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A Handy Summary of Memory Definitions, for Teachers and Students
Here‘s a quick summary of information about memory: sensory memory, working memory, long-term memory, and (crucially!) forgetting. Author Steven Turner presents this brisk overview to combat “buzzword wasteland.” He fears the education-world habit of coming up with fancy new terms
Taking Notes with Graphic Organizers
Researchers office us concrete advice on the best form for handwritten notes: outlines vs. graphic organizers; incomplete vs. complete. Continue reading
Do Collaborative Projects Reduce or Increase Working Memory Stress?
Should teachers ask students to work on projects in teams? This question generates a great deal of heat. Many education thinkers advocate for the benefits of teamwork. Others insist that learning happens one brain at a time, and so should
Praising Researchers, Despite Our Disagreements
This blog often critiques the hype around “brain training.” Whether Lumosity or Tom Brady‘s “brain speed” promises, we’ve seen time and again that they just don’t hold water. Although I stand behind these critiques, I do want to pause and
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
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Tagged boundary conditions, methodology, retrieval practice, working memory
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Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me
We often post about the unreliability of “brain training.” Heck, even though I live in Boston and am a Patriots fan, I made fun of Tom Brady’s website claiming to “increase brain speed” and other such nonsense. (I don’t even
10,000 People Talk About Sleep and Cognition
Most of the research studies I read include a few tens of people. Sixty or eighty is good; more than 100 is rare. I’ve seen published studies with an even dozen. So when I hear about a study with over
Does Media Multitasking Really Interfere with Student Thinking?
To many teachers, it just seems obvious: all that screen times MUST be bad for student brains. To many other teachers, it just seems obvious: technology will unleash academic possibilities and revolutionize education. So, which is it? Does media multitasking
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Tagged attention, long-term memory, multitasking, technology, working memory
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Does Hands-On Learning Benefit Science Students?
In a recent study, hands-on learning and other inquiry strategies did not help 4th graders master science concepts. The reason? Working memory limitations. Continue reading
Do Stress, Age, or Stereotypes Harm Your Working Memory?
We write a lot about working memory here on the blog, and so I was intrigued to see a review article summarizing 21 factors that might influence our WM performance. Several of this article’s conclusions jumped out at me. Some