Ten-second micro breaks can greatly accelerate learning

[JGeropoulas]

This YouTube short presented an intriguing, simple technique to accelerate learning that seems worth considering and researching.

 

[Tuatha de Danaan]

This YouTube short presented an intriguing, simple technique to accelerate learning that seems worth considering and researching.

Could you hazard a guess the length of time between stops. I've got a timer I would love to use as an experiment but he doesn't say how long. Would you be able to take a guess?

It's a very interesting idea . Thanks JGeropoulas.

 

[JGeropoulas]

Could you hazard a guess the length of time between stops. I've got a timer I would love to use as an experiment but he doesn't say how long. Would you be able to take a guess?

It's a very interesting idea . Thanks JGeropoulas.

One study alternated 10-second periods of effort and rest, but that doesn't seem very practical for real world applications:
"The subjects sat in a chair facing a computer screen and under a long cone-shaped brain scanning cap. The experiment began when they were shown a series of numbers on a screen and asked to type the numbers as many times as possible with their left hands for 10 seconds; take a 10-second break; and then repeat this trial cycle of alternating practice and rest 35 more times." How taking breaks helps your brain learn new skills

Another study had this to say: "research suggests that, when faced with long tasks (such as studying before a final exam or doing your taxes), it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task! This study is consistent with the idea that the brain is built to detect and respond to change, and suggests that prolonged attention to a single task actually hinders performance."

Brief diversions vastly improve focus, researchers find

A University of Illinois experiment shows that waning focus isn’t caused by a drained “attention tank” at all—it’s the brain getting bored. When volunteers tackled a mind-numbing computer task for nearly an hour, their accuracy nosedived—unless they were interrupted twice by a tiny, unrelated...

www.sciencedaily.com

One thought is that when you're studying or learning a new skill and get to that point you feel like taking a break, instead of forcing ourselves forward like good little Stoics , maybe we should take those 10-second breaks.

 

[3DStudent]

Interesting concept. 10 seconds is a lot less than the traditional pomodoro technique, which is 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest. I found this online timer for this technique:

MicroBreaks Focus Timer

Increase your study effectiveness with the gap technique. Have 10s microbreaks at random intervals with this timer

www.microbreaks.co

 

[JGeropoulas]

Interesting concept. 10 seconds is a lot less than the traditional pomodoro technique, which is 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest. I found this online timer for this technique:

MicroBreaks Focus Timer

Increase your study effectiveness with the gap technique. Have 10s microbreaks at random intervals with this timer

www.microbreaks.co

This technique seems to be addressing the neurological structure of the brain, which acclimates (i.e. "falls asleep") quickly in response to routine (e.g. studying, practicing), with these micro-breaks serving to interrupt this auto-pilot mode and reinvigorate active consciousness (i.e. "wake us up"). These micro-breaks are periodic check-in's with the ultimate reality--being in the present moment, "the holiness of true existence".