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00:00:00 Hello listeners

00:02:08 1. Encoding 2. Storage 3. Retrieval

00:13:21 The study cycle

00:28:10 Spaced repetition

00:35:34 Takeaways

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• Learning relies on memory, and memory is in turn an interplay between two processes: storing and retrieving information. There are three main steps: encoding, storing and retrieval.

• How well we encode material (i.e. cement it into our minds) depends on the degree and intensity of attention we pay it, as well as the senses through which we encounter it, and our associated emotions.

• When we store memories, we do so either as transient sensory memory, short-term memory or more long-term memory.

• Retrieval is when we return to stored memories and pull them out again, either with a cue or helpful sequence, or without one. We can retrieve information in a few ways: recall it directly (no cues, this is obviously preferable), recognition (remembering something after a cue or prompt, and relearning, which is the least effective and lasting method.)

• Forgetting is a normal state of affairs, and occurs on a “forgetting curve.” Every time we rehearse, however, we refresh this memory, and the subsequent forgetting trails off at a less steep curve. The goal is to rehearse until the curve eventually flattens, and the rate of decay slows enough for you to say, “I’ve permanently learnt this.”

• The study cycle is a process to follow to maximize your learning process given the way memory works. The steps are: preview, attend, review, study and assess, and then begin the cycle again. In a study session, it’s best to flow through each step consciously—establishing context, paying attention, actively reading and engaging, drilling the material and then taking time to assess how well the process went afterwards.

• Retrieval practice is the art of practicing what most cements memories—retrieving them. It is an active process and instills memory firmly.

• Spaced repetition is most effective for practicing retrieval and countering forgetting. Deliberate practice, too, can help you control what you’re practicing, and how this can enhance your learning and knowledge over time.