The New Science of Learning [OP]: How to Learn in Harmony With Your Brain - Hardcover

Doyle, Terry; Zakrajsek, Todd D.

9781620366561: The New Science of Learning [OP]: How to Learn in Harmony With Your Brain

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1620366568 ISBN 13: 9781620366561

Publisher: Stylus Publishing, 2018

Learning to learn is the key skill for tomorrow. This breakthrough book builds the foundation every student needs, from freshman orientation to graduate school.

The second edition of this bestselling student text has been considerably updated with the latest findings from cognitive science that further illuminate learning for students, and help them understand what’s involved in retaining new information.

Beyond updating every chapter with insights from new research, this edition introduces a range of additional topics – such as cognitive load, learned helplessness, and persistence – all of which provide students with immediately usable information on how to regulate their lives to maximize learning and fulfillment in college.

The premise of this book remains that brain science shows that most students' learning strategies are highly inefficient, ineffective or just plain wrong; and that while all learning requires effort, better learning does not require more effort, but rather effectively aligning how the brain naturally learns with the demands of intellectual work. This book explicates for students what is involved in learning new material, how the human brain processes new information, and what it takes for that information to stick, even after the test.

This succinct book explains straightforward strategies for changing how to prepare to learn, engage with course material, and set about improving recall of newly learned material at will. This is not another book about study skills and time management strategies, but instead an easy-to-read description of the research about how the human brain learns in a way that students can put into practice right away.

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About the Author:

Terry Doyle is the Chief Instructor for Faculty Development and Coordinator of the New Faculty Transition Program for the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at Ferris State University. He has worked with faculty on 30 campuses across the country on how to develop a learner centered teaching practice and has spoken at over fifty national, international, and regional conferences on topics of teaching and learning over the past eight years. He is a regular featured presenter at Lilly conferences. He is a Professor of Reading and Learning Disabilities at Ferris State where he has taught for the past 30 years.

Todd D. Zakrajsek is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Executive Director of the Academy of Educators in the School of Medicine. Prior to his work in the School of Medicine, Dr. Zakrajsek was the Executive Director of the Center for Faculty Excellence at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Before arriving at UNC, Dr. Zakrajsek was the Inaugural Director of the Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching at Central Michigan University and the founding Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Southern Oregon University, where he also taught in the psychology department as a tenured associate professor.

Dr. Zakrajsek currently directs six Lilly Conferences on College and University Teaching and Learning and sits on two educationally related boards: ERI for Lenovo Computer and TEI for Microsoft. Dr. Zakrajsek received his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Ohio University. He holds positions on editorial boards for several journals and has both published and presented widely on the topic of student learning, including workshops and conference keynote addresses in 42 states and 6 countries. Watch Todd's TED Talk here.

Kathleen F. Gabriel is currently an associate professor at California State University (CSU), Chico, and an educational consultant. She began her extensive teaching career as a high school social science teacher before she became a resource specialist teacher for students with learning disabilities. When moving to the university setting, she first developed an academic support program for at-risk and unprepared college students. She also became a faculty development specialist at the University of Arizona. She then served as the director of disabled student services at a community college in Northern California before joining the School of Education at CSU, Chico, where she has received two teaching awards.

Review:

"This new edition is a fascinating book for students, and a valuable resource for professors, advisors, tutors in academic support centers, and even coaches. Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek have updated their book to include the latest research on how our brains learn and factors that can help increase one's learning power by using researched-based strategies. In every-day terms, they have broken down the ‘scientific’ workings of the brain and give practical advice that students can use to help them increase their learning and recall, especially when they are challenged with difficult tasks.

Doyle and Zakrajsek give their readers a solid foundation for becoming lifelong learners in a way that is harmonious with the scientific learning. They do not promise a magical transformation with ease, but they do give readers ways to transform their learning capacity by using research-based strategies so that the time and effort spent is worthwhile and rewarding. This book is perfect for students to learn about methods and activities to use when learning so that their time and efforts are maximize." (Kathleen F. Gabriel, Associate Professor, School of Education California State University, Chico)

"Readable, practical, playful, and fresh. The New Science of Learning should be a required read for all college students and faculty. Doyle and Zakrajsek provide up to date research on essential learning processes that have significant impact on factors that affect students today. This groundbreaking and engaging book will lead to increased student learning and success, while promoting critical thinking and discussion." (Stacey S. Souther, Associate Professor of Psychology Cuyahoga Community College)

