Tags
ADHD adolescence attention autism book review boundary conditions classroom advice conference speakers constructivism/direct instruction creativity desirable difficulty development dual coding elementary school embodied cognition emotion evolution exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory math methodology middle school mind-wandering mindfulness Mindset motivation neuromyths neuroscience online learning parents psychology reading retrieval practice self-control skepticism sleep STEM stress technology working memoryRecent Comments
- "All People Learn the Same Way": Exploring a Debate |Education & Teacher Conferences on The Goldilocks Map by Andrew Watson
- URL on Difference Maker: Enacting Systems Theory in Biology Teaching, by Christian...
- URL on The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World by...
- Celular na Escola: novas regras transformam o ambiente de ensino - O Mundo no Seu Bolso on Cell Phones in the Classroom: Expected (and Unexpected) Effects
- Is "Cell Phone Addiction" Really a Thing? |Education & Teacher Conferences on Laptop Notes or Handwritten Notes? Even the New York Times...
ABOUT THE BLOG
Tag Archives: desirable difficulty

The Downsides of Desirable Difficulties
For several years now, we’ve been talking about the benefits of “desirable difficulties.” For instance,…

Conflicting Advice: What to Do When Cognitive Science Strategies Clash?
Teachers like research-informed guidance because it offers a measure of certainty. “Why do you run…
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged desirable difficulty, interleaving, spacing effect, working memory
Leave a comment

The Limits of “Desirable Difficulties”: Catching Up with Sans Forgetica
Can a hard-to-read font improve student learning? That’s a very strange question, but in 2019 we had some reasons to think the answer was “yes.” Just published research updates our understanding. Continue reading

Best Font Name Ever: “Sans Forgetica”
Australian researchers have developed a new font, “sans forgetica,” which might help students remember what they read. However, we have reason to be careful and cautious before we rely too much on this innovation. Continue reading

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

Escaping the “Inquiry vs. Direct Instruction” Debate
If you’d like to stir up a feisty argument at your next faculty meeting, lob…

Can Quiet Cognitive Breaks Help You Learn?
A 10-minute cognitive break improves our memory for story details. If this research pans out, it might be immensely helpful in the classroom. Watch this space… Continue reading

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
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