6/15/23, 7:38 PM Cave Theory Example - iCanStudy

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Cave Theory Example

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In this example, we will go through how cave learning works through a real-life scenario. Think of a hobby,
series, sport or instrument. Do not think about a subject in school.

Now, think about how you would teach someone from scratch about it.

You can see that this would be very different from how you learn in subjects from school. This
means that the knowledge you know the best tends to actually be things that you don’t even try to
remember!

We will train you to reconnect yourselves with this inherent, hard-wired, highly efficient method of learning
to seriously boost your retention and eventually (when the technique becomes unconsciously competent),
your speed. Once you are able to learn in this way, you will feel that studying is not only much easier and
more natural, but even enjoyable!

 Take Notes

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6/15/23, 7:38 PM Cave Theory Example - iCanStudy

Our brain adapted to learn from information in our environment to keep us safe. 

Our brain adapted to learn things in whatever order was necessary to solve problems. 

We use artificial techniques when studying academically, even though we still have the ability 
to use much more organic methods of learning, which we can see through how we learn things
outside of school that we are genuinely interested in.

Your result  Wrong answers: 1  Progress: 3/3

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2/3

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47 COMMENTS  Most Voted 

Andrew Collishaw
 1 year ago
 Take Notes

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6/15/23, 7:38 PM Cave Theory Example - iCanStudy

Love this! I play the violin and what Justin says really resonates. (i did use flash cards to help with all the
scales!) but there is definitely a massively huge ‘organic’ component for sure, to playing. And I’m the first
to leave a comment here. Yeh! I like to be first!!!
23 Reply

Ahmed El Asmai
 Reply to Andrew Collishaw  1 year ago

lmao

1 Reply

Aaditya Singh
 1 year ago

riding a bike a good example (took me around a week or so )

6 Reply

Eveline Mallezie
 1 year ago

I feel like I’m starting to get the first glimpses of this with some of my experiments using the techniques
I’ve learnt so far. I’m excited for to see where the next stages of the course will take me!
6 Reply

Faizaan Aslam
 10 months ago

In a way, isn’t going through the iCS lectures as per the curriculum another form of artificial learning?
Especially considering how we’re expected to take notes of each lecture too
3 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Faizaan Aslam  10 months ago

Only if you treat it artificially and not think about the problem solving aspects as you are going through
the course.
 Take Notes

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3 Reply

Gregory Dias
 1 year ago

Just gotta say thank you because Ive felt this way for so long and been so confused by it. I thought I was
dumb then I wondered why I learn and retain things, even very specific facts (Dates etc) about certain
things I enjoy but when you ask me to study something I forget so much! love it
2 Reply

Leigh Gembus
 11 months ago

This is quite obvious when I think about piano; you can only learn the instrument by playing. It doesn’t
matter how many flash cards you do, or books you read on the topic – it doesn’t transfer to the act of
playing the piano.
This seems so obvious, but education forces you into notes and revision as opposed to “doing”. An
insightful video, Justin. Thank you.
2 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Leigh Gembus  11 months ago

That’s right, which is why notes and revision needs to be done properly to ensure your studying
produces learning

1 Reply

Sharin Islam
 10 months ago

i always good at playing chess and beat champion and got championship in my school but never got
good grades in school.
I never learnt chess from chess master.People used to say you are good at chess and often I ask myself
why not in study.
I always had to put overwhelming hard work to study but never in chess game.
1 Reply

 Take Notes

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6/15/23, 7:38 PM Cave Theory Example - iCanStudy

Mikaela Kameni
 1 year ago

Hi, I can’t press the finished next button in the top right hand corner. I completed the 3 question quiz.
0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Mikaela Kameni  1 year ago

Hi Mikaela,
Did you get all the questions correct int he quiz?

