Learn Any Subject with MentalGym

A subject usually consists of concepts, facts, theories, methodologies, etc.

Concepts are terms used to identify something.

Facts are numbers, colors, or specific attributes.

Theories are groups of relationships among different concepts and other theories, explaining how they work together.

Methodologies are the approaches people use to develop theories, concepts, or ways to observe things.

To learn a specific subject is all about building a knowledge tree or adding a new branch to your existing knowledge tree.

What is a knowledge tree?

A knowledge tree is how concepts and theories connect in your brain, in the form of neural connections and neural pathways. Imagine that, on a knowledge tree, a fact normally represents a leaf, which is a collection of neural connections, and a theory can be thought of as a branch or trunk of the tree, consisting of a greater number of neural connections and pathways. To learn a subject, your job is to create and connect all these neural connections and pathways to form a knowledge tree.

What happens when you practice?

For example, when you practice using a flashcard, one side of the flashcard might read, "What is an invertebrate?" and the other side might contain the concept of an invertebrate. Your brain performs a memory retrieval operation. This retrieval operation is crucial as it helps build neural connections and pathways in your brain. This pathway could store new information or connect with other pathways. However, the newly created pathway is very unstable. Researchers have found that newly created pathways will disappear within a few minutes or days. They are not permanent. However, they may not disappear if you try to make them more permanent. How? There are several ways to make these pathways more durable:

Content of the Question

A durable pathway has a lot to do with the content of the question. Imagine that a newly created leaf is connected with an existing branch; it is more likely to be remembered longer. A leaf not connected with any branches is more likely to be forgotten quickly. Therefore, the content of your questions should relate to something you already know. A good question should slightly expand your existing knowledge, and the questions within the same practice should be related to each other.

Within a practice session, there should be some easier questions that help you build the foundation of knowledge. Complex questions are beneficial but should be supported by easier, more straightforward questions to build the knowledge base first. A good practice should contain both easy and hard questions. One piece of advice is to break down a long text, isolate concepts and facts, and create easier, straightforward questions about them. Multiple-choice or multiple-select questions are good choices.

Depending on the subject, the material you are learning can contain complex logic and relationships among concepts. One way to learn and practice complex materials is to link concepts both 'horizontally' and 'vertically.' MentalGym provides different types of questions to allow you to practice those complex materials including mix-and-match questions, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and more.

Timing of Practice

Back to the flashcard example. You read the flashcard once, and you forget it after a few days. Let's say you are determined to remember what an invertebrate is, so you read the flashcard every day for a week. The pathway it helped build will probably last for weeks. You are happy. It seems that practicing more will make the pathway more permanent. Additionally, you may find that after just three days of practicing with that flashcard, you can remember what an invertebrate is for weeks. You wonder if you wasted time reading that flashcard every day and also wasted time remembering to read it. However, intuition isn't always reality.

Researchers have found that a little delay between practices is the most efficient way to develop long-term memory. In other words, spaced practice can make the pathway last a long time. Scientists studying memory and learning tell us that the mechanism behind spaced practice developing long-term memory is still unknown. But we can think of it as having two memory areas in our brain: one is working memory, and one is long-term memory. When new information is learned, it goes into both long-term memory and working memory. While the information is still in working memory, your practice is essentially a retrieval operation from working memory, not long-term memory, leaving long-term memory untouched and still fading away. After a while, when the information is rotated out of working memory, then the practice actually triggers the retrieval operation from long-term memory to working memory, and that is when the pathway in long-term memory gets reinforced. So, it's not about wasting time; it's about practicing in the wrong area.

The best timing to practice is when you are just about to forget. The most prevalent way to space out practices is called the Leitner Box method. While there are many variations of the Leitner Box, MentalGym has incorporated one of the most common ones. Just add your practice to the Leitner box, and MentalGym will schedule it for you automatically.

Format of the Question

Researchers have also found that the type of question affects memorization. The simplest way to practice is to re-read the material. For example, reviewing your notes can help you remember the content. However, the most effective type of question is one that requires a little more effort to retrieve the information. For example, a multiple-choice question is more effortful than reviewing notes.

For concepts and facts, flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and multiple-select questions are good choices. For theories and methodologies, flashcards work, but fill-in-the-blank questions or mix-and-match questions are the best.

Every question in MentalGym has a hint area, allowing you to paste the original text so that you see the original text one more time, regardless of whether you answered it right or wrong.

Feedback

Feedback is crucial for producing durable neural pathways. Researchers have found that both positive and negative feedback reinforce learning. With MentalGym, you can get immediate feedback. When a question is answered incorrectly, it means that you are having difficulties either with the concept itself or with memorizing the information. A wrong answer may indicate a weakness in your knowledge tree. MentalGym automatically keeps track of all your answers and highlights those weak areas so you can work on them exclusively.

Create Your Own Questions

The process of creating a self-quiz question requires you to review and sometimes re-study the subject. A more complex mix-and-match question can force you to re-draw your knowledge tree on paper, helping you reconnect concepts and theories both horizontally and vertically. This leads to a superior understanding of the subject.

Researchers have found that the 'learning-by-teaching' technique is one of the best ways to learn a subject. It can improve the teacher's learning and compel the teacher to have a better understanding of the subject from a different perspective. Therefore, creating questions for the 'student' in you is the best way to learn the subject you want to master. MentalGym is all about creating your own questions. Your own questions are tailored for you, helping to grow a full and vigorous knowledge tree.