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The New Science of Learning by Todd Zakrajsek
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD
October 24, 2023

The New Science of Learning by Todd Zakrajsek

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UntitledIn the ever-evolving realm of educational literature this is quickly becoming a classic. The New Science of Learning, first published in 2013, continues to emerge with each new edition as an invaluable compass for both students transitioning from high school to the world of academia as well as for educators seeking a refreshed pedagogical perspective and insights into the psychological experience of the learner. Todd D. Zakrajsek’s personal journey to becoming a better student and mentor has resulted in a treasure trove of continuously revised and reexamined learning insights you don’t want to miss.

The topics in this book are carefully selected, and while the author suggests that you should feel free to jump around these independently excellent chapters, following the given order adds a special touch to the journey. It kicks off with a deep dive into the art of perspective-taking – a fresh twist you might not expect in a book about improving your approaches to effective learning! It then dives into getting to know yourself better giving fresh perspective and clarification. Self-awareness and -regulation are key to effective learning and closely tied to our belief in our own abilities, known as self-efficacy. Students (and instructors) will be able to better frame their experience helping us become aware that feelings of doubt, like imposter syndrome, are more about societal pressures than personal flaws. The society and the individual mind are unavoidably linked. In line with current literature, the author reviews approaches that emphasize that focusing on our rough edges is not always the best strategy; a positive outlook can really shape our success! But the book is not only filled with strategies for reframing ourselves and our social situation, it is also chock-full of concrete strategies ranging from memory to lifestyle changes like sleep and exercise. But this is no simple review of what you have heard; it is well-researched, updated, and cited. As is clear from the author’s mission, it’s the start of a journey, not a conclusion.

Leading with personal investment, the author explains he faced challenges transitioning from high school to college, initially under-performing and wondering if he was the college type. But instead of giving up, he dove deep into understanding the mind, applying those insights to his own college journey. This passion not only led him to earn a PhD but also to craft three editions of this fantastic book! You will remain captivated by his deep insights and enduring commitment to understanding the student learning process. It’s a privilege to join him on this enlightening quest to master the art and science of learning.

Each chapter is well crafted, featuring an outstanding set of discussion questions accompanied by a summary and an extensive list of author-vetted resources. This structure not only enhances comprehension but also serves as a catalyst for deeper academic exploration. It sets itself up as a perfect complement to an academic program. In fact, just this morning, before finishing this review, I received feedback from one of my students who had further questions from articles in this book’s citations. Yes, this term, I incorporated a chapter into my curriculum, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Many students expressed a keen interest in acquiring the complete book, viewing it as a promising tool for their academic progression, voicing that they wish they had seen it years ago. It’s a versatile resource suitable for various fields and contexts. For instance, if I were to spearhead a college adjustment program or oversee a learning assistance center, this book would be my go-to reference.

While I’ve appreciated previous editions of this work, the fresh content and perspectives in this edition make it an essential “New” addition to any personal library. Whether you’re a student, an educator, or simply someone with an interest in the intricacies of learning, The New Science of Learning is a must-read. Take the chance to get to know your own mind a little better.

Outsmart Your Brain by Daniel Willingham
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD
May 18, 2023

Outsmart Your Brain by Daniel Willingham

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Aligning with my work in this area, Daniel Willingham’s influential insights have greatly contributed to the field of neuroscience and education. His critique of learning styles and debunking of common learning myths and neuromyths have been pivotal. His critique of the premature application of neuroscience to the classroom advocates for translational relevance to teachers and ecological validity. Many of us in the field have been driven by his many talks, books, and insights.

Who of us has not invested extensive hours exploring new study methods and learning techniques, experimenting with trendy apps, organization routines, and innovative solutions to overcome our learning challenges. Often, we seek a quick fix or a supposed magic pills that line the self-help sections of bookstores. However, it’s easy to lose sight of the essence of learning amidst the pursuit of strategies, most of which are unsupported tradition. While this book doesn’t offer instant solutions, it effectively helps distinguish valuable approaches from ineffective ones. Its well-organized collection of learning hacks and tips assists in separating the wheat from the chaff. Daniel stresses that learning requires time and effort—inevitable aspects that can’t be bypassed. Nevertheless, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy empowers readers to optimize their time and maximize their learning outcomes. As an educator and lifelong learner, I found this book brimming with invaluable insights to evaluate and enhance my own performance across educational domains.

