"Explanation Effect: Why You Should Always Teach What You Learn"

"Explanation Effect: Why You Should Always Teach What You Learn"

It is peculiar irony in life that the fastest and best way to learn something is to give it to others as soon as you learn it — not to hog it yourself. Knowledge wants to be free. To rest in other people’s minds. To connect to other knowledge. It’s an innately social organism. Learning is NOT just about taking in information.

In my experience coaching hundreds of people on learning how to learn, almost no one has a system for processing information. Starting A Daily Learning Journal Will Change Your Life. In a Harvard study, “employees who spent the last 15 minutes of each day of their training period writing and reflecting on what they had learned did 23% better in the final training test than other employees.” Amazingly, those 15 minutes are only 1/33 of the total time but drive 20% of the learning gain.

"The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories"

“A basic assumption that we can make is that everybody forgets everything all the time,” said Norman Brown, cognitive psychology professor researching autobiographical memory at the University of Alberta. “The default is forgetting.” (note: The default is forgetting.) Your brain has at least three interrelated phases for memory: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of information.

When we encounter new information, our brains encode it with changes in neurons in the hippocampus, an important memory center, as well as other areas, such as the amygdala for emotional memories. These neurons embody a physical memory trace, known as an engram. Much of this information is lost unless it is stored during memory consolidation, which often happens during sleep, making the memories more stable and long-term.

One theory is that the hippocampus stores an index of where these cortical memory neurons are for retrieval — like Google search. During memory retrieval, the memory trace neurons in the hippocampus and cortex are reactivated. Our memories are centered on our life stories and what affected us personally the most. Even for such salient emotional events and salient life-threatening events, the more you have of it, the more you will have trouble capturing all of them.

New memories, which happen by simply living more life, interfere with memories of older events. New events are more salient and easier to remember because we are more likely to talk about them and “rehearse” them, by repeatedly remembering and reconsolidating them. When events are uniform, they are harder to recall. “The memory sort of puts it together as almost one event,” she said. “So therefore, I think we will have quite unclear memories from those specific years.”

As a society, many people don’t want to hold onto their COVID memories. People tend to view the future more positively than the past. This future-oriented positivity bias occurs because the future can be imagined in many ways compared to the past, which is fixed. Remembering the past is something we do in the present, with all our current emotions, knowledge, and attitudes. This reality may have direct implications for how we look back on COVID and contend with the future.

In order to really kind of staple one’s autobiographical memories into history, history has to take your life and turn it on its head. While parents pass along their knowledge and family history to offspring, these communicative memories only last for two or three generations. Without cultural artifacts — books, movies, statues, museums — the same may happen for memories of the COVID pandemic, consigned to the entropic dustbin of history.

Combining these two articles, we see a fascinating connection between the explanation effect and the science of forgetting. It turns out that teaching what you learn not only benefits others but also enhances your own learning experience. By explaining concepts to others, you solidify your knowledge and create stronger memory traces in your brain. This aligns with the idea that memory consolidation is essential for retaining information in the long term.

Additionally, the science of forgetting sheds light on why we may already be losing our pandemic memories. Our brains have a natural tendency to forget, and the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval processes play a crucial role in memory formation. The more we experience and learn, the more difficult it becomes to remember specific events, especially when they lack distinctiveness.

To counteract this forgetting and ensure that our memories of significant events like the pandemic are preserved, it is essential to take proactive steps. Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Practice the Explanation Effect: Whenever you learn something new, make it a habit to teach or explain it to someone else. This not only helps solidify your understanding but also ensures that the knowledge is shared and preserved.

2. Keep a Daily Learning Journal: Set aside a few minutes each day to reflect on what you have learned. Write down key insights, connections, and personal experiences related to the information. This reflective process enhances memory consolidation and reinforces your learning.

3. Document Your Pandemic Experience: Take the time to record your personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions during the pandemic. Whether through journaling, creating art, or capturing photographs, these artifacts serve as cultural reminders and can help preserve the collective memory of this challenging time.

In conclusion, the explanation effect highlights the power of teaching what we learn, not only for the benefit of others but also for our own learning and memory retention. However, the science of forgetting reminds us that memories are fragile and easily lost without deliberate efforts to consolidate and preserve them. By incorporating actionable advice, such as practicing the explanation effect, keeping a daily learning journal, and documenting our pandemic experiences, we can actively work against forgetting and ensure that our memories endure for future generations.