It has happened more times than I want to admit. I have studied for a math exam for a week by reading the textbook for hours at the library. I get to test day and the exam would be about solving problems using math. I studied the wrong way!
This kind of wrong training is not limited to school. I know many engineers that struggle to find a job because although they have a degree, the career is about applying the knowledge. To that end, the next principle I want to discuss is directness as it applies to learning.
Your learning is direct if the skill set you are developing can be applied to the learning goal. As I was starting my coding project, I read through a book on coding. Unfortunately reading about coding doesn’t produce code. True learning only started when I was in front of a keyboard trying, with great frustration, to generate a script. I have been guilty of reading about a skill because it is easier than implementing that skill.
There are a few methods that Young suggests for learning directly:
1) Project based learning: the goal of my coding project is to produce a code that trades the stock market
2) Immersive learning: This type of learning is most often tied with learning languages. Going to a Spanish speaking church will improve your Spanish listening comprehension because you are hearing the language from native speakers. Another option is to place yourself in a challenging environment or job that will force you to improve your skills. Many physicians take on challenging fellowships where the hours are long and the attendings are brutally honest. By doing this, the physicians rapidly improve their skills.
3) Simulation: Is there a way to simulate the skill? Pilots use flight simulators and surgeons practice on cadavers.
I have learned the most from projects when I have made the time to pause and ask: “Can I apply what I am doing now to my learning goal in the future?” The best learning outcome is for the project to transfer directly to whatever you need it for in the future.
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