African American student wearing a bow tie, hand to forehead, looking frustrated and disappointed

Category Archives: L&B Blog

African American student wearing a bow tie, hand to forehead, looking frustrated and disappointed

The Limitations of Retrieval Practice (Yes, You Read That Right)

Last week, I wrote that “upsides always have downsides.” That is: anything that teachers do…



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Upsides Always Have Downsides: “Side Effects” in Education Research

Here at Learning and the Brain, we believe that research can improve education. Specifically, research…



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Getting the Details Just Right: Retrieval Practice

Can we ever research a topic too much? Can we reach a point where, well,…



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Family walking toward camera in autumn woods

Walking Promotes Creativity? A Skeptic Weighs In…

When teachers try to use psychology research in the classroom, we benefit from a balance…



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Student Holding Clock

The Most Important 5 Minutes in Class: The Primacy/Recency Effect

As we put our lesson plans together, we teachers want to know: are some minutes…



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The Roman Coloseum on a sunny day, with lots of people in view

Working Memory in Everyday Life

Imagine this scenario: you’re standing in the CVS toothpaste aisle, trying to decide. You think…



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Earworms and Sleep: What Will They Research Next?

Just last week, I spoke with middle- and upper-school students about learning. We all know…



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Student Taking Photo

“No Cameras Allowed:” Does Taking Pictures During Lectures Benefit Learning?

Should students use cameras to take pictures of boardwork? My high school students know my…



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Stressed by Demands

It’s Funny (but It’s Not): Our Instincts about Learning are...

Every now and then, research is just plain funny. Here’s the story: If you’ve spent…



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Stressed Students at Exam

Test Anxiety: How and When Does It Harm Students?

When our students learn, we naturally want them to show us what they’ve learned. Most schools…



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