How to Unlearn and Relearn Effectively

Learning is in a restricted sense associated with the ability to register concepts or information in memory. Although this is not a definition of learning it is the means of monitoring what we have learnt. Even application depends on memory. But this does not mean that memorizing information indicates that we have learnt something. In many subjects where logic is the guiding principle behind mastering them, memory is only needed to register principles. Learners may also study a subject the wrong way. If the subject is not given due attention either by the teacher or the student there are many mistakes we may continue to make and eventually we do not learn properly. Later when we realize this it becomes necessary to unlearn and relearn. 


It is generally difficult to correct our memory errors on our own. Memory monitoring cannot be done without delving into the fundamentals and finding out where we need to avert mistakes. Mistaken associations are a challenge to correct but we need to do that in order to acquire the correct association. This difficulty in learning new information because of existing information is called ‘proactive interference'. Some people have difficulty for instance to relearn swimming because it has become their second nature to swim with flaws. How do we correct this phenomenon? It is said that the prefrontal cortex needs to function properly to monitor one's memory. Children may have this difficulty because the faculty to monitor memory is not developed. But this error in information association can be corrected by consistent correction. This consistent correction is what we tend to loosely call ‘revision'.

Learning to make new associations helps in correcting mistakes because the trigger is altered and then you remember this new trigger which reminds you of the corrected information. You need to create a new trigger to retrieve the information/principle from your memory. For instance you can convert 5 x 3 into 5 x (1+2) = 5 + 10 = 15. With this new association the direct and shorter association 5 x 3 = 15 replaces the previous association. The previous triggers weaken without reinforcement. This way you can correct mistaken associations by not only reinforcing the new ones but also altering the triggers. Many learners face this need to unlearn and relearn because of the pressures of instant learning.  By reviewing your associations in the past you get to unlearn a mistaken association and relearn concepts afresh correctly.

Idleness Takes Effort

In the face of transactional virtue, idleness is held in contempt and effort greeted with applause. A judgement borne out of transactional virtue is no virtue at all. You may have goals of your own or none at all. You may simply pursue process-happiness. Monetary value can never be criteria for working. Any occupation that is taken up whether or not it yields results is work regardless of the popular standards of 'utilitarianism'. This is the difference between work as evaluated from the viewpoint of economic productivity and work as a law of nature. Work as a law of nature falls in line with Physics.  

'Work' is described in Physics as the net impact of a force on a 'point' that moves through a 'distance'. The movement of the point follows a curve x, with a velocity v at each instant. The 'net impact' is a 'result'. The word 'point' has a variant meaning in Physics. It has a general application which means that it is valid in any situation. 'Point' is subjective and it is decided entirely by the agent that applies force. It moves through a distance which means that the agent is not static. Curve 'x' is without context; arbitrary and non-specific. It can represent a 'direction' that the agent intends to take. It may be seen as directionless by a non-entity outside the subjective context of the agent. A non-entity is someone who fails to understand the context and as a corollary passes a verdict that the effort is in vain. Just because its road does not bend to a popular notion of 'result', the destination of the enterprise is never pointless.

You may pursue 'embroidery' for the joy that the craft gifts you. Does it have to lead to business for it to be entitled to the label of 'work'? -Not at all. You enjoy it as an agent and it is your occupation. You are said to be working for pleasure. Whether work is done for a living, for pleasure or for neither it is work all the same. The definition of work in Physics covers terrains beyond the scope of our standards. If you move to pick up a remote control, you are said to be working even if your parents deny it.

Idleness in the context of Physics is static wherein there is absolutely no movement. The agent is at rest. 'Idleness' as condemned by human beings is merely human convention. The net impact can be felt only by the agent and other agents to whom their work has value.

Physics reminds us that even 'idleness' takes effort.    

Watering Plants of Scientific Curiosity

‘Curiosity' is the starting point of knowledge. Without it there would not be any thirst for learning. As much as a human being wishes to know the basis of the laws of nature, he/she desires to do what it takes to learn. Yet we grow up with the idiom that ‘curiosity kills the cat'. This kills our thirst for knowledge and makes us think less. In every sphere of life we cannot move forward without information. The dynamics of information can be felt only when we possess it. In the ‘Anatomy of Criticism' Northrop Frye (critic) offers an account of how modes, symbols, myths and archetypes function. He brings out the fact that meaning cannot be discovered without curiosity to unravel them despite their intrigue value.

