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Back to Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects by Deep Teaching Solutions

4.8
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90,695 ratings

About the Course

This course gives you easy access to the invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines. We’ll learn about how the brain uses two very different learning modes and how it encapsulates (“chunks”) information. We’ll also cover illusions of learning, memory techniques, dealing with procrastination, and best practices shown by research to be most effective in helping you master tough subjects. Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. If you’re already an expert, this peep under the mental hood will give you ideas for turbocharging successful learning, including counter-intuitive test-taking tips and insights that will help you make the best use of your time on homework and problem sets. If you’re struggling, you’ll see a structured treasure trove of practical techniques that walk you through what you need to do to get on track. If you’ve ever wanted to become better at anything, this course will help serve as your guide. This course can be taken independent of, concurrent with, or prior to, its companion course, Mindshift. (Learning How to Learn is more learning-focused, and Mindshift is more career-focused.) A related course by the same instructors is Uncommon Sense Teaching. To join the fully translated Portuguese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprender To join the fully translated Spanish version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprendiendo-a-aprender To join the fully translated Chinese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/ruhe-xuexi To join the fully translated French version of the course, visit : http://www.coursera.org/learn/apprendre-comment-apprendre...

Top reviews

JR

Oct 22, 2017

This Course Is awesome it gave me a new look on how my brain works and that i should actually take breaks which is probably why i get frustrated. I am Excited to Put what i have learned into practice.

GR

Sep 9, 2016

This is a course which I enjoyed. It gave a good insight of the learning methodologies which we have often heard of but not given due importance. Also, the brain facts is cool :) My 5/5 to this course

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376 - 400 of 10,000 Reviews for Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

By Elena T

May 20, 2023

This course is like a good book you wish never ends and, as soon as you finish it, you want to start reading it all over again. I rarely find something so insightful and so perfectly practical. Each video was full of 'aha!' moments, keeping me busy taking notes and going over my previous notes, thinking, reflecting, and, generally being in awe of the level of mastery of the creators of the course.

And there are the interviews (they are marked as optional). They are really priceless - the remarkable people, the skillful interviewer (Barbara Oakley), the openness of the supersuccefull people share their challenges, their defeats, and their struggles = all that makes an amazing impact.

I've been interested in becoming more efficient learner all my life, and this course did just that - made me more confident, smarter in learning and more productive. Thank you so much for this course. It is a life-changing gift. Happy learning to us all!

By Shubhangi P

Feb 11, 2020

Learning How to learna Coursera Mooc It is beginning of innovative learning process for me once again with creative insight. It is very favorable to person like me who is professional already and completed doctorate long back. The process and skills have been explained so well in this course that I was able to get connected with motivated student in me. I was very happy to practice with Pomodoro technique and I started working on it while I was studying this course. I also appreciate the spaced repetition for efficient learning. Coming from behavior science background I feel the scientific base of this course is as strong as skills aspect of it. I learnt to relax while learning as well as I experienced joy of learning. Though, you may be highly educated, as a student of this course you can always progress further. At the end I will like to thank DR. BARBARA OAKLEY & DR. TERRENCE SEJNOWSKI for launching this course on COURSERA

By Laila M B R

Sep 22, 2020

I am amazed at the improvement I had during the weeks, sometimes I used to get very distracted and have memorie problems, the first two weeks were a bit more difficult, had lack of concentration, I had trouble remembering the things I was learning, I had to readjust my deadlines and decided to rewatch week two videos, but paying more attention to my focus, reduce any distracctions I could have, work with a "mini Pomodoro" technique, starting by at lest the 10 min of each video I would fully concentrate on the video, and litle by little weeks 2-4 were so much easier, I realized how I could keep more information, I was more focused while I was studying, if I didn't get something I would go back to make sure I was understanding the idea, I was applying the tools I was learning on the days coming by, many "fun facts" about our brain, really interesting material, I highly recommend this course!

