Sunshine + Research = Learning Bliss

Hello there, fellow educator!

Here's your weekly dose of research, with some sunshine thrown in: Join us in sunny Orlando, Florida for the iNACOL Symposium next week, learn about classroom research by experts, and skip straight to our "cheat sheet" of recommendations for adding retrieval practice into your instruction. 

If you haven't already, download our new Retrieval Practice Guide. Stay tuned for more guides coming soon.

I hope to see you in sunny Florida next week. Don't forget to get in touch via Twitter, Facebook, and email. (Or, at least, retrieve and remember to!)
 

Join us in Orlando, Florida for iNACOL

In partnership with Digital Promise and Usable Knowledge from Harvard University, we'll be sharing our reflections on building research-informed educational practices at the annual iNACOL Symposium next week, October 23-25 in Orlando, Florida. Can't make it in person? We'll also be live tweeting the symposium from @RetrieveLearn, so be sure to follow us from afar. Follow @DigitalPromise, @UKnowHGSE, and #inacol17 for extra goodies, too.

In the meantime, check out more about Digital Promise's excellent work on cognitive science and retrieval practice. They have videos, blogs, an amazing Research Map, and interviews with cognitive scientists Henry L. Roediger, III and Sean H. Kang.

Retrieval Practice: More Powerful than "Business as Usual"

While research on retrieval practice has been mostly conducted in laboratory settings, recent research is being conducted by cognitive scientists and collaborators in authentic educational settings, including K-12, college, and medical school classrooms. 

Using randomized control trials and empirical methods in classrooms, researchers typically compare retrieval practice strategies (e.g., low-stakes clicker exercises) with "business as usual" (e.g., what teachers typically do in terms of lessons, lectures, etc.). As you probably guessed, retrieval practice consistently improves student learning – even with just a few quick activities. Learn more from our research summaries and recommended articles by cognitive scientists, who were featured recently in a blog post by the Learning Scientists.

Research-Based Recommendations

Want a one-stop shop for evidence-based recommendations? You're in luck! Check out our popular recommendations "cheat sheet." Share your tips, tricks, and strategies with the retrieval practice community at @RetrieveLearn and #retrievalpractice. We'd love to know more about how you're applying cognitive science research to transform learning in your classroom.