There are a few points we need to remember while taking up the subject of scientific curiosity. The first and foremost step is to note how we need to investigate the world that we inhabit. Investigation needs careful curiosity on our part to observe vigilantly. This is why a child who asks questions frequently needs to be encouraged to do so. It is an observed fact that a child in preschool asks five times the number of questions an adult asks. The difference is that there is a thirst for understanding their environment. Adults on the other hand have probably reached a level of comfort with their world, as a result of which they do not ask questions. It has also got to do with the fact that they become comfortable with how much they know and focus more on application. Children on the other hand tend to learn for the sake of learning.

It is said that necessity is the mother of all inventions. This is incomplete by itself because curiosity plays a much larger part in demystifying a concept where its laws are fogged by human darkness. Necessity will make us anxious but what actually makes us discover is the desire to learn which has at its root a sense of wonder. Children are also more inclined to use all their senses to investigate, whereas adults are more restricted. Adults restrict their senses because of the fact that only certain faculties may have developed while some others may not have been used often. Another point is that children tend to be interested in colours and animals. This is a useful way of inviting them to the world of Science. The first step towards exciting scientific curiosity is to invite it as and when children ask questions. In the process they feel thrilled and investigate with an everlasting thirst for knowledge. 

Different Paths to a Common Solution

What we learn gets reflected in what we do. How we apply our knowledge depends on how much thought we give to it. If we were to express ourselves there will be a certain amount of focus on one theme with or without our knowledge. This is because we give more attention to certain themes than others. The reason could be preoccupation with that subject or acquired depth in that area over a long period of time. If you talk more about butterflies, colours or plants frequently it may be that you have more knowledge in those subjects and also that you are drawn to them. In a class students respond with examples to what is being taught. These examples on many occasions are themes of interest to them. They could be characters or sports or science fiction. In this way they get drawn to what is being taught in class.

Selective learning is a bit different from preoccupation with a theme in that it is a choice both at the conscious level and at the unconscious level. Preoccupation with a theme does not mean that learning does not happen in other subjects. In selective learning this is more often the case. But regardless of the nature of individual interest our approach to problem solving is influenced by self-expression one way or the other. If you ask a child to draw and if he/she draws a kite more often it is a form of visual attachment. If a child draws an image that does not represent any object in the real world it is an archetype of his/her imagination. Both are forms of self-expressions. In Schools self-expression is a powerful activity by which teachers can win the trust of students.

One often makes a mistake with regard to self-expression and that is one thinks it has little to do with subjects like Physics. A research done in the distant past indicates that creative minds take to Physics  through the mode of self-expression in a quirky manner. Self-expression brings different perspectives to problem-solving.

This is also one of the reasons why there may be different solutions to a given problem. The reason why teachers restrict students to particular paths to solutions is that they would like to know if children have understood the concepts taught. But this can be used to the advantage of both the teacher and student. By welcoming different paths to a common solution you generate a deep felt interest in the subject in your students. The tutor or teacher needs to keep an open mind as he/she needs the students to do the same.

The Rubaiyaat

Strokes of wonder are indeed rare to see,
Stars are light years away please be,
You are a star and are all ready far
The source of life to the whole galaxy! 


Without the observer there is nothing observed. There is no star without a dreamer. 

Overcoming Anxieties of Young Learners

Overcoming Anxieties of Young Learners

With the increasing load of studies there is more pressure on the intellect to comprehend pools of information. Understanding subjects becomes harder when you are faced with the mammoth task of grasping and retaining concepts. This can cause anxiety in learners which can inhibit the desire to learn. How does one go about handling this fear of information overload? While discussing information overload it is necessary to point out that more than information it is the fear of understanding that makes the task seem all the more herculean. As there are timetables in schools students may feel overwhelmed by the experience that is about to ensue.