The book’s origins reveal its essence. Daniel, a college instructor, witnessed his students struggling with learning difficulties. Over time, he honed his ability to identify their problems but lacked a clear solution. This prompted this cognitive scientist and ambitious educator to embark on a journey evaluating and verifying the real-life applicability of various memory and learning strategies derived from his cognition and memory research and investigating what made sense. The result of this ongoing exploration is the book at hand, which undoubtedly lives up to its promise.

This book serves as an indispensable and practical user manual for being a better student and teacher. Its value extends particularly to learning skills specialists, college students seeking lecture support, parents aiming to guide their children’s learning, or the college instructor that wants to do more than act as a sage on the stage simply reading off notes. The book’s well-structured chapters can be utilized as weekly lessons or applied individually.

Thematically organized, the book covers a wide array of essential topics to enhance learning and academic performance. It offers guidance on understanding lectures, effective note-taking strategies, making the most of labs, activities, and demonstrations, and techniques to enhance note organization for improved comprehension. Additionally, it provides valuable insights on tackling challenging readings, studying effectively for exams, assessing exam readiness, approaching different test formats.  Nurturing social-emotional skills in education Daniel also covers efficient work planning, overcoming procrastination through highly effective tips, maintaining focus, building self-confidence, and coping with anxiety.

The strategies presented in the book strike a balance between empirical research, realism, and accessibility. It acknowledges the “education in the wild,” delving into what students truly encounter and guiding them in the right direction. Dr. Willingham expertly supports these concepts with personal anecdotes from his own experiences as an educator, effectively illustrating how to make learning enjoyable and, consequently, more successful. Furthermore, the book is enriched with citations that bolster the suggested strategies and challenge traditional approaches that have been proven to be ineffective – ones we still prolifically teach and practice. I hope you notice, as i did that each chapter can be a friendly audit of our practices and beliefs about learning, urging us to evaluate how students and teachers foster successful learning and prompting tangible improvements. As I reflect on my own study years, I genuinely regret not having had access to this book. However, with my students, this book gives us some tools to be better learners together.

Failure to Disrupt by Justin Reich
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD
May 17, 2022

Failure to Disrupt by Justin Reich

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Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education is a well-written critical synthesis of overzealous claims and unrealistic attempts to revolutionize education through technology. Its author, Justin Reich, is an Assistant Professor in the Comparative Media Studies department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he studies future learning. He is also the creator of several publications and EdX courses on education as well as the designer of online courses for teacher education (which he offers a critique of in the current work). His writing here, while critical of the field’s progress, is also inspiring with down-to-earth realism that gives the reader access to a balanced evaluation of technology’s impact on education.

The previous decades have been loaded with unfulfilled promises offered by technology. Fears that teachers would be replaced by computers were ultimately unrealized but too was the dream of a radical improvement and the democratization of a suffering education system. Bombarded by every innovation and the pandemic, the teacher and administrator could be forgiven for not seeing through the weeds of their own learning management systems. The claims have been loud, but the practice has become habitual and administrative without time or cognitive space for critical evaluation (although we have all had the best of intentions). Training new teachers on technology and standardizing systems have become the practices of everyday teaching. There is a lot out there, but no clear way to sort through it. This book is a nice place to catch up and get back in the game.

