9 Helpful Tips for Learning A New Skill 

With the ubiquity of the internet, it is now easier than ever to learn a new skill. Learning a new skill is a great way to improve your career prospects, increase your understanding of how things work and also your health. According to Harvard Medical School, learning a new skill slows down the cognitive aging process, making you more mentally astute as you get older. The process of learning stimulates the growth of new brain cells, which expand our capacity to innovate and think deeply about problems.

According to Class Central in the By the Numbers: MOOCs in 2018, 101 million people have signed up for at least one online course, and more than 900 universities have launched an online course.  Online course platforms, especially MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) provide free online courses, which have interactive quizzes to test your knowledge and communities where you can ask questions from other students.  We have created a small presentation that outlines some of the online course platforms that are available for those with an internet connection and a few hours a day.

In this post, we’ll be covering some simple steps to take when you’re learning a new skill. These steps will help you learn the right way, gain the knowledge you need and complete the course. They will also help you to retain that knowledge so that you won’t need a refresher course afterward.

Research Learning Resources

Before you decide on a skill to learn, do some research to find learning resources for that skill. Research can range from doing a simple Google search to find out what resources are out there for it to asking friends/colleagues who have acquired that skill what resources they use. If you find out that there aren’t enough online resources for the skill of your choice, supplement what you find with offline resources.  Good learning resources are; engaging, up-to-date on the topic, presented in a meaningful way, relevant, and well-structured. To help you decide, Online courses usually have a rating that shows what people think of the course, pay attention to this as well as reviews submitted by previous students. Once you have done sufficient research on learning resources, you can then go-ahead to start learning

Practice what you learn

Practice, Practice, and Practice. This helps you reinforce your learning because knowledge is useless if it is not applied productively. The best time to practice is immediately after learning a concept, and it’s advisable to try an example mentioned in your learning resource. Take small steps like replacing the values mentioned in the example with your own values, and then try solving a similar problem afterward. Practicing helps you see where you still have knowledge gaps, and improves your chances of success.

Create A Schedule

Learning without order is chaos. Have a schedule to help you break your learning into time blocks that allow you to learn enough each day. An hour or 2 a day is enough time to grasp a concept. This schedule also enables consistency, which is important in anything you are trying to learn. Inconsistency makes you feel bored and once that happens, you lose track of what you are learning. Also, create a study plan which lets you choose a time to revisit concepts that you have learned. This can be within your schedule or have a separate time of its own. A study plan allows you to take a look at concepts you have learned and reflect on what you have learned.

Test your Knowledge with a Project

Test your knowledge by applying what you have learned to a real-life project or situation. This gives you a clearly defined outcome, something to work towards. A good example of this would be a situation where you are learning how to code. In a situation like that, it’s good to have an idea of an application you want to work on, this way you are able to build something at the end of the learning process. Testing your knowledge with a project also lets you create material to include in a portfolio or resume, especially if it’s a project you intend to receive publicly.

Identify your Learning goals and expectations

When all of your learning resources have been researched and selected, you have to ask yourself what your goals and expectations are. Knowing what you would like to learn helps you to measure your progress and to know if you need to dedicate more time to it. After identifying your goals and objectives, promise yourself rewards which would apply when you achieve your goals and meet your objectives. Motivation and planning are key to successful learning outcomes.

Have an accountability partner

How do you stay on track while you’re learning? How do you stay motivated when you are about to give up? You need an accountability partner who is there to ask about your progress and to find out if you are still on track. This person can either be someone who has learned the skill and is currently practicing or a fellow student. Having someone keep you accountable encourages you to complete your learning and to stay focused.

Create an enabling environment

An enabling environment is everything when it comes to learning. You can’t learn effectively if you are uncomfortable. Create a dedicated study space at home and make use of quiet spaces close to your home or office. An ideal space should be free of distractions and noise in order to help you stay focused. 

Ask Questions

Ask questions, there are no stupid ones. There are a variety of places where you can ask questions: Forums, Search engines, At events, In person. Asking questions helps you to avoid reinventing the wheel, and saves time. According to Isha Sood of eLearning Industry, a good question has 7 characteristics: It is;

• Clear
• Concise
• Purposeful
• Relevant
• Single dimensional
• Stimulating
• Guiding                                          

Request Feedback where possible

Not sure how you’re doing? Request feedback. When you are learning, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your work. Feedback helps you maximize your potential and raises your awareness of what to improve on. It also helps you identify actions that you need to take to improve in areas of weakness. Seek out those who have the skill you are learning within your community or online and start a conversation letting them know your progress and asking them to take a look at your work. You’ll be surprised at how many people out there are willing to help