Embark on a journey to master the art of accelerated learning with the Feynman Technique. This beginner's guide will illuminate the path to understanding complex concepts swiftly and efficiently, transforming the way you approach knowledge acquisition forever.
Feynman Technique
This 15-minute process takes 15 minutes to master and can help you absorb and comprehend complex study materials better than poring over textbooks for hours on end.
- All you need is a blank notebook and a pen or pencil
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- To get started, check out this FREE printable worksheet
Use plain, simple language
Pretend that you are teaching the concept to someone else
- Put yourself up to the challenge of explaining an example or two of the subject to make sure you can apply the concept in real life
- Don’t limit your teaching to simply stating a definition
Make sure that you are able to explain this to someone who knows nothing about the subject
Analogies are the foundation of learning from experience, and they work because they make use of your brain’s natural inclination to match patterns.
- Get to your point as succinctly as possible, and avoid confusing and verbose language.
Create simple analogies to enhance your recall of concepts
If possible, try to come up with your own analogy to help understand and explain the topic at hand.
- Using analogies when teaching forces you to meet your listeners where they are in terms of their level of understanding, and relate something they already know to the new concept you are teaching.
Benefits of the Feynman Technique
Helps you gain a complete understanding of what you’re learning
- Allows you to apply the concepts that you learn to real-world problems
- Improves your teaching skills
- Increases your capacity to use critical thinking skills about a topic
Group Study
Using the Feynman Technique without looking up your source materials is a good way to test your comprehension of a topic, and is ideal for self-testing before an exam.
- To self-test, go through all of the information that you are trying to learn without referencing your notes. See how far you can get in explaining the concepts without getting stumped
Write down everything you know about the subject in a notebook or a blank piece of paper
Choose the idea or concept you want to learn about, understand deeper, or recall during examinations
Don’t worry if you get stuck
Review the explanation that you came up with, and pinpoint the areas where you were not clear or you felt your explanation was shaky
Final Word
The Feynman Technique is a helpful learning tool that requires you to challenge your own understanding to enhance your recall of complex topics, break down the complexity of lessons into easily understood points, and provide an opportunity to really absorb learning materials and concepts.
- By constantly practicing the Feynmann Technique, you will be able to develop good learning habits that will improve the effectiveness of the time you spend hitting the books.
What Is the Feynman Technique?
If you are able to explain a complex concept in simple terms, you have a good understanding of the concept at hand.
- This learning strategy is effective for quickly learning both technical and non-technical concepts, and is summarized in four succinct steps.
Does the Feynman Technique Work for Everything?
If you are trying to memorize something, this is not the technique to use.
How to Highlight Your Gaps
Highlighting your gaps in knowledge will help you organize your notes into a cohesive narrative