Nepali Wanderer

I have already written about my journey into teaching and how it has been a fun, rewarding learning experience for me. Curious about ways to improve my teaching, I read an acclaimed book based on findings from neuroscience. Here is my summary of the book Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham.

Understanding How Our Brain Works:

Our brain is not designed to make us think; it is designed to make us think less. Yes, you heard that right. It achieves this in three ways. First, by making sure certain actions don’t require thinking, like vision. Second, by memorising information so that we don’t have to think (e.g., 7 * 9 = 63). Third, by undergoing physical transformation through repeated actions (or practice), thus creating autopilot behaviors.

However, thinking is crucial for learning anything. So, how do you make someone think? Luckily, people are naturally curious and like to think, but as long as it’s within a certain range. If it’s too easy, there’s no dopamine release; if it’s too difficult, the brain thinks it’s probably not worth the effort. To make us think, the right level of difficulty is needed.

Delving Into the World of Thinking:

To understand thinking, it’s crucial to analyse how we think. We use three things: the environment (information in front of us), long-term memory (where all information is stored), and working memory (our limited RAM-like space for calculation and combination). Thinking is the combination of what’s in front of you and what’s stored in your head in your working memory.

Applying This Knowledge to Teaching:

To apply this in teaching:

1. Make them curious. (More on this below)
2. Make them think and solve, finding that sweet spot of not too easy and not too difficult.
3. Ensure the environment (information to solve) is adequate, they have sufficient long-term (background) knowledge, and your question doesn’t overwhelm their working memory.

The Importance of Factual Knowledge:

Is having knowledge as important as thinking? As indicated above, thinking relies heavily on background knowledge. Factual knowledge helps with context, allows for information chunking, and improves memory retention. The more you know, the more efficiently you can use your working memory and long-term memory, creating a compounding effect.

To improve your students’ learning, make sure they start early by developing the habit of reading. Reading isn’t always fun, so make them transition from “reading for fun” to “reading to learn”. Children who develop an early reading habit gain an advantage that compounds over time. That’s why the home environment often triumphs over school in terms of learning.

Why Are Some Facts Easier to Remember Than Others?

Background knowledge is important, but how do we store it in memory? Even more pressingly, why are some things easier to remember than others? The trick is simple: anything that makes you “think” will likely reside in your memory. Memory, that way, is a residue of thought. That’s why solving problems yourself is much more efficient than merely repeating or practicing to retain information.

One super effective way to make people think is by transforming information into a story. Stories fascinate us and make us think. (Just think how much we think during a movie, imagining all sorts of connections and outcomes.) But to have an engaging story, you need a conflict, which in our case is the question we’re trying to solve. Thus, spend significant time on your conflict, not just the answer.

Understanding Concepts:

How do we understand abstract concepts? Much like “Memory is the residue of thought,” “Understanding is remembering in disguise.” We understand new things in terms of what we already know. Teach new concepts by relating them to familiar ones using analogies and examples. Deep understanding is challenging, but it can be developed through clever analogies and examples.

Is Practice Worth It?

Practice is essential for competence and long-term benefits. It automates tasks, freeing working memory for other tasks, and improves memory retention. To make practice more effective and less boring, incorporate spaced repetition into your routine. Ensure your students practice what they learn.

What Makes Experts Experts?

Experts are made through continued practice and experience, not just genius. They have extensive background knowledge and have automated basic tasks, freeing their working memory to see the broader picture. This allows them to focus on functions and procedures rather than surface-level information.

Adjusting to Different Learning Abilities and Styles:

First, learning ability differs from learning style. So, let’s start with learning style. Instead of catering to individual styles, incorporate various learning styles into your teaching: visual, audio, activities, problem statements, and discussions.

Abilities and Intelligence:

Intelligence is a complex concept, and there’s always that Nature vs. Nurture debate. While genes make a difference, the environment often compounds initial genetic advantages. Interestingly, if you see around, even cultures perceive abilities differently. The same child seen as dull in the West (emphasis on nature) might be seen as lazy in the East (emphasis on nurture). Praise and comment on the nurture aspects of your students to help them believe in their ability to improve.

Using Practice as a Teacher: 

Lastly, teaching, like any other skill, can be improved through practice. While practice and experience sound similar, there’s a fundamental difference. It is practice only if you’re getting feedback to improve upon. One option is to seek feedback from peers and students. But one easy (but less thought of) effective option is to go through your recorded lectures.

My Takeaway: 

Understanding the brain in relation to teaching and learning was an important lesson for me. Concepts like “memory as the residue of thought” and “understanding as remembering in disguise” highlight the importance of thinking and background knowledge. I also liked the part about storytelling, which I have tried to implement even more and have seen its effectiveness. Spending more time highlighting the shortcomings of the previous concept and explaining how the new concept addresses them sets the stage for students to become curious and engaged. Once your students are curious, more than 80 percent of the job is done. (Richard Feynman also emphasizes on this, how teaching is more about making people curious than giving answers.)

Lastly, the seemingly simple advice of improving from your recorded lecture is also profoundly effective. I remember Andrew Ng also mentioning how he improved his teaching using this technique. Thanks to default online recorded lectures during Covid, even I tried this technique a bit (although not much, so maybe I should again look for those videos!).