Enhancing Learning Through Retrieval Practice and Feedback

13min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The chapter explores the benefits of retrieval practice in mastering skills by balancing studying examples and independent practice. Using examples from law school exam preparation and writing workshops, it underscores the value of feedback and iteration in skill improvement. Additionally, it delves into effective learning strategies, challenges common beliefs about skill transfer, and contrasts learning approaches in classical music and jazz improvisation.

Life revolves around learning—in school, at our jobs, even in the things we do for fun. But we often don’t progress in any of these areas at the rate we’d like. Consequently, and unfortunately, we often give up our pursuits prematurely or resign ourselves to always being mediocre in our classes, career, and hobbies.

Scott Young has some tips on how you can avoid this fate, level up in whatever you do, and enjoy the satisfaction of skill improvement. Scott is a writer, programmer, and entrepreneur, and the author of Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery. Today on the show, Scott shares the three key factors in helping us learn. He explains how copying others is an underrated technique in becoming a genius, why, contrary to the sentiments of motivational memes, we learn more from success than mistakes, why experts often aren’t good teachers and tactics for drawing out their best advice, why you may need to get worse before you get better, and more.