Learning & Cognition

Evidence-based learning & cognition practices.

38 concepts in this area — each broken into concrete practices with the real mechanism, an honest read on the evidence, and how to practice it with IX Coach.

• Active Recall: The Most Effective Way to Study — What is active recall, and why does testing yourself beat rereading?
• Chunking: How to Learn More by Grouping Better — What is chunking in learning, and how does it help you remember more?
• Cognitive Load Theory: Learning Within Working Memory Limits — How does cognitive load theory improve learning and instruction?
• Concrete Examples: How to Make Abstract Ideas Stick — Why do concrete examples help you learn, and how do you use them deliberately?
• Contextual Interference: Why Varied Practice Beats Blocked Repetition — What is contextual interference and why does variable practice improve skill retention?
• Cornell Note-Taking: A System for Learning, Not Just Recording — Does the Cornell note-taking method actually improve learning and retention?
• Deliberate Practice, Not Just Practice — What is deliberate practice, and how does it actually build skill?
• Desirable Difficulties: When Harder Means Better Learning — What are desirable difficulties, and why does harder-feeling study work better?
• Dual Coding: Learn With Words and Pictures Together — What is dual coding, and does pairing words with visuals actually improve learning?
• Elaborative Interrogation: Ask "Why Is This True?" — What is elaborative interrogation, and why does asking "why" help you remember?
• Embodied Cognition: How Your Body Shapes Your Thinking — What is embodied cognition and how does the body affect thought and learning?
• Errorful Learning: Why Making Mistakes Strengthens Memory — How does making errors during learning improve long-term retention?
• Interleaving: Mix It Up to Learn It Better — What is interleaving, and why does mixing topics beat practicing one at a time?
• Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle: Learning by Doing and Reflecting — How does Kolb’s experiential learning cycle work, and does it improve learning?
• Levels of Processing: Why Depth of Encoding Determines What You Remember — How does the depth at which you process information affect how well you remember it?
• Make It Stick: The Science of Learning — What does "Make It Stick" say are the most effective ways to learn?
• Metacognition: Knowing What You Actually Know — What is metacognition, and how does it help you learn and think better?
• Mind Mapping: Visual Thinking for Learning and Creativity — Does mind mapping actually improve learning and creative thinking?
• Overlearning: When Practicing Past Mastery Pays Off — What is overlearning, and when does continuing to practice after you can do something actually help?
• Peg System Mnemonics, Made Practical — How does the peg system help you memorize lists and numbers?
• Scaffolding: The Art of Temporary Learning Support — What is scaffolding in learning and how does it help people develop new skills?
• Spaced Repetition That Actually Sticks — How does spaced repetition work, and why does it beat cramming?
• The Curse of Knowledge: Why Experts Struggle to Teach — What is the curse of knowledge, and how do you overcome it when explaining things?
• The Expertise Reversal Effect: When Help Becomes Harmful — What is the expertise reversal effect and why does it matter for learning?
• The Feynman Technique, Step by Step — What is the Feynman Technique, and why does teaching something help you learn it?
• The Forgetting Curve: How Memory Decays and How to Fight It — What is the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve and how can you use it to retain more of what you learn?
• The Generation Effect: Why Making It Yourself Makes It Stick — What is the generation effect in learning, and how do you use it to study better?
• The Learning Styles Myth: What the Research Actually Says — Are learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) real, and should you study to your style?
• The Major System: Encode Numbers as Words — What is the major system, and how do you use it to memorize numbers?
• The Method of Loci: How to Build a Memory Palace — What is the method of loci, and does the memory palace technique actually work?
• The Protege Effect: Learn It Better by Teaching It — What is the protege effect, and does teaching something actually help you learn it?
• The SQ3R Method for Active Reading — What is the SQ3R method, and does it help you retain what you read?
• The Testing Effect: Why Retrieval Practice Beats Restudying — What is the testing effect and why does testing yourself work better than rereading?
• The Worked Examples Effect: Learn Faster by Studying Solutions First — Why does studying worked examples help you learn faster than jumping straight into problems?
• Ultralearning: Aggressive, Self-Directed Learning — What is ultralearning, and how do you teach yourself hard skills fast?
• Working Memory: How Your Brain Holds Thoughts in Play — What is the working memory model and why does it matter for learning?
• Zettelkasten: Thinking in a Slip-Box — What is the Zettelkasten method, and how do you take smart notes?
• Zone of Proximal Development: Learning at Your Real Edge — What is the zone of proximal development and how does it improve learning?