Recently in the ASCD blog, Bryan Goodwin published an interesting article in which he identified six “zombie” ideas in education, those ideas that “keep returning to life, despite researchers’ best efforts to put them six feet under.” Below are excerpts from this piece: (Un)dead idea #1: Students have different learning styles Serious research has found Read more about Zombie Ideas in Education[…]
In the past year, more students have engaged in self-directed, independent learning than ever. One organization, Griptape, has been perfecting their approach to cultivating Learner Agency through their work with over 12,000 students during Learning Challenges since 2015. After completing an application describing their passion project, selected students (teens ages 14-19, most of whom are Read more about Learner Agency: Students Driving their Own Learning[…]
J-PAL North America, a research center focused on reducing poverty, recently released a meta-analysis of close to 100 studies of tutoring in literacy and mathematics and found that tutoring programs consistently produced large improvements in learning outcomes for students — with effects that eclipse those of most other educational programs. More importantly, this study synthesizes Read more about Six Principles for Doing Tutoring Right[…]
Science tells us that learning is not a byproduct of natural intelligence, but a process dependent on skills like focusing and centering your attention, planning and sticking to a program, and tenacity. The precise process or method used for learning has been shown to consistently predict success. Depending on which learning process students used, scientists Read more about Six Steps to an Effective Learning Process[…]
With all of the uncertainty around the pandemic, getting students settled into the classroom—whether in-person or virtual—and ready to learn this fall was already going to be challenging. But we are also heading into what promises to be a contentious and polarizing election season, and students will need help navigating this difficult political environment. In Read more about Engaging Students in Civic Discourse[…]
Writing for the Fordham Foundation, Jonathan Plucker reviews the research on programs for advanced learners. Excerpts from the piece appear below: Advanced learning programs are effective, and we have reams of research to support that conclusion. What follows is a rough summary of intervention research, listed from more to less evidence of effectiveness. For the Read more about Do Programs for Advanced Learners Work?[…]
Writing for EdSurge, Chelsea Waite recently explored an approach to remote learning that has resulted in extremely high levels of student engagement at a time when some schools and districts are seeing half or less of their students participating in online instruction. Excerpts of the piece appear below: What’s behind this rare level of engagement Read more about How Student Agency Can Ease the Pain of Remote Learning and Teaching[…]
What happens when teachers start using science of learning principles? A new, rigorous study suggests some very powerful outcomes for students. A group of researchers have been exploring the question of what happens when teachers get professional development based on the science of learning. Their latest research article explores the effectiveness of two approaches to Read more about The Power of The Science of Learning in Action[…]
GripTape asserts that learner agency—defined as the ability to make intentional choices about and take an active role in the course of one’s own learning—is the key to a self-reinforcing cycle of learning and development. After two years spent working directly with more than 400 young people nationwide designing and testing approaches to solve this Read more about Griptape Releases Learner Agency Framework[…]
In recent years, cognitive psychologists and other researchers have learned a great deal about effective learning and teaching practices. In some cases, findings have gone against conventional wisdom or common practice, and teachers may have difficulty integrating them into their instruction. In November’s issue brief, Core Education offers resources that provide an overview of findings Read more about November Issue Brief: The Science of Learning[…]
We know more than ever about the science of learning and development, but education policy hasn’t kept pace with these advancements. In a new report, iNACOL (Renamed the Aurora Institute) explores the emerging research and offers a set of recommendations to align policy with how students learn best. Aligning Education Policy with the Science of Read more about Nine Ways to Align Education Policy with the Learning Sciences[…]
How do we best educate our children so that they learn better, and learn how to learn, in addition to learning what to learn? How do we translate this body of research into classroom practice effectively? The Learning Agency Lab has released six powerful videos from their “Science of Learning: Research Meets Practice” project. With Read more about Research on the Science of Learning[…]
What do high performing schools have in common? Among other things, they have rigorous academic standards, rich curriculum, and high-quality assessments. They also have well-trained educators who have regular access to accurate and useful data. And they have a culture of equity that undergirds their work. All of these reinforce one another to drive student Read more about Alignment Matters: A Framework for Advancing Student Learning and Promoting Equity[…]