Simple Changes That Supercharge Learning
I made a video with everything I know about desirable difficulties
Tactics that make learning feel harder in the short term can massively increase both what you remember and what you can actually apply later on.
That is the fundamental truth behind what cognitive psychologists call “desirable difficulties.”
I recently wrote about desirable difficulties in the context of an MIT study that found that students didn’t retain information when they used ChatGPT to help write essays before doing their own thinking. Conversely, the students who had to use their own brains to write first, and only then engaged AI, produced more unique essays and remembered what they had learned. Brain first, tool second — desirable difficulty in action. That was one of the most popular posts I’ve ever done on this newsletter.
So, as one does, I decided to try to cram much of what I know about desirable difficulties into the 15-minute video below.
I hope you find something of value. And since I’m new to making video content, I’m eager for feedback. Please feel free to share thoughts here or in the comments below the video.
Thank you for reading, and for watching if you do that as well.
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Until next time…
David
Sometimes you just want to read vs watch a video, or can't have audio blaring. Can these also include the transcript in case you can't have audio or just prefer to read vs watch?
This is absolutely great! I started putting together a structured practice program for Welsh learners based on my own need to better memorise key grammar and vocabulary and I think it includes nearly all of your tips, except pre-testing.
I've spent years muddling along with my learning, and have managed to get to an intermediate (B1/B2) standard without properly internalising things like auxiliary verbs or prepositions with personal endings, so I have to look stuff up more often than I ought to. But none of the Welsh courses I've done give you the opportunity to really learn – they introduce a concept, give you five minutes of practice and then you're on to the next thing.
I realised I needed to create structured practice for myself, because just spending a lot of time watching TV, listening to podcasts or reading wasn't cementing these concepts in my mind. After just six weeks of doing much of what you suggest, I can already feel the difference. Indeed, I did my first recorded interview for a Welsh language podcast last week, and for the first time felt fairly fluent! These techniques really do work.