Inaugural Address 2024 | The Art of Learning: A Guide for College Success

Lisa Quan  | 18 de enero de 2024  | Vistas: 116

Roberto Quevedo, Vice President at UFM, extended a warm welcome to students, professors, and dignitaries to the 2024 inaugural address of Universidad Francisco Marroquín. He introduced Barbara Oakley, a distinguished writer, professor, and engineer, as the keynote speaker for the inaugural address at Universidad Francisco Marroquín.

Barbara Oakley commenced by sharing her personal journey of learning, pursuing her dreams, and the evolution of the path that led to her professional passion. One particularly fascinating experience she shared was her determination to learn multiple languages, leading her to join the army, and then pursue her dreams.

Barbara explained the new insights of neuroscience and cognitive psychology to learn more effectively. Through the use of analogies, she demystified the functions of neurons and illustrated how the brain processes new information.

The brain is enormously complex, but the foundation of learning is really that building block in the base of the brain which is the neuron.”

The lecture delved into one of its central themes: retrieval practice, as emphasized by Barbara Oakley, proved to be a powerful technique for efficient learning. Oakley illustrated how the brain functions in both focus and diffuse modes, both contributing to the acquisition and retention of new information.

Don’t give up on your sleep, that actually is part where your learning takes place.”

Finally, Barbara explained the pomodoro technique, a method involving the elimination of all distractions and setting a 25-minute timer to concentrate on learning, followed by a 5-minute break as a reward. This structured approach facilitates the assimilation of information and the creation of meaningful links in the learning process. Oakley emphasized the importance of retrieval practice for establishing long-term memory and truly mastering a subject.

If you are like Ramón y Cajal are no genius, rejoice, because you can sometimes do things even geniuses can not, and UFM will help you to spark that wonderful brilliance that is within your mind.”