Understanding Brain Learning and Memory

How the Brain Learns and Stores Information

• When you're introduced to a new concept, the memory is temporarily encoded in the hippocampus, a brain area.
• As you continue to learn and reactivate the same neurons, the connections between cells strengthen, stabilizing the memory.
• The knowledge is gradually stored long-term in the neocortex, another brain area.
• The transfer of information from short-term to long-term storage is not completely understood, but it's thought to happen during sleep and in between study sessions.
• During sleep, new knowledge is integrated with other related concepts you already know.

First Study Technique: Testing Yourself

• Testing yourself with flashcards and quizzes forces you to actively retrieve knowledge, which updates and strengthens the memory.
• This method allows you to accurately gauge what you actually know, unlike rereading textbooks and highlighting notes, which can generate a false sense of competence.
• Making mistakes while testing yourself can improve learning in the long term, as it activates relevant pieces of knowledge and helps integrate new information with what you already know.

Second Study Technique: Interleaving

• Interleaving, or mixing the concepts you focus on in a single session, can lead to better retention than practicing a single skill or topic at a time.
• This method forces your brain to temporarily forget, then retrieve information, further strengthening the memory.
• Interleaving can help you find connections across topics and better understand their differences.

Third Study Technique: Spacing Review

• Spacing your review across multiple days allows for rest and sleep between sessions, during which the brain is actively at work, storing and integrating knowledge in the neocortex.
• This method helps information stick around for the long term, unlike cramming the night before an exam, which may not lead to long-term retention.
• The brain continues to sort through and store information during rest and sleep, making spaced review more effective.

How the Brain Learns and Stores Information

• The hippocampus temporarily encodes new information in the brain.
• Strengthening neural connections through repeated learning and reactivation stabilizes memories.
• Long-term storage of knowledge occurs in the neocortex, another brain area.
• The transfer of information from short-term to long-term storage occurs during sleep and in between study sessions.
• Sleep integrates new knowledge with existing related concepts.

First Study Technique: Testing Yourself

• Testing yourself with flashcards and quizzes actively retrieves knowledge, updating and strengthening memories.
• This method accurately gauges knowledge, unlike rereading textbooks and highlighting notes.
• Making mistakes during testing improves long-term learning by activating relevant knowledge and integrating new information.

Second Study Technique: Interleaving

• Interleaving, or mixing concepts, leads to better retention than focusing on a single skill or topic.
• This method forces temporary forgetting, then retrieval, strengthening memories.
• Interleaving helps find connections across topics and understand their differences.

Third Study Technique: Spacing Review

• Spacing review across multiple days allows for rest and sleep, during which the brain stores and integrates knowledge in the neocortex.
• This method leads to long-term retention, unlike cramming, which may not lead to long-term retention.
• The brain continues to sort and store information during rest and sleep, making spaced review more effective.

How the Brain Learns and Stores Information

• The hippocampus temporarily encodes new information in the brain.
• Strengthening neural connections through repeated learning and reactivation stabilizes memories.
• Long-term storage of knowledge occurs in the neocortex, another brain area.
• The transfer of information from short-term to long-term storage occurs during sleep and in between study sessions.
• Sleep integrates new knowledge with existing related concepts.

First Study Technique: Testing Yourself

• Testing yourself with flashcards and quizzes actively retrieves knowledge, updating and strengthening memories.
• This method accurately gauges knowledge, unlike rereading textbooks and highlighting notes.
• Making mistakes during testing improves long-term learning by activating relevant knowledge and integrating new information.

Second Study Technique: Interleaving

• Interleaving, or mixing concepts, leads to better retention than focusing on a single skill or topic.
• This method forces temporary forgetting, then retrieval, strengthening memories.
• Interleaving helps find connections across topics and understand their differences.

Third Study Technique: Spacing Review

• Spacing review across multiple days allows for rest and sleep, during which the brain stores and integrates knowledge in the neocortex.
• This method leads to long-term retention, unlike cramming, which may not lead to long-term retention.
• The brain continues to sort and store information during rest and sleep, making spaced review more effective.