S02E17 - Brendan Lee and Dr. Zach Groshell on the nuances of teaching effectively

Knowledge for Teachers

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee and Dr. Zach Groshell (Host of the Progressively Incorrect podcast) collaborated in the first of a series of episodes together. The theme for this episode was around what are the main principles that teachers need to understand about how learning happens and what are the key mechanisms of effective instruction.

Zach’s 4 points were:

1. Intrinsic motivation is a lofty goal but can't be depended upon.
2. Use generative learning strategies after building prior knowledge - and without the help of AI.
3. The environment is not the "Third Teacher" but it can be designed optimally.
4. We might underestimate how much students appreciate receiving feedback.

Brendan’s 4 points were:

1. The instructional hierarchy is the single most important thing for teachers to know
2. Desirable difficulties optimises learning
3. Attaining and retaining attention is easier said than done
4. Designing learning is more than just sequencing concepts in small steps

Resources mentioned:

• Haring and Eaton’s Instructional Hierarchy
• Bjork and Bjork’s Desirable Difficulties
• Fiorella and Mayer - Eight Ways to Promote Generative Learning
• Stanislas Dehaene - How we learn
• Daniel Willingham - Why don’t students like school
• Amanda VanDerHeyden
• Dylan Wiliam

You can connect with Zach:

Twitter: @mrzachg

Podcast: Progressively Incorrect

Website: educationrickshaw.com

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast