Science of learning

The purpose of The Science of Learning is to summarize the existing research from cognitive science related to how students learn, and connect this research to its practical implications for teaching and learning.

This document identifies six key questions about learning that should be relevant to nearly every teacher:

• 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 the classroom?
• What motivates students to learn?
• What are the common misconceptions about how students think and learn?

The Science of Learning does not encompass everything that new teachers should know or be able to do, but it is part of an important — and evidence-based — core of what teachers should know about learning. Because scientific understanding is ever evolving, The Science of Learning will be periodically revised to reflect new insights into cognition and learning.

The Science of Learning was developed by member deans of Deans for Impact in close collaboration with Dan Willingham, a cognitive scientist at the University of Virginia, and Paul Bruno, a former middle-school science teacher.