Applying Efrat Furst’s Model of Building Long-Term Memory Representations

One of the challenges facing teacher is to know when to apply specific tasks to support long-term learning. I have … More

But where is the cognitive science and the knowledge?

I’ve just received an email from TES advertising a book they are publishing titled: tes guide to STEM.I was hoping … More

When knowledge is wrong…

Babies are born knowing physics. They express surprise when an object appears to be suspended in mid-air or pass through … More

Ratio, Load and Difficulty – 3 Lesson Sliders

In my mental lesson control booth, I have three sliders I try to get right. Ratio The first slider is … More

Integrating Questions and Diagrams to Reduce Cognitive Load for Novice Physicists

I think this will be the last of my problem-solving blogs for a while – it’s a little one about … More

Using Worked Examples to Reduce Cognitive Load in Physics

Learning how to solve problems is the key to becoming a physicist (here and here). The problem with problem solving is … More

Haven’t We Got Enough To Do Already? Why Science Teachers Should Teach Vocabulary and How to Make it Stick

  There are words in the English language that science teachers wish the English department would teach – words like … More

Cooperative Reading

I started thinking about cooperative learning in 2010 and have made slow punctuated progress since. I know enough to write … More

How Practical Work in Physics Supports Knowledge

Back in 1994, I began by PGCE at Oxford University. I was lucky to have a brilliant tutor, Brian Woolnough. … More