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Divide students into small groups and assign each group a common learning myth (e.g., learning styles, right/left brain dominance, etc.). Have groups research scientific evidence that debunks these myths and prepare a presentation. Each group presents their findings, followed by a structured debate where other groups play devil's advocate. Conclude with a reflection on how these myths impact education practices.

Duration: 60 minutes
Materials: Research resources, presentation tools

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Students maintain a weekly learning journal where they track their attention patterns during different types of learning activities. They should note:
- Time of day
- Type of activity
- Duration of focused attention
- Factors that enhanced or diminished attention

At the end of each week, students analyze their patterns and develop personal strategies for maintaining attention. Share findings in small groups and compile class-wide best practices.

Duration: Ongoing (15 min daily)
Materials: Journal template, reflection prompts

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Present students with various claims about learning and memory from popular media. Students create a matrix to evaluate each claim using criteria such as:
- Source credibility
- Research evidence
- Methodology quality
- Potential biases
- Real-world applications

Students then rate the validity of each claim and propose better alternatives based on scientific research.

Duration: 45 minutes
Materials: Claim cards, evaluation matrix template

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Create a structured activity demonstrating the power of active recall:
1. Students read a complex text for 10 minutes
2. Group A: Rereads the material
3. Group B: Practices active recall through writing
4. Group C: Uses concept mapping
5. Test comprehension after 24 hours

Discuss results and implications for study strategies.

Duration: Two 30-minute sessions
Materials: Reading material, assessment questions

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Students design and conduct mini-experiments about cognitive load:
1. Create three versions of the same learning material with varying levels of complexity
2. Test these versions with peers
3. Measure comprehension and mental effort
4. Analyze results and propose optimal presentation methods

Share findings and develop guidelines for managing cognitive load in learning.

Duration: 90 minutes
Materials: Learning materials, survey tools

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Students rotate through stations practicing different attention-enhancement techniques:
1. Mindfulness exercises
2. Pomodoro technique
3. Environment optimization
4. Note-taking methods
5. Break optimization

Students document their experience with each technique and create a personal attention-management plan.

Duration: 75 minutes
Materials: Station guides, timer, worksheets

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Students select a recent research paper on learning science and:
1. Summarize key findings
2. Identify practical applications
3. Design a concrete learning activity based on the research
4. Present to peers for feedback
5. Refine and document final activity design

Create a class repository of research-based learning activities.

Duration: Multiple sessions
Materials: Research papers, activity design template

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Organize a competition testing different memory techniques:
1. Mnemonics
2. Method of loci
3. Spaced repetition
4. Mind mapping
5. Chunking

Students compete in teams, applying these techniques to course-relevant material. Analyze effectiveness and discuss optimal applications for different types of content.

Duration: 60 minutes
Materials: Challenge materials, scoring rubric

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Students conduct an audit of their typical learning environments:
1. Physical setup
2. Digital distractions
3. Time management
4. Social factors
5. Environmental conditions

Create action plans for optimization and conduct follow-up assessments to measure improvement in attention and learning effectiveness.

Duration: 45 minutes + follow-up
Materials: Audit checklist, action plan template

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Students create visual maps of their thinking processes during learning:
1. Document thought patterns
2. Identify cognitive barriers
3. Analyze emotional influences
4. Map decision points
5. Plan interventions

Share maps in pairs and develop strategies for improved metacognition.

Duration: 50 minutes
Materials: Mapping templates, reflection guides

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This blog post has some pretty useful information. So print it out; get out your highlighter and take off the cap.

Ready? Now throw it away, because highlighters don't really help people learn.

We all want for our kids to have optimal learning experiences and, for ourselves, to stay competitive with lifelong learning. But how well do you think you understand what good learning looks like?

Ulrich Boser says, probably not very well. His new research on learning shows that the public is largely ignorant of, well, research on learning. Boser runs the science of learning initiative at the left-leaning thinktank the Center for American Progress. He has a new book out, also about the science of learning, titled Learn Better.

