Learning How to Learn

I've been taking an online course offered by Coursera that I'm really excited about:

Learning How to Learn

I find that many of the techniques discussed aren't really new to me. But now they are much more concrete as there is a "name" associated with them.  This helps reinforce when I should apply those techniques and in what circumstances.

For example, the course discusses focused vs. diffused modes of thinking.  I've found in daily life that taking a short break, such as a walk, helps organize my thoughts and make connections.  I now have a name for that.

This idea of having terminology associated with something I'm already doing isn't new.  Another example is Design Patterns.  When I first read this book I wondered why it was such a big deal.  But I realized that it helps establish a common set of terms I could use when discussing concepts with others.

I highly encourage you to take a look at Learning How to Learn - even if you've done well historically with learning new material.  It's great to know these techniques and put a "name to the face".

Employee Benefit - A Story

Recently the company I work at decided to purchase a Ping Pong table. There were many good reasons for this including a desire to get our various departments interacting with each other in an informal setting.

As you can imagine there are various Ping Pong tables available with different characteristics. Some of these "features" appeal to more experienced players versus beginners. Other characteristics are more operational in nature. For example, some Ping Pong tables can be folded and feature wheels. This doesn't affect how good the table is in terms of playability. But it definitely can help when you need to "live" with the table and don't want it taking up a lot of space when not playing.

This brings up an interesting point - what are the operational characteristics about a Ping Pong table that need to be considered? Browsing for Ping Pong tables can help as we may not think about the space requirements until we notice that some of them fold and that gets us thinking. But many times the operational characteristics aren't tied to a feature.

Ok, so back to our table. A few interesting things happened within a couple of weeks.

Set up of the table became more onerous as the novelty wore off.  The table is 2 separate halves and the net needs to be connected separately.

Space for the table.

Space for the table is limited.  Original location didn't work out as it's on a second floor outdoor balcony and the ball can easily bounce/roll off.

Half the table.  Balls easily escape.

Paddles are stored away in a separate room from the table.

Paddles/balls here.

Net is rolled up here.

Due to these issues the usage of the Ping Pong table has fallen off to virtually none after only a few weeks.

This should remind us that the operational characteristics are more important than the initial acquisition. This may be difficult to see up front, especially if you are in an environment where the acquisition can take weeks/months due to various process/budget reasons. But not examining the operational characteristics means that you've spent a lot of hard work to acquire something that doesn't meet your goals. In this case, the goal of getting various departments to interact is left unfulfilled.

But we have a nice folding Ping Pong table...  ;-)