Solving problems, especially in physics, has been well studied (e.g. Larkin, McDermott, Simon and Simon 1980: here and Chi, Glaser … More
Category: teaching
Visible Physics – My ASE Presentation
Many thanks to everyone who came. I really enjoyed it and am grateful to colleagues who chose to come. I … More
ResearchEd Ipswich Presentation
I’m really excited to be presenting at ResearchEd Ipswich next weekend. I’m talking about the power of visuals in science … More
Using Visual Explanations Leads to Better Performance
I have been listening to Barbara Tversky’s wonderful new book: Mind in Motion, about the roots of thinking in the … More
A Short Booklet on What Research Says About Using Visuals in Teaching
Dear all, I have been thinking hard (and reading a lot) about using visualisations in class. Here is a booklet … More
Learning Intentions
I have been worrying about Learning Intentions for a quarter of a century. Occasionally I discreetly ask someone I trust … More
Using Visual Representations to Help Solve Abstract Physics Problems
By year 6, pupils are skilled mathematical problem solvers. They can solve multi-step questions involving abstract concepts. This sounds like … 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
What are the Cognitive Loads of reading and how can we reduce them?
Reading is a physics problem that doesn’t receive much attention in class. I think it should. Science professionals read a … More
The single most important thing for teachers to know…
Dear Reader, There is a lot being written about Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and how important it is. I have … More
