How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School

By Rodney R. Cocking, Ann L. Brown, John D. Bransford

Book Overview

When do infants begin to learn? How do experts learn and how is this different from non-experts? What can teachers and schools do--with curricula, classroom settings, and teaching methods--to help children learn most effectively?

This book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain that provides answers to these and other questions. New evidence from many branches of science has significantly added to our understanding of what it means to know, from the neural processes that occur during learning to the influence of culture on what people see and absorb.

How People Learn examines these findings and their implications for what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess what our children learn. The book uses exemplary teaching to illustrate how approaches based on what we now know result in in-depth learning. This new knowledge calls into question concepts and practices firmly entrenched in our current education system. Topics include:

How learning actually changes the physical structure of the brain. How existing knowledge affects what people notice and how they learn. What the thought processes of experts tell us about how to teach. The amazing learning potential of infants. The relationship of classroom learning and everyday settings of community and workplace. Learning needs and opportunities for teachers. A realistic look at the role of technology in education.

If education is to help students make sense of their surroundings and ready them for the challenges of the technology-driven, internationally competitive world, then it must be based on what we know about learning from science. In that light, this book will be of significant professional interest to teachers, education policymakers and administrators, and curriculum developers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0309065577
• ISBN13: 9780309065573
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: National Academies Press
• Length: 346 Pages
• Weight: 2.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Succinct and practical

The beauty of this volume is that it takes a vast quantity of research on how people learn and organizes it in a way which is readable, practical and accessible for educators. The authors distill the findings of numerous studies into three key principles of learning: (1) Teachers must work with student preconceptions and prior knowledge, (2) Teachers must teach in depth, providing multiple examples of the same concept and (3) Teachers must help students develop metacognitive skills so that they can take control of their own learning. These principles are developed and expanded with numerous references to research and practical illustrations. It should be noted that the book is predominantly about conceptual understanding and does not spend a lot of time on how we learn skills such as playing a musical instrument or learning a language. That said, it is an extremely important contribution to discussions of pedagogy and if the advice contained in the book is heeded by teachers, curriculum writers and policy makers, it has the potential to transform many shallow classroom practices into powerful tools that will enable students to develop deep understanding. The accelerating pace of change in the 21st century means that the ability to transfer skills to unfamiliar situations as well as the skills of lifelong learning have become more important than ever. The principles contained in this book will help us prepare students for a changing world.

Practice what they preach

The book starts at a place appropriate for someone who never taught before, and presents convincing arguments from the beginning, to the very end. Whenever they introduce important concepts and ideas, they describe studies that really make them come to life. In fact, it would have sounded like a liberal opinion piece had they not provided an extensive bibliography for their findings. Theoretical ideas are weaved into practical advice to create an excellent introduction for an aspiring teacher.

Excellent book on cognitive learning

As a Deaf person and an educator, as well as having two degrees in Neuroscience, I found this book extremely helpful in elucidating what has been done in understanding how we learn. Perhaps even more important is the questions that the authors, contributors and editors raise concerning what more needs to be done, to adequately help all students reach their highest potential. The book is concise and knowledgeable without being needlessly wordy. It is written so that everybody can understand and make use of it to help educators and researchers to further their goals and those of their students. I've had this book less than six months and yet I've quoted it several times in papers, and refer to it constantly. Thanks to the editors for doing such a great job. Karen L. Sadler Science Education University of Pittsburgh

Perhaps the best summary of pratical educational research

This summary of research in human learning and what this body of knowledge suggests should be the direction of education in the next 10 years makes this work a must read for any educational professional. We owe a debt of gratitude to the National Research Council for the depth and quality of this work. It is already being used by many educators in the Bay Area to guide teachers and school administrators in their efforts to provide an education that prepares our young people for the next century! This would make an outstanding resource for both working teachers and those studyiong education at the graduate level.

An excellent summary of current cognitive learning theory

This book summarizes the implications for instruction of current cognitive learning theory. Widely praised by researchers as an excellent single-volume summary of this research. Useful for students, practitioners and policy makers.