On learning

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we actually learn—not just consuming information, but truly understanding it. Real learning isn't a passive activity; it requires active engagement to move knowledge from vague ideas in our heads into solid, usable understanding.

When we look at learning, we can split it into two realms: formal and informal education. Both rely on the same fundamental principle—the shift from passive intake to active practice.

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The Power of Writing and Memory

In formal education, one skill I only truly appreciated in hindsight was academic writing. Writing forces you to plan, structure, and articulate thoughts clearly. As you turn vague ideas into concrete words, you immediately uncover gaps and flaws in your thinking—much like discussing concepts out loud with peers. It leads to a simple rule: if you can't write, draw, or outline something from scratch, you don't fully understand it.

This connects directly to how we view memory. As a chess player, I used to look down on memorization, believing pure analysis was all that mattered. I was influenced by the popular idea that you shouldn't memorize anything you can easily look up. But over time, I realized that memory is essential to advancing in chess and in any technical skill. Relying solely on looking things up requires less effort, but actively practicing memorization is what enables higher-level analysis.

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Informal Learning in the AI Era

Informal education is self-directed, usually driven by personal curiosity or professional growth. Unlike formal schooling, which bakes in active learning through homework, quizzes, and exams, self-directed learning requires us to be intentional about creating those feedback loops ourselves.

This is where AI becomes a game-changer. It makes active learning effortless by generating custom quizzes, engaging in discussions, and explaining complex topics on demand. I even built a small quiz tool for myself to put this into practice and shared it at quiz.arjd.cc—it currently has over 50 users using it to test their knowledge.

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Climbing Bloom's Taxonomy

From an instructor's perspective, this progression is best explained by Bloom’s Taxonomy. It breaks down learning into distinct levels: Recall, Understanding, Analysis, Evaluation, and Creation.

Learning naturally flows from simple to complex, and from passive to active. Simple recall sits at the bottom, while active creation sits at the top. Teachers use this framework when writing assessments, and we should use it when guiding our own learning. True mastery happens when we move up that ladder, pushing past simple recognition into active analysis and creation.

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What you can't write, draw, or outline from scratch—you don't fully understand.

I hope you enjoyed today's blog.

P.S. Memory gives you the raw materials, but active practice gives you mastery. What is one concept you're actively testing yourself on today?