"There are so many examples of learning we have all encountered or seen in the classroom yet lacked the scientific evidence or approach to back it up and leverage it for ourselves and our students. This book should be required for all new college students in freshman seminar-like classes and for all faculty. Whether a new faculty member or just one who needs to reenergize their own growth mindset, each will enhance their teaching and subsequently student learning. The evidence for improved nutrition, sleep, and fitness overwhelmingly supports good health and improved learning but this book provides concrete ideas to model and reinforce positive behaviors in the classroom. Providing a variety of concrete examples and discussion make for easy translation to any discipline from science and math to the arts." (Dana D. Connell, MBA, Associate Chair and Associate Professor Fashion Studies Columbia College Chicago)

“Readable, practical, playful, and fresh. The New Science of Learning breathes new life into the student success space. Students at many levels will benefit from brain research made easy to understand and apply. Reading this book is a great start to more strategic and successful learning.” (Kyle Heys, Co-Director: Access and Instruction, Center for Student Success Calvin College)

"Mathematics instructors at Riverside City College spent several years incorporating the first edition of this book into the curriculum with positive documented outcomes.This book empowers students to take control of their own learning. The second edition is even more engaging than the first and includes good discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I look forward to using the new edition in my classes!" (Kathy Nabours, Associate Professor of Mathematics Riverside City College)

"Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek’s book on the new science of learning arrives at a time when educators are excited about the potential of 'brain-based learning' to enhance instruction and researchers in the behavioral and social sciences are debating the implications of neuroscience for education. The New Science of Learning: How to Learn in Harmony with Your Brain is written from an enthusiastic perspective. The authors celebrate the recent advancements in cognitive, affective, and social neuroscience and discuss a number of seminal findings to demonstrate how our understanding of brain function and cognitive processing can help college and university students (the book’s primary audience) transform their habits and approaches to learning, working, and living. Commendably, the authors achieve this goal without falling into the trap of neuromyths that have permeated the educational blogosphere and social media (e.g., we only use 10% of our brain).

The book relates a number of complex concepts and research findings in neuroscience, cognitive and educational psychology, exercise science, and physiology to postsecondary students in nine short chapters, some more comprehensive than others. The authors introduce the notion of 'the new science of learning,' providing compelling examples for why college students should pay attention to what we know about brain function and explaining how they can optimize their lives to learn and work better. Many of the insights that are used in the book to define and describe the new science of learning, such as the distributed practice effect or the emphasis on the transfer of learning as a key outcome of education, were actually generated by psychologists who theorize about the mind, memory, and attention. However, these psychology insights are strengthened using relevant evidence from neuroscience (e.g., using the research on long-term potentiation to explain the beneficial effects of distributed practice on memory and learning). Importantly, the reader learns early in the book that college success doesn’t depend as much on 'being smart' as it does on learning how to be an effective learner.

Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek’s book on the new science of learning is written for today’s college students, who are faced with a number of cognitive, social, and emotional challenges as they navigate the complex and dynamic world of higher education. In Chapter Nine, 'A Message from the Authors,' the authors conclude, 'the basic finding that we have reinforced throughout this book is that the one who does the work does the learning.' This powerful message will resonate with every teacher and should become a motto for every learner. Using the insights from The New Science of Learning, college students will learn to take care of their brain and body as they work toward achieving their academic goals."

(Teachers College Record)

"As should be clear from the title, this interesting little book is explicitly targeted at learners, and perhaps more specifically at students. It’s not a very long book, but the authors do a good job of giving valuable synopses of research about how the brain works without getting into levels of technicality that might be daunting or distracting for students. As a professor, I would consider myself a ‘professional learner,’ but I still found some interesting tidbits in here, including a few recommendations I will probably try myself. As a teacher, and someone who is interested in the process of learning, I found much, but not all, of the material to be things I already had floating around in my head, but this book provides some explicit information about the relevant research, and I would be surprised if much of the material was already known by undergraduate students. Within the first 10 pages, I was imagining using the book in class, so most of my reflections come from that viewpoint. Since this is an MAA review, it’s probably worth pointing out that the book isn’t specifically devoted to mathematics, but is about learning in general. This means that different sections vary in their relevance to a mathematical classroom. I think I would be more likely to use this in a liberal arts type of math class, where the goals are more about attitude or thought process than a calculus or topology class." (Mathematical Association of America)

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