Engage students in the science of learning with two important questions

Engage students in the science of learning with two important questions

This morning, I Skyped with high school students in South Africa. (Wow!) And our conversation renewed my commitment to two things: We must engage students in the conversation around the science of learning and we must build connections with teachers and students around the world. But how? Read on for tips on how to build engagement and connections worldwide.

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Bake a cake with retrieval practice, formative assessment, and summative assessment

Bake a cake with retrieval practice, formative assessment, and summative assessment

Cake, cake, cake! This sweet delight illustrates how we can best support learning in the classroom: with retrieval practice, formative assessment, and summative assessment. But how are these ingredients similar and different? Why isn't learning a bake off, cupcake war, or throw down? And why isn’t retrieval practice a call for more tests?

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Cumulative exams aren't the same as spacing and interleaving. Here's why.

Cumulative exams aren't the same as spacing and interleaving. Here's why.

Are cumulative exams the same thing as spacing or interleaving? Actually, not quite. Cumulative exams can be beneficial for learning. But there are also some subtle ways we can take cumulative exams to the next level – by ensuring that we (and our students) are using spacing and interleaving throughout the semester, not just before the exam.

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Retrieval practice is a powerful foundation for learning

Retrieval practice is a powerful foundation for learning

We spend a lot of time talking about retrieval practice. Why? We feel that retrieval practice is foundational. It serves as the basis on which we can add more strategies: spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition. Download our “cheat sheet” summarizing key findings from retrieval practice, with links to scientific articles.

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Download our free resources for your Make it Stick book club

Download our free resources for your Make it Stick book club

When summer rolls around, it means only one thing: summer book clubs! And what's a better way to continue learning about learning than reading the book, Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning? This week, download our free Make it Stick resources for book clubs and join the conversation about Make it Stick on Facebook and FlipGrid.

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Get ready for a book by a cognitive scientist AND a K-12 teacher!

 Get ready for a book by a cognitive scientist AND a K-12 teacher!

Written by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D. and Patrice M. Bain, Ed.S., forthcoming book Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning (Jossey-Bass, Spring 2019) is the culmination of a 15-year collaboration by a scientist and a classroom teacher to understand what's most effective for student learning. Learn more about their book and stay tuned for updates!

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