Ideas for Applying the Science of Learning:*
The First and Only Goal: The 10 basic principles for long-term retention and transfer are:
1. The single most important variable in promoting long-term retention and transfer is “practice at retrieval”
2. Varying the conditions under which learning takes place makes learning harder for learners but results in better learning
3. Learning is generally enhanced when learners are required to take information that is presented in one format and ‘re-represent” it in an alternate
format.
4. What and how much is learned in any situation is depends heavily on prior knowledge and experience
5. Learning is influenced by both our students’ and our own epistemologies
6. Experience alone is a poor teacher
7. Lectures work well for learning assessed with recognition tests, but work badly for understanding
8. The act of remembering itself influences what learners will and will not remember in the future
9. Less is more, especially when we think about long-term retention and transfer
10. What learners do determines what and how much is learned, how well it is remembered, and the conditions under which it can be recalled
Principle:
1. promote practice at retrieval
2. vary the conditions under which
learning takes place
Ideas for classroom application:
 Practice frequent testing. Give daily quizzes, you may not even have to grade them, as the
students do benefit from the self-assessment
 Material is presented in readings, then daily quizzes, then final exam
 Study, close the book, prompt self to remember, or write about it in your own words
 Increase (but not too much) the intervals between retrievals
 Daily beginning of the class free-writes which review topics from the previous day, students
write these themselves on the board; it can turn into a quiz if students arrive late






Play different forms of music during kinesthetic learning
Have them read about problems, then work them out on a board in front of another student
(under stress)
Re-present material in your own words
Lecture to seminar, to lab, to field trips, to real world experience
Vary social dynamics: single to pairs to groups, to group leadership changes, to leading the class
Mix different types of problems and solutions in the same lesson (e.g. an open ended project,
*Materials are derived from “Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond,” (2003) by Diane Halpern and Milton Hakel. Used with
permission. From the Office of the Chabot Learning Assessment Coordinator, Carole Splendore csplendore@chabotcollege.edu 9.1.10




where there might be two fixed areas but otherwise infinite variations, then bring them together
at the end to analyze and discuss the major differences
They can write about a math problem they just solved
Use guest speakers
Have performance competitions
Send them to campus opportunities related to their learning content, for example on the current
economic crisis and it’s social costs
3. have learners re-represent
information in an alternate format









Have them read, then discuss
Show them visual images, which they write about or discuss
Have them illustrate ideas with concept maps (organizational charts are a form of this)
Have them read a novel, then diagram a character analysis
Have them put verb tenses in timelines
Make a chart or drawing that represents something that was put into words
Vary social dynamics: single to pairs to groups, to group leadership changes, to leading the class
Vary the sensory inputs: blindfolded! Using touch ( mystery bone jar, drawing) music, scent
Math problems could be re-presented in real-life applications = translation in math (e.g. If you
need this many grams of sugar for one pie, how many grams of sugar do you need for two pies?
e.g. If you have a big square cake and 24 students in class, what may be a good way to cut it?)
4. be sensitive to prior knowledge
and experiences

Assess them at the beginning of the educational encounter (day, semester) on where there
knowledge is
Ask them to keep a journal on their beliefs regarding the subject matter and their own learning
of it
Write on the blackboard one or two key words and ask, "What do you know about these
words?" or "What comes to your mind when you hear these words?" (Their responses give me
an idea of how much prior knowledge/experience as well as vocabulary they already have and
help me adjust the amount and type of scaffolding I provide them with.)
Ask any question that may help the students make a personal connection to reading material or a
writing topic.
Use free-writes to explain student attitudes on why they/or students in general hate the subject,
because their attitudes will affect how hard they are willing to work, which you can then address
In a class with math or science, does one need to validate their personal experiences? Would we
not instead rely on pre-requisites? Daily quizzes can help to keep tabs on the student
ability/knowledge.





*Materials are derived from “Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond,” (2003) by Diane Halpern and Milton Hakel. Used with
permission. From the Office of the Chabot Learning Assessment Coordinator, Carole Splendore csplendore@chabotcollege.edu 9.1.10



5. consider our own and our
students’ epistemologies






6. do not rely on experience alone







7. Lectures work well for learning
assessed with recognition tests, but
work badly for understanding

This might be easier one-on one than with a whole class
Give them material they should have had as knowledgeable students of the subject (and
probably did), to familiarize them with prior experiences of the subject, even if it is not part of
the curriculum at this point, but later in the course
Give quizzes on the first day on material they should already know that relates to the course
material, to point out gaps in their knowledge, or in following directions. These gaps can be
solved in the next take-home assignment upon which they improve their memory and
concentration.
Ask any question that may help the students make a personal connection to reading material or a
writing topic.
Use free-writes to explain student attitudes on why they/or students in general hate the subject,
because their attitudes will affect how hard they are willing to work, which you can then address
Praise their efforts, not their intelligence
Acknowledge that some learning is easier than other learning, don’t expect it all to be easy
Teacher-student conferences done by peers, one asks questions and then outlines the ideas for
the other, and then asks more questions where clarification is needed – can be used for thesis or
outline development, can be used before and after they write an essay, after the rough draft
Former students write a note to current students on what to do to succeed in this course
Give them rubrics for formative self-assessment while they work on their projects
Graph what you know, what you don’t know, and what you don’t know you don’t know
Receive feedback without addressing the audience
Sample projects where the class grades/assesses the work using the rubrics
Proficient students can create rubrics
Students evaluate former assignments they turned in, compare with a current project. What has
improved, what has not yet.
Use rigor and high expectations and honest feedback to allow students to crash here, where they
have an opportunity to recover
If they need to know certain facts, the lecture part needs to be there in the beginning, then they
can apply these ideas on new material which is similar to the original example, so it’s a lecture
with discussion
*Materials are derived from “Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond,” (2003) by Diane Halpern and Milton Hakel. Used with
permission. From the Office of the Chabot Learning Assessment Coordinator, Carole Splendore csplendore@chabotcollege.edu 9.1.10





Have students break up into discussion groups after certain points of the lecture
Blends of lecture with demonstration, and interactive lectures are useful. But there often has to
be a “passive lecture” part of this
Lectures should be framed in the sense that students should know why you are lecturing this
point of the material, so they know we are starting this topic and why
Some subjects are more straightforward, and there is less reason to explain why you are using
certain pedagogy
8. The act of remembering itself
influences what learners will and
will not remember in the future



More practice at retrieval, with increasingly longer spaces between retrieval
Having them remember all the obscure details masks the importance of the main points
What makes people good at something (and remember the important things) is time on task
9. Less is more, especially when
we think about long-term retention
and transfer


Having them remember all the obscure details masks the importance of the main points
The underlying conceptual knowledge is more important than remembering the individual
formulas. It is more important to know what they mean.
If cursory knowledge of a broad subject is necessary, then learners and instructors should be
conscious of this goal so they can teach and learn in ways that will achieve broad coverage

10. What learners do determines
what and how much is learned,
how well it is remembered, and the
conditions under which it can be
recalled




What professors
*Materials are derived from “Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond,” (2003) by Diane Halpern and Milton Hakel. Used with
permission. From the Office of the Chabot Learning Assessment Coordinator, Carole Splendore csplendore@chabotcollege.edu 9.1.10