Tags
ADHD adolescence attention bilingual education boundary conditions classroom advice collaboration conference speakers creativity desirable difficulty development elementary school embodied cognition emotion evolution executive function exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory math metacognition methodology middle school mindfulness Mindset motivation neuromyths neuroscience online learning parents pre-K psychology reading retrieval practice self-control skepticism sleep STEM stress technology working memoryRecent Comments
- Robin Seitz on Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive
- Georgia Leonard on “Sooner or Later”: What’s the Best Timing for Feedback?
- Scott on The Source of Student Motivation: Deeper than We Know?
- Andrew Watson on The Limits of Retrieval Practice: A Helpful Case Study
- Andrew Watson on What’s the Ideal Size for Online Discussion Groups?
ABOUT THE BLOG
POPULAR TOPICS
Blog Roll
Tag Archives: boundary conditions

Getting the Timing Right: Critical Thinking Online
Spacing practice out helps students learn all sorts of things. Can it help them learn to be critical thinkers online? Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, classroom advice, critical thinking, long-term memory
Leave a comment

Not All of Us Work Effectively in a “Memory Palace”
Students with lower visuospatial aptitude don’t benefit much from “memory palaces.” This research finding leads to important classroom strategies…and to bigger questions as well. Continue reading

Meet Blake Harvard, “Effortful Educator”
An interview with Blake Harvard: high-school psychology teacher, and Effortful Educator. Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, classroom advice, coaching, retrieval practice
Leave a comment

Is Failure Productive? (Hint: We Should Ask a Better Question)
Two research groups studied (more or less) the same technique with two different student populations — and got very different answer. These contradictory findings give teachers important lessons about using psychology and education research most wisely. Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, classroom advice, desirable difficulty
Leave a comment

Does Music Promote Students’ Creativity?
Music played during a creative task distracts students…but, music played before the task might increase creativity. Continue reading
Can Teachers Be Trusted to Evaluate Research?
Too often, teachers hear that our judgment about classroom applications of scientific research isn’t to be trusted. And yet, teacher judgment is essential when applying research in the classroom. Given that psychology research affects classroom practice only when teachers use it, why put down the teachers who are essential partners in this process? Our field should focus not on competition, but on respectful collaboration. Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, methodology, retrieval practice, working memory
Leave a comment

Good News! Contradictory Research on Desirable Difficulties…
As we regularly emphasize here on the blog, attempts to recall information benefit learning. That is: students might study by reviewing material. Or, they might study with practice tests. (Or flashcards. Perhaps Quizlet.) Researchers call this technique “retrieval practice,” and

Dodging “Dodgy” Research: Strategies to Get Past Bunk
If we’re going to rely on research to improve teaching — that’s why you’re here, yes? — we need to hone our skepticism skills. After all, we don’t want just any research. We want the good stuff. But, we face

Research Summary: The Best and Worst Highlighting Strategies
Does highlighting help students learn? As is so often the case, the answer is: it depends. The right kind of highlighting can help. But, the wrong kind doesn’t help. (And, might hurt.) And, most students do the wrong kind. Today’s
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, classroom advice, homework, long-term memory
Leave a comment

The Limits of Retrieval Practice, Take II…
Just two weeks ago, I posted about a study showing potential boundary conditions for retrieval practice: one of the most robustly supported classroom strategies for enhancing long-term memories. As luck would have it, the authors of that study wrote up their