The Feynman Technique
Step 1: What do you want to learn about?
• Identify a topic and start with a blank document. (A blank sheet, either paper or electronic). Write out everything you know about the subject as if you were teaching it to a child.• As you learn more about the topic, add it to your sheet.
• Use your organization tools of choice (colors, bullet points, outlines) so you can see your knowledge develop.
Step 2: Explain it to a 12-year-old
• Now that you think you understand a topic, explain it to a 12-year-old.• Use your document as a reference to remove unnecessary jargon and complexity. Only use words a 12 year old would understand.
• Anyone can make a subject complicated but only someone who understands it can make it simple.
Step 3: Reflect, Refine, and Simplify
• Review your notes to make sure you didn’t mistakenly gloss over anything or insert unnecessary jargon.• Read it out loud. If the explanation isn’t simple enough or sounds confusing, reflect and refine.
• Go back to the source material, reviewing the parts you don’t understand. Repeat until you have a simple explanation.
Step 4: Organize and Review
• Test your understanding in the real world, by teaching it to someone.• How effective was your explanation? What questions were asked? What parts caused confusion?
• Reflect, Refine, and Simply