Every week I receive a couple of questions about the often shared learning pyramid. Most of the time because somebody shared it on a social media platform. That’s why I made this short overview to share yourself when people spread the Loch Ness monster of education:
It was part of one of the oldest – and most read – posts on this blog, and has been a chapter in our book. Kåre Letrud & Sigbjørn Hernes have now checked how this – insert adjective here – learning pyramid has been spread through Academia. Ht to Daniel William for the link! Read and weep: The… Read More A new study on the diffusion of that *%*§§§ Learning Pyramid
The past week learning styles have been in the buzz again, but we can’t blame teachers for believing in them. They have been thought over and over again, but even worse: scientists keep promoting them. Take for example this brandnew PhD, released this week at my home town university. It’s all about cognitive load theory – and… Read More Learning Styles? Dear scientists we need to get our act together!
It’s something we knew from earlier research mentioned in this last years blogpost, Telling someone they’ll need to teach another person makes them learn more. This new research by John Nestojko, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology in Arts & Sciences at WUSTL, tells a similar story: “When compared to learners expecting a test, learners expecting to teach recalled more… Read More Expecting to teach enhances learning rather than telling there will be a test
No, this isn’t a study that confirms that “‘é!§! learning pyramid, it’s more in line with previous research, as this new research by psychologist Melanie Sekeres and colleagues shows that students who are given information and tell someone about it shortly afterward recall the details better and longer. From the press release: “This has to be… Read More Students who get information, then re-tell it to someone soon after, may recall it better — and longer
In 1966 Abraham Maslow said, “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”, this has become known as the “Law of the instrument“, maybe the least discussed law when talking about education, but imho the most important to warn for… Read More The “Law of the instrument”
The past 2 years I’ve seen a steady rise of people using LinkedIn. I receive daily invites to connect and I also noticed that a lot of people visit this blog via this social media platform. In my experience LinkedIn is the more serious, older brother in the social media landscape. This is of course because the… Read More Just an idea for Microsoft: put a factcheck-button on LinkedIn
No, this research doesn’t proof that this Loch Ness monster of education is correct (I mean the learning pyramid), but this research also suggests what an earlier study described earlier on: teaching others helps to learn more for the person teaching, but not because of the reasons you might think. To put it too bluntly: pupils remember… Read More “You’ll need to teach this” better than “There will be a test” for remembering (again)
Via @jpeterburger I found this paper by Ole Bjørn Rekdal on how urban legends in Academica exist and even grow. The abstract and start is really harsh: Many of the messages presented in respectable scientific publications are, in fact, based on various forms of rumors. Some of these rumors appear so frequently, and in such complex, colorful,… Read More Spinach and iron, a analyses of urban legends in Academica
The often quoted learning pyramid is a myth but new research does suggest that teaching others helps to learn more for the person teaching, but not because of the reasons you might think. To put it too bluntly: pupils remember more if you tell them they will need to teach others about it than if you… Read More Telling someone they’ll need to teach another person makes them learn more
From experience to meaning... 