Who is Partial Encoding?

Partial Encoding is when someone uses part of something they already know to help them learn something new.

Imagine you're playing with building blocks. You've built a tower before, that’s like knowing how to stack blocks. Now, instead of starting from scratch, you take some of the blocks from your old tower and use them to build a new one. That's partial encoding!

Let’s say you know how to tie your shoes, that’s like having a strong base. When you learn to tie a different kind of knot, you might use some of the same steps from tying your shoes. You're not starting all over again; you’re using what you already know to help you learn something new.

Think about when you ride your bike to school. If you take a shortcut through the park instead of going down the long street, you still get to school, you just used a faster way. Partial encoding is like taking that shortcut: it helps you get somewhere quicker by using what you already know.

So next time you're learning something new, remember: maybe you’re not starting from zero, you might be using part of something you've already mastered!