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All 16 learnings · one per slide
Make It
Stick
Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel, in bytes
16 key learnings on the science of learning that lasts.
16 learnings · ~40 sec eachSwipe →
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Make It Stick, in bytes
16 key learnings from two cognitive scientists and a writer on what research shows about learning that lasts, and why common study habits fail. Each takes about 40 seconds to read. Swipe, use the arrows, or your keyboard.
Make It
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Learning 1 · Chapter 1
Learning Is Misunderstood
The idea
Many of the ways we study, like rereading and cramming, feel productive but produce weak, short-lived learning.
Why
They create a feeling of familiarity rather than durable memory.
Takeaway
How learning feels is a poor guide to how well it works.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 2 · Chapter 1
The Illusion of Fluency
The idea
Rereading makes material feel familiar, so we mistake recognition for mastery.
Example
Highlighting a textbook and feeling ready, then blanking in the exam.
Spot it
'I know this' after reading it twice.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 3 · Chapter 2
Retrieval Practice
The idea
Pulling information out of memory, through quizzes and self-testing, strengthens it far more than reviewing.
Example
Students who took practice quizzes remembered more weeks later than those who restudied.
Try this
Close the book and write down what you remember.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 4 · Chapter 2
Testing as a Learning Tool
The idea
Low-stakes tests aren't just for measuring; they're for learning.
Example
Frequent short quizzes in class improved final exam results.
Takeaway
Test often, and early.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 5 · Chapter 3
Spaced Practice
The idea
Spreading practice out over time beats massing it together.
Why
A little forgetting between sessions makes retrieval effortful, which strengthens memory.
Try this
Review material after a day, then a week, then a month.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 6 · Chapter 3
Interleaving
The idea
Mixing different types of problems in practice improves learning, even though it feels slower.
Example
Baseball players who practised against mixed pitches hit better than those who practised one type at a time.
Takeaway
Mix it up.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 7 · Chapter 3
The Bean Bag Study
The study
Children practised tossing bean bags at a bucket. Those who practised at two and four feet did better at three feet than those who only practised at three.
The lesson
Varied practice builds flexible skill.
Takeaway
Variety improves transfer.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 8 · Chapter 4
Desirable Difficulties
The idea
Some difficulties, like spacing, interleaving and generation, slow learning in the moment but make it last.
Example
Struggling to recall feels harder than rereading, but works better.
Takeaway
Embrace effortful learning.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 9 · Chapter 4
Generation
The idea
Trying to answer a question or solve a problem before being shown how improves learning.
Example
Attempting a maths problem before the lesson.
Try this
Guess the answer before you look it up.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 10 · Chapter 4
Elaboration
The idea
Explaining new material in your own words and connecting it to what you know deepens understanding.
Example
Relating a physics concept to an everyday experience.
Try this
Explain today's lesson to someone else.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 11 · Chapter 4
Reflection
The idea
Reflecting on what happened, what worked and what you'd do differently combines retrieval and elaboration.
Example
A neurosurgeon reviewing each operation afterwards.
Try this
Write a short reflection after a learning session.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 12 · Chapter 5
Avoid Illusions of Knowing
The idea
We're poor judges of what we know. Calibrate using objective tests and feedback.
Example
People who perform worst often overestimate their skill most.
Takeaway
Check yourself against reality.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 13 · Chapter 6
The Learning Styles Myth
The idea
The authors find little evidence that teaching to a preferred 'learning style' improves learning.
Better
Match teaching to the content, not the learner's preference.
Takeaway
Don't box yourself in as a 'visual learner'.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 14 · Chapter 6
Structure Building
The idea
Good learners extract key ideas and build mental models that organise information.
Example
Seeing the underlying principles in a set of problems.
Takeaway
Look for the structure beneath details.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 15 · Chapter 7
Increase Your Abilities
The idea
Intelligence isn't fixed. Effortful learning changes the brain, and a growth mindset helps people persist.
Example
Mnemonic devices like memory palaces help organise knowledge.
Takeaway
You can get better at learning.
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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Learning 16 · Chapter 8
Tips for Learners
The advice
Practise retrieval, space it out, interleave topics, try to answer before you know, reflect and calibrate.
For teachers
Explain to students how learning works, and use frequent low-stakes quizzes.
Reflect
Which habit will you change first?
Make It Stick · Brown, Roediger & McDanielbooksinbytes.in
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All 16 learnings complete
That’s all 16 learnings.
Learning that feels hard is often learning that lasts. What could you quiz yourself on today?
Abhay Kumar JaiswalFCA · PMP® · Workday Financeabhayjaiswal.com
Summaries in my own words. Read the book for the full stories.
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Summaries are written in my own words for learning. Read Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel (2014) for the full stories. More Books in Bytes