Further solidifying my geek reputation, I brought three 3x3x3s with me to kill time as an extra on a film set. I attempted to teach people the basic solving methods, but as slow as I was going, it was an exercise in futility. Even with the assistance of Jaap's puzzle guides, no one could wrap their heads around the basic concepts.

So I tried to teach them the concept of breaking down the larger problem into a series of smaller problems (cross, first layer, middle layer, LL corner permutation, LL corner orientation, LL edge permutation, LL edge orientation). Yet, they were just completely dumbfounded.

The worst was when I attempted to explain to someone reasons for using the particular approach, but all I ended up doing was repeating myself. Despite all assurances that it's easy once you figure it out, I couldn't teach anybody. Perhaps my methods suck?

I don't really think I'm that special or smarter than average and I really suck at math. The way I see it, EVERYBODY should be able to do this, regardless of their interests or math knowledge. Is it really that difficult for non-cubers?

I learned and memorized the basic solution with the assistance of Jaap's puzzle guides, yet I gave a paper copy of the guide to one young woman who was there for 8 hours and still couldn't figure it out.

What do you guys do?

I only attempted to teach a couple friends but... One of them I taught entirely over AOL Instant Messenger and she was able to solve it under 3 minutes by the end of the day.

Maybe my friends are just smart. *shrug*

I actually gave her the exact same method that you just listed.

lol

some people got it... some people don't.



i've had similar situations, but trying to teach sudoku...

there's no math involved! you could do that with the alphabet, symbols, whatever you wanted! but they still say, but i have this formula, and this method... blah blah... but they still can't get it. how it works or how to solve it.
all it is is a matter of a process of elimination...

My approach to teaching is if people actually UNDERSTAND the R U R' and L' U' L concepts, I'll teach them. If not? Then they can come find me when they do.

I've taught a few of my friends at school (and surprisingly, they have gone on to teach others as well).

When I started teaching them, I refrained from using words such as "algorithms" "permutations" "orientations" I even left out the notations for each face.

I told them what pattern they wanted facing them, and told them "move this side towards you, this side away, this side clockwise... NO the other clockwise! OK, now the far side down."

Eventually, once they understood the turns for the F2L, I gave them the sheets for OLL and PLL, they didnt like that, so I taught them 3 algs for OLL and 2 for PLL, and thats all they needed. Teaching them the same way as F2L.

I don't think they know what R' or L mean still, but they have successfully taught others within my school and can solve in about 2 minutes themselves. (They learned 2-5 weeks ago)

Most people I have tried to teach were able to figure out F2L reasonable well, but when it came time to do the last layer they gave up because they couldn't be bothered/weren't interested enough to memorize the few algs.

I find it interesting how some people can figure it out by simply reading a couple pages of plain text, while others struggle even with an experienced solver explaining it to them, with a cube right in front of them.

I've found that it's best to teach someone by first getting them used to how it actually works, taking the cube apart and showing them what every peice looks like, how it all comes together.

In my opinion, the best way to teach people, is to lock them inside a room and they can only leave if they solve it, without any advice whatsoever.

Then, you will see how fast learners they can be!




Pantazis


PS Joking aside, I said the above because I believe people should learn by themselves. There *are* a couple of people who managed to solve it a few days after I gave them some tips, nothing too analytic. Encouragement can take many of us a looooong way!

I gave people various websites, I tried to explain notation to them, and I
tried to tell them the outline of it and all they say to me is "I don't get it" .

I've found it's easier to teach people when they have their own cubes, and you sit down and explain WHY stuff works. i'm currently teaching one of my friends, and using a web site and rubik's online cube, he is currently getting down the cross and corners . one step at a time, practice that until they get it.

I think some people think it's too hard. So even when you are teaching them they block you out a bit and do not try to learn the concept.

I honestly think ANYONE can learn (and I say this to everyone I get into the conversation with). I've taught a good 5 or 6 people and those people have taught others.

I'm not sure what I do..but I'll try and point a few thing out that might've helped.

I don't have them rely on papers/notations/written algorithms/etc. I will only teach people in person, it seems they catch on a lot quicker and they have someone to point out their mistakes.

