Controlling the Loop of Learning

Christian Bernard T. Ramos

Learning How to Learn

University of California, San Diego

Overview

• The presentation will tackle on how you can take control of your learning habits

• Provide learning exercises that will aid your learning process• Discuss the diffuse and focused mode of thinking and when to use

them• Illustration of the habit loop to identify how you can relate and

modify it to suit your learning• Benefits of guilt free sleeping and napping at work• Defeat the inner procrastinator inside of us

How the project will be used in my life.

• This project will serve as my reminder on how I can learn more effectively as a student

• I will share this presentation on those I observe who are not effectively learning

• Make this presentation available online to share to those interested and showcase what I deemed relevant in this course.

• As a member of an organization I will teach the youths the how learn about learning.

Topics that this project will address

• The habit cycle

• The two modes of learning-diffuse and focused mode

• Effective sleeping

• Defeating procrastination

Two Modes of Thinking

• Diffuse mode- creates new neural connections often needed to be able to solve difficult/new problems. Looking at things broadly from a different perspective

• Focused mode-concentrating intently on things you need to understand. Looking at things closely and focus.

Attention

• To understand the two modes of thinking we need to understand attention.

• “the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one of what seems several possible objects”( James 1890)

• Like a Flash Light Selective Attention involves focus on a small spatial region

Attention

• While diffuse attention’s focus is on a broad spatial region, also known at “lantern attention”

• Selective attention is like focused mode, meanwhile diffuse attention is the diffuse mode

» these two modes can only work one at a time; mastering the modes will allow you tap your creative side and the analytic side of your brain.

Switching Attention

• Salvador Dali and Thomas Edison; both famous in their respective fields. Created creative ways to switch attention from focus to diffuse mode by placing objects(keys/ball) in their hands when they fall asleep or in a deep state of relaxation.

Dropping the object would wake themand thus writing the information in diffuse state.

Learning Strategies

• Alternate focused thinking with diffuse thinking; when you get "stuck“, process information's by switching modes.

• Eat your frogs First-start with the hard problems so that parts of brain can make connections and process information's in other ways.

• Switching Attentions by: Relaxation, nap/sleep, exercise or shift gaze.

Sleeping in the Philippines

• The Philippines is home of the most Business Process Outsourcing; this requires the call center agents to sleep during the day and work at night.

• Though our culture is known to have “sietas”• Siestas has been associated to the

reduction of coronary mortality because of less cardio vascular stress brought by daytime sleep.

Sleeping and Napping Studies

• It was reported that a nap of at least ten minutes has been able to show improvement cognitive function and reduce sleepiness and fatigue.

• Studies show that pilots given a nap of 30 minutes on long flights, displayed a 16% improvement in their reaction time. Meanwhile the Pilots who was not given a nap time saw a 34% decrease over the course of the flight.

Learning through Sleeping

• Sleeping can wash out the brains toxic metabolic byproducts. Sleeping causes the brain cells to shrink allowing to release the metabolic toxins “poison”.

• Sleep is critical in thinking and learning, it impairs concentration, attention and reasoning making it difficult to learn.

Sleeping and Memory

• Cleans up ideas and concepts in learning, by erasing irrelevant parts.

• During sleep brain rehearses neural pattern you try to learn

• Sleep allows you to comprehend problems you have difficulties in learning; putting

neural solution to learning task.• Dreaming of what you study can enhance the

ability to understand by creating chunks.

Sleep Deprivation

• Heart failure

• Irregular heartbeat

• High blood pressure

• Stroke

• Diabetes

• Depression

• Dying Earlier

Sleep Deprivation

Overcoming Procrastination

• Procrastination is putting of, delaying or postponing something that is of priority.

• Finding distractions now a days are very easy to find with the advance technology

• Pleasure brought by distraction is only temporary, the uneasy feeling really goes

away once the task has started.

3 types of procrastinators based on their reasons:

The avoiders – the individuals who are very concerned with what others think about them and who have a strong fear of failure or success. Essentially, they do not want to be judged harshly and instead of having their abilities criticized, they prefer others blaming them for their lack of effort

The thrill-seekers – even though it may seem a bit far-fetched, some people prefer doing things at the last minute due to an euphoric rush sensation

The decisional procrastinators – the individuals who cannot makedecisions and who believe that they are not taking any responsibility, since they did not select one way or the other

Stages of Procrastination

Pomodoro Technique• work in small bursts.

• Pomodoro Technique- Is used to defeat procrastination. You just need to set a timer for 25 minutes and work for that whole duration without any distractions, and when it goes off, take a short break for 5 minutes. Reward yourself with a phone call, video online or open your social network. Once you have done four Pomodoro sessions, reward yourself with something longer and repeat as necessary.

The Pomodoro Technique

Habits and its Loop

• Habits-as defined is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and occurs unconsciously. A fixed way of thinking, willing or feeling acquired through previous repetition of mental experience.

• Just as our Zombie mode, habits tend to occur mindlessly going about things without focusing

our attention. Habits occur in our diffuse mode of thinking, it does not require much concentration for we just act upon it.

The Habit Loop

• The Habit loop- is a neurological loop at the core of our every habit. The loop consist of three components; Cue, Routine and the Reward.

• Cue-The trigger or signal to prompt another event

• Routine- sequence of actions regularly followed

• Reward-a token for an achievement

The Habit Loop

Procrastination

The battle of defeating the procrastinator in each of us may be overcome by building a habit. For me my cue is the Coursera courses; I do my best to get it out of the way by starting the exercises with my new technique the Pomodoro. Each time I am able to accomplish 25 minutes or so of working. I always reward myself with down time.

Diffuse mode Loop habit

The illustration on the left shows that a habit can be formed to take advantage of the diffuse mode of thinking. A time of mental blocks, you can exercise what Thomas Edison did, sleep and recite the problems you have encountered. This routine can bring rewards such as the answers in difficult problems

Sleeping

To improve memory and simply avoid dying earlier. Make it a habit that you get enough sleep, have a set time for sleep and waking up to get enough rest. Alarms will serve great help. Enough sleep can also help your memory in remembering things and overall have a good health are its rewards.

Charles Duhigg

• Author of the Power of Habit, and further developed the habit loop.

• Research shows that much brain activity was displayed the first time you do an act; but once you get used to it, it just instantly occur mindlessly.

• I can make the connection of habits with the zombie mode of thinking. Being able to control our habits will allow us to learn more effectively.

Citations

• http://tdlc.ucsd.edu/educators/educators_webinar_oakley_031213.html

• http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss?page=3

• http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/