---
type: project
status: active
created: "2026-01-15"
tags:
  - project
  - system-design
  - learning
---

# Learning System Design

Design an evidence-based personal learning system that integrates findings from cognitive science to maximise retention, understanding, and transfer.

## Goals

1. Build a daily study workflow grounded in research
2. Select and configure tools (e.g., [[Anki]] for [[Spaced Repetition]])
3. Develop habits that leverage [[Desirable Difficulties]]
4. Create feedback loops for continuous improvement

## Core Principles

The system should incorporate:

- **[[Spaced Repetition]]** for scheduling reviews at optimal intervals
- **[[Active Recall]]** as the primary study activity (not re-reading)
- **[[Interleaving]]** to mix topics within study sessions
- **[[Elaborative Interrogation]]** to deepen understanding while studying
- **[[Dual Coding Theory]]** to combine text and visual representations
- **[[Metacognition]]** checkpoints to monitor learning quality

## Workflow

1. **Capture** (fleeting notes) -- quick ideas and observations
2. **Process** (literature notes) -- distill key ideas from sources
3. **Develop** (permanent notes) -- atomic, interconnected concept notes
4. **Review** -- [[Spaced Repetition]] cycle through permanent notes
5. **Reflect** -- daily notes with [[Metacognition]] prompts

## Open Questions

- How to balance [[Cognitive Load Theory]] constraints with the benefits of [[Interleaving]]?
- What's the optimal [[Spacing Effect]] interval for concept-level (vs. fact-level) knowledge?
- How does [[Transfer of Learning]] change the design of review sessions?
- Can [[Flow State]] be systematically cultivated during study sessions?

## Related Notes

- [[Deliberate Practice]] -- the system should feel like deliberate practice for thinking
- [[Schema Theory]] -- the goal is to build rich, transferable schemas
- [[Growth Mindset]] -- the system requires believing improvement is possible
- [[Memory Consolidation]] -- sleep scheduling should be part of the system
- [[Effective Study Habits]] -- overlapping project with practical recommendations

#project #system-design
