Boost note-taking. Try Retrieve-Taking!
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Are students actually retaining what they're trying to learn while studying? Not always. Rather than note taking, have students engage in what I call Retrieve-Taking.
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Quiz yourself! How much do you know about cognitive science strategies?
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End of the semester? That must mean it's time to find out what you've learned this year. Thankfully, this isn't an exam. This week, quiz yourself with our three "retrieval practices about retrieval practice," including interleaving, multiple-choice questions, and foundational principles from cognitive science. Reduce your own "summer slide" with retrieval practice and celebrate how much you've learned.
Read MoreDownload free resources for the book Make it Stick
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We're excited to share free resources, including chapter summaries, recommended readings, and sketchnotes for the popular book, Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.
Read MoreInterleaving is a roll of the dice (and that's a good thing!)
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How can we use interleaving without planning? Last week, we wrote about interleaving (and fruit salad). The key to effective interleaving is to mix up similar topics, which encourages students to discriminate between similar ideas, concepts, and problems. This week, learn about quick and fun strategies for interleaving in the classroom that put students in charge – more learning for them, less planning for us.
Read MoreWhat do fruit salad and interleaving have in common?
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Interleaving is a powerful strategy that boosts learning by mixing up content students need to learn. Based on a wealth of cognitive science research, the challenge and "desirable difficulty" of interleaving can double exam performance compared to teaching content in "blocks" of the same concepts. But what's the secret to effective and fruitful interleaving? Mix similar topics. Read more about why and stay tuned for next week, when we'll share quick how to's.
Read MoreThink-Pair-Share? Think again!
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Whether you teach at an elementary school or a medical school, you've probably heard of the instructional strategy, think-pair-share. Don’t skip the “think” step! Read on for research-based tips on incorporating retrieval, spacing, and interleaving to make think-pair-share an even more powerful strategy in your classroom.
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Read my new book, Smart Teaching Stronger Learning. Whether you teach K–12 students or graduate students, or you’re new to teaching or a long-time educator: If you want to improve student learning, this book is for you.