How to Learn Online Like a Pro with Guil Hernandez

I'd like to welcome up our first speaker of the day, Guil Hernandez. 0:00 Guil is a senior software development instructor at Treehouse, 0:04 leading content creation for full stack JavaScript and front end web development. 0:07 I've been taking courses from Guil recently since I enrolled in our full 0:12 stack JavaScript tech degree and he is a delightful and skilled instructor. 0:16 Love you Gil. 0:20 He's passionate about learning and empowering folks through technology, 0:21 education, and mentoring. 0:26 Guil enjoys speaking about learning and programming at local meetups and 0:28 conferences across the US. 0:32 When Gil's not recording or writing about code you'll find him running and 0:34 exploring the South Florida waters on a paddleboard or a kayak, welcome, Guil. 0:39 >> Well thank you, Ryan and good morning, 0:45 afternoon or even evening, everyone, wherever you may be. 0:48 I'm super excited to be kicking off our first home conference, Treehouse Festival. 0:53 And, of course, I'm hoping that all of you are doing well and safe out there. 0:59 And I wanna start off by saying thank you. 1:05 I deeply thank you for being Treehouse students, also our guests, and really for 1:08 supporting us in our mission over the year, some of you from the very beginning. 1:12 Now some of you might know me, I'm Guil. 1:17 I'm a software development instructor at Treehouse and 1:20 I've been at treehouse creating courses for over eight years and 1:23 I consider myself to be a lifelong learner. 1:27 So besides creating content, I've probably spent just as much time, or more really, 1:30 learning, and most of which has been online. 1:35 In fact, almost everything I've learned about programming has been online in 1:37 a self-regulated style. 1:41 So, for example, that's some of the more recent Python learning I've been doing. 1:43 Now most of the talks or presentations I give are usually technical, but 1:47 today I'm super delighted to spend some time with you sharing what 1:51 I've learned about learning, as well as some best practices and 1:55 strategies to help you succeed in your online learning journey. 1:58 So these are some things I found work for me as well as many of my colleagues and 2:02 the students we've taught through the year. 2:06 So this is our story. 2:08 So we all have different reasons or motivations for 2:09 wanting to learn something, right? 2:12 Maybe it's to start a career or change careers or perhaps it's for 2:15 professional development. 2:18 You want to skill up and get a promotion. 2:20 It could be to fill knowledge gaps, you want to stay relevant and 2:22 competitiveness as technology changes. 2:26 Or you're a lifelong learner, right? 2:28 You're always looking to learn new subjects and continuously updating and 2:30 building your new skill sets. 2:34 So we can spend hours and hours learning but if we're not able to recall, 2:36 retrieve or demonstrate what we've learned in some way, 2:41 we're doing ourselves a major disservice. 2:44 And it's going to take longer and longer to achieve our learning goals. 2:47 Now for many online learning feels more appropriate, right, because it's flexible 2:50 and convenient while others might prefer the structure of classroom learning. 2:55 Although nowadays we might not have that choice, right, 2:59 during this time of COVID-19 comes change, more stress. 3:01 There's likely to be more hurdles, distractions, and 3:05 unknowns that come with learning online, especially if it's new to you. 3:07 But the way we learn impacts our ability to remember what we're learning. 3:11 In fact, there's this well-known theory on education retention called 3:18 the forgetting curve. 3:22 And it was discovered that without proper learning habits or 3:23 making an attempt to retain information we forget roughly 56% of 3:28 what we learn in one hour, then 66% after a day, and then 75% after six days. 3:33 That's a lot of forgetting. 3:39 So bearing that in mind, 3:40 how do we combat this forgetting curve in online learning specifically? 3:42 So I'll start by focusing on two key distinct processes, learning and memory. 3:46 They're closely connected and people often confuse them with each other, but 3:52 they're different. 3:56 Learning has to do with the act or process of acquiring new skills or knowledge, 3:57 while memory is our ability to take that information and then store, retain, 4:02 and then be able to recall and apply that information, right? 4:07 It's an expression of what we've learned. 4:11 And memory plays a crucial role in learning. 4:13 So it turns out that when you learn there are three main processes that deal with 4:16 getting what you're learning into memory and keeping it there, encoding, 4:20 storage and retrieval. 