Getting to Grips with Cognitive Science and Education

Over the past decade, educators around the world have increasingly looked to cognitive science, including research from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, to provide guidance on more effective pedagogy. However, cognitive science is a complex area, and there is a risk that educators may feel overwhelmed by the many research findings and theories, or by the new terminology and strategies they are becoming so widely discussed.

This session will provide a beginner-friendly primer on cognitive science as it applies to education. It will then move on to clear and actionable strategies for translating the most robust research findings into classroom-ready techniques, along with guidance on how to keep appraised of new research evidence while remaining critical. Finally, we will focus on four of the most widely-recommended and easy to apply evidence-based strategies: retrieval practice, spaced practice, dual coding and interleaving.