How to Accelerate Your Learning by Teaching Others #MMBA5

Learning a new subject matter can be a daunting task that requires a lot of concentration and effort. Depending on the complexity and novelty of the topic, you may need to spend hours or days to grasp the main concepts and principles. However, there is a way to speed up your learning process and make it more effective: teach or explain what you have learned to someone else.

Why does this work?

There are several reasons why teaching or explaining a subject matter to others can enhance your own learning and understanding. Here are some of them:

• Active reading: When you read a material with the intention of teaching or explaining it later, you become more alert and attentive to the details and the big picture. You try to find the patterns and connections that make sense of the topic, and you look for the key points and ideas that capture the essence of the subject matter. You also ask yourself questions and try to anticipate the questions that others may have. This way, you engage in active reading, which is a more effective way of learning than passive reading, where you just skim through the material without much reflection or analysis.
• Note taking: When you prepare to teach or explain a subject matter to others, you usually take notes of the important information, concepts, and examples that you want to convey. This process of writing down what you have learned helps to reinforce your memory and comprehension. Writing also helps you to organize your thoughts and structure your arguments. By taking notes, you create a summary and a review of the material that you can use later to refresh your knowledge and recall the main points.
• Social pressure: When you teach or explain a subject matter to others, you face the challenge of communicating clearly and convincingly. You want to avoid making mistakes or sounding confused, as that would damage your credibility and reputation. Therefore, you put more effort and time into studying and understanding the material, and you practice and rehearse your presentation or explanation. You also test your knowledge and understanding by asking yourself or others questions, and by seeking feedback and criticism. This way, you improve your confidence and mastery of the subject matter.

How to apply this strategy?

If you want to use this strategy to accelerate your learning, you can do the following:

• Find an opportunity to teach or explain what you have learned to someone else. It can be a friend, a family member, a colleague, a classmate, or even a stranger online. You can also create a blog, a podcast, a video, or a social media post where you share your knowledge and insights with others.
• Before you teach or explain, review the material and take notes of the main points and ideas. Try to summarize the material in your own words, and use examples and analogies to illustrate your points. Think of the questions that others may have, and prepare your answers.
• When you teach or explain, be clear and concise. Use simple and precise language, and avoid jargon and technical terms. Use visuals and gestures to support your verbal communication. Check for understanding and engagement, and invite questions and feedback. Be open to different perspectives and opinions, and admit when you don’t know something or when you are wrong.
• After you teach or explain, reflect on your experience and evaluate your performance. Identify what you did well and what you can improve. Seek more feedback and criticism from others, and learn from your mistakes. Review the material again and fill in any gaps or errors in your knowledge and understanding.