Resources for the Science of Learning
(Sent to Faculty, Aug, 2017)
Hi all,
Here is the first of what I hope will be a regular communication with you regarding the science of teaching and learning. To kick things off, I thought I’d send along a list of resources that I find incredibly useful. I suggest signing up for updates for the blogs/newsletters and saving the pdfs or websites to visit from time to time. I’ve broken them down into categories for easy organization. If you have other sources you think are useful to include, please let me know and I’ll keep updating the list. A copy of the list will always be available here, or if you just search “Science of Learning Resources” in your google drive.
From time to time in these messages, I’d like to make small requests for action. My requests are entirely optional, my goal is to see what you all are interested in and provide resources accordingly. So if you see something you find interesting, let me know. If you feel something is missing, let me know. If you just want to chat or learn more about these sources, come and find me!
My request(s):
- Take a look at one item and find something to learn more about. Let me know what catches your eye!
Blog/newsletter resources
http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/ - It is often difficult to keep up to date with the latest education research, let alone find exactly which research is effective (and actionable) in the classroom. The Learning Scientists Blog is the best way to find solutions based in research. Each blog post (other than guests and student guest posts) is written by researchers in the field of education; they’re doing the work of staying on top of research for you!
Klingbrief - This monthly newsletter includes summaries of recent articles and books on education. The topics range from teaching practice to educational theory and accept submissions by anyone. You can subscribe here or submit articles/books here.
Resource lists or summaries
https://huntington.researchschool.org.uk/2017/06/04/read-all-about-it/ - Lists on lists on lists.
https://deansforimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The_Science_of_Learning.pdf - breaks down research from the science of learning into 6 key principles. Reading it, most of the points will seem obvious, but I encourage you to think about how you are enacting those principles in and out of your classroom.
https://teachinghow2s.com/docs/CLT_chapter_summaries.pdf - A very nice summary of cognitive load theory. This summarizes very well the idea of “scaffolding,” which is the background structure we create with knowledge to get to complex, expert thought. For example, to truly understand y=mx+b, a student will need to have prior knowledge and scaffolding of manipulating variables, cartesian graphing, algebraic representation, etc.
Books - a short list
Make it Stick is perhaps one of the most influential recent books on teaching practice. If you haven’t read this yet, I strongly recommend you put this to the top of your “to read” pile. Based on research, the book provides practical solutions to increase student achievement and transferrable learning.
21st Century Skills by Trilling & Fadel (ISBN 1118157060). This book has been getting a lot of mentions recently and is worth a read. It certainly is embracing the trend to promote “new” skills—not new at all, which is the basis for my information literacy talk.
Why Grow Up? by Neiman (ISBN 0374289964). A book based in philosophy, Nieman “challenges our culture of permanent adolescence, turning to thinkers including Kant, Rousseau, and Arendt to find a model of maturity that is not a matter of resignation.” (excerpt from summary page).
Leadership for Increasingly Diverse Schools by Theoharis and Scanlan (ISBN 1138785938). Research and guiding questions on diversity in education, broken down by seven different “identifiers”: ability, socioeconomic status, race, primary language, LGBTQ, gender, and religion.
Embedded Formative Assessment by Wiliam (ISBN 193400930X). From the summary page: “Emphasizing the instructional side of formative assessment, this book explores in-depth the use of classroom questioning, learning intentions and success criteria, feedback, collaborative and cooperative learning, and self-regulated learning to engineer effective learning environments for students.”
Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm by Madsbjerg (ISBN 031639324X). This one comes recommended by a colleague. From the summary page: “Christian Madsbjerg argues that our fixation with data often masks stunning deficiencies, and the risks for humankind are enormous… Too many companies have lost touch with the humanity of their customers, while marginalizing workers with liberal arts-based skills. Contrary to popular thinking, Madsbjerg shows how many of today's biggest success stories stem not from ‘quant’ thinking but from deep, nuanced engagement with culture, language, and history. He calls his method sensemaking.”