He recently surveyed a representative sample of more than 3,000 Americans to test their beliefs about common learning myths.

"We wanted to document this gap between public perception and good practice," he told NPR Ed. "In our paper we call it the, 'Been there, done that' problem. People went to school, so they have a feeling they know what good teaching looks like."

But in fact, public opinion diverges from reality.

If you want to test your own knowledge, take our version of the Learning Myths quiz here. Then come back and read the rest of this post.

Here are some of the most striking results:

Close to 90 percent of Boser's respondents agreed that students should receive information in their own "learning style."

The idea that individuals have different learning styles, such as auditory or kinesthetic, is a pernicious myth. Boser compares it to the flat-earth myth - highly intuitive, but wrong.

Even the U.S. Department of Education sent out an email just this week encouraging teachers to "make [their] own call on how to utilize learning styles in the classroom." One major recent review of research, among many others, stated that the authors "found virtually no evidence" for the idea.

71 percent of respondents indicated that teachers should motivate students by praising them "for being smart." A large body of research by Carol Dweck at Stanford and others suggests that this kind of praise is countereffective. Praising effort, rather than ability, is far more likely to motivate students to work hard and improve.

On the topic of "growth mindset," more than one-quarter of respondents believed intelligence is "fixed at birth". Neuroscience says otherwise.

More than 40 percent of respondents believed that teachers don't need to know a subject area such as math or science, as long as they have good instructional skills. In fact, research shows that deep subject matter expertise is a key element in helping teachers excel.

And finally, despite their overall poor showing, more than 75 percent of respondents considered themselves "above average" in their ability to judge the work that teachers do.

This last finding, which could be called the confidence gap, really matters for the education kids are getting, Boser argues.

"It helps explain why teaching has been so devalued for a long time. We see that in how teachers get paid and treated."

Public schools, in particular, are governed by school boards often composed of non-educators. They are subject to pressure from parents, too. "Parents' opinions are important, but teaching is a real craft," Boser says. "A lot of science goes into it. And we need to do more to respect that."

If the public doesn't understand what active learning looks like, he adds, or why growth mindset is important, then schools may be pushed in the wrong direction.

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You Probably Believe Some Learning Myths: Take Our Quiz To Find Out

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A new survey shows widespread misconceptions and unfounded confidence about learning.

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Lynette Pretorius: Academic Language and Literacy

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The surprising habits of original thinkers

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How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies “originals”: thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals -- including embracing failure. “The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they’re the ones who try the most,” Grant says. “You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones.”

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About the Foundation for Critical Thinking The Center for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique and the Foundation for Critical Thinking — two sister educational non-profit organizations — work closely together to promote educational reform. We seek to promote essential change in education and society through the cultivation of fairminded critical thinking. Critical thinking is essential if we are to get to the root of our problems and develop reasonable solutions. After all, the quality of everything we do is determined by the quality of our thinking. Whereas society commonly promotes values laden with superficial, immediate “benefits,” critical thinking cultivates substance and true intellectual discipline. Critical thinking asks much from us, our students, and our colleagues. It entails rigorous self-reflection and open mindedness — the keys to significant changes. Critical thinking requires the cultivation of core intellectual virtues such as intellectual humility, perseverance, integrity, and responsibility. Nothing of real value comes easily; a rich intellectual environment — alive with curious and determined students — is possible only with critical thinking at the foundation of the educational process. We do not just advocate educational and social reform based on critical thinking, we develop and build practical alternatives. In a world of accelerating change, intensifying complexity, and increasing interdependence, critical thinking is now a requirement for economic and social survival. Join us as we strive to make critical thinking a core social value and a key organizing concept for all educational reform. The work of the Foundation is to integrate the Center’s research and theoretical developments, and to create events, courses, and resources designed to help educators improve their instruction. Materials developed through the Foundation for Critical Thinking include books, Thinker’s Guides, videos, and other teaching and learning resources. The Foundation and Center for Critical Thinking sponsor the Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking, accredited online courses, and advanced international academies. Back to top