Become a superhero learner with these two tricks

Accelerate your learning process by leveraging insights from the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve

Image source: Generated by Author using Stable Diffusion XL

It’s 2023, and the consumption of online learning materials has reached an all-time high. Therefore, it is unsurprising that we deal with information overload, making it difficult to retain everything we learn in an online course. Personally, I often feel anxious about retaining all the important information I have learned in a course. My usual strategy was to pay close attention to each lesson to avoid the need for revisiting later. However, this approach often leads to stagnation when concepts become challenging, as our motivation diminishes quickly. Today, let’s discuss an alternative method of learning that is much more effective using the concept of the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve: A Brief Overview

In the late 19th century, a German psychologist named Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted groundbreaking research on memory and forgetting. His experiments involved memorizing lists of nonsensical syllables, which allowed him to control for the influence of prior knowledge on memory retention. Through his studies, Ebbinghaus discovered that forgetting occurs in a predictable pattern over time, now famously known as the “Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve.”

Ebbinghaus found that after learning new information, our ability to recall it drops rapidly over time. We forget nearly half of what we’ve learned in the first hour. By the end of the day, that percentage skyrockets to around 70%, followed by a slower decline over time.

Image source: Chun and Heo, 2018

This curve highlights the natural decay of memories unless they are reinforced through effective learning strategies. In the context of online courses, this curve becomes particularly relevant. So, what can we do to reinforce our learning?

The Two Tricks to Rule Them All

The secret to retaining knowledge effectively lies in active recall and spaced repetition. These two concepts form the backbone of our superhero technique. Let’s break them down:

1. Active Recall: Instead of simply re-reading or passively reviewing your course material, challenge yourself to recall the key concepts from memory. This could involve summarizing a lesson in your own words or teaching the material to someone else. Engaging your brain in actively retrieving information strengthens the neural pathways associated with it, making it more likely to stick.
2. Spaced Repetition: Spaced repetition is the art of revisiting information at specific intervals. Rather than cramming everything at once, you strategically space out your review sessions. As you review material just before you’re about to forget it, you reinforce your memory and extend the time before the next review.

Practical Strategies

1. Learn in iterations: Shallow and frequent spaced repetitions are proven to be better than a single deep repetition. When taking an online course, focus on revisiting course content in shallow repetitions rather than finishing all the content only once.
2. Challenge Yourself: Recall what you’ve learned after each lesson without looking at your notes. Also, challenge yourself to apply the concepts in a project.
3. Variety is Key: Mix up your study routine. Don’t stick to a single format. Utilize visual aids, write short summaries, or explain concepts aloud to yourself.
4. Teach Others: Sharing your newfound knowledge with others reinforces your understanding and memory. Writing a blog post/social media post is a great way of validating your knowledge and receiving feedback from other experts.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve offers a powerful lens through which to understand how our brains process and retain information. Remember, it’s not just about the time you spend studying but the quality and strategy you employ. So, equip yourself with this trick and watch your online learning journey soar to new heights!

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