Thank you team of Learning how to learn

Laila

By Shaun P

Mar 8, 2016

Absolutely terrific course, easy to digest, and perfect for first time MOOC'ers. I was familiar with a few of the techniques and didn't realize I was already doing them. It was awesome learning some of the science behind how, and why these techniques work. This course has definitely informed me on some EXTREMELY use-full learning and studying techniques! I highly suggest getting Barbara's book as well; it is also easy to digest but intellectually stimulating. While it is not necessary during the course, it is an excellent tool for interleaving your learning by reading the book after completing the course. The optional interviews are very helpful as well, they are structure to be part informative and part review and part inspirational; the instructors clearly understand the concepts they are discussing. After altering a few of my habits, I have already experienced a big difference in my learning abilities.

Thank you Terry and Barb!

By CAROLINA A D

Apr 8, 2020

Excelente curso, muy completo, recomendado para cualquier persona no solo para estudiantes; estas técnicas y formas de manejar tus estudios son practicas en cualquier área de tu vida. Muchas gracias a las personas que permitieron que este curso sea posible, gracias por su esfuerzo y gran dedicación, a los invitados y los queridos profesores Barbara Oakley y Terrence Sejnowski por compartir sus conocimientos, y por supuesto a Coursera por estar para todos nosotros en todo momento.

Excellent course, very complete, recommended for anyone not just for students; These techniques and ways of managing your studies are practical in any area of your life. Thank you very much to the people who made this course possible, thank you for your effort and great dedication, to the guests and dear teachers Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski for sharing their knowledge, and of course to Coursera for being for all of us in everything moment.

By Sky U

Mar 20, 2020

I loved the course especially because of how short it was, and how compact the videos were. It gave me the information I could use, without being dry or boring. The additional reading material and interviews were fascinating. The biggest positive I got from this course was a change in my thinking. I used to believe that your scores on tests were determined mostly by genetic aptitude, and even if I studied smarter and harder, I wouldn't do much better. After applying what I learned in this course, I see I couldn't have been more wrong. I actually enjoy the process of working now, because it can be interesting, and doesn't involve as much of the self-hate and negative emotions that are a result of excessive procrastination. I'm excited to sit down and get stuff done! The course also encouraged me to check out other methods for increased productivity that I'd heard of, like having a system of accountability partners and kanban.

By Thomas G

Apr 14, 2020

Just completed the course. The introduced ideas and concepts seemed helpful and interesting to me. I learned a lot about why my brains doesn't like studying and how to improve my learning experience. I even got a tool (-> Pomodoro-Technique) that was of huge help for me personally to finally start developing some discipline. What I also liked about the course is that a lot of the techniques, like spaced repition, find direct practice when following the course. The course doesn't just teach you stuff about learning, it actually shows you how to learn by doing. Before the course I had lots of problems and wrong ideas about learning that were tackled by this course, like the idea that I need to be really motivated to learn, or that I often made the mistake of focusing on the outcome of my learning. Now I know that the focus should be on the process, the product then comes on its own. I'm very glad that I went through with it.

By Даниярұлы Қ

Sep 30, 2024

Probably one of the best and must-completed courses in Coursera. This course might seem at first glance "old, out-dated", but it actually isn't, even after it initial publish (10 years ago), course still get some updates such as a video about "Generative AI" and how to utilize them in your learning sessions. Is this not a fascinating? Even after 10 years, this course tries to stay-up to date. I also loved how they utilized tests and retrieval practice throughout the course and how they provided us with great insights about learning, especially something that you're not naturally inclined / good at. Overall, I would rate this course as one of the essential courses on Coursera, because on top of this course you make your foundation in further learning, especially in the other Coursera courses to make your learning much pleasant and effective. So, I hope you will enjoy this course and get new great insights about learning!

