Memorizing the contents does not mean learning them. Usually, most of us do not understand the issues as we think. How many times have you learned something, and after a while, you couldn’t remember it or explain it to another person? According to the physicist named Richard Feynman, if you cannot explain a complex concept in simple language, it means that you have not understood it well. In other words, teaching others can be the best way to learn. Stay with us until the end of the article to learn more about Richard Feynman and his learning technique.
Who was Richard Feynman?
Many consider Richard Phillips Feynman, the American theoretical physicist, to be the most brilliant, influential, and tradition-breaking figure in his field in the post-World War II era. Feynman reconstructed quantum electrodynamics (the theory of the interaction between light and matter) and changed science’s understanding of the nature of waves and particles. In 1965, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on quantum electrodynamics (jointly with two other scientists). Feynman performed a whole series of experiments, linking the various phenomena of light, radio, electricity, and magnetism.
The problem-solving tools he invented spread throughout many areas of theoretical physics in the second half of the 20th century. One of these tools is the visual representation of particle interactions, also called the Feynman diagram.
When Richard Feynman was preparing a lecture for first-year college students, he realized that if we can’t explain something to others, we don’t understand it. He had a unique talent for conveying complex issues to others in words that were easier to understand.
What is the Feynman technique?
Feynman’s technique is a mental model for deep learning and simplifying problems. Although Richard Feynman invented this technique for his personal use, today, his notes have made their way into popular culture, and many articles have been written about how to study better.
The Feynman method is a four-step process used to learn almost anything. The Feynman technique can increase the brain‘s ability to understand complex concepts and generate deep learning strategies. This method can be used to quickly understand new concepts and fill the gaps in your knowledge. If you want a complete understanding of a subject, you should try to describe it in simple language. Describing issues in simple language means understanding and understanding them completely.
Steps of Feynman’s technique
As we said, Feynman’s technique consists of 4 steps. The steps of this technique are: studying, teaching, identifying gaps, and simplifying. Learning to play chess can provide an excellent illustration of the advantages and limitations of Feynman’s approach. Therefore, in the following, we have described the use of this technique to learn the game of chess.
1. Studying the topic
In the first learning stage, we need a notebook or laptop, a pen or keyboard, and white paper or a screen. First, we write down everything we already know about chess. It doesn’t matter how trivial this knowledge may seem. Identifying the frontier of the unknown is a good starting point for further study and research. We may only know what pieces we have and how some can move on the chessboard.
Of course, in the Feynman technique, we don’t just write down what we know but want to analyze and categorize what we learn. This helps us structure our study and prioritize some aspects over others. In the example of chess, this category can include the history of the game, different types of chess, the rules of the game, and its strategic aspects.
The first stage of Feynman’s technique is quite dynamic and intuitive. In this stage, we write down and reorganize our knowledge, and when faced with new materials, we make connections between them and our previous knowledge.
2. Training
In the second step, you must teach what you have just learned. Conducting a natural person is much more effective and challenging than teaching an imaginary person because you get to know if you understand what you are teaching. Even the most literate experts may be surprised by the intelligent questions of their students.
If you perform well, you will have an interactive and two-way experience, and your study results will be challenged. You’re forced to clarify things, explain them in more or less detail, answer questions, explain the jargon, and look at things from perspectives you didn’t even think of.
There is no age limit for the person you are explaining the content to, but don’t forget that the younger this person is, the simpler the content should be. If you simplify the material so much that all essential details are omitted, your teaching may backfire. For example, to explain the vaccine to a 2-year-old child, you can say that the doctor is giving you medicine so that you don’t get sick. But if you pardon the same issue to a 10-year-old child, you can explain how the vaccine works and prevents the disease.
3. Identifying knowledge gaps
You may think you have learned the topic, but when you think about what you want to say, you realize that you didn’t get some details right, or sometimes a student asks a question you don’t know the best answer to.
No matter how prepared you are, students will always find a way to spot gaps in your expertise. Your task is to find those gaps and read about them while teaching. Have you explained everything correctly, or have you inadvertently invented a new form of chess? An astute student may know that the king can sometimes move two squares instead of 1. Are you familiar with the small rook and rook moves (a tactic to keep the king safe)? If you are unaware, you should read the rules and strategies of chess again.
Another challenge in the third step is identifying the knowledge gap you face. That is, where the problem is your lack of knowledge and not having enough teaching expertise. Maybe you have fully understood the rules of chess, but you did not have the right approach to transfer your knowledge. This might give you a false sense of mastery. In other words, you don’t even know whether Feynman’s technique worked for you.
If they ask you a question, you can’t answer, honestly say, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” Then review the content one more time.
4. Simplify the description
So far, by learning the subject, you have taken the first steps to understand the issue; by teaching what you have learned, you have tested your knowledge and eliminated the existing gaps. Now it’s time to take another look at the topic. Learn about chess and review all notes, categories, definitions, structures, descriptions, images, and examples. Do they all still make sense to you? Most importantly, is everything still connected?
According to Feynman’s technique, you must simplify everything you have learned. Imagine breaking a car down into its parts like a car engine. Then you separate the engine components. You do the same with the cylinder and so on. You continue this until you understand what each part does and how it interacts with the other components. Of course, this process is more abstract in learning chess, but overall your goal is to organize your mind and simplify the subject so that you can understand it as quickly as possible.
What should we do if we don’t find someone to teach the material?
We can use the Feynman technique in various ways, such as explaining things to friends or family. But sometimes, others don’t want to listen to our explanations. In this case, we can explain things to an imaginary person. Of course, there is a better way. This method uses a notebook and pen and writes your explanation on paper. In the process of noting the contents instead of explaining them to others, act as follows:
- First, write the name of the concept or topic you want to learn.
- Then explain it in your own words. The description should be as if you want to teach someone. Make sure to explain everything clearly and use examples if necessary.
- Go through the description again and look for further explanation and simplification. Then read your writing to get a better understanding of the topic.
- Make sure that even someone with little knowledge of the topic can understand it using more straightforward terms.
final word
Feynman’s technique is one of the easiest methods to quickly and effectively learn complex concepts. If you use this method correctly, you will no longer need to memorize the content. Although memorization is essential to learning any subject, it does not guarantee a complete understanding of concepts. The way to increase knowledge is to describe the issue using appropriate examples and more straightforward language.
