Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential
SKILLS YOU WILL GAIN
- Learning To Learn
- Lifelong Learning
- Pomodoro Technique
- Meta-Learning
McMaster University
McMaster University
Founded in 1887, McMaster University is committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence by inspiring critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for learning. Ranked amongst the Top 100 universities in the world, McMaster pioneered a learner-centered, problem-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning that is now known worldwide as the “McMaster Model”.
About this Course
Mindshift is designed to help boost your career and life in today’s fast-paced learning environment. Whatever your age or stage, Mindshift teaches you essentials such as how to get the most out of online learning and MOOCs, how to seek out and work with mentors, the secrets to avoiding career ruts (and catastrophes) and general ruts in life, and insights such as the value of selective ignorance over general competence. We’ll provide practical insights from science about how to learn and change effectively even in maturity, and we’ll build on what you already know to take your life’s learning in fantastic new directions. This course is designed to show you how to look at what you’re learning, and your place in what’s unfolding in the society around you, so you can be what you want to be, given the real-world constraints that life puts on us all. You’ll see that by using certain mental tools and insights, you can learn and do more—far more—than you might have ever dreamed!
This course can be taken independent of, concurrent with, or subsequent to, its companion course, Learning How to Learn. (Mindshift is more career-focused, and Learning How to Learn is more learning focused.)
Change IS possible
In today’s world, change is the only constant. This means that whatever stage you are in life, you need to keep yourself open and able to change. How can you do this? In three ways: Learn more about your hidden capabilities and assets. Learn more about learning effectively. Learn about matching your assets with the opportunities that face you. In this week, we’ll dive into these three important areas!
Week 2 : Getting Deeper into Happy Learning
The key to your ability to mindshift is being able to learn effectively. This week, we’ll dive deeper into this vital area. Getting yourself motivated to tackle procrastination can sometimes be a challenge in learning, so we’ll give you some important tips here. But we’ll also give insights into mental tricks to help you focus, relax, and reframe if stress intrudes. We’ll also show you how to avoid common learning pitfalls. Welcome, and enjoy!
Week 3: Learning and Careers
This week, we’ll be talking about how your own career can develop and change through your life. Your own internal feelings about what you want to do can play a critical role in your long-term happiness. But society and culture can also have a dramatic effect on your career choices and decisions—as can your parents, family, and friends. We’ll talk about second-skilling yourself, and developing a talent stack of average talents that can combine into a formidable asset. We’ll also talk about various tactics and techniques to help you survive career changes and upheavals. Welcome and enjoy!
Week 4 : Adopting a Learning Lifestyle
In this final week of the course, we’ll be exploring how and why to keep yourself in “mindshift” mode. We’ll give you all sorts of insider tips on how to pick out the best online learning with materials that are right for you. And we’ll also talk about other ways of learning—ways that can make you “the smartest person in the room.” Disruption lies ahead in the world—this week, we’ll help you seize the advantage. Off we go for our final week of Mindshift!
Barbara Oakley
Professor
Ramón y Cajal Distinguished Scholar of Global Digital Learning, McMaster University
Dr. Terrence Sejnowski
Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
TOP REVIEWS FROM MINDSHIFT: BREAKTHROUGH OBSTACLES TO LEARNING AND DISCOVER YOUR HIDDEN POTENTIAL
by ECAug 27, 2020
I enjoyed this course very much. I am 64-years-old and this course taught me that you can learn anything new no matter what age you are. I am now broadening my passions and learning is a lot more fun.
by DIOct 31, 2020
Great course! This is a lot more general than Learning about Learning but is also useful nonetheless. I like the focus on keeping positive and being confident in your potential despite our weaknesses.
by LVMay 1, 2020
I enjoyed this MOOC. It is very well-done and clearly covers the topics of mind-shifting along with career advancement. Also–good illustrations and visuals/sounds assist in the learning process.
by SMJun 22, 2020
I enjoyed this MOOC. It is very well-done and clearly covers the topics of mind-shifting along with career advancement. Also–good illustrations and visuals/sounds assist in the learning process.