Tags
ADHD adolescence art education attention bilingual education boundary conditions classroom advice college concussion creativity desirable difficulty development diet elementary school embodied cognition emotion evolution exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory metacognition methodology middle school mind-wandering mindfulness Mindset motivation neuromyths neuroscience neurotransmitters parents pre-K psychology reading retrieval practice self-control skepticism sleep STEM technology working memoryRecent Comments
- Nini White on Helping Today’s Students Have More Open Minds
- Ellen on Montessori: The New Science behind a Century-Old Methodology (part I)
- Kathleen Valentine on Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]
- Nancy Weinstein on Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]
- Trish McRae on Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]
ABOUT THE BLOG
POPULAR TOPICS
Blog Roll
Tag Archives: classroom advice
Don’t Just Do This Thing; Think This Way
Do hard-to-read fonts improve learning? The answer is: that’s the wrong question. Instead, we should ask: how can we set the right level of difficulty as students learn material? And: are hard-to-read fonts a useful tool in getting to that level. Only the classroom teacher can answer those questions. Continue reading
Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]
At one of the first Learning and the Brain conferences I attended, a speaker briefly mentioned that learning styles theory doesn’t have much good evidence to support it. That comment turned into a heated debate. Several attendees asked vexed, unhappy
Putting Research to Work in the Classroom: Success?
Some study habits have been shown to work in psychology labs. Do they work in college classrooms? A recent study shows that “retrieval practice” clearly helps students learn. The findings on “the spacing effect” are harder to interpret… Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged classroom advice, desirable difficulty, retrieval practice
Leave a comment
The Best Way to Take Notes: More Feisty Debate
When teachers contemplate asking students to take longhand notes, we should think about the level of desirable difficulty this strategy creates. We should also beware the working memory challenges inherent in note-taking, especially on complex material. Continue reading
The Great Homework Debate: Working Memory Disadvantage?
New research into working memory might give teachers fresh perspective in the great homework debate. Well-designed homework might make new words and concepts easier to learn, because the right kind of practice can reduce differences between high- and low-working-memory students. Continue reading
Pro Tips: How To Think Like A Cognitive Scientist
A short, “intensive” college course might seem like a good idea. However, essential cognitive science principles suggest that students will learn less in them. Researchers consistently show that it’s better to spread learning out over time, and that easy learning doesn’t last. Continue reading
No Grades? Doug Lemov Just Isn’t Having It…
Although many experts argue that schools should have no grades, Doug Lemov strongly disagrees. His claim that the end of grades would preclude meritocracy has prompted a lively debate. Continue reading
Let’s Get Practical: More Flashcards Are Better
What flashcard strategies yield the most learning? Research suggests that relatively large flashcard piles spreads repetitions out, and therefore helps students learn better than relatively small piles. Because students prefer small to large, teachers should offer them consistent — and firm — guidance. Continue reading
Brains in the Classroom: Research-based Advice for Students
Rather than nag students by telling them to give up their bad study habits, we might instead help them use their current study strategies more effectively. This new study shows students how best to reread, underline, take notes, and use flash cards. Continue reading
Daring to Flip the Public Health Classroom
“Flipping the classroom” has been around long enough now to have its own Wikipedia page. Proponents suggest that this strategy allows teachers to focus less on direct instruction and more on collaboration, problem solving, and application. Critics respond that direct