1 Reply

Wi Tanto
 1 year ago

Hi everyone, I can’t seem to get pass Question 1 in Cave Theory Example. After answering the question,
the next question does not appear and there is no button to move to next page. I’ve rechecked previous
steps to see if there is anything missed but can’t identify any. Any suggestions? Thank you.
0 Reply

Wi Tanto
 Reply to Wi Tanto  1 year ago

Sorry folks, the following questions popped up afterward. I can move on to next section now.

0 Reply

Peter Poledna
 1 year ago

I cant continue although I answered all questions correctly please help

0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Peter Poledna  1 year ago

Please press “finished, next” on the top right, once you have finished the activities on the lesson.
I have done that for you here, so you have access to the next lesson.
 Take Notes

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0 Reply

Peter Poledna
 Reply to Ashton Sheares  1 year ago

Thank you so much for your very quick help. But just if someone else comes across this bug: I
tried like 10 times and it wasnt possible to press this button.

0 Reply

Sidney Nova
 1 year ago

Really relate to this. For me, my best skill is composing. I would read about music concepts in music
theory books, and then apply them in my own work. I learnt really quickly that way.
0 Reply

anjali bhardwaj
 1 year ago

hi im not able to click the” finished, next!” button despite having completed the quiz correctly. what
should i do?
0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to anjali bhardwaj  1 year ago

Hi Anjali, I have logged on to your account and everything seems to be working. I have gone ahead to
complete this lesson so you have access to the next lesson now.

0 Reply

Soham gawande
 10 months ago

This approach makes way much sense than what we’re conditioned to do !!
0 Reply

 Take Notes

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Maxime VAUDRAN
 9 months ago

Hi,
I can’t press the finished next button in the top right hand corner. I completed the 3 question quiz.
I get all the questions correct in the quiz.
0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Maxime VAUDRAN  9 months ago

Hi Maxime, I have been able to unlock the next lesson. I have progressed you to the next lesson on
your account.

0 Reply

Stephen Harris
 Reply to Ashton Sheares  1 month ago

I’m having the same issue as this person! Can’t progress even though I’ve finished the quiz.

0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Stephen Harris  1 month ago

Hi Stephen, It’s working when I am using your account. If it happens in the future, try
logging out and restarting your browser/computer.

0 Reply

Maxime VAUDRAN
 Reply to Ashton Sheares  9 months ago

Thank you Ashton.

I don’t know why, I always have this problem from the beginning.
Bizarre!

0 Reply

Jessica Ann Jorge

 8 months ago Take Notes
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6/15/23, 7:38 PM Cave Theory Example - iCanStudy

This video has redefined my perspective on learning, and how I was one of the students that did fall prey
to the rigid and fixed mindset of learning that schooling has ingrained in us. I can only make it up to my
younger self by setting myself free from the shackles and to be the best and efficient learner I can be.
0 Reply

YQ
 8 months ago

After watching this video, it reminded me that when I was in high school, I didn’t write notes because I
just feel that it was useless but everyone was doing it. But one day I decided to write linear notes
because I wanted to get better grades and basically everyone was doing it.
I was 2 hours in making notes, then I decided to never write notes again (until I encountered ics
mindmaps)
0 Reply

Kristian Lauridsen
 7 months ago

I feel this is a hugely important point. It feels like a continuation of the mindset we have learned in rapid
start, and the insistence on experimentation and critical reflection insisted upon by Kolb’s. Now we take
these and align them with our nature. Important stuff to avoid burnout and avoid “trying too hard!”
0 Reply

Ruben Berstecher
 7 months ago

I am a keen pianist and I noticed that when I play I unconciously did my own interleaving: ‘speed’,
‘dynamics’, ‘length of section practiced’, ‘different pieces’, ‘different genres’ etc. This made me think of the
interleaving justin recommends, eg teaching, questions etc.
0 Reply

Ruben Berstecher
 7 months ago

I like learning languages. I always do a review of what I learnt in the day, but the day after. When
studying, does it matter if I do my daily review during the evening or the morning after (bc of sleep and
learning etc etc?). Thanks  Take Notes

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0 Reply

Anik Mandal
 6 months ago

The next button is not working, I have completed the quiz.

