Quote Originally Posted by EddyCurrent View Post
I find it best these days to only learn what I need, and that means only when you get stuck on how to do something you NEED to do.
First prize goes to this Man.! . . . . This is by far the best way to learn IMO. Doing like this means you retain most of what you learnt because it had meaning and substance. It also makes you more eager to find or solve the problem.

In the past I've spent many many hours on the phone trying to help folks with explaining how to do things or worn my fingers to the bones writing long emails on the same subject. Only for maybe less than 10% to actually get retained.

Now I've learnt that the best way for them to learn and retain 80% is to create a project and give it there best before contacting me. Doesn't matter how miserable they fail doing this it gives a good start point where 5-10% is learnt and retained before I get involved. Then we can work on what went wrong or how can be done easier or better. Also I do this by having them at the software or machine and working directly on the project. This technique works great and far more is learnt and retained in short period of time.