Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley (Coursera)

The course explains focused and diffuse thinking, chunking, retrieval practice, procrastination, and the Pomodoro technique. Barbara Oakley uses these concepts to show why active recall and spaced practice outperform passive rereading.

No, although Oakley's engineering background supplies many examples, the course applies its methods to languages, humanities, and professional training. Its lessons focus on general memory and problem-solving processes rather than one academic subject.

The instructors are Barbara Oakley and neuroscientist Terrence Sejnowski. The course was launched on Coursera in 2014 with support from the University of California, San Diego.

Coursera has historically allowed learners to access course material through a free audit or similar no-certificate option. Certificate pricing and access rules can vary by country and by Coursera's current subscription model.