4:25 So encoding, it's all about taking in new information, understanding it, 4:26 and transforming it into a form that can be stored in memory. 4:31 And storage is when you're maintaining that information in memory, 4:35 long-term memory being the ultimate goal. 4:39 And then retrieval how you access the information that's been encoded and 4:41 stored so that you can apply it. 4:46 So let's keep these three processes in mind through our time together here, 4:48 right, encoding, storage, and retrieval. 4:52 And we all have different learning styles and preferences. 4:55 But these three processes tend to work more effectively when 4:57 the educational experience is designed for our preferred learning style. 5:01 And there are a few different types of online learning models. 5:06 I'm going to talk specifically about an asynchronous learning model that's 5:09 self-regulated. 5:14 So it's entirely flexible and 5:15 you conveniently study in your preferred environment at your own pace and time. 5:17 Those of you who are Treehouse students are probably familiar with this 5:22 model, right? 5:25 So this type of online learning does not take place in real time. 5:25 It consists of recorded videos and lessons. 5:30 Maybe you're provided assessments and 5:33 projects that you complete on your own time. 5:34 But overall, you monitor and control your own learning and outcomes, 5:37 it's self-regulated. 5:41 Now with that comes some responsibility, right? 5:43 You need to be able to learn independently while holding a higher level of 5:46 accountability for your own learning. 5:50 So when you're in control of your learning experience and environment, 5:53 there can be lots of factors that can affect engagement and accountability, 5:57 right, like finding the time. 6:02 There might be technical constraints or you're passively learning versus actively, 6:03 which I'll get into later. 6:08 There can be distractions in your learning environment. 6:10 Perhaps there are other commitments you need to attend to and lots, lots more. 6:13 So it can be challenging to self-regulate, right? 6:17 Plan for learning, monitor your performance, let alone reflect on and 6:20 invalidate outcomes. 6:23 So all of these factors in some way affect memory. 6:25 It actually plays into that forgetting curve I talked about earlier. 6:29 And if what you're learning is not sticking, 6:33 then you might start to feel a lack of progress, and then productivity and 6:36 motivation, and that often leads to giving up and we don't want that. 6:40 So how can we best support ourselves to get the most out of online learning, 6:45 right, and become more aware of our learning process so 6:49 we can effectively develop new skills in a way we can retain and apply them? 6:53 So when you're learning, 6:58 encoding the material depends on a few factors related to your environment. 7:00 Also how you're consuming the material and a few other variables, like your health, 7:05 state of rest, and more. 7:10 So first, let's get into some tips on how to support you in online learning, right? 7:12 So these tips are about supporting you in your online learnings and 7:18 we're gonna look at ways to plan for learning online, self care, 7:22 manage your time, and staying motivated. 7:25 So it all starts with your learning environment, right? 7:27 The conditions under which you're learning influence how you're encoding 7:31 that information. 7:36 Your environment can either stimulate or inhibit learning. 7:37 So first, create a distinct learning space for learning, right? 7:42 So, if possible, try to make it a space that you don't use frequently for 7:46 other activities, like watching TV, sleeping, eating or 7:50 anything that might cause unnecessary distractions, right? 7:53 Because minimizing distractions is crucial and 7:57 significant to learning in that memorization process. 8:00 And you're also less likely to procrastinate if 8:03 you've created a designated learning space away from distractions. 8:06 So avoid social media notifications, keep the TV off, podcasts or 8:10 even music with lyrics that can interrupt your learning. 8:14 In fact, those can all be used as small rewards later for 8:18 when you've completed a learning task or milestone, which I'll talk about in a bit. 8:21 And, yeah, make your learning space comfortable. 8:26 Ergonomics play a key role, so it helps if it's well lit with natural light, 8:29 that it's quiet, organized with ergonomic seating. 8:33 Now sitting on a bed or if you're slouched on the couch seems comfortable, but 8:37 it's probably not going to help maximize your concentration. 8:41 And other subjective factors that influence learning and 8:45 memorization are your state of rest and your health and diet. 8:48 So try to get your mind and body in the healthiest possible way it can be for 8:52 learning. 8:56 It's actually proven to support your ability to learn. 