Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
Ratings47
Average rating4.1
To most of us, learning something "the hard way" implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming more productive learners. Memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks, such as applying knowledge to problems never before encountered and drawing inferences from facts already known. New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated, and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn. Grappling with the impediments that make learning challenging leads both to more complex mastery and better retention of what was learned. Many common study habits and practice routines turn out to be counterproductive. Underlining and highlighting, rereading, cramming, and single-minded repetition of new skills create the illusion of mastery, but gains fade quickly. More complex and durable learning come from self-testing, introducing certain difficulties in practice, waiting to re-study new material until a little forgetting has set in, and interleaving the practice of one skill or topic with another. Speaking most urgently to students, teachers, trainers, and athletes, Make It Stick will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement. - Publisher.
Tags
Genres
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
What I liked - The advices. What I didn't like - The chapters had many examples, which is a good thing, but I got pretty bored of the book. I usually read few paragraphs and then make notes but when I actually thought about what I learnt from reading those few paragraphs, nothing came up in my mind. The same point was stressed multiple times in different ways. So I recommend this for someone who wants to learn about this "tips" with lots of examples that draw the same conclusion. But the examples do solidify the concepts they talk about.
For people who just want to learn how to study properly while retaining as much as possible, I recommend "The Only Study Guide You'll Ever Need"
A potent summary of things to keep in mind if you want learning to last. Although if you're familiar with the theories of spaced repetition, elaboration, testing effects etc., this can easily be skipped.
As someone new to the science of learning, I found this to be a great resource in dispelling many education myths (such as learning styles or rereading material) and offering practical advice (memory retrieval exercises, spaced and interleaved practice, etc.) for learners and instructors alike. The authors do well at backing up their conclusions with scientific studies. I noticed the authors even utilized the interleaving concept in their book as chapters repeatedly circled around to previous ideas.
Some of the stories ramble on a bit, but this was the only real negative I noticed.
I'll be leaning on the concepts in this book as I try to find my place in the field of education. Recommended for students and teachers.
Top Prompts
Featured Prompt
174 books#174 in What books did you learn most from?
Whether it's a course textbook or a fictional romance, we remember books that impact us deeply. Which books do you remember being forever changed by due to learning something new – either about you...
