In this episode, Dr. Reynolds delves into an often overlooked topic in our education system: learning how to learn. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to harness the joy of learning or studying without the stress and anxiety.He explores the processes of encoding, consolidating, and retrieving information, drawing parallels with real-life examples. He emphasizes the importance of deliberate practice and retrieval practice as key strategies for the building long-term retention of information. This episode offers actionable insights for students/ learners, educators, and faith-based leaders alike. It sets the stage for ongoing personal and spiritual growth.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely my own and do not reflect or represent the positions, policies, or opinions of my employer, any organization or academic institution with which I am affiliated. This podcast is a personal initiative, and is not connected to my official/ formal duties and responsibilities as a university professor.
In this episode, Dr. Reynolds delves into an often overlooked topic in our education system: learning how to learn. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to harness the joy of learning or studying without the stress and anxiety.He explores the processes of encoding, consolidating, and retrieving information, drawing parallels with real-life examples. He emphasizes the importance of deliberate practice and retrieval practice as key strategies for the building long-term retention of information. This episode offers actionable insights for students/ learners, educators, and faith-based leaders alike. It sets the stage for ongoing personal and spiritual growth.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely my own and do not reflect or represent the positions, policies, or opinions of my employer, any organization or academic institution with which I am affiliated. This podcast is a personal initiative, and is not connected to my official/ formal duties and responsibilities as a university professor.
Speaker 1:
Hey friends, welcome back. Thank you for joining me for episode 9. I do hope that your week is off to a fantastic start. You may notice a difference in the sound of my voice. Yes, I am a little hoarse, but the show must go on. Oh and, by the way, I'll tell you why it sounds like I'm losing my voice.
Speaker 1:
I just returned from Montego Bay, jamaica. To be absolutely clear, this was not a vacation, not this trip. I was on a preaching assignment. Yes, had an amazing time. I had a speaking engagement there over the weekend and I'm so grateful to my church family there for the warm, matchless hospitality they have shown. Big shout out to Pastor Dwayne Elliott and his entire congregation for hosting me over the weekend. So that explains the sound of my voice after a weekend jam-packed with preaching, praying, singing, praise and worship. But I really enjoy what I do and it was just a blessing to be there and to interact with the people of God. It was a blessing to me to have attended three services there at the Montego Bay branch of the Church of God and Saints of Christ the beginning of Sabbath or Friday night service, and then the Sabbath day service on Saturday, followed by their annual concert on Sunday, where I was the keynote speaker. As they say, there's no place like home. I was born in the United States but grew up in Jamaica, and being in Montego Bay for this special event did bring back so many fond childhood memories, you know. I'd like to point out that, second only to the United States, the most loyal supporters of Faith Meets Academia are in Jamaica, in particular, kingston and Montego Bay, jamaica. Many thanks to you for your interest in this podcast. You and our entire listening audience across 13 countries and 128 cities, inspire me to continue doing this work. To continue doing this work. If Faith Meets Academia has been a blessing to you and I'm certain that it has don't forget to leave us a review. Subscribe so you can get notified as soon as the episodes come out. Share this with a family member, a friend, co-worker, so we can continue to grow this movement, this community of educators, learners, believers and disciples of the teachings of Jesus Christ, building bridges between biblical principles and academic concepts and strategies.
Speaker 1:
All right, so let's get into this. I'm sure we would all consider ourselves learners, whether you're a working professional, whether you're in school or college, whether you're looking for a job, whether you are thinking about going back to school. I mean, no matter where you are in life, you'd probably agree that you're learning something, always learning something at some point. You've been learning from the day you were born and you're still learning. Learning is a continuous lifelong journey. We're all learners of something, constantly absorbing, processing, making sense of new information and experiences. We're always attempting to retain or understand, apply, analyze, synthesize or evaluate information. Does that sound familiar? Maybe you should check out episode six, where I provide some very practical guidance on how to integrate biblical principles into everyday life using a specific framework called Bloom's Taxonomy.
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And speaking of episode six, by the way, I'd like to thank a loyal member of the FMA community. Fma stands for Faith Meets Academia, if you haven't yet found out. So yeah, this community member reached out to request additional content on episode six. Dear listener, I got you covered. I will update the show notes for that episode with further details. Thanks for reaching out with the request. This active listener in our FMA community said, and I quote thank you for doing this podcast. And to that I say you're most welcome.
