## Feynman Technique: A Complete Beginner’s Guide - E-Student Source URL:: <https://e-student.org/feynman-technique/> The Feynman Technique, developed by the remarkable scientist Richard Feynman, is one of the most effective study methods if used correctly. ### Highlights > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Dec 29 2023 12:27:25 GMT-0500%% > > The Feynman Technique, developed by Richard Feynman, is a study method for students to learn through the act of teaching. To use the technique, students choose a topic and then explain it in their own words as if teaching a sixth-grader. Then, they improve their explanations and go through the process again until they have mastered the topic.Naturally, the average school student in sixth grade is not going to understand complicated terminology, so the person using the Feynman Technique has to emphasize simplicity and conciseness. Effective usage of the method requires the learner to define all unobvious terms, and this means that the Feynman Technique requires considerably more mental energy than other methods, such as rote learning. The act of teaching is a cognitively demanding task, but that is also why the technique is so effective.This study method can be used to memorize, understand difficult topics, and supplement other common study methods like re-reading textbooks or reviewing notes. It’s worth mentioning, though, that re-reading textbooks and notes is considered an ineffective study strategy by most modern learning scientis > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Dec 29 2023 12:27:25 GMT-0500%% > > This step will help break down complex topics into their most basic parts. Your end goal should always be to develop a deeper understanding of a topic, but the path there involves easy but thorough explanations. Your explanations need to be short and to the point, providing only what is necessary for a sixth-grader to understand. > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Dec 29 2023 12:27:25 GMT-0500%% > > Identify areas of improvement in your explanation > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Dec 29 2023 12:27:25 GMT-0500%% > > To do so, take a critical look at your explanation and try to identify any knowledge gaps where you could not retrieve the relevant information from your memory, together with any areas where you felt that you couldn’t explain the topic simply.When possible, it can be very helpful to get feedback from someone whose understanding is similar to that of your audience: a sixth-grader. Doing this can improve your explanations as they will be reviewed by the target audience rather than yourself. There is always an element of bias in reviewing your own explanations, and getting feedback from a third party can be very beneficial. > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Dec 29 2023 12:27:25 GMT-0500%% > > Here are three tips for improving your explanations:Develop analogies that would make sense for someone who knows very little about the topic.Keep a list of words you think would be unfamiliar to children and ensure they’re defined before using them in an explanation. To optimize this process, always keep a topic-relevant dictionary open.Make sure that your explanations are evidence-based and backed by the source material. Whenever you’re struggling, go back to the source material and study up on your weak points until you can use simple language to explain them. > [!quote]+ %%Updated on Fri Dec 29 2023 12:27:25 GMT-0500%% > > Spaced repetition to optimize your learning schedule. Spaced repetition algorithms provide well-optimized study schedules, and they are based on continuous scientific research. While many of these algorithms are meant for flashcard-based studying, the central idea of spacing your study sessions still applies to the Feynman Technique just the same.The Pomodoro method to manage your time better, improve concentration, and optimize your study sessions. The Pomodoro method (and its variant the Flowtime method) also allows you to keep track of time spent on each task, and it’s one of my favorite methods to reduce distractions and achieve a state of deep focus.Active recall to test yourself before an exam. Active recall is one of the most powerful study methods in the world, and you’ll benefit massively by adding it to your learning toolset. It requires you to test yourself continuously, and when it comes to improving exam results, there really is no better technique than active recall.Consider following a course on helping you handle distractions, such as Nir Eyal’s “Becoming Focused and Indistractable” on Mindvalley.