Learning as a science

What does research say about how students learn best? Deans for Impact, a group of deans from schools of education around the country, has united to make sure future teachers are armed with information about what works in the classroom as they begin their careers. Last fall Deans for Impact released a document called The Science of Learning. It’s a guidebook for teachers, meant to provoke discussion of the following six questions:

• How do students understand new ideas?

• How do students learn and retain new information?

• How do students solve problems?

• How does learning transfer to new situations in or outside of the classroom?

• What motivates children to learn?

• What are common misconceptions about how students think and learn?

This week on the podcast, ARW senior correspondent Emily Hanford speaks with Benjamin Riley, founder and executive director of Deans for Impact.