As if midterm season could not have been at a more fitting time, the Learning Technologies Symposium hosted a keynote presentation last week on a topic close to the hearts of many students: how to be more effective learners.

The presentation, titled “Learning How to Learn”, featured Barbara Oakley, Professor of Engineering at Oakland University, well-regarded for her online course, “Learning How To Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects”.

With an enrolment total of over 1.2 million students since its release in Aug. 2014, it has become the world’s most popular online course. Oakley has also published many books on this topic, including the New York Times bestseller, A Mind for Numbers.

During her talk, which served as the opening plenary to the two-day symposium, Oakley highlighted many of the key ideas from her online course on ‘tricks’ that students can use to optimize their brains for learning.

“I realized there are some really simple ideas about how you learn effectively that people just don’t know. They are totally simple, and once you understand them, they click with all your other preconceived notions and it explains things. As a result, you can leverage your brain to learn even more effectively,” explained Oakley.

While the learning strategies that Oakley brought out in her talk all seemed to be very applicable, the reasoning for why they work is grounded in neuroscience research.

“I can see through neuroscience that there is a connection between all learning that takes place no matter what you are doing— whether it is in math, science, language, learning a sport or learning chess,” she said.

Oakley argues that we can apply her tips and tricks to all kinds of situations. For instance, a ‘trick’ which she recommends to all students is the Pomodoro technique. Essentially, the goal is to break down work into 25-minute intervals, separated by short breaks, which maintains focus.

Oakley’s keynote was part of the annual Learning Technologies Symposium organized by the MacPherson Institute. This year’s symposium, took place on Oct. 18 and 19, built on the theme of “Communities in Conversations.” The conference provides an opportunity for people who are interested in the use of technology in teaching and learning to come together and share their projects and discuss issues.

The symposium hosted individuals from many institutions such as Mohawk College, Sheridan College, Brock University, the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto.

“I think [the symposium] is great because it shows that learning technology is a growing interest amongst faculty, and people who are involved in teaching and learning. There is a need for people to come together and talk about it,” said Zafar Syed, Associate Director for Educational Technology at the MacPherson Institute.

This dialogue is critical for teachers to not only learn what is happening at the university, but also what is possible for the future.

“There has been a push to increase the digital footprint at McMaster—there is an increasing number of courses that are going online, and a growing interest amongst faculties to make learning more accessible and more flexible,” added Syed.

For students of McMaster, the symposium presents ways for them to become better learners but also raise ideas on how technology may be used to facilitate their learning.

1. Say adieu to technology. Facebook and your phone are you two worst enemies, because they distract you before, during, and after you check it. Turn off yo’ phone (or at least put it some place far, far away… preferably in the hands of someone else who you semi-trust). Turn off yo’ WiFi. And hide yo’ kids.
2. Play music without words. Lyrics are very distracting because it makes you want to sing along as if you suddenly possess the voice of Shania Twain. That said, some people tend to focus better if they’re listening to music since classical music can put you to sleep entirely. So pull out your favourite Hans Zimmer score and pray that Inception really works.
3. Watch a YouTube video if you’re lost. No, not ‘What Does The Fox Say?’ There are many educational video channels, like Khan Academy, that go through a variety of academic subjects. They can be particularly helpful if you are bored of reading and need to cram learn a concept in 15 minutes or less.
4. Read the summary and important concepts sections of the textbook. They go over what was taught in the chapter without all the extraneous details. Sure you may miss out on these details, but this way you at least have something to put in your answer on a test rather than an impassioned plea to your grader.
5. Find someone in your class to teach you. If your classmate is on top of things he’ll be more likely to understand why you’re confused. If he’s not, talking about concepts still clarifies and reinforces understanding. Sidebar: Don’t pick the person you’re trying to wheel – your crush will be a distraction and you don’t need to look like an idiot in front of them anyway.
6. Depending on the subject, do practice problems. Some practice problems will go over the major types of questions that will likely show up on a test step by step. Write down the strategies that the textbook uses.
7. Avoid rereading your notes. The best way to learn is to engage with material. Write an outline of an important concept, do some practice problems, then use your notes to fill in what you missed.
8. Complain less. Do more. Complaining about studying makes for a cathartic bonding experience, but all that time can be better spent actually studying. So get it all out in 5 minutes, then get back to work.
9. Take a break. A 20-minute break to go make a cup of tea will do wonders. Your brain simply isn’t built to work hard for hours and hours. This time can also be spent making a delectable study snack consisting of Nutella and banana slices atop a waffle.
10. Sleep. If you have a headache and nothing is going through your brain, get some sleep and wake up earlier the next day. It’s a waste of time to sit at the table and not absorb any knowledge while getting increasingly frustrated.