There is no doubt that this book is critical of aspects of the education-via-technology revolution, but Reich is not ranting against the use of technology. He instead grounds evaluation in research, breaking his insights into several themes. Schools, teachers, and society will often use new technologies not to innovate and transform ways of educating but instead they become new playgrounds for old practices. Current systems exhibit a strong gravity to maintain practices, and new technologies can become just another way to duplicate previous methods pulling along for the ride both what works and what doesn’t. Regarding computer-assisted instruction and assessment, we have found that these still are most effective at routine learning and highly formalized technical knowledge. They do not yet effectively tackle the development of communicative competence, critical thinking, abstract thinking, and reasoning. Furthermore, the promise of equity has not been borne out so far by the technology. It seems to be that those with greater access use the technology more frequently and more efficaciously than those who have been traditionally neglected by the system; as Reich argues, educational technology may widen already existing gaps. And finally, the promise of big data insights that have been so useful in other sciences has been severely limited by privacy laws and restrictions on student experimentation. The author dissuades us of the notion offered by the sales reps that the technology will be the magic pill of education. However, while these claims appear pessimistic, there is much more to this text than deconstructing the ed-tech industry.

Through engaging the book, the reader develops a better understanding of the larger ecology of instructional technologies. Reich arms the reader with systems of thinking and methods of evaluation that empower readers to be informed consumers of existing and emerging computer-aided instruction. Through this evaluation, Reich also makes the reader aware of their own practices in existing frameworks. I found myself rethinking what I was using technology for in the courses I teach but also learned about many other systems that were out there. What others are doing well, and how I could capitalize on their learnings to broaden my own impact. The reader can use this book similarly to tinker around the edges and discover what might work well for their content-specific learning goals while being aware of the potential caveats, persistent pitfalls, and opportunities while integrating technology in instruction.

One of Reich’s main points is that learning technologies are not wholly new. They are new forms of previous technologies and ways of thinking. We can also learn about current technologies by looking back at their historic forms and the theory that the new forms are built upon. This is also probably true of the field of education, often new theorists and practitioners repackage previous ideas and their successes or failures are somewhat predictable based on previous iterations.  Reich’s assessment of emerging systems helps unify this history and our ongoing missions in education.

Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12 by Peter Liljedahl
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD
March 21, 2022

Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12 by Peter Liljedahl

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Initially, I looked at this title and thought “not another best practice book” the bookstores already have too many poor books on how to teach content effectively. However, I begrudgingly opened Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning and found an unexpected reward. As a learning scientist, I was pleasantly surprised by Peter Liljedahl’s approach to education. There is no ivory tower mentality here: no belief that teachers need to align with abstract theory or laboratory learnings not grounded in practice. Liljedahl really sees teachers! The contents of this book come from countless observations and trials in real classrooms and the best practices that emerged from them.  He begins with a basic premise in his observations asking what the factors that encourage “thinking” in the mathematics classroom are; and then, based on extensive research, he unwraps 14 concrete and often deceptively simple recommendations that have emerged.

Yes, a best practices book can be a page-turner. I am not a math teacher, and I would say I did not have a pleasant experience with math in my youth. However, what I was reading here really resonated with me, and the recommendations for enhancing learning are not isolated to mathematics. The reader’s attention is drawn to practices that, at times, seem minor but can have big impacts on learning.  Consistent with the author’s notion of encouraging thinking, the material is presented in such a way that it provokes curiosity. Amazingly simple questions spark interest: where should students practice math: whiteboards on the wall, whiteboards on the table, posterboards, or notebooks? He takes us through the investigation predicting our thinking and ending each section with frequently asked questions that reveal he has had plenty of field experience with teachers and skeptics.

Each chapter engages the teacher’s likely goals and a comparison to student goals. Throughout the book, I found myself in the narrative of each giving me insight into my learning and my teaching. Take group work that is central to every active classroom: when we are instructors, we plan groupings carefully; but when we are students, we often have another interpretation of instructor efforts in mind, and we have our own social goals. Liljedahl brings these into some alignment, so both student and teacher work toward deeper thinking. As the author points out, students and teachers love to think and think deeply when the conditions facilitate and don’t interfere or distract.

While each chapter ends with a summary of the main points in the form of macro and micro moves that we can take as educators, the meat of the chapters offers valuable context and back up the claims in ways that allow us to spread the knowledge captured in these pages among our peers. I tried to critique every suggestion, but the author was particularly good at anticipating this doubt, and those points not addressed in the main narrative were given direct attention in the frequently asked questions sections at the end of each chapter, a part that I particularly enjoyed.

