Organizing Learning

Goals

  1. Describe the two ways to organize learning: by subject and by actions.
  2. Skillfully apply both methods.

Two Ways to Organize Learning

  1. By Subject → Start with a subject and arrange its topics in a natural progression so learners build fundamentals step by step.
  2. By Actions → Organize around the universal actions of learning that apply to any subject: remembering, understanding, applying, practicing, reflecting, and so on.

Why (WIFM)

  1. The same set of universal actions works across all subjects — this means you can learn anything.
  2. Awareness of these actions equips you to refine them in yourself and teach them to others.
  3. Subject organization provides a clear, step-by-step pathway that avoids confusion and supports steady progress.

How

  1. Apply the four universal actions {Meaning Making, Memory Building, Progressing Skills, Reflection} to any subject you want to learn.
  2. Sequence topics within a subject in a natural order so that learners can advance by doing useful things in a crawl → walk → run style.

The 4 Universal Actions of Learning (The Big 4)

Cycle through the following four actions:

  1. Meaning Making → Understand what it is, why it matters, and why you should believe it.
  2. Memory Building → Make it stick in your long-term memory by applying the principles and techniques of memory science.
  3. Progressing Skills → Systematically climb the six Bloom levels: recognize → remember → apply → analyze → evaluate → create.
  4. Reflection → Check what’s working, fix concerns, discover what’s valuable, and reinforce strengths.

These actions create cycles of deliberate experience that grow performance, knowledge, and motivation. At their best, they feel like learning by doing useful things — practical, engaging, and naturally rewarding.

Subject Organization

Subject organization means arranging topics so they follow the way skills and knowledge naturally build. This works for any field — Welding, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, Nutrition, Engineering, Cooking, Communication, Accounting, Marketing, Sewing, and more.

The method is to place topics in a logical, progressive order so learners can move smoothly from beginner to intermediate, then advanced, and eventually world-class.

Examples of Natural Progression

Why This Matters

Organizing subjects this way prevents overwhelm and ensures learners start by doing valuable things early on — not after years of abstract buildup.