---
id: 6763500bd5a85d5898cc21a9
title: How do Most People Learn Effectively?
challengeType: 19
dashedName: how-do-most-people-learn-effectively
---

# --description--

Learning is a skill all its own. And I'm going to quickly introduce you to key observations that scientists have made about learning.

These come from engineering professor Barbara Oakley's book, *Learning how to Learn.*

Concept number 1: spaced repetition. Learning for half an hour each day for a week is much more effective than learning for three and a half hours all in one day. This is because of the role that sleep plays in memory. When you sleep, your brain builds and reinforces neural structures. With spaced repetition, you review concepts regularly — first every few days, then every few weeks, then every few months. Each time, your retention of those concepts improves. freeCodeCamp has spaced repetition baked right into the curriculum.

Concept number 2: interleaving practice. Rather than just studying one concept for an entire study session, it's better to get a little exposure to lots of concepts. This shakes up your brain, and forces you to continually reframe what you know. Through interleaving practice, you train yourself to be more agile in your thinking. For this reason, the freeCodeCamp curriculum covers a ton of ground quickly, then circles back to reinforce everything over and over.

Concept number 3: active recall. It's easy to trick yourself into thinking you're much better at a skill than you actually are. Almost all beginners experience what scientists call an "illusion of competence". But, the best way to shatter that illusion is to actively recall and apply what you're learning. The freeCodeCamp curriculum does this through quizzes, coding exercises, and full-blown projects.

Again, we've incorporated all of these concepts into the freeCodeCamp curriculum. You're welcome to customize your learning as you see fit. But when in doubt, just keep going through the curriculum, from top to bottom, and you'll be fine.

In the next lecture, we will discuss some strategies for building effective learning habits.

# --questions--

## --text--

What is the concept called where learning is spread out over time, allowing sleep to reinforce memory structures?

## --answers--

Spaced Repetition

---

Speed Reading

### --feedback--

This concept emphasizes learning a bit each day rather than all at once.

---

Memorization

### --feedback--

This concept emphasizes learning a bit each day rather than all at once.

---

Passive Review

### --feedback--

This concept emphasizes learning a bit each day rather than all at once.

## --video-solution--

1

## --text--

Which learning approach involves switching between different concepts or skills during a single study session to keep your thinking flexible?

## --answers--

Focused Immersion

### --feedback--

It's the technique that mixes things up to prevent your brain from getting stuck on one track.

---

Interleaving Practice

---

Highlighting Notes

### --feedback--

It's the technique that mixes things up to prevent your brain from getting stuck on one track.

---

Mental Mapping

### --feedback--

It's the technique that mixes things up to prevent your brain from getting stuck on one track.

## --video-solution--

2

## --text--

What strategy helps you overcome the illusion of competence by actively testing your understanding through quizzes and exercises?

## --answers--

Passive Listening

### --feedback--

It's the method where you try to recall information without looking at the answers first.

---

Rereading Notes

### --feedback--

It's the method where you try to recall information without looking at the answers first.

---

Active Recall

---

Reading Lectures Only

### --feedback--

It's the method where you try to recall information without looking at the answers first.

## --video-solution--

3
