【推荐2】Do you feel like you can remember things better when you actively engage with the information and create your own version of it?     1     This phenomenon has important implications when it comes to understanding how people learn.

Tests on the generation effect show that when users encounter a list of words presented in the form of fragments (片段), they will engage several areas of the brain to create words to fill in the blanks.     2     Researchers believe this is because of the deeper level of cognitive (认知的) engagement involved in the process of creating new words.

Teachers and instructors need to be aware of the role the generation effect can play in the classroom. Students who just receive written material they can read may not understand it as fully as students who engage with it by taking notes, completing writing exercises, and so forth.     3     Rather than giving students a list of correctly spelled words and asking them to memorize it, the teacher can ask students to complete worksheets where they must fill in blanks to spell the words.

    4     If a student simply reads a textbook, he/she will not absorb the information as well as when he/she takes notes and recreates charts and other materials presented in the book. Students preparing for an examination may find it helpful to write out material from the text, rephrasing in their own words as appropriate to make sure they fully understand the material.     5    

In a word, it all boils down to active learning versus passive learning. Spending a few minutes actively producing content may just be the thing you were missing in your learning routine.

【推荐3】Ways to Embrace Solitude (独处)

For many, being alone is something they shy away from because it’s like loneliness. But loneliness and solitude are not the same.    1    . The latter offers a chance to direct attention to self-care and self-discovery without outside influences or expectations from others. It sharpens your concentration and helps you focus on your tasks and also boosts your creativity regularly.

Psychologists even consider solitude as important as relationships and view the ability to be alone as a sign of healthy emotional development.    2    , just as people learn social skills to guide themselves in the world of relationships successfully. And some specific strategies may make it a constructive, enjoyable experience.

Enjoy solitary activities

People who enjoy solitude find satisfaction and meaning when getting absorbed in a hobby, reading for pleasure, or getting out in nature. They rarely experience boredom when they’re alone and genuinely enjoy themselves while doing something interesting.

    3    

In solitude, buried feelings, memories, or problems can surface. Rather than avoid being discouraged by them, you can learn to engage in the regulation with curiosity, using the private time to explore your feelings without judgment. Accepting and expressing them safely helps you self-regulate and release stress.

Be self-reflective

People who enjoy solitude are willing to self-reflect.    4    , reflecting on their values, or considering the bigger picture. Instead of going round about situations you can’t control, self-reflection invites self- awareness, bringing you closer to insight about who you are.

Know when to exit solitude

    5    , if you begin to feel lonely or your thoughts turn to self-harm. It is equally important to know when it’s time to leave solitude and seek the company of others.

【推荐1】A new technology project in southern Greece is helping visitors experience the ancient birthplace of the Olympic Games.

The project used Augmented Reality (AR) to recreate temples and competition areas in the ancient city of Olympia. It was recently launched in the city, one of the world’s major archaeological sites. Augmented Reality is a technology that can project computer-created imagery onto special eyeglasses. Through the eyeglasses, the images appear along with other physical objects in the environment.

The project is a partnership between American software maker Microsoft and Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Sport. The ministry helped Microsoft map and build virtual representations of Olympia. The city was used for nearly a thousand years to host the games in ancient Greece that served as the model for the modern Olympics. The experience provides users the chance to virtually walk through the ruins of Olympia. At the Olympic Museum in Athens, people can also use Microsoft’s AR headsets for a similar experience.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joined a group of schoolchildren who were using the app for the first time. “I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re able to present to the world a completely new cultural experience utilizing technology to recreate the ancient world of Olympia, ” Mitsotakis told the media.

Students from a local middle school looked at statues and structures that were brought to life on their phones. One of the children, Panagiotis Christopoulos, called the project “impressive”. “I think it can help with teaching in schools, ” the student said. They were able to virtually visit inside and outside settings to explore where ancient Olympians had competed in different sports.

The project began 18 months ago with a series of imaging flights to help map areas across Olympia. Microsoft is to build several data centers in and near Athens as part of a $ 1 billion investment agreement with the Greek government.

【推荐3】New research by Northwestern University is the first to document the effect reactivating (激活) memory during sleep has on face-name learning.

The researchers found that people’s name recall improved significantly when memories of newly learned face-name connections were reactivated while they were sleeping. The key to this improvement was uninterrupted (不间断) deep sleep.

“It’s a new and exciting finding about sleep, because it tells us that the way information is reactivated during sleep to improve memory storage is connected with high-quality sleep. That is, targeted memory reactivation of face name learning depends on enough and uninterrupted slow-wave sleep, ” said the research leader Nathan Whitmore.

A study was conducted on 24 participants, aged 18 to 31, who were asked to memorize the faces and names of 40 pupils from a Latin American history class and another 40 from a Japanese history class. When each face was shown again, they were asked to produce the name that went with it. After the learning exercise, participants took a nap while the researchers carefully monitored brain activity using EEG measurements. When participants reached the “deep sleep ” state, some of the names were softly played on a speaker with music that was connected with one of the classes.

When participants woke up, they were retested on recognizing the faces and recalling the name that went with each face. In those with uninterrupted sleep, the reactivation led to a relative improvement averaging just over 1.5 more names recalled. “ We already know that some sleep disorders can affect memory, ” said Whitmore. “ Our research suggests a possible explanation for this — frequent (频繁的) sleep interruptions at night might be lowering memory. ”

“ This new line of research will let us address many interesting questions — like whether sleep interruption is always harmful or whether it could be used to weaken unwanted memories, ” said Whitmore. “ At any rate, we are increasingly finding good reasons to value high-quality sleep and learn more about the relevant brain functions. ”