How much time to allocate for learning something new and how much for practicing what is already learnt?
Not surprisingly, the answer to this question depends on the student. Some need more time to learn and less time to practice and for some, more time is needed for both, and some others are quick learners. All possibilities exist with varying allocations for these activities.
If we look at the cognitive theories of learning, we can approximately model the above two activities in the following way.
ï‚· New Learning happens by creating new connections in our neuron network.
ï‚· Practice helps strengthen these new connections and make them permanent.
The following are my inferences.
Quick learners already have a wide network of relevant connections, they only need to make a few new connections to connect the existing, functioning networks. This means they had already learnt a lot of things which were never part of their past syllabus.
Slow learners have to create new small networks and then connect them to get new understanding. Since they took more time learning, they are generally asked to study only those things that are there in syllabus which means they are not going to grow any new networks that are useful for future. So, they continue their life as slow learners
New learning secretes certain chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain as a byproduct of making new connections, hence it is chemically rewarding. Practice doesn't generate these chemicals, so it is boring. However, since practice is needed to commit things to the long-term memory, we need to cultivate the habit of practicing without rewards in children. This part is hard for rich kids but easily doable for middle-class children.
However, practice cannot substitute new learning and practice cannot strengthen your brain's ability to make new connections easily. A dumb student remains a dumb student even after a lot of practice. He may clear some exams, make people happy but he will lose in the long-term.
Solving harder problems has a double advantage and one disadvantage. It helps to strengthen the existing connections and at the same time create new connections. Every hard problem gives new learning. It is like hitting two birds with one stone (cruel analogy but I didn't get anything else). However, the disadvantage is that problem may be too hard and hence student may get demotivated. Students have to be given slightly harder problems than what they can easily solve to achieve good results.
Also educating the students about solving hard problems helps keep the motivation alive.
These are some of the models that I use to form my theories about what is the best course of action in a given situation. I do change my models when I get new data or read about new discoveries.
I hope this model can help everyone make their own decisions. So wrote it down in simple words.
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