MODULE 2:

WHAT IS THE FEYNMAN TECHNIQUE?

 Table of Content

Module 1: How to do a video and How to work with your child in meaningful way

Module 2: The Feynman Technique

Module 3: Teaching Method and Developing a Lesson.

Module 4: Project Management and Planning

Module 5: How to upload video in Youtube and Video Submission Guideline

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 Objective

The objective of this module is to introduce

the Feynman Technique for learning.

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Who is Richard Feynman?

This challenge is named after one of the

most prominent physicist in recent times.
Richard Phillips Feynman was an American
theoretical physicist, known for his work in
quantum mechanics and particle physics.

Feynman received the Nobel Prize in

Physics in 1965 jointly with Julian
Schwinger and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga.

In a 1999 poll of 130 leading physicists

worldwide by the British journal Physics
World, he was ranked as one of the ten
greatest physicists of all time.

http://boneducation.com/thelearningjourney/the-importance-of-curiosity-lessons-
from-richard-feynman/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Feynman
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 Pedagogy

Feynman once wrote about his experiences teaching physics undergraduates in Brazil. He
said that their Portuguese textbooks were devoid of any context or applications for what
they were learning.

Feynman opposed rote learning or unthinking memorization. He did not like any teaching
methods that emphasized form over function. Clear thinking and clear presentation were
fundamental prerequisites for his attention.

In 1964, he served on the California State Curriculum Commission and he was not
impressed with what he saw. For example, in the mathematics syllabus, he claimed they
were learning symbols and notation and not what these notations actually mean.

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 Pedagogy

So for example: Let us look at the notation “=”. If I were to say;

Cow = Animal,

Cat = Animal.

Does that mean Cow = Cat?

The answer is definitely “No” - since what this notations is actually saying is; Cow is an
Animal. Cat is an Animal; therefore, both Cow and Cat are Animals.

It is easy to make many mistakes such as this when we focus our learning on the notation
and not on what the notation actually mean.

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 Pedagogy

Most of these pure mathematical notations does not even appear in many writings in
theoretical physics, in engineering, in business arithmetic, computer design, or other places
where mathematics is being used. It is not always the cogent and simple way to explain
things.

In April 1966, Feynman delivered an address to the National Science Teachers Association,
in which he suggested how students could be made to think like scientists, be open-minded,
curious, and especially, to doubt. He suggested that learning is best done through
experience, like cats when they play and learn.

In rote learning, incorrect knowledge could be passed down as well as correct knowledge
and so another step was needed in the learning process. Galileo started doubting the truth
of what was passed down over many generations and started to investigate from first
principles, from experience, and that is science. Galileo challenged the age old knowledge
during his time that the sun revolved around the earth.

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 The Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique is claimed by many to be the best way to learn anything. This is
the method Richard Feynman used to learn himself.

There are four simple steps to the Feynman Learning Technique:

1) Choose a concept you want to learn about

2) Pretend you are teaching it to a young student (with the teaching tool you have
invented)

3) Identify gaps in your explanation and go back to the source material to understand it

4) Review and simplify your explanation

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 The Feynman Technique another perspective.

STEPS EXPLANATIONS
Step 1: Make it simple Chose a subject or concept you want to teach and write out
everything you know about the subject/concept. Make it
simple so that even a child could understand. Do not use
jargons. The simpler we make our explanation, the deeper we
are forced to understand the subject fundamentally.
Understand the key ideas and the connection between what
you have written down and try to identify the gaps on what
you know. For example, to understand gravity we have to
understand what force it is because gravity is a type of force.
We may also understand that there are 2 types of force: the
“attraction” force and the “repulsion” force.

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 The Feynman Technique another perspective.

STEPS EXPLANATIONS
Step 2: Review Recognise gaps in your explanation. Gaps are when you are
unable to explain something. The best way is to ask yourself
Questions. Now go back to the material you have (or find new
materials) and re-learn it until you can explain the concept in a
simple way. So for example, you can say force can be 2 types
which are the force of attraction and the force of repulsion –
but the better way to explain for a child to understand is to just
say “pushing” and “pulling” force. So the next question you can
ask can be – “Is gravity a force that is pulling or pushing or
both?
When we learn this way, we can also identify the boundaries of
our understanding better. There will always be boundaries to
our understanding – since learning is a continuous process –
from cradle to grave and science is also a process of pushing
our boundaries of knowledge of the Universe.

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 The Feynman Technique another perspective.

STEPS EXPLANATIONS
Step 3: Organize and Once you have a set of notes which explain things in an easy to
Simplify understand manner, review and organise them to make a good
narrative, with an introduction, body and conclusion. Read it
out loud to yourself. If there are ways to simply the text/script
– do so immediately.
In fact if I review the previous paragraph – I see I can get
replace one complicated word. Do you know what it is? I can
replace the word ‘narrative’ and replace it with the word
‘story’. Do you see other ways to improve or simplify this
paragraph?

Step 4 : Transmit Once you have a script or text explaining the concept or
subject – read it or act it out to others. The best test of your
knowledge is your ability to make another person understand.

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 The Feynman Technique and
ASTI Feynman Challenge

When you are producing your video and writing your script – you do NOT need to explain
the step you took in relation to the Feynman technique whilst developing your project.

Just focus on explaining the key scientific concept that you have chosen.

You do not even need to mention anything about Richard Feynman or the Feynman
Technique anywhere in your video.

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 Some Interesting Further Resources

There are plenty of resources available on the internet. Below are some links but
please explore the internet to find out more

How to Study Way More Effectively | The Feynman Technique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlJdMr3O5J4&feature=youtu.be

How to Learn Faster with the Feynman Technique (Example Included)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-qkGJBPts&feature=youtu.be

How To ACTUALLY Learn Anything (The Feynman Technique)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87fVz6qHbdA&feature=youtu.be

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