8:57 You might think that sleeping can be a bit of a waste of time or 9:00 that you're being lazy. 9:04 No, sleep is one of the most important ways to keep your brain clean and healthy. 9:05 And a good night's sleep before intensive and immersive learning can be powerful. 9:10 It restores your mind and body. 9:15 Now a really interesting thing about sleeping is that studies suggests that 9:17 during sleep your brain can organize and sort out some of the ideas and 9:21 concepts you're thinking about in learning, pretty cool. 9:25 So, yeah, for most folks seven to nine hours is the recommended amount of sleep 9:29 you should be getting. 9:33 It makes a difference if you can do it. 9:34 And this leads to health and nutrition, 9:35 which are also key to keeping your mind and body healthy. 9:38 So if you can, be sure to clean keep plenty of water nearby in your designated 9:42 learning space and even some healthy snacks to supercharge your studies. 9:47 It's hard to focus when you're hungry and sleepy. 9:51 Now self-regulated online learning is flexible, but it does present 9:54 challenges when it comes to scheduling learning time and time management. 9:59 You might find that it's tough to get into a routine which is often a big hurdle. 10:04 So if you're serious about getting the most out of 10:09 your learning time create a schedule. 10:12 Create a learning habit by setting aside dedicated time for learning. 10:14 Many of us have work or exercise schedules and routines and 10:19 learning is no difference. 10:22 Set up a consistent schedule and routine for studying, right? 10:24 You might treat it like an actual class that you've signed up for and 10:27 you need to be there in person. 10:31 And on the days that you can, you might even wanna buy yourself a little extra 10:33 time by waking up earlier for quiet learning and study time. 10:36 Can I also recommend assigning learning goals and 10:39 tasks to dates, that's important. 10:43 And there's lots of useful tools you can use to keep track of your learning tasks 10:46 and goals. 10:51 Ones I've used in the past are Google Calendar and Docs, Asana and 10:52 Trello, which I like. 10:56 So for example, this is part of a old school learning schedule that I created 10:57 a while ago when I was learning a React, a JavaScript library. 11:02 So a simple Google Doc with some time blocked off in my calendar really 11:05 worked for me. 11:09 In fact, learning React is was career changing to at that time. 11:10 And most importantly, pace yourself, right? 11:13 So a common question I get from students is, 11:17 what′s a realistic schedule or timetable for learning? 11:21 Well, it helps to create a schedule where you spread out your learning time. 11:25 Binge learning or cramming is not going to be effective for you. 11:30 And we'll get into this more in a few. 11:33 But it's been proven that scheduling two separate study sessions with 11:35 a good amount of time between the sessions is more effective than 11:40 scheduling one study session of the same long total timeline. 11:44 So learning more frequently, but for less time is is actually better 11:48 than cramming your studies into one long session. 11:52 So when you're learning at home, [LAUGH] Right? 11:56 There might be a lot of time when you're just sitting and staring at a screen. 11:58 So be sure to give your mind and body some time away from the glowing rectangle 12:03 if you will, by scheduling regular breaks effectively. 12:08 And I say scheduled breaks, right? 12:11 Because it's easier to get into procrastination mode, distracted, or 12:14 lose motivation if you're doing like an hour or 12:18 even a two hour long learning session with no break in sight. 12:20 So schedule breaks, distractions, and 12:24 rewards even after hitting a learning milestone, chill out a bit. 12:26 Check your phone, social media, email, do something you enjoy. 12:30 Now a good study break, 12:34 I found should probably not be another way to get into procrastinating, right? 12:35 So maybe it's not the time to start watching a movie or 12:39 Netflix show or eat a big meal if you're in the middle of studying. 12:42 What I like to do is going for a walk and playing with my awesome dog, Joey, 12:47 that's her right there. 12:51 I just had to get her into my slides. 12:52 Yeah, just stretching and having a snack with some coffee right there. 12:54 I return back freshed and focused and ready to go. 12:58 Now one solid technique I found to help me and students stay focused and 13:02 motivated and avoid procrastination during extended periods of learning and 13:07 studying is the good old pomodoro or tomato timer technique. 13:12 So it turns out that when studying for longer periods, 13:17 our brain doesn't actually retain its efficiency during those long periods. 13:20 So short, intense bursts of learning tend to be more effective. 