'Perceptual Learning' Teaching Method Used At New Roads School In Santa Monica

In Santa Monica, Calif., one school is testing out a new method of learning that focuses more on gut decisions than guidelines.

It's called "perceptual learning," deals with skimming and identifying visual patterns in problems rather than the traditional method of memorization and repetition. At New Roads School, they're implementing it into the curriculum through online teaching programs, reports The New York Times.

Cognitive scientists are saying the new method hones students' intuition, helping their brains pick up on subtle shortcuts by identifying patterns within the questions asked. It's not a method of cheating, they say, it's about developing quick judgments -- something they've studied in successful learners.

Philip J. Kellman, a psychologist at UCLA who developed the technology behind the learning style, explains the philosophy behind the learning style to CBS News, saying:

"If you study people who are really good at things, always the first thing that jumps out is these people are picking up information differently."

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