There is an ongoing debate on whether students should take notes on their laptops (typed) or by putting pen to paper (handwritten). We have blogged about this topic in the past and presented papers that found…
All in For Students
Stress and Memory
When we are presented with a stressful event, a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and peptides are released in our brains. All of these things work to activate systems to help us cope with the stressor. This initial response is typically referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response. If you were walking in the woods and actually saw three bears your fight-or-flight response would put your system on high-alert. Your body diverts resources from less-pressing matters, like digestion, and focuses on giving you superhuman strength and speed…
Learning From Videos
There is a wide range in quality of educational videos that learners navigate. A range in quality of content, production, and relevance. Whether you’re a student watching lecture videos for class, watching videos as a supplement to your regular coursework, or a life-long learner who simply wants to learn more about the world (and tuberculosis), I want to talk about two strategies that can help you learn more from videos.
Effects of Drawing on Memory
We have looked at the benefits of combining text and visuals for memory and learning – see dual coding – in many previous posts. A new series of experiments has investigated the effects of drawing specifically and whether drawing improves memory for the to-be-learned material compared to other strategies…
Retrieval Practice in Undergraduate Medical Education
I’ve learned so much about the tools, language, and strategies that medical students use and how those ideas can be adapted using effective strategies. I discuss the lessons I’ve learned about the limitations of research and efficient (not just effective) learning.
Digest #173: Responsible Use of AI in Education
A recent guest post on “The Benefits and Risks of ChatGPT for Education“ provided a balanced view on the use of AI in education by highlighting some of the pitfalls and opportunities to support various aspects of teaching and learning. Generative AI is not going anywhere and so…