Use the DiSSS Method for More Effective Learning
If you’ve heard of the DiSSS method, it may have been used in the context of learning a new skill, such as a hobby or new skills at work. This process, developed by productivity and learning guru Tim Ferriss , is all about breaking things down so you can learn them quickly, and it applies well to studying, too. Here’s what you need to know about DiSSS and how to incorporate it into your curriculum.
What is DiSSS?
DiSSS is an acronym, but it’s not perfect. This lowercase “i” is there to help you pronounce it better. What you really care about is the letter D and three S’s, which stand for the following:
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Deconstruct
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Choose
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Subsequence
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Rates
When learning a new skill or delving into a new topic in your studies, you follow these four steps to simplify, shorten, and improve the process so that it goes faster and you get more out of it.
How does DiSSS work?
Deconstruct
First, disassemble the existing material. As always, it’s best to do this in sections. Instead of looking at a semester’s worth of information, make sure you read chapter by chapter, unit by unit, or whatever breakdown makes sense for what you’re studying. You deconstruct, finding the smallest and most useful pieces of information. To do this, use a method like SQ3R , which allows you to scan materials to focus on key elements such as chapter titles, headings, image captions, and vocabulary words. Select everything in your material that seems to be basic and important information.
Choose
Then move on to selection, which really means applying the Pareto principle to your efforts. The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that overall, 80% of your results come from 20% of your work. A simple real-life example: you are learning to play a musical instrument. The most common chords make up a small portion of all possible notes and combinations, but they can form the basis for 80% of what you end up playing. Learn a few basic guitar chords and you’ll be able to figure out most songs. The same is true for your studying: focus on the most basic, key concepts and expect them to make up 80% of the whole idea – or what will be on the test. Narrow your focus by studying vocabulary words or the most fundamental parts of a lesson with much more frequency and intensity than anything else.
Subsequence
This will make it easy to start sequencing or planning a training program. You’ll need to master that 20% above before you tackle any of the hard, difficult stuff, so create a schedule based on your mastery of the basic skills. Set aside time to study and make sure that this block of time is further broken down into chunks for specific topics and ideas, with the bulk of the time devoted to the basics, which will highlight all the concepts that are likely to appear on the test. Make flashcards and use Leitner’s system , which uses spaced repetition to help you identify which concepts you’re struggling with and which ones can be set aside so you can delve into the basics until you master them and move organically to more complex ideas as you go how you study them. go.
Rates
The last stage of DiSSS is betting. You are more likely to succeed if there are stakes; Urgency leads to more efficient work . Ferriss’ standard DiSSS model is designed for people learning a new skill, so he encourages them to set personal consequences for themselves if they don’t put in the required effort or time. When you study, the stakes become clearer: you want to pass the upcoming test and, ultimately, the lesson itself. You don’t want to be embarrassed if you get called on in class and don’t know the answer. You want to learn the skills needed for your chosen career. In a notebook or on your phone, write down the consequences you’ll face if you don’t meet your study goal or stick to your schedule, whether it’s a failed quiz or even having to change your major. The idea here is similar to when you use “anti-goals” to structure your work by avoiding things you don’t want to do: sometimes negativity is a great motivator. You don’t want to fail, you don’t want to repeat the lesson, and you don’t want to waste your time, so writing down the actual bets if you don’t study will help you stay on task.
However, positivity is also important, so include a section in your notes space about what reward you will receive if you achieve certain goals. To make things easier, use Animedoro or a similar method to determine the exact reward (such as half an hour to watch your favorite show) you’ll get if you study on a schedule every night. Scale the rewards to larger amounts by determining what you will give yourself if you get a B on a test, an A on a test, an A on a class, etc. The key is to write down the negative consequences and positive rewards you receive. you will receive depending on whether you study and understand the material.