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General concepts vs Details: how to handle this balance properly?

Written by: Stefano

February 3, 2025

What is the Brick Laying metaphor and how can it come in handy?

A representation of  the Brick Laying approach

During the learning experience, whether you learn online or from a traditional textbook, self-studying effectively requires managing two competing types of content: general concepts vs. details.

It's crucial to understand their differences to prioritize your time efficiently and optimize your learning process.

In this article, we will explore both aspects and introduce an effective method to handle them properly: the Brick Laying Approach, a strategy that electronic learning and education technologies like Atlhas Tutor leverage to enhance comprehension.

General Concepts vs. Details

When studying, you need to strike a balance between understanding the big picture and mastering intricate details.

On one hand, grasping the overall structure and main ideas of a subject helps you develop a foundational understanding. On the other, diving into details ensures deeper knowledge retention, enabling you to apply your understanding in different situations.

The challenge lies in finding the right balance and applying the correct timing. If you focus too much on details, and too early, you may feel overwhelmed and disconnected from the broader subject. Conversely, concentrating solely on general concepts for a too long time may leave gaps in your knowledge, making it harder to recall critical details when needed.


The Brick Laying Approach

One way to maintain this balance is by adopting a Brick Laying Approach—a method that mirrors structured online tutoring, where learning is broken into manageable steps, much like laying bricks one by one to build a wall.

This method can be applied more easily when using a learning management system like Atlhas Tutor to ensure a gradual yet solid understanding of a subject.

Example: Studying Anatomy

If you're studying anatomy, you might:

  • Start with the big picture, learning about the body's main systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive).

  • Move into specifics, understanding how organs function within each system.

  • Delve deeper into details, exploring organ structures and cellular functions.

This structured method prevents information overload, ensuring progressive learning while keeping the broader subject in context.

By following this approach, self-studying becomes more effective, and you can retain complex information more easily, making learning feel like benefiting from online tutoring—but at your own pace.


How Atlhas Tutor Enhances Your Learning

Implementing the Brick Laying Approach manually can be challenging, but education technologies and lms like Atlhas Tutor simplify the process, offering structured tools to guide your learning.

Through online tutoring - like features, Atlhas Tutor provides a structured way to move efficiently from general concepts to details, reinforcing concepts progressively.

It won’t do the work for you, but that's precisely the advantage—it promotes learn-by-doing, a methodology that strengthens your ability to apply this approach in any future learning situation. By cultivating this habit, you’ll become an independent lifelong learner and a self-studying master.

Whether you're a student looking to learn online or a teacher seeking better teaching strategies, our platform makes it easier to apply these techniques.

Visit our [landing page] to sign up for a free trial—no credit card required! Our tutorials will help you maximize Atlhas Tutor’s benefits, enhancing your self-studying experience through modern education technologies.


What’s Next?

In our next article, we’ll explore the crucial role of reviews in strengthening your knowledge base and share the best strategies for planning and performing them effectively.

Stay tuned! If you found this article insightful, consider sharing it with your network.


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© 2025 Stefano Castiglione, residing in Via C. Beccaria 18, 31029 Vittorio Veneto (TV), Italy - All rights reserved