By João P M P

Oct 21, 2020

I found this course very interesting and useful. I think anybody interested in learning any kind of subject or skill, either intellectual, physical or both, will gain a lot by taking this course. I wish I had known these things when I was getting my degree in University. And I'm convinced even kids as young as 10 should be taught some of these techniques, even if some details could be skipped in that case. Another great thing about this course is the amazing delivery of Professor Barbara Oakley. She has a great way of talking that keeps one paying attention to every word. I've seen some MOOC where the person looks bored and like he/she is just reading a text without any emphasis. Professor Barbara Oakley, on the other hand, shows just the right level of excitement when teaching the material. Not looking bored and not over the top. Just perfect. Her interviews are also very interesting. Five stars, for sure.

By Andrea

May 8, 2020

This is a really great course, I am currently a student on a nursing degree, and though I am aware of some techniques to improve learning I am always happy to encounter more or to reinforce my knowledge. The course is set out very well and the way the topics are covered with videos, readings, quizzes, and interviews is very interesting and helps cement the information being discussed. A big shout out to the two teachers Barbara and Terry, they present the information in a clear and simple manner, and you can see how they are passionate about helping people to improve their learning skills. I am so glad that this course was one of the ones recommended by the team members of Class Central that I was able to discover it. I doubt that anyone at any stage of life or learning will regret the course so please do enrol and give it a try. Please enrol and enjoy the course and happy learning. Also, love the zombies :)

By Ramilo J S

Mar 25, 2024

Learning how to learn is insightful in understanding how we can effectively learn anything. The course discussed how our brain works and how we can take advantage of this knowledge to be efficient in learning, retain what we’ve learned in our long-term memory, and, most importantly, avoid the illusion of competence. It also covered strategies for overcoming procrastination. One such method is the Pomodoro Technique, where you set a timer to study undistractedly for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, and repeat. Additionally, efficiently switching between diffuse mode and focus mode while studying is invaluable information. Even our greatest scientists apply these techniques to conceive unimaginable inventions and discoveries. As someone venturing into a new field of discipline, specifically the world of data and programming, I believe that this experience will help me maximize my lifelong learning journey.

By Goce J

Jun 20, 2021

I found the course very useful, and I appreciate the way how Barbara and Terence walk us trough the course, by bringing the fresh ideas, explaining the concepts very well, reflecting on the broader picture how the science comes in on particular subject, and how it all applies to the real life examples. What was even more astonishing is how they shared the experiences, encouraged collaboration within the class roaster, those triggering development of other skills such as communication, research, ideas exchange, including the ones freshly described in the course, such as teaching the others trough reviews. We also had insights on how it works in real life, practical advises, hints and tips, do's and don't-s, when it comes to tests for example, and very detailed, inspirational and interesting, suggestions on additional materials, and further readings . Thank you for your passion and work, and keep up the good job!

By Cheuk L N

Mar 12, 2018

This a great course! If I had taken it 30 years ago, I would have a complete different life now. But it is never too late to take it even I am in my middle age. I like the course that has a lot of neuroscience research back-up so that the learning methods suggested by are more reliable. Although it is scientific research base, it does not mean that it is away from the practical purpose. In fact, the topics are very practical for any learner. And the course helps me to resolve a lot of doubts on some "myth" about learning methods. I also like the optional interview with different successful and adventurous learner in the world. The stories of the guests are very encouraging and inspiring. Their special learning methods also echo the content of the course. It strength my understanding of the concepts. I feel full of hope with positive mind and practical methods to begin my new learning journey in my new career.

By ALONSO R D C

Sep 12, 2020

I'm a Med student, currently participating in a help program for younger students, I participated in this course as part of preparation for it. It's not the first learning course I take and I must say it's one of the bests.Its a short, simple and accurate course that gives you small but incredible useful tips and information to perform better at actually whatever you are trying to learn. It focuses on the way our brains work and gain knowledge, whether its artistic, scientific or even muscular (dancing, gym, etc), so whatever you may be facing this course will probably be useful to you.The course is short, does not demand tremendous amounts of time and the teachers and videos are of excellent quality and content, also very charming and kindI must rate this course of a 10/10 completely recommendAny age, specially school students and college students, but hey! we never stop learning so feel welcome to take it

