The Illusion of Learning

Many students fall into the trap of believing they are learning by simply rereading and underlining texts. Ahrens advocates for deliberate practice, which involves actively engaging with the material, testing oneself, and confronting gaps in knowledge. 'The one who does the work does the learning,' Ahrens quotes Doyle (2008). By taking smart notes and combining them with other ideas, learners can create a rich, interconnected web of knowledge.