How We Learn

How We Learn
Author: Benedict Carey
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2014-09-09
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0812993896

In the tradition of The Power of Habit and Thinking, Fast and Slow comes a practical, playful, and endlessly fascinating guide to what we really know about learning and memory today—and how we can apply it to our own lives. From an early age, it is drilled into our heads: Restlessness, distraction, and ignorance are the enemies of success. We’re told that learning is all self-discipline, that we must confine ourselves to designated study areas, turn off the music, and maintain a strict ritual if we want to ace that test, memorize that presentation, or nail that piano recital. But what if almost everything we were told about learning is wrong? And what if there was a way to achieve more with less effort? In How We Learn, award-winning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through decades of education research and landmark studies to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information. What he discovers is that, from the moment we are born, we are all learning quickly, efficiently, and automatically; but in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming. Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your recall? Are there times when distraction is good? Is repetition necessary? Carey’s search for answers to these questions yields a wealth of strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives—and less of a chore. By road testing many of the counterintuitive techniques described in this book, Carey shows how we can flex the neural muscles that make deep learning possible. Along the way he reveals why teachers should give final exams on the first day of class, why it’s wise to interleave subjects and concepts when learning any new skill, and when it’s smarter to stay up late prepping for that presentation than to rise early for one last cram session. And if this requires some suspension of disbelief, that’s because the research defies what we’ve been told, throughout our lives, about how best to learn. The brain is not like a muscle, at least not in any straightforward sense. It is something else altogether, sensitive to mood, to timing, to circadian rhythms, as well as to location and environment. It doesn’t take orders well, to put it mildly. If the brain is a learning machine, then it is an eccentric one. In How We Learn, Benedict Carey shows us how to exploit its quirks to our advantage.

How We Learn

How We Learn
Author: Stanislas Dehaene
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2021-02-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0525559906

“There are words that are so familiar they obscure rather than illuminate the thing they mean, and ‘learning’ is such a word. It seems so ordinary, everyone does it. Actually it’s more of a black box, which Dehaene cracks open to reveal the awesome secrets within.”--The New York Times Book Review An illuminating dive into the latest science on our brain's remarkable learning abilities and the potential of the machines we program to imitate them The human brain is an extraordinary learning machine. Its ability to reprogram itself is unparalleled, and it remains the best source of inspiration for recent developments in artificial intelligence. But how do we learn? What innate biological foundations underlie our ability to acquire new information, and what principles modulate their efficiency? In How We Learn, Stanislas Dehaene finds the boundary of computer science, neurobiology, and cognitive psychology to explain how learning really works and how to make the best use of the brain’s learning algorithms in our schools and universities, as well as in everyday life and at any age.

How We Learn

How We Learn
Author: Benedict Carey
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2014-09-11
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0230767788

From an early age, we are told that restlessness, distraction, and ignorance are the enemies of success. Learning is all self-discipline, so we must confine ourselves to designated study areas, turn off the music, and maintain a strict ritual. But what if almost everything we were told about learning is wrong? And what if there was a way to achieve more with less effort? Here, award-winning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through decades of education research to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information. What he discovers is that, from the moment we are born, we all learn quickly, efficiently, and automatically; but in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming. Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your recall? Are there times when distraction is good? Is repetition necessary? Carey's search for answers to these questions yields a wealth of strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives--and less of a chore.--From publisher description.

Understanding How We Learn

Understanding How We Learn
Author: Yana Weinstein
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2018-08-22
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1351358049

Educational practice does not, for the most part, rely on research findings. Instead, there’s a preference for relying on our intuitions about what’s best for learning. But relying on intuition may be a bad idea for teachers and learners alike. This accessible guide helps teachers to integrate effective, research-backed strategies for learning into their classroom practice. The book explores exactly what constitutes good evidence for effective learning and teaching strategies, how to make evidence-based judgments instead of relying on intuition, and how to apply findings from cognitive psychology directly to the classroom. Including real-life examples and case studies, FAQs, and a wealth of engaging illustrations to explain complex concepts and emphasize key points, the book is divided into four parts: Evidence-based education and the science of learning Basics of human cognitive processes Strategies for effective learning Tips for students, teachers, and parents. Written by "The Learning Scientists" and fully illustrated by Oliver Caviglioli, Understanding How We Learn is a rejuvenating and fresh examination of cognitive psychology's application to education. This is an essential read for all teachers and educational practitioners, designed to convey the concepts of research to the reality of a teacher's classroom.

