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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July 31, 2019

Here's how to transform faculty meetings into faculty learning

July 31, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Here's how to transform faculty meetings into faculty learning

Want to boost your own learning and memory? We can barely remember where we parked our car, let alone what we did last weekend. Here are two quick ways you can boost your own learning – even during faculty meetings!

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July 31, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Class Culture, Powerful Teaching, Retrieval Practice, Spacing
July 24, 2019

Binge listen to the best podcasts on the science of learning

July 24, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Binge listen to the best podcasts on the science of learning

Want to get caught up on the science of learning? Binge listen (that's a thing, right?) to our favorite podcasts – more than 70 episodes full of the "why" (research on learning and memory) and the "how" (teaching strategies you can use tomorrow).

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July 24, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 2 Comments
Resources
July 17, 2019

Want to build relationships with students? Ask them about their favorite animal.

July 17, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Want to build relationships with students? Ask them about their favorite animal.

How can we get students on board with desirable difficulties? Here's a quick (and fun!) strategy to build relationships and foster learning: Simply ask about their favorite animal (we're serious; keep reading).

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July 17, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 1 Comment
Class Activities, Class Culture
July 10, 2019

This is how students really feel about retrieval practice

July 10, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
This is how students really feel about retrieval practice

What do students think about retrieval practice? Just ask them. Yes, it's that simple.  Here's how my college students reacted yesterday when I asked them about retrieval practice. (Spoiler alert: They love them – and literally ask for more.)

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July 10, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Class Culture, Powerful Teaching, Retrieval Practice, Study Strategies
July 03, 2019

Can't access a research article? Here's what you should do.

July 03, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Can't access a research article? Here's what you should do.

"Give science away." This is what a cognitive scientist told me more than a decade ago and this is exactly why retrievalpractice.org exists. But science isn't always accessible. What can you do? Read our quick tip to access research. The science of learning has been under lock and key. Until now.

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July 03, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 1 Comment
S-Research
Downloads, Research
June 26, 2019

Two no-prep strategies to crowdsource student learning in your classroom

June 26, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Two no-prep strategies to crowdsource student learning in your classroom

Here are two no-prep strategies you can use in your classroom that engage students in "crowdsourcing" learning via retrieval practice. Also, registration is now available for two workshops with the authors of Powerful Teaching this summer!

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June 26, 2019/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 1 Comment
S-Spacing
Class Activities, Retrieval Practice
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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.

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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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