Show Notes:

In this episode of ‘The Staffroom’, we chatted with Dr Yana Weinstein (@doctorwhy), an Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology at University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Yana spoke with us about the way research-based cognitive science can be applied to education in order to enhance learning.

Together with Dr Megan Sumeracki (@DrSumeracki), Yana is the creator of The Learning Scientists project. Their website is becoming well-known by students and teachers around the world as it hosts a popular blog and offers a variety of practical resources and materials on cognitive science strategies. They also have an excellent podcast show, The Learning Scientists Podcast. Check it out!

In their work, Yana and Megan have identified what they call, Six Strategies for Effective Learningbased on decades of research in cognitive psychology. In no particular order, here they are:

1. Spaced Practice
2. Retrieval Practice
3. Elaborative Interrogation
4. Interleaving
5. Concrete Examples
6. Dual Coding

In this episode, we were fortunate to speak with Yana about, spaced practice, retrieval practice, interleavingand dual coding. Here’s a break-down of Yana’s responses:

• What are Yana’s Six Strategies for Effective Learning and how were they identified? (6:07)
• Which of the six strategies does Yana place more value on? Why are they the most effective? (10:21)
• How does Yana define retrieval practice and why is it a powerful strategy for learning? (11:40)
• How can educators implement retrieval practice into their teaching? What techniques does Yana suggest are most effective? (12:55)
• How does Yana suggest spaced practice can be combined with retrieval practice? (15:40)
• What is dual coding and how does Yana believe teachers can make the most of it with students? (16:40)
• Interleaving means switching between ideas and ‘jumbling-up’ learning. Why does Yana consider it a powerful technique, and how can teachers use it? (18:45)
• What does Yana think is the most powerful way students can use some of the six strategies together? (21:39)

We hope you enjoy this episode of The Staffroom and found Yana’s six strategies as fascinating as we did. We can’t wait to build these strategies into our practice and teach students how to study properly!

We wish Dr Yana Weinstein all the best for 2018 and her continuing success of The Learning Scientists project.

Until next time!

Jamie, Michael and Tessa

Twitter:

@XpatEducator

@Michael_Royall

@tessa_johnson2