But best practices mean little in standardized systems that constrain our ability to create — “There is no more time. There is no room to add more. ” Stop fretting, evidence is loaded into these pages that refute that the teacher is too constrained to enhance learning in these ways. The author breaks down curricular time into minute-by-minute activities demonstrating that these practices enable efficient use of classroom time. Other concerns about making sure you meet curricular demands are also addressed. Not all activities are curricular and that’s ok; instead, they often prepare the learner to do curricular activities effectively. Constrained by finance? Alternatives abound and are supported by previous implementation and testing. If you have reasons to not enhance student learning as suggested, be prepared to have those concerns alleviated.

So the book is useful for teachers, but what about the researcher who yearns for an academic discussion. If this is you, you also have something great to learn on these pages. This book is an illustrative guide of one excellent way to do great learning science research. The researcher will learn from Liljedahl’s communication and experience with teachers. But will also be tickled by the attention to detail and nuance that is enjoyable in all scientific endeavors. Science is about seeing and noticing and letting the data teach us. This is what you will find here making it an excellent lighthearted college text for preparing teachers or researchers.

Often an education book offers much for the reader as both a teacher and a learner. This book is no exception. Take some of these practices to your own learning opportunities, places of work, research labs, and faculty meetings. Enjoy thinking deeply with Liljedahl.

Liljedahl, P. (2020). Building thinking classrooms in mathematics, grades K-12: 14 teaching practices for enhancing learning. Corwin Press

The Goldilocks Map by Andrew Watson
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD
January 19, 2022

The Goldilocks Map by Andrew Watson

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The Goldilocks Map: A Classroom Teacher’s Quest to Evaluate ‘Brain-Based’ Teaching Advice is an entertaining and eye-opening conversation that seeks to help the reader develop a way of thinking that is sorely missing in today’s discourse around teaching and the brain. It is often stated that we need to be critical consumers of brain-based research as we apply it to the classroom; this book gives a roadmap showing us how. Andrew Watson takes us on this “quest” that reflects his 16 years of teaching experience and subsequent “Mind, Brain, Education” degree. The coaching in this book is an essential introduction for the developing teacher, the experienced teacher seeking to develop their understanding, as well as the experienced researcher who could always use a course in effective translation and writing. The experience Watson offers is delightful for all.

Andrew Watson embeds this search for understanding of the Neuroscience and Psychology of education through a playful and humorous narrative. For some readers, embedding neuroscience in the quests of Aladdin, Goldilocks, and Middle Earth may be off-putting. But seriously, you need to relax a bit and enjoy. In fact, accepting this narrative style is an essential element in disarming our pretentious mindsets and allows one to approach this field with an authentic search for understanding and intellectual transparency while still embracing the simple joys of good storytelling.

The book is not an encyclopedic rehashing of implications of neuroscience for education, but it fills an important gap.  Through a series of deep dives into themes such as environmental enrichment, spaced learning, and music in education, the reader is coached on how to locate, evaluate, and communicate research around these topics and more. As someone who regularly translates between neuroscience and education, I found the book refreshing and very useful.

One of the books greatest strengths is its attention to language use in research and translation. Watson highlights the word use and phrasing used by advocates for neuroeducation and calls our attention to some of the ridiculousness in original publications as well as our subsequent attempts to explain this research to colleagues. However, he does not diminish the research but elevates it by revealing the intention behind published words making the research more accessible. Without careful intention, we may catch ourselves and our peers exercising some common missteps by using language to obfuscate our lack of understanding or to add gravitas to otherwise empty phrases. I guarantee that you will humbly find your own words reflected in these pages and gain strategies to communicate more effectively.

Watson also is taking us on an active quest of discovery by not seeking our passive acceptance of research and application. Each chapter empowers the reader, as a member of the mind, brain, education community, to engage the community with a sense of exploration. Teachers are not simply consumers of research; the translation they enact brings to bear their expertise in acts of community involvement that make this research living. In my opinion, researchers are too often placed on pedestals and some researchers hide in their ivory towers of academia. Here we have the tools to pull this community together and flatten the illusion of a hierarchy.

