Quiz 1

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Feedback — Quiz: Week 1

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This is Quiz 1, to be taken after watching the first week's videos. Did you know that if you practice the material and keep taking the quiz until you pass with greater than 90% in other words, master this topic you are more likely to learn more and do better in class? Learning for Mastery is an approach in which you practice and understand each concept before moving on to the next, and it has been proven to help students in a broad range of classes and disciplines. As you’re taking your quizzes, pay close attention to the feedback on the questions that you didn’t understand. Go back and watch the relevant videos, read the relevant materials, and discuss the concepts on the community forums. Keep taking the quizzes until you pass with flying colors! Week 1 Quiz Discussion Forum

Question 1

It's quite common to get stuck on a problemoften because you have initial ideas about what the solution should be that block your ability to see the real solution. What is a next best step to take when you've already spent time reanalyzing the problem by focusing intently, and you find that you are simply stuck?

Your Answer Score Explanation

Take a little break. You can focus on something different, or even just relax and not focus on anything at all, perhaps going out for a  1.00 Taking a little break is a good idea. Taking your attention off of what you want to solve helps allow other neural modes to have access to the material. You won't be conscious of your brain continuing to work in the background on the problembut it is!

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walk. Keep working away on the problemthe solution will come as long as you keep your focus on it. Stare intentlyit is your focused mode that will provide the big picture perspective you need to solve the problem. Mentally rethink the problem yet again from where you started, following each step carefully to look for where you may have gone wrong. If you do this enough times without taking a break, the answer will come to you. Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 2

Select the true statements below regarding the Pomodoro technique.

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Your Answer Score Explanation Giving yourself a little reward at the end of your "Pomodoro" is an important part of the Pomodoro technique.  0.25 True. When you are doing a "Pomodoro," you want to set out as large a task as possible to be completed. For example, you might decide that you want to finish an entire homework set during your Pomodoro, even though the homework set might ordinarily take half a day or more. By imagining that you will complete a big task, you will do far more than you would ordinarily be able to do.  0.00 False. During the time you are working on the "Pomodoro," you simply want to work intently on whatever you've chosen to work on. Trying to finish a task is NOT the intent of the Pomodoro—such an attitude can actually make your work less fun. The Pomodoro  0.25 True.

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technique involves setting a timer and working intently, without interruption, often for a period of 25 minutes. Immediately after finishing a Pomodoro you should do another Pomodoro, and another, as long as you possibly can with no breaks or rewards. This helps build your mental stamina.  0.25 False. You want to take a little break and give yourself a little reward of some form after a "Pomodoro," because that helps build in a feeling of satisfaction and enthusiasm about actually doing the Pomodoro. Total 0.75 / 1.00

Question 3

[In the area below the picture, type the word that belongs in the blank space.] In the __________ mode, the brain makes random connections in a relaxed fashion. You entered: Diffuse

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Diffuse  1.00

Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 4

Select the following true statements regarding procrastination. Your Answer Score Explanation

Everybody has some issues with procrastination.  0.25 True. Even if you keep right on task by prioritizing and working on the most important things, you are still procrastinating on whatever you are not working on. But if you are properly prioritizing your workand also allowing for a little relaxation time in your life!your problems with procrastination can be minimized. When you feel neural discomfort about something you don't want to do, switching your attention to something more pleasant can help you feel better temporarily.  0.25 True. While you are "doing a Pomodoro" session, it's all right to take a quick look at other less urgent things such as instant messages or emails.  0.25 False. While you are "doing a Pomodoro," it's important to keep your attention on the job at hand and not allow yourself to be distracted.

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When you don't want to work on something, a sense of neural discomfort arises. However, researchers have found that not long after you might start working on something that you find unpleasant, that neural discomfort disappears. So an important aspect of tackling procrastination is to just get yourself through that initial period of discomfort. The Pomodoro technique helps you do that.  0.25 True. Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 5

One of the first videos described the difference between the focused mode and the diffuse mode. According to this video, the focused mode is affiliated with (check all that apply to the concept of focused mode only):

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Your Answer Score Explanation A direct approach to solving problems that you are rather familiar with.  0.25 The type of intense concentration you need to work through a problem, step bystep.  0.25 A way of drawing upside down in order to focus on the details, as one of the videos discussed in detail.  0.00 No, the videos didn't talk about this at all. Actually, an approach that harks to attempts to elicit the "diffuse mode" is the approach pioneered by Betty Edwards in "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain." She recommended attempting to see things more clearly, without existing preconceptions, by drawing them upside down. A pinball machine that has bumpers which are very far apart, so the pinball (the thought) can go a long ways before bumping into a bumper.  0.25 The focused mode is more like a pinball machine that has bumpers which are very tightly grouped together, so the pinball (the thought) can't go very far without bumping into a bumper. Total 0.75 / 1.00

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Question 6

Select the following true statements about sleep, according to this week's videos.

