Archive for the ‘Learning – mind expansion’ Category

Mastering math … or anything else.

May 30, 2018

Some insights on the science & practice of learning.

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Interesting article buried in a weekend edition of the WSJ: “How a Polymath Mastered Math—and So Can You”

The subject polymath (a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning) is Prof. Barbara Oakley.

To make her long story short, she was a self-proclaimed horrible math student in high school, dove back into math in her mid-20s, and is now an engineering professor..

“Her progression from desultory student to respected scholar led her to a sideline in the study of learning itself.”

She is the author of ‘A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even if You Flunked Algebra)’ and ‘Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential’.

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Here are a few snippets from the article …

(more…)

Posted in Education - Academics, Learning - mind expansion, Mindshift | 1 Comment »

Should chess be taught in schools?

July 11, 2017

Chess players are smarter – DNA or training?

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Interesting article from the American Council of Science and Health …

A group of researchers examined people who do and do not play chess.

The question: are chess players smarter than non-chess players?

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Here’s what the researchers found …

(more…)

Posted in Cognitive Skills, Education - Academics, IQ - IQ Scores, Learning - mind expansion | Leave a Comment »

Want to estimate somebody’s IQ?

July 10, 2017

Ask them what their college major was.

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As the American Council of Science and Health puts it:

Though we don’t like to admit it, intelligence and IQ matter.

Creative people tend to have higher IQs.

Expertise, in any area, generally requires a higher IQ.

One research study concluded that a degree in math or physics takes an IQ of at least 120.

Taking the converse of that last point a step further, an analysis by Quartz indicates that a person’s college major serves as a good proxy for intellectual aptitude.

The Quartz analysis wasn’t able to determine the average IQ by college major, but it was able to triangulate from several cognitive metrics that all converged on a similar pattern.

So, extrapolating to IQ from a metric like SAT or GRE scores isn’t a big leap.

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Let’s drill down on the findings …

(more…)

Posted in Education - Academics, IQ - IQ Scores, Learning - mind expansion | 3 Comments »

Mastering math … or anything else.

July 6, 2017

Some insights on the science & practice of learning.

=======

Interesting article buried in the  WSJ: “How a Polymath Mastered Math—and So Can You”

The subject polymath (a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning) is Prof. Barbara Oakley.

To make her long story short, she was a self-proclaimed horrible math student in high school, dove back into math in her mid-20s, and is now an engineering professor..

“Her progression from desultory student to respected scholar led her to a sideline in the study of learning itself.”

She is the author of ‘A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even if You Flunked Algebra)’ and ‘Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential’.

clip_image002

Here are a few snippets from the article …

(more…)

Posted in Education - Academics, Learning - mind expansion, Mindshift | Leave a Comment »

Mastering math … or anything else.

May 25, 2017

Some insights on the science & practice of learning.

=======

Interesting article buried in the weekend edition of the WSJ: “How a Polymath Mastered Math—and So Can You”

The subject polymath (a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning) is Prof. Barbara Oakley.

To make her long story short, she was a self-proclaimed horrible math student in high school, dove back into math in her mid-20s, and is now an engineering professor..

“Her progression from desultory student to respected scholar led her to a sideline in the study of learning itself.”

She is the author of ‘A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even if You Flunked Algebra)’ and ‘Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential’.

clip_image002

Here are a few snippets from the article …

(more…)

Posted in Education - Academics, Learning - mind expansion, Mindshift | Leave a Comment »