Mindmapping Metrovania-Style

This article is concerned with how we understand something (particularly Python for this example), rather than how do we obtain barebone information on something to start applying it pragmatically for one specific use. This idea came first from asking myself what was the best way to study Python. Normally it would be by studying the syllabus or analyzing multiple Table of Contents. But as much as these professional had in my to teach the way they best understood a concept they always missed some core concept and some fundamental or basic explanation gets lost as a tip in the middle of a latter or more complex lesson. The problem of the practical approach of learning by doing is that usually lacks enough context to be considered meaningful. The approach relies too much on the hope that in a non-too-far-future everything will explain itself and make sense. It lacks an strong “why…”, “why am I doing this that way… what does it mean?”, well you just have to trust the process, you may or not understand it BUT, you will be able to do it. Not to mention that not understanding enough is a synonym of relying control and liberty, you’ll depend on people that do understand the why. So the alternative is to go as much as needed to the root of understanding and start moving from there. But the thing is that is well known that information is rarely lineal. From this, proposals as graph theory to better understand information appeared. Once information was adequately linked then we would have a network with a pattern that could be studied. This pattern helps to understand the most frequent, the most central or key piece of information on a network. This key piece can be emphasized and be highlighted in a more pleasing to the eyes matter, diagrams, mnemonics, illustration. This DOES improve learning since more effort can be given more efficiently to the most frequent elements. Nevertheless this doesn’t solve the issue of how a whole body of information is taught. When an individual studies other person database or zettelkasten system, only the biggest elements can be analyzed but not every nook and cranny is necessarily well understood. Also it often happens that there is not a narrative arch or learning path from these node maps. I propose a way of pathing learning processes doing a parallel with a game genre known as Metrovania and a mnemonic technique, the Memory Palace.

Metrovania as a genre

Memory Palace

References