The Knowledge Pyramid

Learning is essential to our growth, both personal and professional, yet we spend little time learning how to learn. This article tries to lay out the basic principles that can help us become better learners in a way that we can easily remember. The human mind finds it easier to learn through comparison and analogies. Therefore, for this reading, let us compare the act of learning and building a pyramid. Imagine that you are a Pharaoh who is contemplating building a grand pyramid. Here is how you would go about it:

Believing that the pyramid can be built

The first step towards learning is believing that you can do it. We often fall prey to an entity mindset, which states that the ability to learn is ingrained or inherent. However, research has shown that people who believe that efforts can result in improvements (incremental theory) outperform those who believe in an entity mindset. Whether we win or lose, it is important to focus on the efforts rather than the result and to believe that the pyramid can be built one level at a time. As Henry Ford said, whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.

Laying the foundation

Once you have convinced yourself that you can build the pyramid, the next step is to lay a wide and sturdy foundation.

Numbers to leave numbers: Make the base sturdy. When attempting to learn something, it is good to start with the basics. The basic facts, numbers, or skills should be so ingrained in our minds that they come to us subconsciously, without making a mental effort. For example, when a singer sings a song, the lyrics are so ingrained that they no longer have to think about the words and can simply concentrate on the performance. Similarly, once we are fluent in basic math calculations, we do not have to consciously think about the numbers anymore.

Form to leave form: Making the base wide: Study various approaches to solve a problem and try to solve different types of problems. Mix and match to stimulate your mind. Practice interleaving, which is mixing different topics and skills while practicing. Interleaving and mixing will help the brain internalize the learnings better.

Course correction in the pyramid

Making errors: While making the pyramid, it is natural that there will be many obstacles and setbacks. But it is important to remember that growth occurs at the point of barrier. Errors are the medium of learning. Do not be afraid of losing. Participate even when you are sure to lose. The goal of an endeavor is not just to win but also to learn and become better. When we err, the mind remembers the correct solution more effectively.

Avoiding the downward spiral: We tend to feel disheartened after making a mistake, and during this period, our error rate generally increases. When you find yourself in this cycle, take a break, and start afresh. Never let the pyramid crumble because of single loose brick.

Building towards the sky

Once the base is strong, the mind can make higher conceptualizations and varied applications. It becomes crucial to make use of varied practice to discover the fine nuances of a subject. Depth is as important as the breadth of the subject, if not more. Keep quizzing yourself: What did you learn? How does it help you? How does it connect to previous knowledge?

Once we start getting competent, the next step is to fine-tune our performance. One way to do so is to get into the soft zone. The soft zone, also called the flow state, helps us focus on a task effortlessly. There is often an emotion, or a song, among other things, which can get us in the flow state. The other important thing is to practice as if we are in the actual performance. What we do on the D day is the result of our preparation. However, one must not forget to take breaks. Focus is essential. When we lose it, taking a break can help us recover. As we get used to the rigor, the focus periods become longer, and recovery periods become smaller.

Completing the wonder

The mind can store an almost unlimited amount of material, provided they are interlinked. Conceptualizing and using models to connect knowledge can help retain information and help retrieve it faster. Finally, practicing to apply the same principles to different fields is a quick way to build up knowledge from the ground up. After all, the pharaoh did not just stop at building one pyramid.

To summarize, the first step to learning is to believe that anything can be learned. Start with internalizing the utmost basics, and use interleaving and a variety of practice to strengthen learning. Periodic checks on one’s progress, getting in the flow state, and timely breaks can help fine-tune performance. Lastly, finding novel ways to solve a problem by applying core principles and interlinking various subjects can help us become truly knowledgeable.