ABSTRACT
Learning is not a passive process where we just soak up information like a sponge. It is an active, sense-making process. However, it helps to have a frame on which to hang the detail. Learning by association means we make links between experiences, thoughts, concepts, facts, and figures. We start with simple bits of information and learn to build increasingly complex patterns. When our memory fails us, we might think it is a recall problem. However, research shows that to make the material more memorable, we need to do more with it at the input stage. Information sinks in the deeper we process it. Stress puts us into a state of survival. It distorts our sense of time. Relaxation helps creativity to thrive because we use all our cognitive abilities. We process information more efficiently and make new connections more easily. Basic principles of psychology and learning theory can help to work smarter not harder.
