“Once I have finished this course, I will be an expert!”
❓How many times have you fallen into the trap to think you know it all once you have finished a course, finally got the degree in your hand, read the manual or set aside hours to attend that conference?
❗The reality is that the book, course or degree is probably just the start of learning. In fact, learning takes place in many different ways.
📅Short, single, standalone events, like keynotes & webinars, are useful to draw attention to a topic or new skill that is desired (or required), to build awareness & to generate interest & excitement.
🧰Repeatedly experimenting & putting things into action provides the foundation for continued learning. Practicing in different ways & at different times allows your brain to form more connections which results in better recall & better practice.
🍪Chunking with small portions of content is great for learning. This is why the advent of virtual learning (which can easily be shortened & spaced out) with specific instruction for practice between learning sessions is so effective.
😴 While sleeping with a textbook under your pillow is unlikely to make you an expert, sleep does allow you to integrate what you have read & might give you an advantage in applying that knowledge better. Just leave the book on the shelf. Your neck will thank you.
😲Learning ‘what’ is less & less important. Instead there is increased importance of knowing ‘how’, knowing about thinking, knowing about yourself & your own learning (also called meta-cognitive skills). Paying attention to this will allow you to improve your skill faster, work better with others & with some of the new tech tools (including genAI).
🪞Reflecting regularly will improve your learning & skills. What worked, what did not, how could you do things differently? This is part of those meta-cognitive skills (see point above).
⚠ Finally, don’t let anybody tell you what you might/not be good at & the same counts for the young ones in your life. Just being told that you are a ‘hands-on’ learner might lead to you not engaging with ‘intellectual’ topics & thinking you are a ‘visual’ learners might deter you from ‘sporty’ or ‘artsy’ material.
So, this is your call to dive right in, practice in as many ways as possible, reflect & repeat.
More resources (no paid partnerships or sponsorship)
- Journey: Journaling app with lots of free features including reflection prompts & journaling templates
- Lila Landowski TEDxHobart: Six secrets to learning faster, backed by neuroscience
- “It’s in the experience” podcast: Shaping the future: Mentorship, diversity and hands-on learning in Experiential Education
References (for the extra keen)
Zhukov et al. (2009)
Gobet et al. (2001)
Roediger & Butler (2011)
Sun et al. (2023)