cognitive science and explicit instruction€¦ · 1/1/2020 · eia webinar: cognitive science...

EIA Webinar: Cognitive Science 1/28/20

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Cognitive Science and Explicit Instruction

Explicit Instruction Academy Webinar

January 28, 2020

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Book Study

www.learningscientists.org

Cofounders Dr. Yana Weinstein

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dr. Megan SumerackiRhode Island College

www.retrievalpractice.org

FounderDr. Pooja K. Agarwal

Berklee College of Music in Boston

Patrice M. Bain, EdSK-12 Educator

2019

Understanding How We Learn:A Visual Guide

2019

Powerful Teaching:Unleash the Science of Learning

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© 2020 Anita Archer

http://www.learningscientists.org/

http://www.retrievalpractice.org/


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Book Study

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Learning

Retrieval Practice

Elaboration Interleaving

Spaced Practice

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Topics

What

Why

How

Interesting 5

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Learning

Retrieval Practice

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Learning

Retrieval Practice - What

Your turn:Write down your definition of Retrieval Practice.

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Learning

Retrieval Practice - What

“Retrieval practice involves reconstructing something you’ve learned in the past from memory, thinking about it right now.”

Understanding How We Learn

“Retrieval practice boosts learning by pulling information out of students’ heads, rather than cramming information into students’ heads.”

Powerful Teaching

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Retrieval Practice - Why

The act of retrieval itself is thought to strengthen memory, making information more retrievable later.

Retrieval practice gives students feedback on what they know and do not know, and gives teachers feedback too.

If the goal is long-lasting durable learning, then retrieval practice is a highly effective learning strategy.


“Retrieval practice improves learning compared to re-reading the information (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006), and even compared to other strategies that are thought by many to help learning, such as making a concept map with the written material you’re studying right in front of you (Karpicke & Blunt, 2011). “


Learning

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Learning

Retrieval Practice - Why

Increases students’6. learning of related information that isn’t

initially retrieved7. advanced preparation for class8. transfer of learning

Powerful Teaching

Selected Benefits:Increases students’

1. learning and retention2. higher – order thinking3. awareness of own learning4. engagement5. use of effective study strategies

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Learning

Retrieval Practice - HOW

Retrieval-based learning activities are anything that require students to bring information to mind: Students can write out everything they know on a blank sheet of paper (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006), create concept maps from memory (Blunt & Karpicke, 2014), draw a diagram from memory (Nunes, Smith, & Karpicke, 2014), or even explain what they can remember to a peer, teacher, or parent (Purnam & Roediger, 2013).


(Scaffolding) It seems that in order forretrieval practice to work well with students of any age, we need to make sure that students are successful.

(Feedback) … feedback can make retrieval practice even more effective ... Understanding How We Learn

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Retrieval-Taking (vs. Note-Taking)• Teacher teaches and pauses• THEN students write down important information. • Feedback is given

Powerful Teaching

Brain Dumps (Brain Drain)

Two Things

Make it Three (Students write down Two Things. Next, students swap and add an additional idea.)

Daily Mini-Quizzes

Learning

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Learning


“… research led by Sarah Tauber has demonstrated that when students engage in retrieval practice covertly (in their head, as opposed to an overt written or verbal response), their learning doesn’t increase.”

Powerful Teaching

Active Participation Strategies

“By engaging every student in retrieval practice, every student has the opportunity to boost long-term learning.”

Powerful Teaching

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Learning

Spaced Practice

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Learning

Spaced PracticeWHAT

Your Turn: Write down your definition of Spaced Practice.

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Learning

Spaced PracticeWHY

Spaced Practice“The effect is simple: repetitions spaced out over time will lead to greater retention of information in the long run than the same number of repetitions close together in time. “


Spaced practice boosts learningby spreading lessons and retrieval opportunities out over time so learning is not crammed all at once.

Powerful Teaching

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Learning

Spaced PracticeHOW

(Tharby, 2014).

… begins each of his classes by asking the students to review older material by giving small quizzes. … He asks the students three questions about information from the last class, one question about information from the last month, and then finally asks one question that requires the students to make a link between information from the last class and something learned earlier. Understanding How We Learn

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Learning

Interleaving

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Learning

InterleavingWHAT

Your Turn: Write down your definition of Interleaving.

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Learning

InterleavingWHAT

“Interleaving involves switching between ideas or types of problems (e.g., in math and physics), rather than studying one idea or type of problem for too long; this encourages better discrimination between ideas and procedures” (Taylor & Rohrer, 2010).


Interleaving boosts learning by mixing up closely related topics, encouraging discrimination between similarities and differences.

Powerful Teaching

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Learning

InterleavingHOW

… mixing things up during spacing is called interleaving –

A bug flies 48 miles east and then 20 miles south. How far is the bug from where it started?

Pythagorean Theory

A bug flies 48 miles east and then 14 miles north. How far is the bug from where it started?

Pythagorean Theory

A bug flies 48 miles east and then 6 miles west. How far is the bug from where it started?

DISCRIMINATION

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Learning

InterleavingHOW

It’s important to interleave similar concepts so students really have to think about the subtle differences.

Powerful Teaching

An analysis of six popular middle school math textbooks found that more than 80% of the practice problems were blocked.

Powerful Teaching

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ElaborationWHAT

Learning

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ElaborationWHAT

Learning

Your Turn: Write down your definition of elaboration.

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ElaborationWhat

In the simplest terms, elaboration means to add something to a memory. (Hirshman, 2001; Postman, 1976)

Learning

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ElaborationHOW

The main goal is to ask a number of questions that encourage you (or your students) to explain the main concept. As you are elaborating, you are making connections between old and new knowledge, making the memories easier to retrieve later.


Learning

Elaborative interrogation involves asking and answering “how” and “why” questions.


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Interesting

“Colorful decorations can lead children to shift or split their attention away from the teacher and the current learning tasks, and this can interfere with learning.”

(Fisher, Godwin, & Seltman, 2014)Understanding How We Learn

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Interesting

Our attentional resources are limited and must be directed toward the most important information.


What you think about is what you learn. What you attend to is what you learn.

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Interesting

Multi-Tasking

An important feature of attention is the ability to selectively focus on just one stimulus at a time.

… it is almost impossible to pay attention to more than one thing at the exact same time.

One important aspect of attention is the finding that going back and forth between two different tasks involves switch costs that decrease efficiency and slow down reaction speeds in both tasks.


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Interesting

How to Use Flashcards Effectively

Retrieve, Reorder, Repeat 1. Retrieve. Students should make sure they are retrieving the answer on the

back of a flashcard before turning it over. 2. Reorder. Students should shuffle their deck each time they go through it.

3. Repeat. Students should keep cards in their deck until they’ve retrieved it correctly three times.

Powerful Teaching

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Learning

Retrieval Practice

Elaboration Interleaving

Spaced Practice

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cognitive science and explicit instruction€¦ · 1/1/2020 · eia webinar: cognitive science...

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