Learning off by heart

[paul]

There's an interesting piece on the BBC site about the benefits of learning things off by heart.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13333117

What do you make of it all?

Do you think it's good to learn and memorise certain facts in a parrot-fashion way... or rather pointless?
_________________
UK Hotels - UK Selfcatering
Luxury Travel - Lake District Apartment

[adigaskell]

Gladwell seemed to think you need 10,000 hours of doing something to become an expert in the subject. I'd rather support such a belief than rote learning, which seems to aid memory rather than understanding.
_________________
My social media blog

[martynh]

I have to admit to having learnt the heights of all 214 Lake District mountains when I was younger. Can't say its come in particularly useful though
_________________
e-FM network | Get Above The Fold | Physiobench

[paul]

In both feet and metres, Martyn?
_________________
UK Hotels - UK Selfcatering
Luxury Travel - Lake District Apartment

[martynh]

just like with A Wainwright - feet only
_________________
e-FM network | Get Above The Fold | Physiobench

[Bill Ryan]

I learnt my times tables OBH and remember them well still - I think that was worthwile.

I learnt a lot about Australia at school including major towns and cities and that was good when I was there.

Some other stuff learnt for exams and since forgotten.

[Kay]

It depends what you're learning by rote and why.

I learned 250 legal cases by rote donkeys' years ago in preparation for a law exam. It was incredibly useful. It didn't matter what questions the exam threw at me I could quote case law and precedent with total ease. (I also won a prize for getting the top mark in Scotland for that exam ). I still remember many of these cases today.

These days I could never manage such a thing. I can't seem to remember things from one minute to the next.
_________________
http://britishexpat.com