Taking a test without getting enough sleep means you are operating with a brain that’s got small metabolic toxins floating around in it— poisons that make it so you can’t think very clearly.  0.25 True. During sleep, your brain erases the less important parts of memories and simultaneously strengthens areas that you need or want to remember.  0.25 True. Sleep is designed to allow for snoring, which clears your sinuses but makes you sound like an asthmatic banshee.  0.25 Not truenice try, though! It's better to go without sleep and cram what you can into your brainyou can usually rely on short term adrenaline to help propel you through a test.  0.25 This is wishful thinkingif only it were true! Actually, taking a test with little or no sleep is like trying to take a test with a poisoned brainit's not a very good idea. Total 1.00 / 1.00

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Question 7

Select the following true statements about memory, in accordance with the information in this week's videos.

Research has shown that if you try to glue things into your memory by repeating something twenty times in one evening, for example, it actually sticks better than if you practice it the same number of times over several days.  0.25 Falserepeating many times in one short period doesn't work as well at lodging something into your memory. "Intense paleo learning," where you rub a fossil while trying to learn something new, is an excellent way of lodging something into your memory.  0.25 Falsethe video discussed the importance of "spaced repetition"that is, spreading your learning out over several days. Your working memory is like an inefficient mental blackboardit can only hold a few things in mind, and those things can easily fall out.  0.25 True. Long term memory is like a storage warehouse.  0.25 True. Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 8

Select the following true statements about practice, according to this week's videos.

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Neurons become linked together through repeated use. The more abstract something is, the more important it is to PRACTICE in order to bring these ideas into reality for you.  0.25 True. Practice in general isn't that important as long as you understand what's going on.  0.25 False. You often think you understand something, but it's only when you practice it that you truly understand it. (Often, during your initial practice you see that you didn't really understand the concept after all!) Practice is important for any area in which you want to acquire expertise.  0.25 True. You should deliberately practice something incorrectly at least once or twice counterintuitively, this will strengthen your unconscious knowledge base of how to do that "something" correctly.  0.25 Falsenothing was said in the videos like this. Practicing something incorrectly isn't a good idea! Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 9

Check the activities below that would be more apt to arouse the diffuse (rather than focused) mode:

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Getting some form of exercise while not concentrating on anything in particular.  0.20 This is more likely to arouse the diffuse mode. Working a familiar type of multiplication problem.  0.20 This would often be associated with the activities of the focused mode. Tag along in the passenger seat of a car, looking absently out the window while someone else is driving.  0.20 This is more likely to arouse the diffuse mode. Giving stepbystep directions for how to get to your friend's apartment, which you've been to several times before.  0.20 This would often be associated with the activities of the focused mode. Dancing in a relaxed and free form manner, without concentrating on anything.  0.20 This is more likely to arouse the diffuse mode. Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 10

Exercise (check all that are true):

Allows you to disconnect from what you have been concentrating on previouslythis can allow your diffuse mode to kick in.  0.25 True. Is NOT a time for diffuse type thinking.  0.25 Falsethe relaxed mental states that appear to arise during exercise often seem to allow you to solve problems while you are NOT concentrating on them! Helps spark new and creative approaches to problems you are working  0.25 True.

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on. Can inhibit learning and is best done after the major learning activities of the day have been completed.  0.25 False! Exercise can be done at any timeoverall, it is a valuable enhancement to any learning program. Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 11

This week's videos have tried to make some important points about your ability to learn. Which of the following points do you think were among those being made?

Don't just blindly follow your passions also work to broaden your passions by keeping yourself open to learning new things, even if you feel you don't have a talent for them.  0.25 Yes, this was indeed one of the points of this week's videos. It's important to follow your career passions and not try to be what you don't have a natural talent for.  0.25 Actually, although following your passions is fine, it's a nice idea to also broaden your passions and learn new thingseven things you don't think you have a talent for. You cannot change your natural talentsif you're not good at something, you should avoid it.  0.25 It is indeed possible to change and grow in your learning careeryou can lose out on a lot of interesting experiences by keeping yourself restricted only to what you believe you are good at. You can improve your natural ability in any discipline still  0.25 Yes, this was indeed one of the points of this week's videos.

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further by learning how to learn. Learning how to learn also can reduce your frustration level in difficult subjects. Total 1.00 / 1.00

Question 12

[Below, type the word that belongs in the blank space.] The __________ mode involves a direct approach to solving problems using rational, sequential, analytical approaches. It is associated with the concentrating abilities of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, located right behind your forehead. You entered: focused

focused  1.00

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Question 13

Which of the following statements is true about our current scientific understanding of the brain?

Our brains do not stay the same as we grow older. New synapses are constantly being created whilst others actually disappear.  1.00 As we get older our brains only deteriorate and there’s nothing we can do about it. The number of neurons we’re born with never increases. Isolating ourselves and focusing completely on our studies is the only path to success. Total 1.00 / 1.00 Question Explanation For many years the scientific view of the brain was that once our brain was mature the neurons we had could be strengthened with learning but new neurons couldn’t develop as we aged. A lot of people still believe this is true, which creates a pretty bleak outlook as they get older. But now scientists have better methods of watching the brain in action and they can see that our brains develop new neurons while we sleep, when we surround ourselves with stimulating environments and people and when we exercise! Interestingly, even if we don't have a stimulating environment exercise still assists our brains in growing new neurons.