13:24 And what you can do is set a timer, doesn't have to be a tomato any timer. 13:29 You set the timer for 25 minutes, or 30, and you start your task, 13:34 when time's up, you take a short three to five minute break. 13:39 Then after four of those pomodoro cycles, you take a longer break like 15, 13:42 maybe 20 or 30 minutes. 13:47 And your brain is gonna use that time to absorb the new information. 13:49 Then you can reset and start that process again if needed. 13:54 All right, so you've planned for learning, you have your learning space, 14:01 you're getting enough sleep, and you've even set a schedule, 14:05 all to help you better process and encode information. 14:09 So now it comes down to learning itself, right? 14:12 My favorite part, and how to best store this information into memory. 14:14 So another common question I get from students is what's the best way to 14:18 retain what I'm learning and putting it into practice, right? 14:22 So, in online learning, you're probably going to 14:27 be watching a whole lot of videos or reading through tutorials. 14:30 So, the single most important thing I can encourage you to do is to be 14:35 an active learner versus a passive learner. 14:40 The active learning is when you're actively involved in the learning process 14:43 and passive learning is the opposite when all you're doing is watching, 14:48 hearing or reading the material, it's more of a one way effort. 14:52 Now in self-regulated online learning, it's easier to fall into this passive 14:56 learning trap and I see it happen all the time. 15:00 So learning is an active and strategic activity and 15:03 it's difficult to retain information through passive learning. 15:07 So, you might think that you understand a lesson and 15:12 the concepts being taught by just watching. 15:16 But then you'll find that you later struggle putting it all into practice and 15:19 sometimes no matter how clear the explanations might be, 15:23 you can't get anything to work when you try it later on, right? 15:27 A lot of us has have been there before, high. 15:30 That's usually because you're taking that 15:33 information in superficially at face value. 15:36 So a lot of times if it's new, complex information, like a lot isn't in 15:39 programming for instance, you're only just observing abstract concepts. 15:43 So lean forward and engage with the material. 15:49 If it's a programming course code along with the instructor, 15:52 review any supplemental notes and resources. 15:56 Also look for practice opportunities related to the lesson or better yet 15:59 get involved in a community discussion. 16:03 To make what you're learning stick you need to make sure that you form your own 16:05 interpretation of what was typed and not attacker, right? 16:10 And you also need to run into difficulty making mistakes, 16:14 breaking things, then identifying correctly. 16:18 Then that's all part of the process. 16:21 So what you're doing is you're converting that knowledge from abstract to practical. 16:23 And that's important because what happens is, 16:27 it's no longer something someone else has told you, right? 16:30 You own that knowledge and that's super powerful. 16:33 And all that is it helps with that second process involved in memory 16:35 that I talked about earlier, storing or maintaining information in memory, right? 16:40 It's easy to forget what you don't understand. 16:47 So be an active learner. 16:49 Now you can take active learning even further too by integrating higher 16:52 order thinking into your learning habits. 16:56 And I know it sounds pretty intense, but it's actually the levels of thinking we 16:59 tend to have in mind when designing courses for you students at Treehouse. 17:03 So for example, there's recall, 17:07 apply, creates and this is a whole other talk on its own. 17:10 But I'll leave you with some cool resources on this learning framework 17:14 called Bloom's taxonomy. 17:18 And what it does it helps you move beyond just remembering and 17:19 recalling information and deeper into application, analysis, 17:23 synthesis, and more and what it really helps long-term retention. 17:28 All right, good, so 17:32 what else can we do to best make what we're learning stick, right? 17:34 Well, certainly not cramming. 17:39 [LAUGH] I mentioned earlier how binge learning is not effective. 17:41 So when you cram you study for a long, intense period of time and 17:44 it's pretty good for getting information into short-term memory, but 17:48 not long-term memory. 17:52 It actually makes it difficult to retrieve that information later on and 17:54 it could lead to confusion. 17:59 So it turns out that our brains learn more effectively as I touched on earlier, 18:01 when we space out our learning over time, it's called the spacing effect. 18:06 So one really effective learning strategy is space repetition or space learning. 