David Elson

  education medschool

• 02 Aug 13
  

  azhangx
  • Only then proceed with learning using individual  questions and answers (e.g. What moves the pistons in the internal combustion engine?),  etc.
  • However, each  memory lapse on basics can cost you dearly!
  • the longer the time you need to remember  knowledge, the more you benefit from simplifying your  items!
  • minimum amount of information to  be retrieved from memory in a single repetition!
  • of ...(amount)
  • you  should always try to make sure your brain works in the exactly same way at each repetition.
  • eliminate interference as soon as you spot it
  • lost ground to ...
  • should decide  if the other pieces of information are important to you and if so, store them in separate  items
  • vivid or even shocking,
  • bioch: GRE

  9 more annotations...

• 29 Jul 13
  

  sudhirp

  srs learning cards memory

• 06 Jun 13
  

  baerrach

  learning memory

• 24 May 13
  

  Alexi Zaviruha

  anki memory learning education

• 30 Jan 13
  

  kristina smith

  Effective learning: Twenty rules of formulating knowledge

  learning memory tips

• 13 Jan 13
  

  dmytrolypai

  education productivity

• 10 Jan 13
  

  soundornoise

  spaced repetition learning

• 09 Jan 13
  

  Y A
• 07 Jan 13
  

  ryolyo

  learning Memory supermemo rules reference

• 

  Venkatraman Dhamodaran

  anki

  • build an overall picture of  the learned knowledg
  • Stick to the minimum information principle
  • Graphic deletion is  as good as cloze deletion
  • Avoid sets
  • Avoid enumerations
  • Enumerations are also an example of classic items that are hard to  learn. They are still far more acceptable than sets. Avoid enumerations wherever you can.
  • Combat interference
  • • make items as unambiguous as possible
     
    • stick to the minimum  information principle (many of the remaining rules in this text are based on avoiding  interference!)
  • eliminate interference as soon as you spot it, i.e. before it becomes  your obsession
  • Optimize wording
  • Refer to other  memories
  • Personalize  and provide examples
  • One of the most  effective ways of enhancing memories is to provide them with a link to your personal life.  In the example below you will save time if you use a personal reference rather than trying  to paint a picture that would aptly illustrate the question
  • Rely on emotional  states
  • Context cues simplify  wording

  13 more annotations...

• 

  Bruno Melo

  learning Memory education lifehacks psychology supermemo language reference

• 06 Jan 13
  

  s_m_roberts
• 14 Dec 12
  

  J D

  learning Memory education lifehacks supermemo language reference hacks tips

• 13 Dec 12
  

  occams razors

  Memory

• 12 Dec 12
  

  casper de Tello

  @FLL @AOM #lifehacks

• 24 Sep 12
  

  temporal

  "uilding memories on other memories generates a coherent and hermetic structure that forgetting is less likely to affect. Build upon the basics and use planned redundancy to fill in the gaps"

  learning Memory education lifehacks psychology supermemo language reference

• 24 Aug 12
  

  jinkuhu
  • treacherous
  • coherent
  • Cloze deletion
  • impeachment
  • Mnemonic
  • hermetic
  • unambiguous

  5 more annotations...

• 09 Aug 12
  

  unnuen
  • violated
  • in the order of importance
  • optimally
  • Do  not learn if you do not understand
  • utmost
  • comprehension
  • deplorable
  • crammed
  • astronomical
  • negligible
  • pollute
  • Learn before you  memorize
  • treacherously
  • build an overall picture of  the learned knowledge
  • coherent
  • First  read a chapter in your book that puts them together
  • Build upon the  basics
  • combustion
  • Just the opposite, the  simpler the picture the better
  • encompass
  • neglect
  • Stick to the minimum information principle
  • volatile
  • lapse
  • microscopic
  • Simple is easy
  • Repetitions of simple items are easier to schedule

  25 more annotations...

