Variation is key to deeper learning

People tend to think that learning is building up something in your memory and that forgetting is losing the things you built. But in some respects the opposite is true. — Robert A. Bjork

According to Robert A. Bjork who is the director of the UCLA Learning and Forgetting Lab and a distinguished professor of psychology, interleaving skills is better than focusing exclusively on one skill at a time in order to increase success in long-term performance.

Interleaving gives the brain a better workout because mixing tasks provides just enough stress to trigger the release of a hormone called corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the hippocampus, the brain area central to memory and learning. CRF strengthens synapses. During blocked practice, by contrast, you’re not reloading your circuitry by trying different tasks, you’re under less stress, and your brain is bored and less engaged.

Interleaving is a technique discovered by sports researchers, beginning in the 1960s and has been described as varied practice, variable practice, and mixed practice. They found that athletes sharpened their skills, whether hitting a baseball or a badminton serve, most quickly when they practiced them in mixed sets. Interleaved practice is a proven technique to increase your ability to learn and retain all kinds of knowledge and skills.

When you space out practice at a task and get a little rusty between sessions, or you interleave — that is, alternate between — the practice of two or more subjects, retrieval is harder and feels less productive, but the effort produces longer-lasting learning and enables more versatile application of it in later settings.

Trying to solve a problem before being taught the solution leads to better learning, even when errors are made in the attempt.

– “How to learn better at any age – You’re studying wrong. But don’t worry, it’s not too late to get much, much better.” By Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel (The Boston Globe, March 9, 2014)

If you want to help your child learn faster and better, perhaps you should start incorporating the interleaving technique into his practice.

Xavi’s tips on passing and control

A key factor in Spain’s UEFA EURO 2008 success was our midfield – Marcos Senna, Cesc Fàbregas,Andrés Iniesta and David Silva all know how to control and pass. — Xavi

FC Barcelona’s Xavi Hernández gives his tips on passing and control.

With Michael Chang Coaching, Kei Nishikori Reaches the U.S. Open Final

You can work really hard, but if you’re not training in the right way

you’re not going to improve and get to the level that you want to.

– Michael Chang –

Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who became the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam singles final with Michael Chang coaching. Last year Kei actually lost in the first-round of the U.S. Open to the world No. 179 though.

Kei and Michael played in Tokyo to raise money for earthquake relief in 2011 and Kei learned something important for his improvement at interview with a tough taskmaster Michael as below. Last winter, Kei decided to hire Michael as part-time coach in order to break into the top 10 in 2014, then fixed many things that Nishikori needs to win a Grand Slam.

Their interview (Eng) starts from 1:03

“We played exhibition two years ago in Japan. That’s first meeting of us. That time I didn’t think he is going to coach me, but end of this year I was start thinking to finding someone advise me more about something I need to get top 10. That was my goal this year and I couldn’t do it.”

“I finally find time. I was practicing with him in California two weeks in December. Yeah, it’s been great. He’s so detail and he tells me a lot of things that I feel improving a lot. Yeah, I think it’s good matchup.”

– Kei Nishikori

As a Kei’s fan, I cannot wait to see the final. Go Kei!