18:10 So instead of cramming one big new topic and any related concepts in one go, 18:16 you can cover the topic in segments over multiple lessons, you space it out. 18:21 So for example, let's say you try to repeat or practice something ten times in 18:26 one afternoon, that's not gonna stick compared to how it would if you practice, 18:31 say ten times over the span of a few days, right? 18:36 And you can also plan for spaced learning in your learning schedule, allow for 18:39 a period of time to pass, it can be a couple of days, weeks or even months, 18:43 depending on the complexity of the material, and then review or 18:48 practice the same concept again. 18:52 By repeatedly learning and recalling information over an extended period of 18:54 time, you'll be more likely to retain that information. 18:58 So it's an effective way to combat that forgetting curve I talked about earlier. 19:01 And some students might use spaced learning like this, right? 19:05 They'll learn something in the first lesson, then and 19:08 the next session recall concepts and apply them in the next session. 19:11 Or for example, if you are Treehouse student, 19:15 you might read this as at a quiz or 19:18 specific code challenger even at practice session after few days or weeks, right? 19:19 Just when you think about you're forget the thing or 19:24 maybe before you proceed with learning a new major concept. 19:26 And just see how much you can recall and apply. 19:29 It really helps you assess your own progress too. 19:31 So good analogy I heard about this is that when you're building a brick 19:34 structure, right? 19:38 For example, you need to allow for time for 19:39 the concrete that supports the building to dry and 19:41 solidify before you continue to be able to build on top of it, right? 19:44 Build the rest out. 19:49 So cramming creates a shaky foundation in the concepts you're learning. 19:49 And conversely spaced repetition gives your mind time to form connections 19:54 between ideas and concepts which allows you to Effectively build 19:58 knowledge on top of what you've learned. 20:01 So all of this helps to shape that third main process I've talked 20:04 about in regards to memory, that's retrieval. 20:09 So good, we're in that retrieval process now being 20:12 able to re-access information that you've encoded and stored. 20:15 So now let's have a look at active learning strategies to help you with 20:19 retrieval. 20:23 First is reflection. 20:24 So after you learn something new ask yourself what are the main concepts and 20:26 key ideas I just learned? 20:31 And can I explain them in my own words, right? 20:32 You also might wanna step away and see what you can recall from memory. 20:34 I do this all the time. 20:38 Take a walk, and talk it out loud in your own words and 20:38 you maybe might wanna write them down as well. 20:42 Now doing that it's actually more effective than rereading or 20:45 rewatching something over and over again until you think you get it, right? 20:48 And you're not expected to remember every detail, right? 20:52 That's what Google, StackOverflow, and Twitter are for. 20:56 So rely on your resources. 20:59 And I emphasize remembering the key ideas and concepts because what it does is it 21:01 helps you begin forming chunks of memory by way of this process called chunking. 21:06 These tiny packages or 21:12 chunks of information your mind can easily access and pull from, right? 21:13 So the more chunks of key ideas you can remember, the easier it becomes for 21:16 your mind to group several related chunks of information together. 21:21 And then for you, instead of struggling to recall tiny details of 21:25 information you recall a chunk or an entire group, and 21:28 then you can retrieve something from that group more easily. 21:31 Also, ask yourself, can I relate what I'm learning to something I already know? 21:34 That's important. 21:41 So see if you can draw connections between new information and 21:41 what you know about something else, right? 21:44 Connecting what you're learning to real life experiences and 21:46 knowledge results in more durable learning. 21:49 So for instance, I recently started diving back into Python. 21:52 And I instantly tried relating the basics and key ideas to what I might already know 21:57 in JavaScript, which I have more experience with. 22:01 So I started taking notes of the similarities in my work in my own words 22:04 and the JavaScript knowledge that I already had sort of memory provided faster 22:08 on ramp to Python and deepened my understanding of it. 22:13 So after adapting these active learning techniques for some time, you're 22:16 more likely to recognize when what you're learning and studying doesn't make sense. 22:22 And at that moment, you can stop, regroup, 22:27 figure it out rather than passively just continuing on with the next lesson, right? 