How the Brain Learns: Study Smarter, Not Harder

Name: How the Brain Learns: Study Smarter, Not Harder
Rating: 4.1 (9 reviews)

Cognitive Study Skills to Hack Your Brain & Learn Anything

Created byAnna Moss

Last updated 3/2026

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Identify and apply effective study strategies that strengthen long-term memory and learning retention.
Create personalized study tools (like brain dumps, flashcards, and DIY study guides) that support active learning.
Compare effective and ineffective study methods, explaining why some approaches (like rereading) don’t lead to lasting learning.
Develop a study plan that uses spacing, retrieval, and reflection to improve academic performance over time.

Course content

1 section • 11 lectures • 1h 6m total length

Introduction3:15
Begin a brain-based study skills workshop by exploring handwritten versus typed note-taking, planning brain-dump moments, and practicing active recall through reflection to boost memory.
Active Recall Intro3:35
Illustrate how memory strengthens through steady practice over time rather than cramming, using real-life stories to show patience, spaced review, and active recall.
Active Recall Pt.26:54
Practice active recall to actively retrieve memories, transforming information from short-term into durable long-term memory. Repeated retrieval strengthens brain connections as neurons encode new knowledge.
Active Recall
Building Brain "Muscle"6:29
Strengthen neural connections through repetition and spacing while using retrieval techniques to improve quick access to learned facts, reducing reliance on last-minute cramming.
Building Brain Muscle
Which Study Methods Work?10:57
Explore why active recall and spaced repetition beat rereading and highlighting, and learn to use flashcards, brain dumps, and quizzes like Kahoot to study effectively.
Which Study Methods Work?
Kahoot: Pros and Cons5:23
Discover how Kahoot enhances learning through active recall, immediate feedback, and engaging quizzes, with ready-made and customizable options for in-person or remote study.
Brain Dump6:48
Explore how active recall boosts memory and deep learning, comparing it with rereading, and practice a brain dump to retrieve and apply knowledge through quizzes and flashcards.
Brain Dumps
DIY Study Guides5:42
Turn notes into an easy, self-tested study guide using active recall with brain dumps and fill-in-the-blank formats. Review these key guides repeatedly to reinforce brain connections and improve recall.
Spaced Repetition Intro4:57
Explore spaced repetition and active recall through asynchronous quizzes, comparing to Kahoot, and learn how the forgetting curve shows seven days leading to 90% forgotten without review.
Spaced Repetition8:14
Explore spaced repetition and the forgetting curve to optimize memory, using active recall and desirable difficulty through quizzes, flashcards, notes, and regular review.
Spaced Repetition
Thank You!4:11
Practice active recall through self testing to lock in learning and slow the forgetting curve, then review with brain dumps or questions using spaced repetition apps like Anki and Memrise.

Requirements

You don’t need any special background or experience to take this course — everyone can join!

Description

Did you know the human brain forgets up to 50% of what it learns within just 24 hours? Discover why - and how to prevent it - in this fascinating exploration of how the brain learns.

After completing this course, you will know the following:

- How to quickly convince your brain to form long-term memories

- The neuroscience behind why students work hard to learn something one day but forget it the next

- How to implement the science-backed strategies of active recall and spaced repetition

- Which common study techniques have been found to be shockingly ineffective for long-term learning and what to do instead

- What free apps can help you study smarter, not harder - and easy, completely screen-free options, too!

- Super-quick, science-based study techniques that are ridiculously easy to squeeze into your busy schedule

Although aimed at upper high school and early college, this class has been popular with everyone from adults to homeschoolers as young as 5th grade, who studied with help from their parents.

This class will teach you all the best strategies that I learned during my time at the University of Cambridge (MPhil Psychology & Education) and my many years as a middle and high school educator as the founder of Mind the Test Tutoring.

Many thanks to my favorite education psychology writers and researchers whose ideas have inspired and appeared in this course: Ali Abdaal, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel, Peter C. Brown, Patrice Bain, and Pooja K. Agarwal.

Who this course is for:

This course is for anyone who wants to get better at learning and remembering things, people who feel like they “forget everything” after studying, learners who want to spend less time cramming and more time actually understanding