Photo by Silvan Arnet on Unsplash
Targeted Learning
Your learning intention is to produce not to know.
In learning, let's try implementing the law of measuring twice and cutting once by planning the learning process so it goes through successfully. Three important benefits if you practice targeted learning, these being:
Efficiency in grasping concepts and using them.
Effectivity in solving common problems in a domain.
In-depth understanding of tools, services, and frameworks used in the field.
What is targeted learning?
This is a learning style focused on helping the student experience gain enough understanding to start practicing what they have learnt. We explored that when we learning a skill we want to get to the 2nd stage of the Dunning Kruger & we begin to really understand the subject.
Let's look at how I use it and I hope my explanation can give you enough value that you can try it out.
STEP 1: prep work
Choose what you intend to master and write that down.
You have to choosing the subject to learn & decide exactly how you plan to use it. You want to start learning with the practice and final product in mind.
Before starting the learning process discuss with someone, & do research to find out what's important to learn. We need to know which fundamentals to focus on & where to go from there.
Find out how deep you must learn which concepts, and how to practice them.
- Find out how to test your knowledge
With whatever you have researched you need additional information:
What tools will I need to master using, eg for developers its IDE's and Debugging tools.
where you can access the tools and practice the tools eg download it from vscode site or for debugging we use chrome dev tools.
how you will benefit from using these tools compared to others.
STEP 2: remove fluff
Do a proper introspection with the sole purpose to understand which is the best learning style that works for you.
For that subject, go see how many types of material available and if there is material for the learning style that works best for you.
Compile a learning list or vision board about that subject and point out the fundamentals that must be learned using your particular successful learning style.
Get clarity and help from someone with experience to validate your learning list and if its too broad or narrow to apply in a way that earns money.
Step 3: now, lets learn
Prepare yourself for learning:
Exercise & keep the body well rested after that.
Eat well & get proper hydration.
Remove all distractions from your learning space and your devices.
Share what you learn with someone, don't just sit on new knowledge or you will forget it.
Prepare your learning space and time to be consistent so you will get max consumption habit in your system it's easy to neglect this but its important.
Please start learning the fundamentals using the learning style of your choice and write notes and a summary after you finish.
Soon as you finish learning something new immediately put it to practice.
STEP 4: create experience
After you had started learning this, I am sure you had something you intended to do to implement that or a place you will be working and using it.
Start your research on when you can start expressing or using what you have learned, in a way that benefits you or preferably someone else.
Look at the company you intend to work for or the place you intend to use that tool and find the trends happening there.
After you have found the trends of the domain, and also the methods how the skills you learned are used. Now get guidance again if your process you want to use.
Over all learning can be fun if we do it right, and can get you paid if you do it right and consistently. It's easy to feel like you are going no where if you learning and you have no place to practice what you have gained. This is mainly the reason why we explore this subject, as developers we Learn how to use Docs but usually that is something we do after we get stuck not as a process for getting ready to solve a problem.
I think if we learn "prep for the potential problems" we will get much greater success and I hope to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Have a good one.