Although time management is crucial to managing learning it can interfere with the learning process. The need to finish an n number of subjects in stipulated hours causes anxiety in learners. So along with the subjects learners can do with time management skills as well. This is where tutors can help by giving individual attention. Firstly the relationship between time and task has to be firmly established. Learning cannot be counted as a task the same way an activity like washing is for in learning the experience is new and hence difficult to predict. But learning also shares a relationship with time. Understanding this relationship will help young learners plan their studies thus reducing anxiety considerably.

Cognitive overload is a subjective experience as what may seem to be not much of a load to one learner may appear to be an overload to another. The need to finish studies on time can cause fear of cognitive overload and the attention tends to go out of focus. Tutors teach students how to demarcate time from learning so that one does not cloud the management of the other.
In tuition time management is relatively easy as there is more focused attention and the extraneous factors are easier to do away with. In schools however they are difficult to ignore and even the teacher may become a victim of time management overload if not cognitive overload. This automatically plants fear in students and they feel the cognitive overload that may not be there in reality. A tutor needs to know how to address the anxiety issues that students may face because anxiety interferes with learning and also affects the self belief of learners. There are then two effects of anxiety and they are inhibition and distortion. More than teaching mentoring can help alleviate both so that learning is free from extraneous interference.

Music and Mathematics – An Impersonal Comparison

The origin of music is unknown to me. It may have evolved like language. The fundamental sounds or axioms reveal a strong mathematical base, typical of man’s intuitive response to music. It would be of great interest to the historian or (in actuality, if I should meet the standards of precision) the musical linguist to uncover the identity of various sounds and the implications it has to the musical genius (musician). In my view, a romance with the sounds, purely mathematical in design, has led to music and will continue to do so. The supportive reason that all music and its types have the same classical base or should I say the same mathematical foundation establishes this thought. Since romance is both sweet and unreasonable, such a fine feeling can lead to beauty appealing to all senses. 

Sounds reveal a sequence of octaves which, when heard in that manner, appeals scientifically but neither emotionally nor sensually. However, imagining these octaves to have a subtle underlying significance with a lovely attachment to a child like innocence conceives the music. Such a conception is a result of the combination of romance and mathematics or one can say the combination of imagination and logic.

I am not in any way reducing music to mathematics; in fact, music, I would say, is a lot friendlier and sweeter.  In mathematics, the objective truth has “reason” to be correct. In music, the subjective imagination has “feeling” to be sweet. There can be no room for a debate in favor of true or untrue music.

Sweet music in its fine form, while it may be imperfect and unreasonable, reveals an appealing and imaginative chord that strokes the innocence in man. Cacophony, on the other hand, strikes the ear drums and ensures their destruction. Cacophony is a sneer on both mathematics (classical sounds) and music.

Imperfection makes music wonderful while perfection reduces it to the dismal and dull monotony of applied mathematics. Depth makes pure mathematics insightful but shallow mathematics has appeal only commercially. An explanation in this manner relates the brilliance of mathematics to the melody of music.

The More Inclusive Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Whoever said you can’t think is mistaken for intelligence is not the monopoly of one faculty of the brain. If you thought that intelligence was merely the ability to acquire knowledge and skills you are not being specific enough. There are many domains that require intelligence. Children have different skills and the reason is that they have easier access to certain faculties. This again does not mean that if a child is mathematically sharp he/she cannot necessarily relate to subjects, which needs imaginative thinking. Likewise if a child picks up a language fast and struggles in Mathematics it does not necessarily imply that he/she cannot master Maths. All it means is that the teacher needs to identify this differentiation so that individual strengths can be used to the advantage of the student even while teaching a subject that requires different faculties. 

Howard Gardner in 1983 proposed the theory of multiple intelligences. According to his theory a child who learns to add and subtract numbers of many digits easily is not necessarily more intelligent than a child who has difficulty in doing so. Traditional concepts of ‘intelligence’ have found high correlations between different aspects of intelligence whereas in the theory of multiple intelligences the correlations were found to be weak. Howard Gardner states that a human being has nine different kinds of intelligence. He defines intelligence as the ability to create a product or service that is valued in a context, as set of skills that makes it possible for an individual to solve problems in life and the ability to find creative solutions to problems that requires the acquisition of knowledge. 

