Cognitive Science: Seven Principles for Better Studying

Studying Cognitive Science

There was a question standing before the science for a long time: how is it better to study, to consume more information and use received knowledge?

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Results reached by scientists are quite satisfying, but not outstanding yet. There is no any revolution in this field yet.

One of Harvard University scientists stated cognitive learning principles to look like next:

  • Having a strong scientific background: these principles are based on a big amount of information, not on a couple researches;
  • Not depending on the field of learning: those are about facts of human brain’s work, so it does not matter if you study Spanish or math;
  • Presenting unobvious solutions: taking into account these principles being new, other methods of learning and studying are required to be developed;
  • Bringing losses if one does not use them: there is a huge gap between using cognitive learning principles and not using them. Those are not just theories, they can be used here and now.

It is worth to say, that some of these principles are quite controversial, Still, they can exist just in order for students and professors to provide some discussions about them.

Factual Knowledges Come Before Skills

Harvard scientist thinks Einstein was wrong: knowledge is more important than imagination, because of being a clay one can shape into any idea or fantasy. There exist researches showing how important knowledge is: it influences on how students learn. Without a huge amount of information, most of Einstein’s insights would be impossible.

Careful researches show that a solid knowledge base influences the speed of learning positively, allowing to understand and remember more. This fact is hard to argue it, as many outstanding people consumed tons of books. The question is, if their cognitive skills developed along with the reading, or not.

Scientists from Harvard state that you can’t teach a person HOW to think correctly without giving them a certain amount of WHAT to think.

Memory is a Remain of Thoughts

You remember things you think about. Despite there is the first principle, it won’t be enough just to receive big amounts of information. Plus to this, underlining the keywords or phrases does not work as you do not concentrate on a sensual deep of a text, and notice only words that are underlined.

There is a technique, stating that while reading, a person should take short breaks and resume the material he or she had just read. This approach wants people to pay attention to a sense which lies as a basis, and this is exactly what a person needs in order to learn.

The same problem comes with metaphors and analogies: if they are created to demonstrate any surface sense without getting deeper into details, then there is no much meaning in them as well.

People Consume Knowledge in Context of What They Already Know

Abstract subjects like math, physics, finance or law seem to be the most complicated to learn them. The reason is that, students study things in context of what they already know, and abstract subjects are difficult to imagine them.

Sometimes, it seems to a person that he or she understood something, but in fact, that is not so. Without understanding the point of any abstract thing, one can’t state that. Clever students know their weaknesses, that is why they build assistance tips (graphs, diagrams) in order to get straight to the point.

Professionalism Requires Practice

The only way to become an expert in something is practice. But here is a wonderful thing: some basic skills require more efforts than complicated ones.

It is important to practice even the simplest things, no matter if you are a pro or not.

Cognition is Principally Different at the beginning and at the End of Studying

Should you study science, claim hypotheses, hold experiments as real scientists do? Professors answer negatively.

Knowledge about how to create something and knowledge about gaining knowledge are two completely different things. For the most part of scientific disciplines, the understanding of scientific facts in more important than scientific process itself. Facts stand closer to our everyday life.

Student Exam Learning

People Study in a Practically Similar Way

Harvard professors state studying styles to be absurd. They thing there are no audial, visual and kinesthetic students. They say as well, that this works about other learning theories.

If you give two people (audial and visual) the same info, expressed through a sound and a picture, then results will show that they remembered and consumed an equal amount of information.

This is a very controversial statement, so treat it with caution. You probably know how it is better for you to learn new info.

Intelligence Can Be Improved Through Constant Hard Work

A single person’s intelligence is partly dependent on genes and partly – on experience and hard work. According to cognitive science, a human can become smarter if they constantly improve their intellectual abilities. This is probably the only principle that totally correlates with modern thoughts about intelligence.

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