Examples
This section offers practical examples of classroom practices
that incorporate the principles presented in this textbook.
Example 1: The Thinking Classroom
“Building Thinking Classrooms” is a book by Peter Liljedahl that provides a comprehensive guide for educators to foster a culture of critical thinking and engagement in their classrooms. The book outlines fourteen practical strategies to promote active learning and deep understanding. These strategies include visibly random groups, non-permanent vertical surfaces, and problem-solving tasks encouraging collaboration and creativity. Liljedahl emphasizes the importance of shifting the classroom environment to one where students are the primary thinkers, leading to enhanced motivation and a deeper grasp of mathematical concepts. Teachers can create dynamic and compelling learning experiences that support student autonomy and critical thinking skills through these methods.
Neuroplasticity and the Growth Mindset
Below are some ways in which growth mindset is consistent with the concept of the Thinking Classroom:
- The Thinking Classroom method can help to commit new information to long-term memory, which then makes new and long-lasting connections in the brain (forming new neural pathways, which is neuroplasticity).
- The Thinking Classroom encourages students to stretch their thinking and to be comfortable with the discomfort that can come with learning something new.
- Everyone can contribute to the task or challenge presented; removing the ideal of “genius” or relying on one or two top performers to contribute information.
- The Thinking Classroom is a chance to collaborate and get feedback from peers while learning; remembering that knowledge is not fixed.
- Students who utilize the growth mindset are more resilient when they get an answer incorrect; and more likely to bounce back in a direct manner.
- As an educator, utilize the growth mindset as part of your approach to teaching to then have a positive effect on the culture of the learning environment. Try injecting the word “Yet”:
Learning and Memory
Elaborative Rehearsal vs. Maintenance Rehearsal in the Thinking Classroom:
Example 2: Self Study
Students can enhance their self-study practices by applying neuroscience-based strategies that align with how the brain learns and retains information. Techniques such as spaced repetition and active learning (e.g., summarizing and teaching material) boost long-term retention. Prioritizing adequate sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise supports cognitive function and memory consolidation. Chunking information into manageable parts, frequent self-testing, and varying study environments create multiple memory associations, while mindfulness practices reduce stress and improve focus. Additionally, interleaving different subjects and using visual and auditory aids cater to various learning styles, reinforcing neural connections and optimizing learning efficiency. Below are some effective techniques students can leverage to enhance their self-study:
Neuroplasticity and the Growth Mindset
Some ways that the growth mindset and neuroplasticity can be applied to self-study and help form a productive mindset around the practice of studying:
- Intrinsic Motivation: remember why you want to learn!
- Knowledge Isn’t Fixed: know that humans are biologically equipped to learn new concepts and overcome challenges.
- Set Realistic Goals: set mini-goals as you study and reward yourself with breaks or things you enjoy such as a walk with music, time with friends, a movie night etc.
- Form a Study Group: to get feedback and support through the studying process. The “fun factor” of a study group can help make studying less ominous and taxing.
Learning and Memory
The focus of this section will discuss techniques that use our brain’s natural ability to encode and retrieve information to help facilitate knowledge uptake through the use of self-testing. Learners may have been successful on a self-assessment while studying, only to find they cannot remember the information on test day or in the workplace. It is important to ensure memories are encoded into the long term memory store using proper techniques.
The Forgetting Curve
Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist, created an accurate mathematical model for human memory retention over time. This model is expressed in the graph below and is now known as the ‘forgetting curve’.
This model determined that human memory decays logarithmically over time if there is no attempt to retain it. Stronger memories that are formed through elaborative rehearsal or coded through multi-modal subsystems (sensory, experience, emotions, etc.) have shown to decay at a slower rate. Although, this may slow the rate of forgetting, it will not stop the process of forgetting. For example, a student who completes a lesson on a Monday would have lost 50% of that information by Thursday if no attempt to maintain it was made.
Spaced Repetition
Perhaps the most effective method to combat the forgetting curve for self-study is the implementation of gradually increasing intervals of spaced repetition sessions. By reviewing the concept, lesson, or memory it can effectively ‘reset’ the forgetting curve to its 100% retention. Importantly, this effect has been shown to reduce the rate of forgetting over time by continually moving information from the working memory store to the long-term memory store at each repetition.
One reason to gradually increasing the intervals between repetitions is to ensure each study session is pulling from the long term memory store and not the working memory. For example, if a student just finished a lesson and attempted to self-study through repetition it may be that they are pulling that information from their working memory and not their long term memory – giving them a false sense of understanding. By increasing the intervals between repetition you are ensuring that information is being encoded into the long term memory store for future use.
Optimizing Performance: Educational Implications
Self-Determining Theory
- Utilize teaching practices that promote autonomy by providing choices and open-ended instruction; foster competence by providing a safe space to practice and actively engage; and enhance relatedness by allowing students to collaborate with peers often and provide individual attention to each student as much as possible.
- Provide feedback that highlights effort over achievement as this gives students a sense of autonomy and helps to establish a growth mindset.
- Incorporate small rewards that act as intrinsic motivation stimulants such as positive feedback, progress charts and public recognition.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
- Create a learning environment of moderate stress levels for students to optimize their performance.
- Offer differentiated instructions to accommodate skill levels of all students where possible.
- Design tasks that are challenging but achievable for students within their Zone of Proximal Development.
- Teach self-regulation skills to help students manage their stress levels appropriately.
Skill Acquisition
- Teach and model the importance of a healthy diet that includes brain-boosting foods, regular exercise that engages both brain hemispheres and a sleep schedule that adequately recharges cognitive function, attention and alertness.
- Take scheduled breaks during lessons to prevent cognitive overload and enhance information processing.
- Provide ample opportunities for students to practice newly learned material including hands-on activities such as labs, investigations or project-based assignments.
- Give timely and constructive feedback to allow students to adapt and improve.
Bonus: 6 Brain Hacks for faster learning according to neuroscience:
- Attention – remove distractions (ex: cell phone) to increase focus; exercise to improve attention and memory
- Alertness – increasing our fight or flight response improves alertness. Examples include Splashing cold water to the face, consume caffeine or learn after a small stressor that improves performance in accordance to the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
- Sleep – REM sleep is particularly important for the consolidation of procedural memory which is essential for skill acquisition.
- Repetition – aids in the reinforcement of newly-learned information.
- Breaks – allows the brain to process information without additional cognitive load.
- Mistakes – making mistakes releases neuromodulators that improve attention and neuroplasticity. Overcoming mistakes releases dopamine which enhances well-being, motivation and consolidation.