Transcription
There are six levels of thinking every student should master, each leading to different results. Unfortunately, most students I work with get stuck in the first few levels, hindering their success. This causes stress, wasted time, and frustration, making top results feel impossible. We might even doubt our abilities, but that's likely untrue. Learning to think at the right level is why I achieved top results in medical school and my Master's; I'm certainly no genius. I've seen similar results with thousands of students and professionals. By the end of this video, you'll identify your level and how to improve. And FYI, you likely need to be higher than you think.
The first level is memorization: rereading, rewriting, and repetition. It's tedious, often causing drowsiness. This "remember" level is rote learning, like countless flashcards. This is how many of us, myself included, studied in high school, possibly explaining why some hated studying. This unlocks the "regurgitate" result: listing, defining, and stating facts—less common in university and almost useless professionally. Ironically, "remember" isn't great for retention, but we'll discuss that later.
The second level is comprehension, not just rote memorization. We call this "understand." I emphasize "levels of thinking," not "studying," because intention matters. Two people could use the same technique—reading a textbook—but one (level one) rereads to memorize, while the other (level two) reads for comprehension. Level two thinking unlocks "explain," allowing us to answer questions requiring conceptual understanding. These questions dominate assessments until later in university.
This framework is Bloom's Revised Taxonomy (1956, revised 2001). Despite being 70 years old, it's underrated. If you've heard of it, stick around; I'll show you how I doubled my learning efficiency using it. Level three is applying learned knowledge to solve problems—"apply." This is confusing because "apply" has variations. There are simple problems (directly using learned knowledge, like a formula in math) and more advanced problems (requiring strategic thinking and multiple concepts). At level three, we focus on simple problem-solving. This unlocks "simple problem-solving," where one concept solves one problem. Lots of practice papers and quizzes test this "apply" level. For coding, this might be building a simple function.
More complex problems require level four thinking—"analyze"—comparing and contrasting information. Level four thinkers do well, but they're uncommon. You'll see why. Analyzing involves comparing information: Venn diagrams, tables, summaries, and mind maps are helpful. Any technique forcing comparison works. This unlocks "comparison." To show you, use ChatGPT or Gemini: "Give me second-year university microbiology questions at Bloom's Revised Taxonomy level four." Every option forces comparison. This is useful because curricula are designed around Bloom's Taxonomy (or similar). Exam writers use this; you can predict questions and create practice papers.
Level four requires more mental effort; it feels slower, leading some to think they're doing something wrong. This is the "misinterpreted effort hypothesis," preventing improvement. Level five is for top learners, and it's confusing, so let's simplify. Level five is "evaluate": asking "so what?" Level four compares; level five judges. Again, use AI: compare level four and level five questions. Level five forms conclusions and justifies them. It requires more effort: jumping between material, asking "why does this matter?" This shows you're at level five. Level four and five questions are common in later university and postgraduate studies, and in senior professional roles. The technique is less important than the internal thought process. Mind maps, teaching, answering questions, and summaries are great, but only if you're critically evaluating relationships and grouping ideas effectively.
Level six ("create") is hypothesis creation—synthesizing new information. It unlocks "hypothesize." It's not just generating anything; it's creating answers for knowledge gaps. It's less important for most; level five is usually sufficient. Here are some level six examples (you can pause or use AI for your subject).
To reach levels five and six, there are two methods. The first is linear progression: master level one, then two, then three, etc. This is very time-consuming and impractical. Most people jump between levels, constantly relearning forgotten material due to knowledge decay and the forgetting curve.
The better method is to start at level five and work down (level six is usually irrelevant). Our brains process and retain information better at level five. Setting your sights high helps achieve lower levels as a side effect. This doesn't work in reverse. Focusing on evaluation forces understanding and analysis.
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