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Cognitive Science Insights for Educators

Evidence-based teaching strategies, brain-based learning research, and practical classroom applications

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Walking Promotes Creativity? A Skeptic Weighs in

Does walking improve creativity? Examining exercise and creativity research, walking and divergent thinking, movement and cognitive function. Does exercise improve memory and brain function? The evidence reviewed....
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Can Mindfulness Enhance Working Memory?

Longtime readers know that I’m obsessed with working memory — typically...

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“Graphic Disorganizers” Revisited: Do Decorated Handouts Muddle Students?

Two years ago, a friend asked me to look at a...

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Retrieval and Generation: Does the Order Matter?

For almost three decades now, cognitive scientists — led by Robert...

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The Hidden Tradeoffs of Self-Explanation

If you’ve got a headache, you might find yourself reaching for...

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Beyond “Checking for Understanding”

Blog posts here typically start with research and then consider classroom...

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We Should Teach Introverts Differently (Or, Should We?)

As we strive to make classrooms helpful for all our students,...

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40% Wrong: The fMRI Problem in Educational Neuroscience

When our students learn — or pay attention, or feel motivated...

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Upsides Always Have Downsides: “side Effects” in Education Research

Obviously, I believe that research can improve education. Specifically, research into...
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Getting the Details Just Right: Retrieval Practice

Can we ever research a topic too much? Can we reach...
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Earworms and Sleep: What Will They Research Next?

Just last week, I spoke with middle- and upper-school students about...
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No Cameras Allowed: Does Taking Pictures During Lectures Benefit Learning?

Does taking pictures help learning? Comparing note taking vs photography learning,...
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It’s Funny (but It’s Not): Our Instincts About Learning Are Often Badly Wrong

Every now and then, research is just plain funny. Here’s the...
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Test Anxiety: How and When Does It Harm Students?

Understanding test anxiety and performance, how test anxiety affects learning, and...
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Does Mindfulness Help? A Blockbuster New Study

Does mindfulness improve learning? Examining mindfulness in education research, classroom mindfulness...
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The Unexpected Problem with Learning Styles Theory

The learning styles myth debunked: examining evidence against learning styles and...
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Marshmallows and Beyond: Cultural Influences on Self-Regulation

The marshmallow experiment education research reveals cultural influences on self control....
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Working Memory in Everyday Life: Or, When in Rome

Working memory examples and working memory in everyday life situations. Understanding...
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The Most Important 5 Minutes in Class: The Primacy/Recency Effect

Primacy and recency effect research shows the serial position effect in...
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Walking Promotes Creativity? A Skeptic Weighs in

Does walking improve creativity? Examining exercise and creativity research, walking and...
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Seductive Details Meet Retrieval Practice: A Match Made in Cognitive Heaven

Explore the seductive details effect and how retrieval practice in classroom...
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