On publication in 2009 John Hattie's Visible Learning presented the
biggest ever collection of research into what actually work in schools
to improve children's learning. Not what was fashionable, not what
political and educational vested interests wanted to champion, but what
actually produced the best results in terms of improving learning and
educational outcomes. It became an instant bestseller and was described
by the TES as revealing education's 'holy grail'.
Now in this latest book, John Hattie has joined forces with cognitive
psychologist Greg Yates to build on the original data and legacy of the
Visible Learning project, showing how it's underlying ideas and the
cutting edge of cognitive science can form a powerful and complimentary
framework for shaping learning in the classroom and beyond.
Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn explains the major
principles and strategies of learning, outlining why it can be so hard
sometimes, and yet easy on other occasions. Aimed at teachers and
students, it is written in an accessible and engaging style and can be
read cover to cover, or used on a chapter-by-chapter basis for essay
writing or staff development.
The book is structured in three parts - 'learning within classrooms',
'learning foundations', which explains the cognitive building blocks of
knowledge acquisition and 'know thyself' which explores, confidence and
self-knowledge. It also features extensive interactive appendices
containing study guide questions to encourage critical thinking,
annotated bibliographic entries with recommendations for further
reading, links to relevant websites and YouTube clips. Throughout, the
authors draw upon the latest international research into how the
learning process works and how to maximise impact on students, covering
such topics as:
- teacher personality;
- expertise and teacher-student relationships;
- how knowledge is stored and the impact of cognitive load;
- thinking fast and thinking slow;
- the psychology of self-control;
- the role of conversation at school and at home;
- invisible gorillas and the IKEA effect;
- digital native theory;
- myths and fallacies about how people learn.
This fascinating book is aimed at any student, teacher or parent
requiring an up-to-date commentary on how research into human learning
processes can inform our teaching and what goes on in our schools. It
takes a broad sweep through findings stemming mainly from social and
cognitive psychology and presents them in a useable format for students
and teachers at all levels, from preschool to tertiary training
institutes.
