Illustration of a brain in focused mode, above and diffuse mode, below (Illustration: Barbara Oakley)
Barbara Oakley didn’t begin learning remedial high school algebra until age 26. Now she’s a professor of engineering, a New York Times best-selling author, and instructor of one of the world’s most popular massive open online courses, “Learning How To Learn,” with nearly two million registered students. How did this happen? She learned how to learn, and she now teaches others how to accomplish this. This evening, hear Oakley’s true stories of remarkable transformations and intriguing insights from research studies about how you can change and grow, no matter your age or stage of life.
Using metaphor and analogy, which prime neural circuits for difficult topics, Oakley explains how to learn more effectively, drawing on her experience as both an engineering professor and a linguist, as well as from key research findings in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Learn how to use the brain’s different learning modes to their best effect; improve recall with methods such as “chunking” pieces of information; beat procrastination with the Pomodoro technique; and more. You’ll walk away with practical tools based on solid research—and you’ll have fun along the way!
Oakley’s new book, Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential (TarcherPerigee), is available for sale and signing.
