Research into Practice
If you only have time to read one article...
"People are naturally curious, but they are not naturally good thinkers; unless the cognitive conditions are right, people will avoid thinking. Teachers should reconsider how they encourage their students to think in order to maximize the likelihood that students will get the pleasurable rush that comes from successful thought."
- D.T. Willingham
Principles of Instruction
The Principles of Instruction were derived from 30 years of observing classroom teachers and noting what the best (and worst) teachers did. Barak Rosenshine synthesized these findings into 10 succinct principles and wrote about them in this very popular article. This poster showing the principles (print it!) is also a goodie.
MARGE: A Whole-Brain Learning Approach
Shimamura created the mnemonic "MARGE" to describe five principles of successful learning - Motivate, Attend, Relate, Generate, and Evaluate. Check out his free e-book and this poster to see examples of how this model can have an impact on your day-to-day teaching.
Six Strategies By The Learning Scientists
The Learning Scientists are transforming education by sharing resources, podcasts, and blog posts on six strategies that learners (and teachers) can use to secure success at school. These are Retrieval Practice, Interleaving, Dual Coding, Spaced Practice, Elaboration, and Concrete Examples.
Have Tech and Multitasking Rewired How Students Learn?
Read this interesting article about whether technology has changed how we learn (it hasn't), if young people are better at technology than old people (they aren't), and if students are good at multitasking (they're not).
If You Learn A, Will You Be Better Able to Learn B?
Many people believe that puzzle games, chess, and music make you good at other stuff or "teach you how to think". Read this to see why they don't.
The Power of Interleaving
Interleaving is when you mix up problems during practice rather than study the same type of problems. Read this to see how interleaving applies to teaching math.
What Works and What Doesn't?
Did you know that giving yourself a practice test is much more effective than rereading your notes? Yet many students seem to prefer passive study strategies that do not allow for long-term retention of the material. Similarly, many teachers think it's more productive to reteach material than to quiz students on previous learning. Read this illustrated report to learn which techniques lead to the most learning, and which are less helpful.
Cognitive Load Theory
Learners can only hold about 3-5 items at a time in working memory and only for a few seconds. By learning about the recommendations from cognitive load theory, teachers can design instruction that respects these limitations. Check out this practice guide to see recommendations and examples of cognitive load theory in the classroom.
3 Benefits of Retrieval Practice
Retrieval practice is known by a few different names, including practice testing and low-stakes quizzing. Whatever you call it, it is a research-based strategy that involves effortfully pulling information "out" of long-term memory. Watch the video above from Dr. Agarwal and/or listen to this podcast to learn about the direct and indirect benefits of retrieval practice.
Self-Regulated Learning
Why do some students struggle to manage their learning? According to the authors of this highly cited article, one reason may be because they have a faulty mental model of how they learn and remember. As a result, students choose activities that feel productive but lead to less learning. Read the article and think about how the research on self-regulated learning can be used to develop our students into independent learners.
What Does the Research Say?
Many teachers want to know "what the research says" but don't know where to start. Here are two breezy research reviews for your perusal. The first, The Science of Learning, outlines the implications of the learning sciences for the classroom, and the second, The Great Teaching Toolkit, outlines the components of effective teaching.
Why Content Matters
It's often said that creativity and critical thinking should be taught instead of content. This makes little sense when we begin to appreciate that content knowledge is what we think critically and creatively WITH. Watch the video above about the neurological basis of creativity and read this article about how critical thinking and content go hand in hand.
Research-Based Tips for Teaching with Technology
Whether or not a technology helps or hinders learning depends on how it's used. This fun, interactive webpage contains tips for how to design online instruction based on randomized controlled experiments. Some of these tips come from Richard Mayer's research on multimedia learning: See him present at Harvard.
Learning Styles Don't Exist!
Many teachers burden themselves with the impossible task of tailoring instruction to students' so-called "learning styles." Is there any scientific basis to the learning styles theory? No, there isn't.
Watch the video above titled, "The Biggest Myth in Education" to learn more. Additional resources include this article debunking the myth of learning styles and this infographic about common educational myths.
Dual Coding
There are no visual or auditory learners! In fact, ALL students learn from pairing verbal information with visuals. This is called Dual Coding.
Watch the excellent video above titled, "Dual coding for teachers who can't draw" to learn how to harness the power of dual coding. Also, check out this poster or this presentation for how to use graphic organizers to illustrate complex ideas.