You collect resources and never finish them
Twelve bookmarks and a half-read book.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to teach yourself something new
Plan, resource and finish your own course of study.
Turn a vague interest into a goal you can test, map the subject before diving in, choose one main resource instead of ten, and check regularly what you can now do. The course covers staying on track without a teacher and finding feedback when nobody marks your work.
Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn
I want to teach myself new subjects without a class or a teacher. I start with enthusiasm, collect too many books and videos, and lose direction after a week. Help me plan what to learn, pick resources and keep going.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Four things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Write a can-do goal
Change 'learn astronomy' to 'in eight weeks, explain why the Moon has phases and find five constellations in the night sky.' A goal you can test tells you when you are done and what to study next.
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Pick one main resource
Choose a single structured book, course or series that starts at your level and follow it in order. Keep other materials for when it leaves you stuck, not as parallel courses competing for your evenings.
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End every sitting with three questions
Close the material and answer three questions from memory, such as 'What causes a full moon?' Check them before you start next time. A US Department of Education practice guide recommends quizzing and spacing reviews over time.
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Find one source of feedback
Post a short explanation or attempt in a forum for the subject, swap work with a study partner, or compare with a worked solution. Ask one question: what is the first thing you would correct?
Sources: What Works Clearinghouse: organising instruction and study to improve learning. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Learning & memory
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons, sized to your goal
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- What do you want to teach yourself, and why now?
- What would you like to be able to do when you finish?
- How have your earlier attempts at learning on your own gone?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You lose direction after a week
Nobody sets the next step, so the plan quietly stops.
You cannot tell whether you are learning
No tests, no grades and no feedback.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06From interest to goal
Writing a goal you can check yourself against.
Mapping the subject
Finding the main ideas and a sensible order to learn them in.
Choosing resources
Picking one main resource and a few supports, and ignoring the rest.
A weekly rhythm
Small regular blocks, spaced through the week.
Testing yourself
Self-quizzes, explanations and small projects as evidence.
Feedback and people
Forums, study partners and experts for when you are stuck.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Set a testable goal
Describe what you will be able to do, not just what you will read.
Choose a path
Map the subject and pick one main resource to follow.
Check your own progress
Use questions, small projects and explanations to see what has stuck.
Ideas this course corrects
More resources means better learning
Switching between many sources often means repeating the easy beginnings. One structured resource followed to the end usually covers more ground.
If I understood it while reading, I have learned it
Following an explanation is easier than producing it yourself. Recall and use are the real test.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to teach yourself something new: what can I do today?
Write a can-do goal. Change 'learn astronomy' to 'in eight weeks, explain why the Moon has phases and find five constellations in the night sky.' A goal you can test tells you when you are done and what to study next. Pick one main resource. Choose a single structured book, course or series that starts at your level and follow it in order. Keep other materials for when it leaves you stuck, not as parallel courses competing for your evenings. End every sitting with three questions. Close the material and answer three questions from memory, such as 'What causes a full moon?' Check them before you start next time. A US Department of Education practice guide recommends quizzing and spacing reviews over time. Find one source of feedback. Post a short explanation or attempt in a forum for the subject, swap work with a study partner, or compare with a worked solution. Ask one question: what is the first thing you would correct?
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Turn a vague interest into a goal you can test, map the subject before diving in, choose one main resource instead of ten, and check regularly what you can now do. The course covers staying on track without a teacher and finding feedback when nobody marks your work. It sits under Learning & memory in the Life & growth part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Courses run 7 to 30 lessons of about 10 minutes, sized to what you asked for. One lesson a day is the intended pace, and you can go faster. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
The sentence to type
I want to teach myself new subjects without a class or a teacher. I start with enthusiasm, collect too many books and videos, and lose direction after a week. Help me plan what to learn, pick resources and keep going.