Speaker 1:
So back to my earlier point. We're all learners and because of that, you may have never thought that you need to learn how to learn or learn how to study. You might think it's just second nature, right, and hey, I know how to do that. We all think we know how to do it. Most learners, most students, think they know how to study. Well, unfortunately, they don't. We weren't born with learning how to learn skills. We weren't born knowing how to learn how to study. Based on what we call the science of learning, there's a blueprint for effective learning that too many of us are just not familiar with, and that's exactly why I'm doing this episode.
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If we all knew how to learn effectively, how to study effectively, then so many students, from elementary and middle school students to college and graduate and professional school students, so many students would not be suffering from intense anxiety and panic attacks almost every time they take a test or a quiz or a standardized exam. And right now you might be saying to yourself well, I made it through college, I made it through grad school straight A student 4.0. I mean, you're telling me that I've never learned how to study. I mean, how would I have gotten this far? Well, here's what I say to that hey, it's great that you've made it this far, but my question is at what cost? Are you experiencing anxiety or frequent burnout from feeling stressed, anxious, not really enjoying the process of learning? Learning shouldn't feel like a chore, it shouldn't feel burdensome, it should feel like fun, it should be enjoyable.
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So, if you're listening to this episode, learning how to learn will change your life and to set the tone for the rest of this episode and for future episodes, because this is a topic that I'll be revisiting for quite some time, because that's what I do. I'm a learning coach in addition to serving as an ordained minister. So, just to set the stage, I'll be defining this thing called learning. Are you ready? Please note I'll use the terms learning and studying interchangeably. I see learning as the process of encoding, consolidating and retrieving information through various methods and resources that are tailored to the learner's preferences. Now, don't sign off just yet. Let me break that down for you. I'm going to break it down. You're going to get it. You're going to get it. I'm going to make it real simple.
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These three phases of learning can be applied to mastering or acquiring any new skill, concept or information, despite your so-called learning style. I say so-called, because this whole learning styles thing is what they call a neuromyth. The concept of learning styles or the idea that people learn best when they receive information in a specific format, like visual or auditory or kinesthetic, is considered a neuromyth because scientific research does not support it. There's a number of studies that show that, while individuals may have preferences for how they receive information or make sense of information, these preferences do not necessarily correlate or match up with improved learning outcomes or higher levels of academic achievement when the teaching or the instructional activities are tailored to these preferences. Write it down, yep, make a note of it.
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Your brain is adaptable and capable of processing information in multiple forms, and the effectiveness of learning has more to do with whether the teaching methods are engaging and appropriate for the content being presented, whether the teaching goals or objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely, rather than matched to a supposed or assumed learning style. So if you're a pastor, this episode is for you. If you're a minister, this episode is for you. If you're a Sunday school or Sabbath school teacher, this one's for you. If you're a Bible study team leader, this episode is for you. If you're a professor, lecturer, teacher of anything, this one's for you. Parents, this episode is for you as well. You're going to be introduced to some key active learning and study strategies and a view of learning and learning how to learn, that you can, in turn, teach your child or children and teach as a result.
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They describe how we remember things and how we recall them. And guess what? I didn't make this up. This is well researched in cognitive psychology. I have some references there in the show notes. If you want to get even deeper these processes of learning, let me be clear.
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This is not, however, about memorizing facts. Yes, this might have to do with how we encode, consolidate and retrieve a piece of information or a fact, but it could also be a place, a person's name, concept, skill, conversation, just about anything. Encoding is the first step in the learning cycle, if you will. It is the process of taking in or making sense of new information through visuals, sound words and their meanings, as well as associating prior knowledge with new knowledge. This information is held in your short-term memory, which is sort of like a temporary storage area, if you will, that can hold new information for a brief period of time, while your brain decides if the information is important enough to be then stored in long-term memory. Here's an example to illustrate how this works.
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Let's say your friend comes over one day to teach you how to bake a cake from scratch. Now, not cake in a box or cake mix, right? I'm talking about making the thing from the ground up, all right. Now I know you might be thinking well, who does that? I could just pull up a YouTube video and learn how to do that. And learn how to do that. Well, there's still such a thing, may I remind you, as spending quality time. Just observe the appearance, measurements of the ingredients and order of adding in the ingredients, carefully making a note of any changes to the texture and the color of the batter and the color of the batter. These visual observations will help you to ensure that you achieve the expected or the desired result in terms of how that cake will look when it comes out of the oven. These visual observations will help you to avoid common mistakes early on in the process, and this is what we call visual encoding.
