Chapter 4: Designing a Personal Learning System (PLS)

Effective learning chapter 4

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You learned what effective learning is, its illusions, and 2 of the most simple but powerful study methods: retrieval and spaced practice. In this chapter, we will focus on designing a personal learning system (PLS). I like to think about this as an algorithm. A PLS is a flexible strategy, or a learning template, that you can use to adapt your effective learning path. For example, using this system, I could learn mathematics for machine learning, genetics, a new language, or how to play a new instrument. A system allows you to be flexible. It is not a strict step-by-step strategy to follow like a manual. Instead, it is a guide that helps you apply any learning challenge.

This is one of the most powerful topics in this book. With a personal learning system, you can learn not only a specific topic but many things. And rocket your learning revolution.

Why You Need A Personal Learning System (PLS)

Most people learn without a path. Worse, many only react to deadlines, cram before exams, or rush to master a skill when it’s suddenly needed. But learning this way is inefficient, stressful, and often ineffective. Instead, you need a personal learning system (PLS). Think about this as an algorithm or a copilot. A PLS is a structured, repeatable, and adaptive approach that helps you learn better, faster, and with a more lasting impact. Although highly personalizable, its main components are effective study strategies, which I have already talked about (retrieval, spaced practice), and methods that align with how our brains work. This feature is important. Perhaps you have heard the myth that “people should learn using their own methods.” Even professors say this. However, science has found that this is wrong. Why? Because many of those methods are ineffective, like rereading, highlighting, etc. A PLS is not just “go and find a system that works with you and stick with it.” No. A PLS is about building a system only using effective and science-based learning strategies.

To summarize, I think there are four reasons why you need a PLS. First, your brain is not a passive recorder. We learned that effective learning is an active and effortful process that involves linking information from your short-term to your long-term memory. Second, information overload is real. We live in an age of infinite content, such as online sources, articles, videos, podcasts, etc. The fast-changing environments also force us to learn skills faster, like using AI for a job. A PLS helps you filter, organize, and master this information. Third, as we already learned, cramming doesn’t work. A PLS that includes spaced repetition and retrieval moves from short-term to long-term memory. Fourth, learning is a long game. It comes from consistent progress but bursts of effort. A PLS keeps you on track, especially when motivation fades and procrastination wins the battle.

A PLS was a game-changer in my learning revolution. After some time learning new skills to become a potential PhD student, I found a system that gave adaptability and flexibility to use in any new skill that I wanted to learn. But before learning how to build yours, let’s first focus on the anatomy of a PLS.

Anatomy of a PLS

2.1. Goals and Outcomes

Did you guess it? Probably yes. The first component of a PLS focuses on planning and organizing a learning project. For this, I like setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Your objectives should be specific. For example, if you want to learn programming in Python, think about why you want to learn that and not another language, like Java, R, etc. In my case, I learned Python because I was interested in working with data. For instance, my specific goal was to learn Python for data analysis. Always ask why you want to learn that.