Learning Science

The Science of Learning 

Have you ever felt ready for a test but didn't do as well as you thought you should have?  This might be because you used the passive strategy of rereading instead of actively engaging with the content. Although many of us believe rereading supports learning, research disagrees and notes that rereading builds false confidence. Rather, we should interact with the material we are studying. The science of learning offers these strategies: 

Brain Dump -- After you read, write or talk about everything you've learned.  Images, sketchnoting, and one-pagers can be helpful because you activate multiple parts of the brain.

Elaboration -- Explain what you learned. Make connections with your background knowledge or other subjects. 

Generative Learning -- Try solving a problem BEFORE you know the rules. This will strengthen your memory. 

Interleaving  -- Space out study sessions. Do not cram the night before. The time between study sessions helps you consolidate the learning and move it to long-term memory. 

Retrieval Practice  -- Take frequent practice quizzes -- and mix up the order of the questions! 

In addition to supporting learning, these strategies also support language development because they provide relevant and engaging opportunities to SWRL (speak, write, read, and listen). 

We hope you'll introduce your students to these learning principles so they can become empowered and independent learners.