ULTRA LEARNING

ULTRA-LEARNING  by Scott Young
 
I was so right and so drawn to this book summary on Blinkist.  Then listened to the entire unabridged version ,  with an intro by James Clear , author of Atomic Habits !

Meta-learning ! Focus ! Direction !
Learning the entire MIT syllabus on one’s own . Learning a language in three months while visiting a country , abstaining from English completely and by choice .  Pushing the envelope.  Studying trivia  with a passion to take part (and win) in Jeopardy .  Discipline to go from shyness to acclaimed public speak in 6-8 months.  (  “Metaspeaking” )   Self taught video gamers , polyglots , coders  …. Gruelling routines by choice.   Perfecting the art of writing , essays upon essays . 

In theory , there is no difference between theory and practice.  In practice , there is.
Deep Learning = Deep Purpose , unlike “Dabbling” which is a bit of fun !

ULTRA-LEARNING  =  THE STRATEGIC ACQUISITION OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT IS BOTH SELF DIRECTED AND INTENSE .
Anyone can decide to become an ultra learner,  and some actually succeed , with effort !

There are 9 main principles of Ultra Learning
1. Meta-learning – Draw a map
2.Focus – Sharpen the saw
3.Directness – Go straight ahead
4.Drill – Attack the weakest point
5.Retrieval – Test to learn
6.Feedback – Don’t dodge the punches
7.Retention – Don’t fill a leaky bucket
8.Intuition – Understand deeply
9.Experimentation – Explore outside your comfort zone
 
Meta learning – Draw a map
“Meta” means “Beyond” .  This is “Beyond” learning.  It involves a “Map” and Planning. 
Ask yourself Why ? (Personal liking ? Career ? )  What ? ( Concepts , Facts , Procedures )  How ?  ( Benchmarking  or  Emphasize vs Exclude ) 
Research is important and should constitute about 10% of the course time , consult with experts who have been there , reassess .  You sometimes reach a point of diminishing values if you overdo the research phase.
 
Focus – Sharpen the saw
Procrastination
Distraction – Flow when necessary ,   Silence vs Noise as it suits the topic ,   Environment
Focus is directly proportionate to your state of arousal and task complexity.
Failing to create the right kind of focus yields poor results.
 
Directness – Go straight ahead
Learn by doing even if you have to create an artificial environment to do so.  “Transfer” is the dirty little secret of modern day education .  Example of the graduate architect with no job for two years, until he worked in Kinkos , printing , grew in confidence and complimentary skill set.  Depth of knowledge makes transfer easier.
Direct Learning -  Hard ! Challenging ! Much more effective !
Indirect Learning – Lectures , reading taking notes
Project based learning  - Really walking the talk
Immersive learning ( go live in the country whose language you want to learn and immerse yourself )
Flight Simulator method – e.g. Pilots , surgeons practice is imperative
Overkill approach – Learning more than is required.
 
Drill – Attack the weakest point
Take care of the bars and the piece will take care of itself ! – e.g. Ben Franklin and his writing. Prerequisite Drilling , Time slicing , Cognitive component , Mindful drilling , “Deliberate Difficulty” Attack what is most difficult . Learn aggressively.
 
Retrieval – Test to learn
Better always to dig deep , wait and recollect , rather than refer to answers.
Free recall , Framing questions , Obsessive intensity , retrieval practice
 
Feedback – Don’t dodge the punches
Types of feedback -  outcome feedback ( e.g. a grade at school )  self directed feedback , corrective feedback – the best , as delivered by a trusted coach or mentor , Immediate feedback – too much can be diverse and  sometimes contrary.   Invite feedback and be courageous with it. 
 
Retention  
Don’t fill a leaky bucket , repair it first !   Let perfection not sabotage your good enough !  Learn the difference between “knowing how” and “knowing that” .  Examples and Analysis ,  Project based learning , Attaching emotions , pictures , graphics to the process.
 
Intuition – Understand deeply
Intuition is less magical and more of a large volume and variety of experiences , e.g. Fineman and Physics , The Fineman technique .  “ Don’t fool yourself as you are the easiest person to fool”
 
Experimentation – Explore outside your comfort zone
The life and success of Van Gogh  , constant misfit in the conventional world and least likely to succeed.  Started painting at age 26.  Shot and died at age 37. Mania . Hospitalization . Asylums . Unstable.
Experiment with resources , Experiment with Styles .  Copy cat only at the start.  Cast your nets wide.  Mindset is so important .  Fixed or growth .   As you think , so it is .   Ask questions constantly . 
 
Meta learning must occur before the process of Ultra Learning begins !  The importance of the “Planning” stage.    Asking all the right and relevant questions about the subject / project relating to each of the nine points.   Then GO !!
Classic example – The Polgar sisters who aced chess to the Grand Master level .  Similar to King Richard , the movie about the Wiliams sisters and Tennis.   Moulding children with a single minded purpose .  It is possible.