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Visual encoding as you are making sense of all those visual cues, you listen to your friend's explanations and the sounds of the mixer at different speeds. Hearing these sounds and listening to the instructions help you to remember what each sound means in terms of how the mixer, at varying speeds is changing the batter. Can you see it? Can you hear it? And this is called acoustic encoding. Acoustic encoding as your friend walks you through the process, you make sense of what they're saying by maybe paraphrasing or putting their instructions into your own words, jotting down the steps on a notepad or typing them in your phone. That's called semantic encoding. Semantic is just a fancy term that has to do with how we use words or symbols to make meaning and communicate information. Additionally, you might also compare this new information about learning how to bake this cake, this new information that you are processing, that you're making sense of, with your previous experiences or what you've seen on cooking shows, let's say, discussing with your friend why certain steps are essential, why they have to be done in a specific order, or why certain types of ingredients are used, how that contributes to achieving the type of cake that you want.
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This is called elaborative encoding. Elaborative encoding, and that means you are building upon what you already know in order to learn something new. Whenever you're learning something new, whenever you're learning something new, whenever you're taking in new information, it's always an effective strategy to think about how that new information relates to something that you already know about the concept or the skill or the topic. Why? That's because we learn best by forming associations. This is a key step in the learning process Asking yourself what do I already know about this process? What do I already know about this skill? How is the new component that I'm adding to this skill, or this brand new information that I'm learning? How is it similar to or different than what I already know? What are the gaps in my knowledge? What do I need to fill in? So it's sort of like the information that you already have in your brain is the anchor or the bridge that will help lead you to acquiring that new skill.
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So if you've signed up to take a new course, let's say no matter how new that course is, you're not starting as a blank slate. You already know something about something. Yes, most of the information might be new, but you can always find, if you're asking that question, what do I already know? I always say start with your K, what do I already know? So in that way, you're starting from a position of strength. You're not starting from a position of this is all new, I don't know anything, right? Let's say you're taking an exam and you're reading a question and you go okay, I don't know anything they're asking about, so I'm just going to skip this and move on to the next question. Yeah, I know you've been there, I have.
Speaker 1:
Well, here's a more effective strategy. As you're reading, ask yourself the simple question what do I already know about this concept? I'm not talking about getting the right answer to the question, right, that's putting the cart before the horse. The first thing is what do I already know about this concept? And you know what that does. It reduces the anxiety, right, it reduces the pressure of I need to get to the right answer. I need to get to the right answer. I need to get it right and move on. What do I already know about this? And you'll find that, starting from that position of knowledge, of strength, it's sort of like you're giving yourself a trophy for all the work that you have already done, for what you already know. And starting from that position, then you can begin to figure out okay, what is it that I need to know in order to accomplish this task, in order to get to the right answer or the most appropriate response, let's say, depending on what the test developers are looking for. And I say this because in some cases it's not as black and white as right versus wrong. So in medicine, for example, the question might ask what is the most likely diagnosis or what is the next best step in managing this patient's condition? So, as a result of applying this particular strategy, of taking this approach, of making these associations, you'll have a lot more clarity in the end as to what you have truly learned. By the way, that's called the KWL strategy. You can look it up, the KWL strategy what I know, what I want to know and what I've learned. I'll probably talk a little bit more about that in some other episode.
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Now let's move on to the next step in the learning process and that's called consolidating. This involves the process of strengthening or stabilizing the new information that you have acquired through the encoding process new information, new skill, et cetera. This is where the information now transitions from short-term memory into long-term memory. So sticking with the baking analogy right Consolidating is like giving the cake the right amount of time in the oven so that you come out with what looks like an actual cake and not mush. Just as the heat transforms the batter into a solid, firm, structured cake, your brain strengthens the new memory, the new way of executing this skill, integrating it with what you already know about baking, about cooking in general, and, over time, with deliberate, strategic practice. Through baking repeatedly, over time, the memory of how to bake a cake becomes stronger. There's a saying that deliberate practice makes progress. I know there's an even more common saying, that practice makes perfect. But we're not just talking about any kind of practice. Right, because some kinds of practice can be mediocre. Right, it's practice that is deliberate, that is strategic, that is goal-oriented. Right, it's practicing with a purpose. Deliberate, strategic practice makes progress. So, through deliberate practice, the memory of how to bake this cake becomes stronger, just like how the cake becomes more stable after coming out of the oven.
