Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
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Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Teaching Tips

Learn more about powerful teaching strategies based on cognitive science, including classroom activities, research, and resources.

Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
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May 15, 2019

Subscriber-only access to excerpts from Powerful Teaching!

May 15, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Subscriber-only access to excerpts from Powerful Teaching!

Attention! Our book, Powerful Teaching, will be released in just 3 weeks! Want to know what it's all about before you order? Want to access exclusive excerpts? Read on for more info!

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May 15, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Powerful Teaching
May 08, 2019

Boost class presentations with student-led retrieval practice

May 08, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Boost class presentations with student-led retrieval practice

It's the end of the school year! That means a lot of student presentations. But often, student presentations go in one ear and out the other. Take this opportunity for some student-led retrieval practice! Put students in the driver's seat when presenting – and retrieving.

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May 08, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
End of semester
Class Activities, Retrieval Practice, Class Culture
May 02, 2019

Announcing our Powerful Teaching book clubs!

May 02, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Announcing our Powerful Teaching book clubs!

Our book, Powerful Teaching, will be released in June! Starting today, join our summer book clubs, read a newly released excerpt, and explore endorsements from leaders in education and cognitive science. The science of learning exists. Now, it's time to unleash it.

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May 02, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Powerful Teaching
April 24, 2019

How are you? No, really. How are you?

April 24, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
How are you? No, really. How are you?

This week's update is a little different than usual. We’d like to share one way we build relationships with students. Read on for an essential question you must ask your students. It's one small step for us, one giant leap for supporting learning.

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April 24, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 2 Comments
Class Culture, Resources
April 17, 2019

This is THE podcast for the science of learning, tech tools, and more

April 17, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
This is THE podcast for the science of learning, tech tools, and more

The podcast, Teaching in Higher Ed, is a must-listen. We mean it. Seriously. Bonni Stachowiak faithfully shares the science of learning, tech tools, and more. She's had a big impact on our teaching, and she will on yours, too. Listen, learn, and enjoy!

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April 17, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Resources
April 10, 2019

Want to be an insider? Here's what the "science of learning" really means

April 10, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Want to be an insider? Here's what the "science of learning" really means

We love the science of learning. It's fascinating to think about and critical in the classroom. But what exactly does the "science of learning" really mean? Read on for the inside scoop!

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April 10, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
S-Research
Research, Retrieval Practice, Powerful Teaching
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Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Harness powerful teaching strategies, unleash the science of learning, and transform your classroom with resources by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.

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Photo of Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal, founder of RetrievalPractice.org

Transform learning in your classroom with practical research-based teaching tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.

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Featured Updates
NEW book: Smart Teaching Stronger Learning
NEW book: Smart Teaching Stronger Learning

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.

Read more →
Practical tips to reduce student test anxiety
Practical tips to reduce student test anxiety

How can we support students during exam time and reduce test anxiety? Learn more about my research on student test anxiety and get quick lesson ideas to reduce anxiety with retrieval practice. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more students practice retrieval, the more comfortable they become with high-stakes tests.

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Worried about AI? Here are 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice
Worried about AI? Here are 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice

Retrieval practice doesn’t require more class prep for us or ChatGPT for our students. Here are 8 no-prep prompts for retrieval practice I’ve developed over my 10+ years of teaching. I’ve also included a variety of new resources I highly recommend.

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This is what a cognitive scientist looks like
This is what a cognitive scientist looks like

Here's a list of 40 cognitive scientists you need to know. They publish the newest research on retrieval practice, actively engage in science communication with educators on Twitter, and demonstrate diversity beyond the traditional ivory tower. Follow them, cite them, interview them, and reach out to them.

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Download these 5 free resources to unleash learning
Download these 5 free resources to unleash learning

The world has changed and teaching has changed. One thing hasn't changed: The importance of learning and the frustration of forgetting. Here are 5 new resources and downloads, all free, all by cognitive scientists, all to empower you to unleash the science of learning.

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Download our database of retrieval practice research in real classrooms
Download our database of retrieval practice research in real classrooms

Want a quick way to access classroom research on retrieval practice? Download our database of 50 experiments and read a detailed literature review by cognitive scientists.

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Make flashcards more powerful with these 3 tips
Make flashcards more powerful with these 3 tips

Lots of students use flashcards. But using flashcards doesn't guarantee they're using retrieval practice. In fact, students could be wasting their time. This week, we share three research-based tips to make flashcards more powerful. Help students study smarter, not harder.

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Think-Pair-Share? Think again!
Think-Pair-Share? Think again!

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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Boost learning quickly with Two Things!
Boost learning quickly with Two Things!

How can we use retrieval practice to break up our lessons, quickly and easily, without pausing to facilitate class discussion or collect papers? Use a retrieval strategy we simply call "Two Things," a no-quiz activity for your classroom.

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Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact
Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact

With the end of the semester within sight, we feature a small strategy that makes a big impact on student learning – based on decades of cognitive science research. In scientific lingo, we call it "free recall."

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