In fact, Gardner's theory of M.I. is being applied in New City School in St.Louis, Missouri. Tutors can use this theory to find different ways of teaching a subject so that a particular student can relate to the subject with excitement. If it is Mathematics and a student finds it difficult to understand story problems the M.I. theory can be applied to tailor the subject to meet that learner’s specific needs. This is challenging for a tutor as learning cannot be taken for granted. The advantages of using M.I. theory are that it is learner-centric; it is a learning process not just for the learner but also the tutor, it gives opportunities for differently-abled students to relate to subjects and concepts like never before and it contributes towards the development of an inclusive community where every learner gets the chance to solve problems creatively using the gifts that are unique to them.

Expanding Young Minds With Physics

The purpose of the study of Science is to accurately explain how the universe functions.  Physics is a branch of Science that studies matter and motion by unraveling the nature of energy. It is incredible to think how the earth is suited to life. We tend to claim that earth has oxygen, carbon dioxide, sunlight and water, which is why it supports life. But that is not all. There is a dimension that involves advanced Physics which is fundamentally crucial to the life supporting mechanism in earth. It is not known at the moment whether life exists elsewhere but maybe over time in the future we may find out. When we talk about time and future we are fundamentally delving into Physics. Thinkers in the past have delved into two fundamental aspects of existence and they are meaning and perception. A part of Physics like the Sciences is based on the information received through sensory data. A part of it is an application of Mathematics which explores the significance of numerical data.

The study of Physics will get you to think about the basis of meaning and perception. It will make you ask questions that will open up the horizons of your thought. We need energy to move, act, think and discover. How does this energy work? This question will drive you to find answers with limited knowledge. To increase your knowledge you will need to understand the fundamentals of Physics. Your online tutor has to go into the depths of what it is that you need to understand to answer the question of how energy works. Usually when the subject is taught there is a methodology that is strictly adhered to. But in order to get students thinking, your tutor will have to involve you in the fundamental questions of the universe and life. There are two approaches; one is to move from the details and definitions to construct the big picture and the other is to move from the big picture to the details.

Students need to be made to relate to Physics and each person may have a different way of approaching it. He/she may try to outline the big picture of energy, motion and time and work his/her way through to the details. For some it may be the other way round. It does not matter because however unstructured an approach may be your tutor must bring about a synergy in your understanding of Physics. See how Physics expands your mind by motion, force and energy.

The Calculus Experience

The Calculus Experience

In the spirit of a challenge lies the soul of resistance. Learners tend to not appreciate a challenge if it threatens the conception of their ‘self’. A challenge must not throw a student's self esteem out of gear. In the interest of fresh minds encouragement fuels their enthusiasm like no other impetus. By getting learners to participate in the classroom experiential learning happens without inhibition. The tutor must remind the learner that making mistakes is by no means a taboo and numbers that were seen in the air by renowned Mathematicians were seen by human beings who were just as human as any other learner. Einstein said that he was not exceptionally smart but was just somebody who had sparkling curiosity.

If we can shift the preoccupation from being smart to being inquisitive we would be alarmed by not only our intensity of participation but also our unique creative play. This is how Calculus was discovered. Unfortunately formal classrooms do not nourish learning experiences well enough to stimulate unique perspectives. Isaac Newton had a different perspective when he had to find the area of a shaded region under the curve and above the axis. He felt that we should not be led to ask a specific question but a general one. The rationale behind this approach was that by answering a general question we would be able to determine the answer to the specific question.

Newton's insight came from a shift in paradigm from the linear approach. It is not rare to find students answering difficult problems with ease but struggling to answer simple ones. This could be because a difficult problem evokes free cognitive play whereby the existing schema is rattled thus bringing about a state of cognitive anarchy. Then there is room for creating a new order. This is how shifts in perspectives are achieved. The same can be said about various physicists and Mathematicians from time to time. 

Just think how delightful an experience it would be if our purpose in learning is to discover truths rather than merely get outstanding grades. Grades are just margins. They ought not to displace the imperatives of learning which are to comprehend fundamental concepts and discover insights while solving different problems. As teaching Mathematics is enhanced by available technology, such shifts in perspectives can be more easily stimulated. 

Classes conducted through the online medium automatically give time and space necessary for learners to validate insights. The benefits of technology enabled learning such as time and space enable students to learn by asking questions, even if it involves making mistakes. 

Why do we fall? - So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.