There are also plenty of unanticipated “gems” in this book that will inspire you to take a moment to go on your own exploratory journey to accompany the pages. I found myself on many occasions pulling up a suggested web resource and learning something new or exploring an article I previously read out of pure curiosity inspired by these pages. I frequently jotted down particularly important turns of phrase and thought experiments that I could put to immediate use in my own scientific practice to not only make my work easier to understand for others but also to help make my own goals transparent to me.

This intellectual, entertaining, and often humorous engagement with the field is just what we all needed – useful as an introduction and useful to get us back on track.

Learning Without Borders: New Learning Pathways for all Students by Yong Zhao
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD
November 17, 2021

Learning Without Borders: New Learning Pathways for all Students by Yong Zhao

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In Learning Without Borders: New Learning Pathways for all Students, Yong Zhao outlines an ongoing and necessary paradigm shift in education, offering new ways of thinking and examples from the frontier of this trend. This is a timely piece that highlights the changes that were forced upon us by the pandemic but have been in the works for a long time. The pandemic exacerbated existing cracks in the system but also spotlighted new opportunities. The old boundaries and structures of education need to be transformed if we truly want to create pathways for the success of all students.

This book asks us to fundamentally reorganize our thinking about school and to make it genuinely student-centered. Putting the student at the center of education is a relatively common idea in education, but Yong gives a contemporary angle enabling the reader to systematically build an understanding of emerging roles teachers and students will play in this new education. His book challenges the way we think about pedagogy by integrating discussions of learning pathways, curriculum design, self-directed learning, and existing technology.

At the core of the discussion is an education system that is built around student needs that are determined in partnership with students. But before we can challenge the practices of the system, flawed mindsets are challenged: schools do not prepare students for life — students are already living full lives full of formative experiences, and schools do not transmit knowledge to students — students have unprecedented access to knowledge and are learning all the time without direct instruction.

Along with a changing mindset comes a need for an evaluation of the paths we offer, schools do much more than prepare students for college. Schooling should dynamically align with the individual student pathways, not group students onto the same path. The current structured form of education focuses on curriculum design without students; to support student development, students need to be co-owners of curriculum design. The curriculum should support the students in following their passions and endeavors not in satisfying a list of government determined metrics. Learning needs to be meaningful and Yong helps us ask the right questions to direct our practice.

These changes are not only theoretical but are ready to implement now more than ever before. They are scaffolded by ripening technology that has enabled students to truly take the reins. This has led some to fear a replacement of teachers, but the challenge in education he [proposes is not how technology might replace teachers, but to understand what aspects of learning will be done through technology and what aspects have to be done directly by teachers. He helps the reader find their role in this shift by asking us to question our widely held beliefs and adopt new roles. Students have taken charge of their own learning and we as educators need to gain comfort and facility in acting as life coaches, resource curators, community leaders, and project managers. The challenge is to find the new emerging roles for teachers and students in this new educational ecology.

While Yong critiques ways of thinking he also challenges established and accepted norms. We have new types of students who are often enabled by technology engaging the world in new innovative ways. We are completely ignoring the student entrepreneur in our education approaches, for example. We send these students the message that school does not fit them rather than integrating their skills into the system. In another example, he points out structural flaws in student groupings. We currently ignore basic principles of development by grouping students by age not developmental level or passions. And while the classroom has been seen as a fundamental unit within a school, the new classrooms can span the globe. The book is filled with ideas that help us consider the development of current systems.

One may initially think such a book is only for the progressive school and the changes discussed are above the level of the teacher. However, the attentive reader will notice suggestions for small and large changes that teachers can make in their practice. It is not always about creating a new way, it is often about accepting and becoming aware of the ways that are already practiced in the world around us. Educators can use the principles outlined here to empower students, design classrooms, and engage in ways of practicing education that can affect change.

The crux of this argument is that the system is not addressing student needs and radical redesign is necessary to align with systems of learning that are already taking place.  This book helps the reader see and become part of a new education without borders.