• 09 Jul 12
  

  Mussa Hamad
  • want answer to be as  short as imaginably possible!
• 14 Apr 12
  

  Ha Le

  1) Understanding
  2) Whole picture
  3) Basics
  4) Minimum simplicity
  5) Cloze deletion
  6) Imagery
  7) Graphic/image deletion
  8) Mnemonic techniques
  9) Non-set
  10) Non-enumeration
  11) Interference omission
  12) Optimal wording
  13) Memory relevance
  14) Personalization + examples
  15) Emotions
  16) Context cues
  17) Redundancy (Pair or added elements/reasoning/derivation/flexible repetition)
  18) Sources
  19) Date stamping
  20) Priority

  study tips

• 04 Apr 12
  

  Calvin Hobbes

  Supermemo's 20 rules for formulating knowledge correctly for learning

  Supermemo Flashcards education knowledge formation

• 09 Feb 12
  

  Paul Jensen

  learning Memory education lifehacks psychology

• 10 Jan 12
  

  Lynne Anderson

  Memory learning

• 01 Jan 12
  

  Daniel Sohn

  vt vocabulary

• 30 Dec 11
  

  Katherine Morrison

  learning

• 26 Dec 11
  

  nonsleepr

  knowledge memory learning

• 20 Dec 11
  

  Alan Stout

  GROWTH

• 19 Dec 11
  

  Colin Brosnan

  learning Memory education language

• 

  Wesley Roberts

  nonsense. Still, an amazing proportion of students commit the offence of learning without comprehension. Very often they have no other choice! The quality of many textbooks or lecture scripts is deplorable while examination deadlines are unmovable.
  
  If you are not a speaker of German, it is still possible to learn a history textbook in German. The book can be crammed word for word. However, the time needed for such "blind learning" is astronomical. Even more important: The value of such knowledge is negligible. If you cram a German book on history, you will still know nothing of history.
  
  The German history book example is an extreme. However, the materials you learn may often seem well structured and you may tend to blame yourself for lack of comprehension. Soon you may pollute your learning process with a great deal of useless material that treacherously makes you believe "it will be useful some day".  
  
  Learn before you memorize
  Before you proceed with memorizing individual facts and rules, you need to build an overall picture of the learned knowledge. Only when individual pieces fit to build a single coherent structure, will you be able to dramatically reduce the learning time. This is closely related to the problem comprehension mentioned in Rule 1: Do not learn if you do not understand. A single separated piece of your picture is like a single German word in the textbook of history.
  
  Do not start from memorizing loosely related facts! First read a chapter in your book that puts them together (e.g. the principles of the internal combustion engine). Only then proceed with learning using individual questions and answers (e.g. What moves the pistons in the internal combustion engine?), etc.
  
  Build upon the basics

  productivity ANKI spaced repetition

• 

  Brock LeMieux

  education lifehacks psychology learning

• 18 Dec 11
  

  ssterrenburg

  learning Memory education lifehacks psychology language leren handig

• 

  Ton Boelens

  study education learning lifehacking

• 12 Nov 11
  

  S B

  chinese china 中国 中文 汉语 language study Memory education lifehacks anki psychology reference

  • You might want to experiment and try to  learn two subjects using the two above approaches and see for yourself what advantage is  brought by minimum information principle. This is particularly visible in the long  perspective, i.e. the longer the time you need to remember  knowledge, the more you benefit from simplifying your  items!
• 27 Sep 11
  

  Pablo Stafforini
  • You should avoid such items whenever possible due to the high cost  of retaining memories based on sets. If sets are absolutely necessary, you should always  try to convert them into enumerations.
• 24 Jul 11
  

  jirijanku

  learning knowledge mnemosyne

• 18 Jun 11
  

  Dripa B

  learning education lifehacks howto

• 22 Apr 11
  

  charlie_p

  education learning Memory

• 08 Apr 11
  

  Leo DG
  • The speed of learning will depend on the way you formulate the material.
  • The rules are listed in the order of importance. Those listed first are most often violated or bring most benefit if complied with!
• 02 Mar 11
  

