The science

Our approach to helping people learn is based on the observation from neuroscience that our memory is like a scaffold which needs to be built slowly, one step at a time, correcting any mistakes that we make along the way. As we do the steps, our brains create something called myelin, which looks like this:

Myelin is a chemical layer, like rubber insulation on a wire, that wraps around our nerve fibers to keep our signals strong. 

Every one of our movements, thoughts, and feelings starts as an electrical signal traveling through our nerve fibers. Each time you think, feel, or do something, the myelin gets thicker.

When you are skilled at something, it means that you have through repetition built up a thick myelin sheath around the nerves that control that skill.

Deep Practice is a methodology that increases the speed of learning tenfold and is the fastest way known to build up myelin.  Deep Practice has three practical components:

  1. Observe someone using the skill (called “engraving”) until you can imagine yourself doing it.
  2. Divide the skill into small chunks and learn them one at a time.
  3. Practice each chunk slowly until it can be done without mistakes.

The DrawNear development team uses the principles of Deep Practice to radically accelerate the learning of Biblical practices.