The hottest Learning Theory Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Education Topics

So Near and yet So Far

In My Tribe • 182 implied HN points • 09 Jun 25
🚌 Education Learning Theory Educational Technology Pedagogy Curriculum design Online Learning
  1. The project aims to create an interactive seminar experience, but it's currently more like reading a textbook with an AI assistant. It’s not quite the same feel as a real seminar.
  2. Using AI can help shape effective dialogue, but it requires careful prompting to get the right tone and perspective, especially if it needs to reflect a specific viewpoint.
  3. The goal is to develop structured and authentic discussions in educational content, which could fill a gap by balancing sterile lectures and chaotic forums.

Six Laws of Social Learning

In My Tribe • 896 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🚌 Education Learning Theory Cognition Epistemology Communication
  1. We decide what we believe based on who we trust. Trust is built through communication, reputation, and personal connection, even if these aren't always the best indicators.
  2. Status-seeking can sometimes get in the way of truly seeking the truth. People often support ideas or beliefs to look good, rather than because they genuinely believe in them.
  3. Healthy debate and competition of ideas lead to better outcomes. It's important to allow different opinions to be heard and to stay open-minded, even when faced with contrary evidence.

Edu-Snippets

The Science of Learning • 299 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🚌 Education Learning Theory Teaching Strategies Digital learning Educational Technology Study Techniques
  1. Learners do better when instructors show positive emotions. It's important for teachers to be happy or excited during lessons.
  2. Creating your own digital flashcards helps you learn better than using pre-made ones. Making them yourself can improve your memory and understanding.
  3. Positive energy during teaching can make students pay more attention and feel more engaged. This shows how important the instructor's mood can be for learning.

Should Instructional Videos Include a Talking Head?

The Science of Learning • 319 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🚌 Education Learning Theory Online Learning
  1. Talking heads in instructional videos, where the teacher appears on screen, have mixed effects. Some studies say they can distract learners and hurt their ability to remember facts.
  2. On the other hand, having a talking head can make students feel more connected to the teacher, which is important in online courses where they might feel lonely.
  3. There's no clear answer on whether to use talking heads. It might help to use them in fully online classes but not in classes where students regularly see the teacher.
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This week in the science of learning, April 28, 2024

The Bell Ringer • 59 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🚌 Education Learning Theory Teaching Methods Student Engagement Curriculum Development
  1. New approaches to math can help students understand concepts better. It's important to make math engaging and relatable.
  2. More homework in college may help students grasp subjects thoroughly. This suggests that practice is key to learning effectively.
  3. Student journalism plays a crucial role in education. It encourages critical thinking and helps students express their viewpoints.

Learning, forgetting, and the NYT lawsuit

The Counterfactual • 119 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Language Models Data Privacy Learning Theory
  1. Learning involves forgetting some details to form general ideas. This means that to truly learn, we often need to overlook specific differences.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) can memorize details from the data they are trained on, which raises concerns about copyright issues and how much they reproduce existing content.
  3. Finding a way to make LLMs forget specific details from training data, while still keeping their language abilities, is challenging and may require new techniques.

Learning Starts by Caring About Something

peoplefirstengineering • 14 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🚌 Education Learning Theory Cognitive Science
  1. Emotional engagement is key to learning. We remember things better when we care about them and connect emotionally to the experiences.
  2. Learning is more effective in collaborative settings. Working together with others, like in pair programming or group discussions, helps make the learning process more meaningful.
  3. To truly learn, we should explore what matters to us. Finding our personal connections to topics can lead to deeper understanding and growth.

Disillusionment and Learning

The Memory Palace • 19 implied HN points • 28 May 24
📖 Philosophy Belief systems Learning Theory Cognitive Science Radicalization Behavioral Psychology
  1. People often join groups or movements for positive reasons, but they may leave due to internal issues that arise later on.
  2. When someone changes their beliefs, returning to previous beliefs is complicated and often not the same as before.
  3. Revisiting old beliefs or habits can be an active process rather than a passive one; it's about reaching back, not just slipping back into old patterns.

#11: Productive discomfort

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 59 implied HN points • 14 Jan 20
🚌 Education Learning Theory Cognitive Science Professional development Personal Growth
  1. Embracing discomfort can lead to personal growth. Learning new things often feels uncomfortable, but it can help expand your skills and knowledge.
  2. Regularly challenging yourself can make discomfort easier to handle. By gradually exposing yourself to tough situations, you can improve your ability to cope with stress and anxiety.
  3. Curiosity in the face of discomfort leads to valuable insights. Instead of avoiding unpleasant feelings, exploring what makes you uncomfortable can reveal opportunities for learning and innovation.

Should we teach children to memorize the multiplication tables?

The Science of Learning • 4 HN points • 26 Jun 23
🚌 Education Mathematics Learning Theory Curriculum Development Cognitive Science Pedagogy
  1. Children benefit from memorizing multiplication tables because it helps them solve math problems more easily. When students know their math facts, they can focus on more complex thinking instead of getting stuck on basic calculations.
  2. Research shows that students who memorize math facts do better in math overall. This memorization builds a strong foundation for advanced math skills later on.
  3. It's important to strike a balance between memorization and understanding in math education. Teaching kids to remember math facts can actually support their overall learning and make problem-solving easier.

Against Education

Logos • 19 implied HN points • 14 May 21
🚌 Education Policy Debate Learning Theory
  1. Education mainly acts as a signal for employers to identify smart, hardworking individuals rather than actually teaching useful skills. This means that just having a degree doesn't guarantee better job performance.
  2. Caplan argues that education is a poor investment for society because it doesn't enhance productivity enough to justify its costs. He suggests that we might benefit from reducing education funding and directing efforts towards vocational training instead.
  3. While some ideas in Caplan's arguments are strong, there are valid concerns about the impact of reducing education opportunities, particularly for those who might excel in it. We should look at improving the education system instead of scrapping it altogether.

Error Correction

Splattern • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jul 21
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Cognition Human behavior Self-awareness Learning Theory
  1. The Alexander Technique helps improve body awareness and sensitivity. This means becoming more in tune with how your body actually moves versus how you think it moves.
  2. Our understanding can be limited by our habits and experiences. Sometimes, a new perspective or outside influence can help us see things differently.
  3. Often, people don't act incorrectly on purpose. We can misjudge our actions because we don't have the right information or awareness about what we are doing.