  For Want

  anki

• 22 Feb 11
  

  003_영어하기

• 16 Feb 11
  

  Ian Alpha

  Learning

• 30 Dec 10
  

  Yusuf Tran

  breaking learning down, how best to learn and retain

  learning reference memory supermemo psychology

• 27 Dec 10
  

  Arma Virumque
• 01 Dec 10
  

  david johnson

  article brain cognition education howto

• 13 Oct 10
  

  Robert Parks
• 27 Aug 10
  

  Jacob Marley

  learning tutorial productivity

• 26 Jul 10
  

  nacarino

  rules learning memory study tips education knowledge language article

• 07 Jun 10
  

  learning memory education reference teaching psychology

• 24 May 10
  

  Brian Beaver

  mindmapping organization learning cognition brain knowledge learn language productivity psychology interesting study tips tutorial

• 01 Feb 10
  

  Dave Armstrong

  learning memory supermemo productivity lifehacks

• 22 Dec 09
  

  P. G.

  item learning top

• 29 Jul 09
  

  Olivier Brisson

  Effective learning: Twenty rules of formulating knowledge

  learning memory education reference howto tutorial language flashcards

• 18 Jun 09
  

  Ananda Sarangaram

• 06 May 09
  

  Michael Sturgeon

  Learning _ Education

• 02 Apr 09
  

  Anthony Pantekoek

  learning productivity memory shortcut:learning

• 19 Mar 09
  

  Mike Franks

  lifehacks learning

• 28 Jan 09
  

  jmuskate

  Memory

• 13 Jan 09
  

  nnps60

  education learning language supermemo

• 05 Jan 09
  

  Jim M

  learning memory

• 

  Marcin Bajer

  supermemo learning reference from-delicious

• 21 Dec 08
  

  Nathan Bost

  SuperMemo Memory Software

  • Context cues simplify  wording

    You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

     

                 

    Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

    Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

    Context-labeled  items increase success rate

    Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element
  • Context cues simplify  wording

    You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!
  • • Context cues simplify  wording

      You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

       
                     

      Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

      Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

      Context-labeled  items increase success rate

      Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element

       
  • • Context cues simplify  wording

      You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

       
                     

      Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

      Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

      Context-labeled  items increase success rate

      Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element

       
  • • Context cues simplify  wording

      You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

       
                     

      Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

      Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

      Context-labeled  items increase success rate

      Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element

       
  • • Context cues simplify  wording

      You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

       
                     

      Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

      Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

      Context-labeled  items increase success rate

      Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element

       
  • Context cues simplify  wording

    You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

     

                 

    Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

    Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

    Context-labeled  items increase success rate

    Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element
  • Context cues simplify  wording

    You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

     

                 

    Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

    Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

    Context-labeled  items increase success rate

    Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element
  • Context cues simplify  wording

    You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

     

                 

    Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

    Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

    Context-labeled  items increase success rate

    Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element
  • Context cues simplify  wording

    You can use categories  in SuperMemo 2000/2002, provide different branches of knowledge  with a different look (different template),  use reference labels (Title, Author, Date, etc.) and  clearly label subcategories (e.g. with strings such as chem for chemistry,  math for mathematics, etc.). This will help you simplify the  wording of your items as you will be relieved from the need to specify the context of  your question. In the example below, the well-defined prefix bioch: saves you a lot of  typing and a lot of reading while still making sure you do not confuse the abbreviation  GRE with Graduate Record Examination. Note that in the recommended case, you process the  item starting from the label bioch which puts your brain immediately in the right  context. While processing the lesser optimum case, you will waste precious milliseconds on  flashing the standard meaning of GRE and ... what is worse ... you will light up the wrong  areas of your brain that will now perhaps be prone to interference!

     

                 

    Wordy  item can cause accidental lapses through interference

    Q: What does GRE stand for in biochemistry?   A: glucocorticoid response element

    Context-labeled  items increase success rate

    Q: bioch: GRE   A: glucocorticoid response element

  8 more annotations...

• 01 Dec 08
  

  baethan

  education

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