By Tatyana N

Nov 9, 2019

Great course for everyone, even if you are not interested in learning. It will equip you with many techniques that you also can apply in your job or life. In the course, you can face several rather complex concepts, which initially seem difficult to understand. But the way Dr. Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski present the material makes them much easier to understand. They use good picture analogies and metaphors to explain the material. I'm not a native English speaker but I took this course and passed all tests successfully. It made me believe that I can do much more about learning, helped me not to give up when I was about to drop out of my English classes. I've learned that when you struggle with a new concept, you just need to approach it from a new angle to make understanding smoother. And it's very important to let your brain have a rest from time to time. Thanks for teaching me how to learn.

By Iryna S

Mar 18, 2018

The course have given me a great motivation and a lot good ideas, approaches to self-improvement and good news about my brain. For instance, doesn't matter your age or a talent to the current science, you can try to do something new and get success, if you learn effectively. The teachers Dr. Barbara Oakley and Dr. Thierry Sajnowsky based all them conclusions on them own experience and practices, so if they told regular exercises help to learn effective, I believe. Maybe that only one advice I haven't tried yet - it's a running, according to the extremely snowing weather in Kiev now... But I will do it with understanding of helpfulness for learning, switching mind mode and solving a difficult problem. If you finish the course, maybe you won't become a professor, but you get a keys for the progress in learning, planning working tasks, overcoming procrastination etc. So learn or don't, isn't a question now.

By Marita B

Jul 4, 2022

This was undoubtedly the best taught course that I have done so far with Coursera. I believe that I have gained much understanding and insights into how to learn smarter and more deeply. This course has shed much light on how the mind works, and how to harness that knowledge in learning, in creating attitudes, beliefs and perceptions that are beneficial. It was shown how to apply that knowledge to habit forming. Along the wsy I gained tools and approaches that can be applied accross a wide range of disciplines. The lecturer Barbara Oakley captured my attention and my imagination. The video lectures were carefully crafted to communicated ideas in a simple way, yet they were wide in scope,and had great depth. I am now better equiped to continue on my journey of life long learning using the knowledge gained from this course. Better learning leads to better solutions, so this course is worth investing in.

By Piotr G

Feb 28, 2022

It's not the first course on learning that I've taken. I thought the course will be just a repetition of the previous courses I took on the topic of learning. On the contrary: not only the course helped me to structure things I already knew, but also I was positively surprised with the amount of new knowledge! The concepts are presented in an interesing way, with many examples and analogies to illustrate them. There are plenty of tips that can significantly improve the process of learning with moderate level of up-front effort. I like how the course is structured, with multiple quizes in each section. There are also plenty of references to scientific papers included in each part for further research. I really enjoyed going through the course and I'll not hesitate to revisit the material after some time in order to reinforce my understanding and ensure that the knowledge stays in the long term memory.

By Abdul B

Apr 24, 2020

LHL is my one of all time favorite MOOC. It helped me rethink my entire understanding of learning and equipped me with powerful mental tools (in all earnestness) that made my learning more conscious. To mention an example: I had the habit of writing down everything when I started learning something new. I will keep on writing down points to the extent that I feel I am comfortable with the subject in a short span. But I have wondered at a later point of time for myself unable to recall the subject/ topic. Only after taking the course, I learnt about being falsely confident about things when we are obsessed with writing.

Likewise, I could mention several personal benefits I received through the course. Another point worth mentioning is the weekly email from the team. It has useful recommendations of books and websites related to personal development.

Thank you team for bringing out this wonderful course.

