There were no significant differences in performance between the groups at the start of the study yet TRNS was found to improve the speed of learning for both calculation and rote learning tasks.

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This form of social learning is becoming more relevant because of the speed of change of information, the increasing demand for situation-specific knowledge, and recognition that this knowledge can come from practically anywhere.

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It would seem that getting instant, tangible results might speed up the learning process, regardless of age.

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This type of experiential, addictive learning improves decision-making skills and increases the processing speed and spatial skills of the brain.

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To help speed learning, Mitra has recruited hundreds of "grannies, " volunteers from the United Kingdom, many of them retired teachers, who function more in the role of "grandparents" than teachers, skypeing into learning environments around the world, encouraging students to do their best and praising their achievements.

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The good news is that with the advent of widespread, high quality online learning, we may be able to speed that up and create more effective learning pathways.

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