But Does It Work in the Classroom?

Students in a large lecture hall
There’s been a noticeable increase in the amount of pedagogical literature that references what’s been documented about learning in cognitive psychology. It seems to be part of the ongoing interest in making instructional practices more evidence-based. But there’s an issue that makes the application of these research findings challenging. Most of the research in cognitive psychology has been done in labs or simulated classrooms. It hasn’t been done in actual classroom and for reasons that make sense. First, classes enroll students who need to take the course. That cohort may or may not be representative of the average classroom—there may be more males than females, more students with high GPAs, more students from a particular major, and any number of other differences with the potential to influence the outcome depending on what’s being studied. Then there’s the very dynamic nature of the classroom. There’s all sorts of variables that are difficult, if not impossible to control. The content isn’t the same, even if the same teacher presents it. The interaction between and among the students can influence what’s learned and how it’s learned. Classroom policies create environments that are experienced differently by students. Compared to what occurs in labs, the learning that happens in classrooms is messy.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
Could doodles, sketches, and stick figures help to keep the college reading apocalypse at bay?...
We’ve all faced it: the daunting stack of student work, each submission representing hours of potential grading. The...
Storytelling is one of the most powerful means of communication as it can captivate the audience, improving retention...
For some of us, it takes some time to get into the swing of summer. Some of us...
About a year ago, I decided to combine the ideas of a syllabus activity and a get-to-know-students activity....
The use of AI in higher education is growing, but many faculty members are still looking for ways...

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and select newsletters

Login here

Get unlimited access to The Teaching Professor

Stay informed. Subscribe Now.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Teaching Professor

You only have  free article views remaining.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 a month thereafter. Cancel anytime.