Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects
- Free
- Paid certificate
- Beginner
- 2 weeks
Learning How to Learn is a short course on study technique from Deep Teaching Solutions, offered through Coursera. It runs over four modules: the first looks at what learning is and introduces the idea that the brain works in two distinct modes; the second covers chunking, the process of turning scattered facts into usable mental units; the third deals with procrastination and memory; and the fourth, titled Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential, brings the techniques together. The course page also lists illusions of learning, memory techniques and test-taking tips among the topics. Coursera lists it at beginner level with no prior experience required, on a flexible schedule of about two weeks at ten hours a week, with the four modules estimated at four, three, four and four hours.
The course itself is free in full: it carries Coursera's free-course flag, so you can enrol and complete every module without paying. A shareable certificate that can be added to a LinkedIn profile is available, but it is a paid add-on and the page does not state its price. Financial aid is listed as available.
What you’ll learn
- Explain the two modes the brain uses when learning and when each one helps
- Build knowledge chunks so new material becomes easier to recall and apply
- Recognise illusions of competence and use memory techniques that hold up under testing
- Manage procrastination with practical routines
- Apply the techniques to any subject, from mathematics to music
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants to study more effectively, whether returning to education or starting a new subject; it suits absolute beginners and needs no background.
Syllabus
4 sections as listed on coursera.org, 15 h 35 min in total.
- What is Learning? 4 h 21 min
- Chunking 2 h 55 min
- Procrastination and Memory 4 h 18 min
- Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential 4 h 1 min
Instructors
- Dr. Barbara Oakley Professor of Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Oakland University, Deep Teaching Solutions
- Dr. Terrence Sejnowski Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Deep Teaching Solutions
Course details
- Skills covered
- Learning Theory
- Lifelong Learning
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Learning Strategies
- Time Management
- Includes
- 4 modules
- Prerequisites
- No prior experience required
- Subtitles
- 25 languages
On coursera.org
Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 93,274 learners; 4,193,545 enrolled, as shown on the course page on 20 Oct 2026. These are coursera.org’s own figures, not ours.
Source: Coursera (opens in a new tab) · Verified · Report a change
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