Apr 94 minAn alternative history of coronavirus in the U.S.About a month and a half ago, a friend in Oregon texted me about the coronavirus. I live in Taiwan. “How bad is it?” She asked. “It’s not a big deal,” I answ...
Mar 303 minLearning Science Gets RealWell here we are. COVID-19 is now ravaging the U.S. Thousands of people have died. Many thousands more will die. Several state healthcare systems are already...
Jan 1510 minDeliberate Practice in the ClassroomThis is part 7 in a series on what we know about how we learn and how this knowledge should inform how we teach. The series is intended for teachers, student...
Jan 74 minBalance Bikes and Training Wheels: A Short Lesson in TeachingI was about six when I learned to ride a real bike. Before that I had hobbled around the driveway on a bike outfitted with training wheels, slowly chasing my...
Oct 2, 20197 minThe "one quick trick" of learning principles: interleaved practiceCan just changing the order of homework problems transform a C math student into an A math student?
Sep 25, 20196 minThe spaced practice effect: what it is and how to leverage itThis is part 5 in a series on what we know about how we learn and how this knowledge should inform how we teach. The series is intended for teachers, student...
Sep 11, 20196 minDo Gifted and Talented Programs Work?New York is considering eliminating “gifted and talented” programs and other forms of tracking. And people are not happy about it. On the face of it, providi...
Aug 27, 20198 minMake Working Memory Work For YouThis is part 4 in a series on what we know about how we learn and how this knowledge should inform how we teach. The series is intended for teachers, student...
Aug 8, 201910 minThe Wicked Effectiveness of Retrieval PracticeThis is part 3 in a series on what we know about how we learn and how this knowledge should inform how we teach. The series is intended for teachers, student...
Aug 8, 20197 minLet Me Elaborate... On A Way To Improve MemoryThis is part 2 in a series on what we know about how we learn and how this knowledge should inform how we teach. The series is intended for teachers, student...
Jun 24, 20195 minWhy Learning Science Fails to Make Its Way Into PracticeThis is part 1 in a series on what we know about how we learn and how this knowledge should inform how we teach. The series is intended for teachers, student...
Jun 6, 20193 minWhen to Offer "Don't Know," "No Opinion," or "Not Sure" Response Options on Your SurveyIt’s pretty common for survey questions to offer “don’t know,” “no opinion,” or “not sure” responses. The reason is straightforward. Sometimes, people have n...
Jun 6, 20193 minWhen to choose Yes No, True False, and Agree Disagree Survey Questions“Yes” changes things. People like to say “yes”, “true”, or otherwise agree with statements. This “agreeableness” bias occurs across three question formats: y...
Mar 21, 20196 minThe "Wrong Tool" ProblemOne of the most common challenges that students face is applying the right concept or procedure at the right time. When solving a physics problem, for exampl...
Feb 25, 20196 minThe Power of Contrasts in Science EducationContrasts of any sort structure attention. Bring a handful of similar—but different—cases together and we look at things differently. Seeing the cases togeth...
Oct 3, 20183 minTwo kinds of online citizen scienceOnline citizen science has given us basically two kinds of projects: data-oriented projects and problem-oriented projects. Each kind of project addresses a d...
Oct 3, 20182 minLearning Before TechnologyA good rule of thumb for using learning technologies: Start with the learning goal Choose appropriate learning mechanics Then (and only then) evaluate learni...
Oct 2, 20182 minEducation technology: how to use, not what to useUsing technologies to learn effectively is less about choosing which technologies to use and more about how to use those technologies. The humble flashcard i...
Feb 14, 20187 minA Simple Guide to LearningWe use the word “learning” to mean a lot of different things. You can learn how to cook, learn to speak another language, learn to ride a bike, learn that pe...