Insights

The Role of Encoding in Learning Although it has been largely misconstrued and criticized, memory is critical to learning since it is a prerequisite to amassing knowledge, which is necessary for critical thinking and creative problem-solving. An education succeeds when … Read More

Mindsets of Successful Students Think back to when you were a student. Was there a subject you particularly struggled with? Did it make you feel like you would never understand the topic? What thoughts and feelings did you experience during … Read More

The Development of Executive Function Executive functioning is a set of higher-order mental processes that facilitate goal-directed behavior and are critical to becoming a self regulated learner. It includes abilities like organization, time management, and impulse control, among many others. … Read More

How to Improve Executive Function in Students Executive functions are an essential set of skills for every student. It includes all the mental processes required to facilitate goal-directed behavior, like motivation, planning, emotional regulation, processing regulation, self-monitoring and self-regulation. Interestingly, … Read More

Why Motivation & Engagement Matter in Education Think about a class you particularly enjoyed when you were in school or one of your most successful lessons as an educator. One of the things that likely made this lesson such a … Read More

How can you motivate students without motivation? Sadly, it is not uncommon for students to feel like they hate school. Although this is a complicated issue with many points of analysis, student motivation is an incredibly important aspect of it. … Read More

What causes unmotivated students? Research shows that student engagement levels decline sharply after 5th grade in the United States 1. A study found that between the ages of 12 and 14 students’ enjoyment of learning declined (from 84% to 70%), … Read More

Sources of Student Engagement and Motivation Motivation and engagement can be the deciding factor with regard to the success of a class. Even the most well thought out and planned classes can fall through because students are disengaged. That being … Read More

Why Memory Retrieval Matters in Education Memory has long been disregarded in education despite the fact that it plays a crucial part in the learning process. Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, whose research focuses … Read More

Memory Retrieval Strategies Memory retrieval refers to the process of reconstructing knowledge by pulling it out of long-term memory. Research shows that by shifting the focus from primarily storing information to actually recalling it (or retrieving it), students greatly improve … Read More