What Are The 4 Steps In The Feynman Technique?

Do you find that traditional learning methods aren’t working well for your child? Learning is challenging at the best of times, but sometimes studying and memorization just aren’t enough for complex subjects. For a new approach, you may wish to consider the Feynman method.

What is the Feynman learning method? This is a methodological approach to learning new information developed by Richard Feynman, a Nobel prize winner and pioneer in the subject of quantum electrodynamics. Feynman realized that such complex topics weren’t always easy to learn, even for adults – so he devised a new way of learning.

The beauty of his method is that it can be applied to any concept, from multiplication to school history. Here’s how it works and how to apply the Feynman technique to your child’s schoolwork.

What are the four steps in the Feynman technique?
The Feynman technique is a series of four steps that should be moved through in order. However, if the student is struggling with any of them, it’s fine to go back and repeat each step until they feel confident in their knowledge. There’s no set timeline and you can take as long as you need to move through this learning process.

Here’s a general overview of the process, step by step.

1. Decide what you’d like to learn

First, decide what you want to learn. The key to this is to be as specific as possible. For example, if you’re interested in biology, don’t just say you want to learn about biology as a general subject. Instead, narrow it down to something like understanding the hereditary genetics experiments of Gregor Mendel.

Once you identify your area of focus, write it down on a sheet of paper. Then, start reading and learning and write down everything you’ve learned in your notebook, in the simplest possible terms. Although this step can be done digitally, handwriting notes on paper can actually stimulate brain development in children, so there are benefits to writing rather than typing.

As your knowledge grows, continue to write everything down. You may wish to track your knowledge over time by dating each entry or using a different colored pen.

2. Teach the topic to someone else

Feel like you’ve mastered Mendel’s laws of genetics? If so, the next step is to explain what you know to someone else – ideally, a child. Teach them about the topic in the simplest possible terms. This is because Feynman noted that we often hide behind jargon and complex terms, but in reality, we don’t always know what they mean.

You can use your notes, from step one, as a reference if needed. If you’re able to successfully communicate a complex topic to another person who might not know anything about it, this is a strong indicator that you’ve mastered it yourself.

3. Review gaps in your knowledge

Next, think back to step two. While you were teaching someone else, did you come across any areas where you were confused or couldn’t properly explain certain parts of the subject? Encourage the other person to ask questions too, as this can be a good way to test your knowledge.

Spend some time reviewing gaps in your knowledge. Note elements of the topic that you need to know more about and then start reading and learning about these topics. Keep going until you’re sure you’ve gotten everything straight in your mind (and in your notes).

4. Review and organize your understanding of the topic

In the last step, consider teaching the material to one more person, knowing that you’ve now improved your own knowledge in step three. Once they’re able to understand the topic clearly, you know that you’ve developed a solid grasp of the material.

Finally, update your notes with all of your knowledge on the subject, clearly organized into whatever format works best for you. As you continue to learn new topics, you can create a notebook or spreadsheet of all of your knowledge. That way, you can review your information whenever you need a refresher.

Why does the Feynman technique work?

The Feynman technique works well for several reasons. First, it challenges students to really master all of the details of a subject by breaking it down from complex theories and elements into simple, basic language that anyone can understand. It’s easy for us to focus on buzzwords, acronyms, or complicated language and breeze past it, without taking the time to truly learn it. Feynman believed that having the ability to convert a complicated topic into something anyone could understand was a powerful way to learn something yourself.

The method is also effective because it allows students to learn by teaching others. By teaching someone else – either via a presentation, orally, or just in casual conversation – it forces the student to confront how much they really know about the topic and can help them cement their knowledge into their minds.

How do you use the Feynman method while studying?

You can easily incorporate Feynman’s methods of learning into a child’s studying or homework routine. Start by asking them to pick an element of their curriculum that they find interesting, then help them create a page for their notes. Creating an effective at-home learning environment, free from distractions, will help too, giving them a productive place to make their notes and do their studying.

Once they’re ready, ask your child to prepare a presentation for you (or for their tutor) and to teach the subject matter. Let them deliver the information however they want – it’s OK to make a diorama, use PowerPoint, or even draw pictures. The main point is that it helps them enjoy learning by immersing them in the subject material.

For many students, homework doesn’t always help them learn – it’s simply looking for answers in textbooks, writing them on the homework papers, and then forgetting what they’ve learned. But by adding the Feynman technique into their studies, you may find that they improve memory of the subject, enjoy it more, and feel more confident in their knowledge. Try it out today, as many students (and academics!) consider it one of the most effective ways to learn a complex topic.

 

Featured image by Katerina Holmes on Pexels