The ABCs of How We Learn: 26 Scientifically Proven Approaches, How They Work, and When to Use Them

The ABCs of How We Learn: 26 Scientifically Proven Approaches, How They Work, and When to Use Them
Author: Daniel L. Schwartz
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 468
Release: 2016-07-26
Genre: Education
ISBN: 039370940X

Selected as one of NPR's Best Books of 2016, this book offers superior learning tools for teachers and students, from A to Z. An explosive growth in research on how people learn has revealed many ways to improve teaching and catalyze learning at all ages. The purpose of this book is to present this new science of learning so that educators can creatively translate the science into exceptional practice. The book is highly appropriate for the preparation and professional development of teachers and college faculty, but also parents, trainers, instructional designers, psychology students, and simply curious folks interested in improving their own learning. Based on a popular Stanford University course, The ABCs of How We Learn uses a novel format that is suitable as both a textbook and a popular read. With everyday language, engaging examples, a sense of humor, and solid evidence, it describes 26 unique ways that students learn. Each chapter offers a concise and approachable breakdown of one way people learn, how it works, how we know it works, how and when to use it, and what mistakes to avoid. The book presents learning research in a way that educators can creatively translate into exceptional lessons and classroom practice. The book covers field-defining learning theories ranging from behaviorism (R is for Reward) to cognitive psychology (S is for Self-Explanation) to social psychology (O is for Observation). The chapters also introduce lesser-known theories exceptionally relevant to practice, such as arousal theory (X is for eXcitement). Together the theories, evidence, and strategies from each chapter can be combined endlessly to create original and effective learning plans and the means to know if they succeed.

Learning How to Learn

Learning How to Learn
Author: Barbara Oakley, PhD
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2018-08-07
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 052550446X

A surprisingly simple way for students to master any subject--based on one of the world's most popular online courses and the bestselling book A Mind for Numbers A Mind for Numbers and its wildly popular online companion course "Learning How to Learn" have empowered more than two million learners of all ages from around the world to master subjects that they once struggled with. Fans often wish they'd discovered these learning strategies earlier and ask how they can help their kids master these skills as well. Now in this new book for kids and teens, the authors reveal how to make the most of time spent studying. We all have the tools to learn what might not seem to come naturally to us at first--the secret is to understand how the brain works so we can unlock its power. This book explains: Why sometimes letting your mind wander is an important part of the learning process How to avoid "rut think" in order to think outside the box Why having a poor memory can be a good thing The value of metaphors in developing understanding A simple, yet powerful, way to stop procrastinating Filled with illustrations, application questions, and exercises, this book makes learning easy and fun.

How We Learn

How We Learn
Author: Knud Illeris
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 363
Release: 2016-10-21
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1134984782

Having published in 11 languages and sold in more than 100,000 copies, this fully revised edition of How We Learn examines what learning actually is and why and how learning and non-learning takes place. Focusing exclusively on learning itself, it provides a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to traditional learning theory and the newest international contributions, while at the same time presenting an innovative and holistic understanding of learning. Comprising insightful and topical discussions covering all learning types, learning situations and environments this edition includes key updates to sections on: School-based learning Reflexivity and biographicity E-learning The basic dimensions and types of learning What happens when intended learning does not take place The connections between learning and personal development Learning in the competition state How We Learn spans from a basic grounding of the fundmental structure and dimensions of learning and different learning types, to a detailed exploration of the differing situations and environments in which learning takes place. These include learning in different life stages, learning in the late modern competition society, and the crucial topic of learning barriers. Transformative learning, identity, the concept of competencies, workplace learning, non-learning and the interaction between learning and the educational approaches of the competition state are also examined. Forming the broadest basic reader on the topic of human learning, this revised edition is integral reading for all those who deal with learning and teaching in practice. Particularly interested will be MA and doctoral students of education as well as university and school based teachers.

Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn

Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn
Author: John Hattie
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2013-10-08
Genre: Education
ISBN: 113464311X

On publication in 2009 John Hattie’s Visible Learning presented the biggest ever collection of research into what actually work in schools to improve children’s learning. Not what was fashionable, not what political and educational vested interests wanted to champion, but what actually produced the best results in terms of improving learning and educational outcomes. It became an instant bestseller and was described by the TES as revealing education’s ‘holy grail’. Now in this latest book, John Hattie has joined forces with cognitive psychologist Greg Yates to build on the original data and legacy of the Visible Learning project, showing how it’s underlying ideas and the cutting edge of cognitive science can form a powerful and complimentary framework for shaping learning in the classroom and beyond. Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn explains the major principles and strategies of learning, outlining why it can be so hard sometimes, and yet easy on other occasions. Aimed at teachers and students, it is written in an accessible and engaging style and can be read cover to cover, or used on a chapter-by-chapter basis for essay writing or staff development. The book is structured in three parts – ‘learning within classrooms’, ‘learning foundations’, which explains the cognitive building blocks of knowledge acquisition and ‘know thyself’ which explores, confidence and self-knowledge. It also features extensive interactive appendices containing study guide questions to encourage critical thinking, annotated bibliographic entries with recommendations for further reading, links to relevant websites and YouTube clips. Throughout, the authors draw upon the latest international research into how the learning process works and how to maximise impact on students, covering such topics as: teacher personality; expertise and teacher-student relationships; how knowledge is stored and the impact of cognitive load; thinking fast and thinking slow; the psychology of self-control; the role of conversation at school and at home; invisible gorillas and the IKEA effect; digital native theory; myths and fallacies about how people learn. This fascinating book is aimed at any student, teacher or parent requiring an up-to-date commentary on how research into human learning processes can inform our teaching and what goes on in our schools. It takes a broad sweep through findings stemming mainly from social and cognitive psychology and presents them in a useable format for students and teachers at all levels, from preschool to tertiary training institutes.

How We Learn

How We Learn
Author: Klaus Issler
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2002-05-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1579109675

No one fully understands how learning works, but educational psychologists understand a great deal about what works. The collaborative team of Klaus Issler and Ronald Habermas has assembled an integration of theology and instructional theory in Teaching for Reconciliation: Foundations and Practice of Christian Educational Ministry. Now they expound on one aspect of educational theory/theology to help teachers choose the method that best reaches particular learners in a specific learning situation. How We Learn demystifies the principles of educational psychology. The book identifies: --means and barriers in learning - --motivational factors that make learners receptive --learning's outcome in attitudes, spirituality, and behavior Application sections, special exercises and examples, plus dozens of figures and tables aid understanding of learning effectiveness, age-related development, individual learning style, special education, and other issues.

The Writer's Process

The Writer's Process
Author: Anne Janzer
Publisher: Cuesta Park Consulting
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2016-06-07
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 0986406244

Want to be a better writer? Perfect your process. For example, do you fear the blank page? You may be skipping the essential early phases of writing. Do you generate swarms of ideas but never publish anything? You need strategies to focus and persist to the finish. When you learn to work with your brain instead of against it, you'll get more done and have more fun. Master the inner game of writing The Writer's Process combines proven practices of successful authors with cognitive science research about how our minds work. You'll learn: How to invite creativity and flow into the writing process Why separating the writing process into different steps makes you more productive How to overcome writer's block, negative feedback, and distractions How to make time for writing in a busy, interrupt-driven lifeIt's filled with ideas that you can put into practice immediately. The Writer's Process is a 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner and a Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Silver Award winner.