The New Science of Teaching

From the Foreword:

"This an exciting contribution to our knowledge of how the research on learning can facilitate more effective teaching. It will do for college and university teachers what The New Science of Learning does for students-help them become more skilled and efficient in applying what we know about learning to success in the classroom. This time Terry is joined by coauthor and son Dr. B.M. Doyle, who brings his expertise in neurophysiology, public health, and human performance to thetopic.

The book's 11 chapters engage readers in research-informed explorations of the neuroscience behind learning principles and models, long-term learning, attention, active lecturing, memory and learning, mindset, lifelong learning, patterns in learning, multisensory teaching and learning, sleep, exercise, and diet, and, finally, neuromyths. Each chapter ends with a summary of key findings that serves as a takeaway "exit ticket" for both teachers and students.

Those who are acquainted with Terry Doyle's body of work will be pleased to find the same qualities they have valued in his previous offerings: accessible, jargon-free writing; a bringing together of the relevant evidence-based findings and best practices from the research in ways that are easy to understand and apply; and a focus on how to help students learn best."-Gregg Wentzell, assistant director, Center for Teaching Excellence, Miami University

Teaching in a world where students have access to the nearly infinite knowledge of the internet requires rethinking the role of a teacher. With new data being created at a staggering pace, the authors believe there are two priorities all teachers must embrace: the first, to teach their disciplinary content and skills in harmony with the most current research on how the humanbrain learns; the second,? to see their role as not only teachers of content but as teachers of the life-long learning skills so students can flourish in this new age of data.

Opening with the provocative question -- What specific information and skills do you want your students to know and be able to apply a year after completing your course? - and the follow up - Given the vast available online resources that students can access independently, what's best use of your time in the classroom or online? -- the authors set the stage for prioritizing what you teach; determining on what concepts and complex material to focus your teaching and your student support; and then succinctly summarize the neuroscience on how the brain processes and stores information so you can apply the principles to maximize your students' learning.

The authors address what they characterize as the four drivers of lifelong learning: helping students recognize and use patterns and connections as they encounter new information; have students use multisensory approaches to learning new knowledge that stimulate their powerful auditory, visual, and sensory capacities; fostering a growth mindset; and most important, developing students' critical and independent learning skills.

This book is divided into three parts. The first six chapters deal with the research on how the human brain learns and how this research supports a learner centered approach to teaching. Chapters seven to nine detail specific strategies and practices for using a learner centered approach to your teaching including how to integrate lifelong learning skills into your content courses. Chapters ten and eleven detail specific actions students need to take to prepare their brains for learning and suggest ways teachers can guide them to embrace these vital actions that can optimize their learning potential.

For teachers feeling overwhelmed by the content they feel they need to teach, this book offers valuable guidance on why and what to prioritize, evidence-based advice on improving student learning, and for developing students' capacities for life-long learning.