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Whether it's learning how to bake a cake, learning how to drive, learning how to swim, learning how to study effectively by doing practice questions or practice problems to prepare for an upcoming exam. For each practice session, you need to make sure you're not over-relying on reading or listening to or watching the information being presented over and over and over again. Yeah, you might revisit it. Right, you might hit replay or read over the information just to jog your memory a little bit, but after that you need to engage in free recall of that information, or that skill, that concept Free recall, meaning without notes from memory. In your own words, right Now you're beginning to internalize. Now you're beginning to internalize that information. Now you're working toward making it like second nature, like automatic, put it on autopilot.
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Can you explain the information, can you discuss it, can you apply it to real life? All that's part of studying, that's part of learning, that's part of practicing. Can you use the information to solve real world problems? This, my friends, is the process of retrieving. It's what we call retrieval practice. It is the single most effective learning and study strategy that most learners don't use. I know that because I've seen it in real life. There's a saying play like you practice, practice like you play. Listen. You don't learn how to play basketball by just watching basketball games or reading about how you learn through deliberate practice. Musicians use deliberate practice. Pilots use deliberate practice in their training. Athletes use deliberate practice in their training sessions. How about you? You know what's really interesting? I've coached students who have who have, let's say, as an athlete or as a swimmer, or as a musician, students who have successfully used this strategy of deliberate practice in those domains.
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But for some reason, when it comes to studying, the use of this deliberate retrieval practice strategy is woefully lacking. Yeah, I mean, it's not hard to figure out why not widely taught as a core part of any curriculum, from K through 12, right From elementary school through middle school, high school, college, graduate school. Learning how to learn through retrieval practice or any other research-based learning and study strategy is not introduced as a mandatory core component of the curriculum. Now, there are exceptions, right. If you're an education or psychology major or you're specializing in a related field, then you might get introduced to some of these evidence-based learning strategies. There are some institutions where this might be happening, but I'm saying generally speaking, it's not the case. Self-testing for learning, doing practice problems and practice questions and applying knowledge to solve real-world problems that type of active, adaptive learning strategy using retrieval practice is not very common in our educational system, and that's not just only in the United States, that's internationally. I've visited a few places in my lifetime and I have colleagues and friends in other parts of the world who would share the same concern. Guess what? That's why I'm so excited about this. That's why I'm doing this podcast. That's why I'm doing this episode.
Speaker 1:
The time to move away from the status quo from the traditional stuff is now Educators. Don't just tell your students to study is now Educators. Don't just tell your students to study. Teach them how Okay.
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So, to wrap this up, with this knowledge of learning, of the encoding, consolidating and retrieving processes, with this knowledge, faith-based leaders, you can design and deliver sermons and Bible study sessions that are more memorable and impactful, using techniques that align with how memories are formed and recalled. This allows for more effective spiritual guidance and deeper engagement with scriptural teachings. You can facilitate interactive discussions and group activities that reinforce the consolidation of new learning, helping congregants to internalize and apply your teachings in their daily lives. With this knowledge, congregants, you can enhance your own spiritual practices by adopting study techniques that improve the encoding and retrieval of your religious texts and principles. This deeper engagement can lead to more meaningful and personal transformations and a stronger faith commitment. Your understanding of these techniques can help you recall and live out important spiritual and ethical teachings. Help you recall and live out important spiritual and ethical teachings, supporting your personal growth and community involvement.
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Yes, with this new knowledge, educators, you can implement teaching strategies that optimize or maximize learning by understanding the most effective ways to present information so that it sticks. This includes structuring or restructuring lessons in a way that enhances memory formation and retrieval, which is crucial for student success across academic disciplines. You can create assessments and review activities that promote more effective consolidation of knowledge and ensure that students are not just cramming, but truly learning and retaining the information far beyond the test. Students with this knowledge, with these skills, with these techniques, you can develop more effective study habits that capitalize on your understanding of how encoding, consolidating and retrieving information all work together, so that even after you have graduated, even after you've moved on from where you are now, you're still able to show what you know because you've effectively consolidated it. You can use these strategies for both academic learning and personal life skills and improve your ability to handle complex information and solve problems creatively. My friends, understanding the learning and memory creation process comprehensively will empower you to become an exceptionally effective learner and educator.
Speaker 1:
To be continued, I'll be talking about effective learning and study strategies for a very long time. So this is just the tip of the iceberg, and in the next episode I'll be expanding on these strategies and very important I will be illustrating through scripture that these strategies are biblical right, you definitely want to join me for the next episode, because I'm going to show you that it's in the book. Yes, yes, both Old and New Testament. These strategies are there and I will extract them and make them come alive so that you can see that, yes, there is a connection between your faith and your work. Peace and love.