The Seattle Times – John Higgins
“When doctors see patients with diabetes, they don’t dive into the vast research literature to figure out what to do next, they consult a clinical guide that translates the best evidence to date into recommended treatments. That was the idea behind a guide for teachers produced by experts in memory and learning published in 2007 by the U.S. Department of Education. The authors boiled decades of research down into seven widely-accepted findings based on the principle that “learning depends upon memory, and that memory of skills and concepts can be strengthened by relatively concrete—and in some cases quite nonobvious strategies.” For example, teachers should present key concepts at least twice, separated by weeks or even months, which makes learning more efficient than when the material is covered only once. Same goes for students – cramming the night before the final isn’t as effective as periodic quizzing and study.”(more)