The first thing I do, EXPLAIN THE MECHANISM. I think this is the most important part because we have forgotten how we used to see the cube before we ever thought of solving it. We don't look at it the same. SO I show the inside by taking out a few peices, but only long enough to explain the axle and how the center peices are part of it. I then explain how the centers are fixed and will not go anywhere but spin in circles (and I point out that it is impossible for it to be in the spot of a corner or edge piece). I explain that, since they don't go anywhere, certain colors are opposite of eachother at ALL times.

Then I go into detail about the other pieces. How the edges will only occupy other edge spots and have two sides/two colors, making them distinctly different from a corner pieces (that will only occupy other corner spots and has three colors). Once they understand that, I'll explain that I'll call a specific side because of their color (blue side, white side, etc). I then explain that the color I describe that side as is the same color of the center piece (basically, I say that 'because this center is red, this'll from here on out be considered the red side).

once all of that is done, I quickly show that I look at the cube as three layers, bottom middle and top, and that we are only concentrating on the first layer first.

THEN I will finally explain the cross and what pieces you'd use to make it, and have more then once cube so you can show and they can follow. Then corners, then second layer algorithms, etc.

I would go into more details, but I'm so tired...

I'm in the middle of teaching two new people!! They live a bit far though so it'll take longer than average for them to get it down considering I don't see them everyday.

I hate it when people say "teach me how to solve it before break ends."
which is about 5 min or "is that all you have to do?"(do RU a lot).

Hello All,I taught a squaddie friend of mine how to do the cube.It helps if your not too technical with your lingo,instead of F2l'F2 etc say this side,this face etc.Anyway he says it is easier than disassembling,cleaning and reassembling his rifle.Most people see the cube and then start to think that arcane,alchemical invocations are used to solve it,instead of piece by piece solving,Harry.

Responding to my own thread, feh.

I'm guessing that I was expecting too much because I was able to teach two people how to do the 2x2x2 solution, which still took several hours, but I was able to do it nonetheless. And, they still retained it the next day, which was kinda neat.

One thing I have to keep reminding myself is that it's easy to me because I've done it a zillion times. But watching their eyes go wide with astonishment does get kinda old after a while.

I have never 'taught' as much as guided.
Many of my friends have asked so, I hinted about how to do the first layer. One person has it mastered and can do it in around 40 seconds, in fact, he has only tried to do it once by himself without me watching and got it straight away.

Same thing here, one friend i sortof taught (he used the guide that came with the cube to learn algs, i'm improving his LL and teaching F2L)

another friend solved the cube before me, long long ago before i knew him but now i might be teaching him.

First of all, I do the same thing as Clayne ... show them the pieces and such.

Then My line is "Do you remember your address? Do you remember your home address?" (College people) "Well, that's more information than you need to solve the entire cube."

Then I start by showing the cross. Then the first layer, stressing that I'm only using one set of moves the entire time.
Then the second layer, stressing that I only add 4 more moves to everything they need to know.

For the top layer I teach as 3 algorithms. FRUR'U'F' which I say out as a word "froo rough" for a mnemonic.
Then I explain sune ... that takes the longest but if you explain it by pulling out, repositioning, then reinserting a CEpair, people usually follow it pretty well.

The rest is "down around ups". (either M or R)

I make sure to stress how I'm just using a couple of short patterns over and over again. Then I tell them exactly how much they have to learn :
4+4+6+7+3=24

niiice, that makes lots of sense. i'll have to try that if i teach somebody by myself.

Good ideas. I may incorporate them into my own if you don't mind.

I usually stay away from notation, but I think that sounds like a good way of explaining those specific algs.

I've taught over 10 ppl how to solve the cube. Some pick it up really quickly, others, not quite as fast. Usually I try showing the them the 'advanced' method - which is just creating increasingly larger blocks using Lar's method until they can get F2L. If they're still dumbfounded by the concept of 'hiding' pieces to save them, I try teaching layer by layer. Last resort, is what I call the 'empirical' method - which is just recognising 1 of 3 positions, and doing a fixed move set - like RUR'

Its really easy to teach those who can get 1 layer by themselves ^^

With LL, instead of getting them to remember the actual sequence for the niklas, sune, etc, I break it up into actions. Niklas would be "down flick(LH), down flick (RH), up flick (LH), up flick twice (RH)", and sune is "trigger, flick, 'double' trigger".