By Gustavo M

Feb 2, 2016

Great course! Really helped me organize my thoughts and reduce most of the stress that I am going through in my life. It touched many interesting topics that I have learned to enjoy learning during high school and college, and it definitely touched them in a creative and quiet striking way. Many thanks to the professors, Mrs. Oakley and Mr. Sinowski (forgive me if I misspelled your names, but spontaneity brought me here and I can't go double check them! I'm sure you understand! :)), to the students that have shared ideas and contributed to some of mine own. I wish we used technology to build groups and share even more. I hope each and every one has enjoyed and learned as much as I did! Thanks to the University of California, San Diego, for such great content and beautiful package! Thanks to Coursera for providing such interesting topic and allowing me and people from all over the world to enjoy it!

By Alexandra B

Apr 29, 2018

This simple methodology can be transposed to any learning or problem-solving challenge. It not only gives you a structure but also helps you understand how learning and the brain work and how to make them more effective.

Pr Oakley is down to earth and explains very well. The course is well structured and she uses a lot of the techniques she preaches such as analogies, story telling but also testing and recall. Dr. Terrence Sejnowski helps us grasps how the brain and learning work. This course gives technics that can be applied to life for learning and problem solving. It will prove useful to anyone: teenager to senior - it will help you be more efficient in tackling challenges.

The optional interviews are very interesting and you meet a bunch of individuals, masters in their fields thanks to their own version of these techniques. It helps connect the class to different areas and ripens your horizons

By Francoise F

Mar 22, 2016

Astonishing and inspiring Barbara! If only all teachers were like you! And some insightful speakers too. I have not stopped talking about this course lately and I am encouraging all and sundry to take it. As a "middle aged" person I feel now like a 3 to 11 years old: eager and stimulated. This course has unearthed some new learning methods and also consolidated my numerous intuitions as regards to learning and my own potential. I am ready now to take on seriously all the challenges that I have been procrastinating on for ages such as Maths (aaargh), learning another language, coding and much more for the rest of my life. Come on I dare challenging you that you will most certainly find out quite a few things you thought you knew not and many more that you had absolutely no clue about. What a great course in its positive approach to your own hidden abilities and multiple facets to learning. Enjoy!

By Muhammed S T K

May 23, 2021

This was one of the most rewarding courses I have taken. It's also very conveniently the most time-effective one because it teaches you a broad variety of tips and "cheats" for hacking into your own mind and making yourself feel and BE more productive.

In barely 4 weeks, and without any technical language (even the optional course book is written as if it were a friend talking to you!!) I've learned how to beat one of my biggest problems -procrastination , how to become more productive in the way I study (learn more in less time) , how to memorize things strongly and when to use long/short term memory and how to improve them, how we sometimes unconsciously block out correct answers while taking tests, in which order it is best to answer questions on tests and why focus on things in a broader context rather than seeing only the small picture (forest vs tree analogy) amongst many, many other things.

By Adrian

Jan 18, 2017

Professor Oakley and Professor Sejnowski, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your deep and well put together lectures as well as the many interviews with professionals. Although I was not able to push forward with the written assignments , this course gave me the inspiration I needed to challenge myself and has inspired me to look at things in a renewed prospective. I have always dreamed about going into academia, but felt that I was burdened with many learning disabilities. Such as never being able to take tests or reading to slow or not being able to write well, and even being diagnosed late in life with dyslexia. I hope and intend to use what I learned in this course to fight off the demons that have prevented me from finding my passion. I feelthat though the lectures and interviews that I can break the shackles that have limited me from doing what I never thought possible.

By Tina B

May 22, 2021

Firstly, I would like to thank the creator of this course. This course has really given me the solution to all my questions that I use to ask myself all the time. Which was "How can I overcome the fear of exams and deal with the exam stress?" And guess what at the end of this course there is one final test in which the questions are totally related to the whole thing that you have learnt in it. At the beginning of this course, I was stressed that will I be able to clear that final test? Will I be able to remember four weeks session? But after completing the course I was rather excited and feeling positive towards the exam and didn't feel any stress. I scored 92.06% in the final test in first attempt. Which I believe is very good achievement from my perspective.

Thank you so much I am definitely going to apply all the tips that I have learnt in this course in all my exams from now onwards.