Learning Hacks

Image source: Hacklearning.org
Neo announces that he knows Kung Fu.

Entrepreneurs need to be quick situational learners. ("imagination retrieves scene from The Matrix where Neo suddenly knows Kung Fu." Or you could view the image at left). This page offers 10 "learning hacks" from edX learners with some commentary from me.

edX Learning Hacks

We Asked, You Answered: The Top 10 Learning Hacks from edX Learners, blog.edx.org. 7/11/19. In short, here they are:

  1. bite-sized learning
  2. seek out relevant content
  3. discuss with other people
  4. simplify and teach
  5. regularity and repetition
  6. find the right time
  7. ask for help
  8. real world practice
  9. don't shy away from mistakes
  10. take notes

Commentary!

Students: Based on my experiences, students don't discuss what they learn with other students (or other people)(3), don't schedule regular sessions to engage with their learning topics (5), find the right time (6), ask for help (7), "do" shy away from mistakes (9), and maybe "do" take notes, but not the right ones or in the right way (10). College students are or have been made to be extremely mistake averse (note I didn't say "risk averse") because their performance in virtually all academic contexts has been elevated to "high stakes," with the understanding that failure is not an option. [By the way, it should come as NO SURPRISE that students will cheat on assignments that are high-stakes (big impact on course grade) with information from previous years' assignments "readily" available (think Greek organization file cabinets).

Instructors: Tend not to deliver their topics in bite-sized learning segments (1), don't always couch their topics in accessible, relevant content (2), promote opportunities for students to discuss with each other (3), simplify (4), and relate to real world practice (8). Hey instructors, if you can't offer relevant content and examples with your topic, this might be a sign that you don't understand your topic very well. And instructors shouldn't be surprised that their students don't understand the topic very well if they haven't encouraged students to discuss it in class. Teach them the topic (or parts of it) in 5 to 7-minute overviews, give them in-class team projects that draw from real world situations to let them "play" with the topic, and then ask them to report to the rest of the class (in a no- or low-pressure scoring environment).

So instructors need to take responsibility for assisting on points 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8, and to assist students on learning skills and the discipline to improve on points 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10.

I did something similar to this when I started teaching new venture finance. Terms like "pre-money," "post-money," "VC quick method," and convertible debt are not topics you can throw in a slide deck and expect mastery from students. But I relied on small student-led teams throughout the semester and "case on a page" exercises that allowed them to explore the topics and work through the math, logic, or whatever. These students consistently demonstrate that they understand valuation methods and can produce some impressive cap tables!