Applying the science of learning (1st ed )

A concrete guide to the science of learning, instruction, and assessment written in a friendly tone and presented in a dynamic format.

The underlying premise of Applying the Science of Learning is that educators can better help students learn if they understand the processes through which student learning takes place. In this clear and concise first edition text, educational psychology scholar Richard Mayer teaches readers how to apply the science of learning through understanding the reciprocal relationships between learning, instruction, and assessment.

Utilizing the significant advances in scientific learning research over the last 25 years, this introductory text identifies the features of science of learning that are most relevant to education, explores the possible prescriptions of these findings for instructional methods, and highlights the essentials of evaluating instructional effectiveness through assessment. Applying the Science of Learning is also presented in an easy-to-read modular design and with a conversational tone - making it particularly student-friendly, whether it is being used as a supplement to a core textbook or as a standalone course text.

Preface

Introduction

1. The Big Three: Learning, Instruction, Assessment

2. Rationale for Applying the Science of Learning

3. What Is Applying the Science of Learning?

4. Historical Overview of the Relation Between the Science of Learning and the Science of Instruction

5. Viewing the Relation Between the Science of Learning and the Science of Instruction as Overlapping Goals

Suggested Readings and References

How Learning Works

1. What Is Learning?

2. What is the Science of Learning?

3a. What Changes: Behavior or Knowledge?

3b. What Changes: General or Specific Transfer?

4. How Learning Works: Three Metaphors of Learning

4a. A Closer Look at Response Strengthening: Thorndike's Law of Effect

4b. A Closer Look at Information Acquisition: Ebbinghaus' Learning Curve

4c. A Closer Look at Knowledge Construction: Bartlett's Assimilation to Schema

5. How Learning Works: Three Principles from the Learning Sciences

5a. A Closer Look at Dual Channels: Paivio Concreteness Effect

5b. A Closer Look at Limited Capacity: Miller's Magic Number 7

5c. A Closer Look at Active Learning: Wittrock's Generative Processes

6. How Learning Works: A Cognitive Model of Learning

6a. Three Memory Stores in Meaningful Learning

6b. Three Cognitive Processes in Meaningful Learning

7. The Mighty Ms: Motivation and Metacognition

7a. Motivation to Learn

7b. How Motivation Works

7c. Metacognition in Learning

8. Learning in Subject Areas

9. Eight Things We Know About Learning from Word Lists

References and Suggested Readings

How Instruction Works

1. What Is Instruction?

2. What Is the Science of Instruction?

3. What Is an Instructional Objective?

3a. Three Levels of Instructional Objectives

3b. Five Kinds of Knowledge in Instructional Objectives

3c. Six...

Richard E. Mayer is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  His research interests include educational and cognitive psychology. He received the E. L. Thorndike Award for career achievement in educational psychology and the Distinguished Contribution of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training Award from the American Psychological Association. He is the author of numerous publications and 23 books, including Multimedia Learning (Cambridge, 2009), Learning and Instruction (Prentice Hall, 2008), E-Learning and the Science of Instruction (Pfeiffer, 2008) with Ruth Clark.

• A concise and concentrated view of the field that covers the foundational ideas in learning, instruction, and assessment without overwhelming students or wasting words.
• A modular, multimedia approach organizes course material into two-page units with specific objectives, helpful graphics, and a welcoming design that helps readers organize and understand each concept.
• An emphasis on clear writing and concrete ideas makes learning easier for readers, especially by providing vocabulary definitions and specific examples.
• A personal and friendly tone instead of a formal, academic style make this book easier and more enjoyable to read. While few academic references clutter the text, key references and suggested readings are provided at the end of each section.