I have been learning technology since 1989 — first for education then job and now learning technology is like a hobby. Here is how I go about learning:
1. First understand the basic concept by visiting the documentation and use cases.
2. Second, I skim through online courses/tutorials at 1.5x/2x speed. I keep my focus on understanding the methods and processes used by the particular technology to achieve the result.
3. I start building applications based on learning. It immediately puts my skin in the game.
4. I start applying the learning if it is meaningful and relevant to the existing/new projects.
I achieve all of it within 20 hours to take first hand decisions about whether to pursue it further or skip it for a better alternative.