22:30 Or the next thing to learn. 22:35 And from there, you can really start developing demonstrable 22:36 expert level skills, you can key in on your weaknesses and 22:40 train to reduce them with something called deliberate practice. 22:43 It's practicing with a purpose, with the specific goal of getting better. 22:46 And I also love talking about this topic, but it's a whole other topic on its own. 22:51 But I'll leave you with some really cool resources on it that you can check out in 22:55 my slides at the end. 22:59 So the takeaway so far is that if you are strategic in your learning, 23:00 you're going to be more successful than those who are not deliberate and 23:04 those who do not reflect on the learning process. 23:08 So in online learning, you're gonna be uncomfortable, right? 23:10 And when learning something new and complex, especially by yourself and 23:15 learning alone can feel isolating and maybe a bit more daunting, right? 23:19 Especially if it's new to you and if you start feeling stuck. 23:23 So while you're learning asynchronously try to find a synchronous cohort. 23:26 Finding and connecting with peers can improve your online learning experience 23:32 and boost your learning outcomes. 23:37 You can all start to make sense of all these new ideas you're learning together. 23:38 Take Treehouse for example, there are hundreds or thousands of other students 23:43 who are learning the exact same thing you're learning at the same time. 23:47 And if you're stuck or feeling a lack of productivity, 23:51 you might be relieved to know that others are asking the same questions and 23:54 maybe having similar hurdles in their learning journey. 23:58 And some might have just been through some of the things you're struggling with and 24:01 can provide help getting you unstuck. 24:05 And then you might provide that same help to another peer. 24:07 Cool, so connecting with learning peers can help you stay motivated and 24:11 as I mentioned, I think it provides a more vibrant experience. 24:15 You can share your learning goals, study tips, and other fun and 24:19 interesting things. 24:22 And best of all, it provides support and accountability, right? 24:24 You'll have other folks who you can explain concepts to in your own words and 24:28 you can keep each other on track. 24:33 What I think it helps because it challenges you to think critically about 24:35 those concepts. 24:39 And best of all, online learning connects you to world-class instructors and 24:41 like-minded passionate folks like you. 24:45 So take advantage of it. 24:47 There's some really awesome community driven challenges and 24:49 group discussions you can join. 24:52 My favorites are the 100 Days of Code Challenge. 24:54 There's also CodeNewbie which I love. 24:58 They have a Twitter chat every Wednesday where anyone can join and 25:00 talk about interesting coding topics. 25:03 It's a lot of fun. 25:04 All right friends, I can talk so much more about learning. 25:06 But that's about all the time I have for you today, but 25:10 I'll leave you with a few more things to keep in mind. 25:12 So once you develop effective learning habits, keep it going, right? 25:14 Have a growth mindset. 25:19 Continue working to develop and improve your intelligence. 25:21 It's not a fixed rate, right? 25:24 So you're not gonna know everything either about Python, 25:26 JavaScript, CSS, design, for example. 25:30 Nobody does. 25:32 So that's why I love this quote. 25:33 It's essentially, the things we are sure of are what keeps us from seeing and 25:35 learning. 25:39 So embrace that there will be lots of things you don't know. 25:40 And that will keep you curious, motivated, and engaged in online learning and 25:43 share what you know even while you're learning it. 25:47 So for instance, while I was learning Python, and taking those notes, 25:50 while relating it to JavaScript, I created this a blog for 25:54 the Treehouse blog and they help make others form those connections, right? 25:57 And this right here, I'm an imposter, that's a normal feeling. 26:01 So that just means that you care and that you're aware. 26:05 If you never feel this way and heads up that might keep you from listening, 26:09 learning, and growing. 26:13 And finally, have fun, enjoy your learning journey. 26:14 The more you make learning a routine, the easier it becomes and 26:17 the more natural it will feel. 26:20 Happy learning everyone. 26:22 >> Thank you. 26:24 >> Thank you so much, Guil, you're my hero. 26:26 I really, really appreciate you sharing an immense amount of 26:29 knowledge about how to be successful learning online. 26:32 Everyone, we have another amazing session for you right now. 26:35 So stick around, hop in the chat. 26:39 I'm so happy you're here. 26:42 Thanks. 26:44