The Effectiveness of Essays as a Learning Tool

Introduction

Presenter emphasizes the power of essay writing as a learning technique.
Aims to show how it improves thinking, applicable to all subjects including math and physics.
Video promises useful essay writing techniques and learning resources.
Mentions historical and modern perspectives on learning, referencing various figures and studies.

Michel de Montaigne: Pioneer of the modern essay form in the Renaissance.
- Began writing essays by moving books and a desk into a tower on his 38th birthday.
- Recognized the power of writing for developing understanding and insight.
- His essays influenced English and French literature and were admired by Shakespeare.
Definition: Essay from French essayer (to attempt or trial).
Notable Essayists: Carl Sagan, George Orwell, Joan Didion, Virginia Woolf.
- Joan Didion: "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking..."

Encourages the development of ideas and arguments.
Enhances understanding and communication skills (both written and verbal).
Helps in critical thinking: evaluates evidence, identifies flaws in logic, and draws conclusions.
Can improve your thinking even if you don’t become a renowned thinker.

Benjamin Bloom: Educational psychologist who researched cognitive functions required for learning.
Bloom's Taxonomy: Steps to develop expertise (Revised in 2001 to be verbs).
- Steps: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create.
- Writing essays engages most of these steps (especially Analyze, Evaluate, Create).
Critical Thinking: Essays foster critical thinking skills by probing, investigating, and reasoning.

Retrieval Practice: Proven to be the most effective form of learning.
- Involves recalling information from memory rather than rereading.
- Enhances memory retention and understanding.
How and Why Questions: Helps deepen understanding and connects new information to prior knowledge.
- Asking questions while reading or writing enhances comprehension and memory.
Learn It Link Approach: Suggested by Barbara Oakley, Beth Rogowski, and Terrence Sejnowski.
- Connect new information to what you already know to move it to long-term memory.

Title: Should provide scope to reason, analyze, and evaluate.
Structure:
- State your position and reasoned argument.
- Analyze and evaluate evidence.
- Raise and respond to objections.
Jordan Peterson's Essay Guide:
- Free guide available online.
- Comprehensive, step-by-step advice on essay writing.
- Suggests structuring paragraphs logically towards the argument destination.
- Covers topic creation, reading lists, outlining, writing, editing, and proofreading.

brilliant.org: An interactive learning platform.
- Lessons in math, data analysis, programming, and AI.
- Created by experts from MIT, Caltech, Microsoft, and Google.
- Encourages problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
- Offers a 30-day free trial and 20% off annual subscription.

Essay writing encompasses effective learning strategies and can significantly improve learning and thinking skills.
Encourages viewers to try essay writing to learn something new and improve critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.