Cognitive scientist Dr. Stephen Chew has posted a 24-minute video on \u201cHow to Learn in Pandemic Times\u201d\u00a0 addressing how students can overcome fundamental bottlenecks in learning.\u00a0 For instructors, it\u2019s a great summary of how we can help students — during Covid times and thereafter.<\/p>\n
For several years, Dr. Judy Hartman from the USNA Chemistry faculty and Eric Nelson have been working to prepare research summaries that explained to chemistry and physics educators how\u00a0 cognitive science describes how the student brain solves problems and learns to solve problems.\u00a0 The hope has been that with knowledge of this science, instructors can improve student success rates in STEM majors.\u00a0 Our latest effort has been the article \u201cA Praradigm Shift:\u00a0 Implications of Working Memory Limits,\u201d posted at\u00a0 http:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2102.00454<\/a> and discussed in Post 18.<\/p>\n Working independently to explain the science to a broader educator audience, cognitive expert Dr. Chew came up with what looks to be the same explanation we did, in fewer words and\u00a0 great graphics.\u00a0 Having degrees in chemistry, not cognitive science, we were relieved to watch the expert’s description of importance of the working memory bottleneck — and how automaticity achieved by over-learning can circumvent the bottleneck and speed the rate of learning.<\/p>\n Dr. Chew’s video explains fundamental principles that can guide instructors in designing instruction and students in learning how to learn.\u00a0 As homework to help\u00a0 your students understand learning, you might consider this:<\/p>\n \u201cAssignment:\u00a0 Watch the 24 minute video on making study more effective — at<\/p>\n