0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Anik Mandal  6 months ago

You should have access now. Take note in the future that you have to ‘pass’ the quiz, which is generally
more than 80% correct questions.

0 Reply

Tan Sanyodkam
 5 months ago

This reminds me of the one-trial learning idea in psychology where for example we experience
something traumatic and form new associations with a certain stimuli that last many years outside the
primary event. For example we could be bitten by a dog as a kid, and suddenly we distrust all dogs we
encounter as an adult. This is our brain’s drive to recognise patterns and ensure survival. As a
trombonist, I would have to push back on the idea that I learnt without the intention to learn. In my case
it was largely environmental influence in my early years, and then my best attempt at intentional
practice in the later years as intrinsic motivation developed. In general I agree with… Read more »

 Last edited 5 months ago by Tan Sanyodkam

0 Reply

Lachlan McKeown
 4 months ago

Makes sense, it’s unlikely you would study a game before you’ve ever played it!
0 Reply

Anna Roliak
 Reply to Lachlan McKeown  3 months ago
 Take Notes

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In most games there build in tutorials usually. As well as designed user interface to help you easily
“get” what you are supposed to do. I don’t sink though you could be able to play some board games
without at least skimming through the rules first.

0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Anna Roliak  3 months ago

The key part is that you are skimming the rules and having a go at playing the game and
recalibrating during your attempts to play the game.
People don’t usually try to memorise all the rules first before attempting to play the game. And
yet, this is how a lot of people study – to memorise without thinking or asking questions.

0 Reply

Anna Roliak
 3 months ago

Here Justin mixed learning of skill vs mostly facts in academic environment. So called procedural and
declarative knowledge.
0 Reply

Sungmin Jeong
 1 month ago

This Cave Theory really resonates with me a lot. For a bit of my free time, I tend to watch history and
geography videos on YouTube cus I have a keen interest in both subjects. I can naturally remember
these things without much effort
0 Reply

Maksim Kim
 1 month ago

Learning supposed to be organic!!!

0 Reply

Satyam Singh  Take Notes

 1 month ago

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But if I start in this organic manner I feel like my syllabus will go very slow and may be even not able to
touch all the topics.
0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to Satyam Singh  1 month ago

That may seem like the case, but it’s atually the opposite. You may have heard that people learn a lot
more “on the job”, and that’s precisely because of the organic learning from solving problems.
The artificial way to learn from rote memorisation from start to finish of a textbook will actually result
in much less retained information that is meaningful.

1 Reply

Satyam Singh
 Reply to Ashton Sheares  1 month ago

Got it
In the latter part we are more focused on finishing the textbook rather than thinking and
learning

0 Reply

Omar Abughalyeh
 19 days ago

I got all questions right on the quiz but I cannot press the finished, next button. Is this a bug?
0 Reply

Giuliana Taverni
 13 days ago

I am truly mind-blown by these notions! If I had had to guess, I would have never said that our brains
evolved so little on the aspect of learning, but thinking about it, it does make sense that this is the case
as learning is, after all, a tool for survival -and we are certainly no better at ”raw survival” now than our
”cave” ancestors.
The experiment of thinking about how we would teach something that is not an academical subject is
also eye-opening: it is basically what I Can Study is doing with us all!
0 Reply
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David McClish
 5 days ago

At around 4:10, Justin mentions that when learning organically, you probably don’t have to use stuff like
the Pomodoro technique. Wasn’t the Pomodoro techinque essentially taught in Briefing when Justin told
us to study for 20 minutes and then rest for 5 as a way to maintain focus? Is using that method not
learning organically?
0 Reply

Ashton Sheares Admin

 Reply to David McClish  4 days ago

Pomodoro is a very basic level of rest management. As you advance in the ICS program, you will see
how it’s not optimal for more advanced learners.

0 Reply

 Take Notes

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