Applying Science of Learning in Education: Infusing Psychological Science Into the Curriculum
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University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Psychology Scholarship College of Liberal Arts (COLA) 2014 Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum Victor A. Benassi University of New Hampshire, [email protected] Catherine Overson University of New Hampshire, [email protected] Christopher M. Hakala Western New England University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/psych_facpub Recommended Citation Benassi, V. A., Overson, C. E., & Hakala, C. M. (2014). Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Psychology Scholarship by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Feedback Feedback regarding the editorial content of this book or any of its essays should be directed toward the individual authors or the book's editors. They (authors and editors) are solely responsible for the substance of the text. Feedback regarding technical matters of formatting or accessibility of this text via the online environment of the Internet should be directed to the Internet Editor. If you have any complaints or difficulties in accessing these materials, be sure to provide as detailed a description of your problem(s) as you can; you should include information about the browser you are using (e.g., Firefox, Safari) and its version number well as the type of computer you are using and its operating system. 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Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php Individual chapters may be referenced in this fashion: Ambrose, S. A., & Lovett, M. C. (2014). Prior knowledge is more important than content: Skills and beliefs also impact learning. In V. A. Benassi, C. E. Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.). Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php 1 Acknowledgments and Dedication We thank William Buskist, Editor-in-Chief of the STP e-Books series, for suggesting that we prepare this book, and for his support and encouragement throughout the process. We also thank Jeffrey R. Stowell, STP Internet Editor, for his production of the final copy of the book. Preparation of this book and the work presented in several chapters in the book were supported in part by a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation. The Foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis's retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets, Inc. We are appreciative of the confidence the Foundation has shown toward our work. Our special thanks go to Leanne Greeley Bond, our grant program officer. We also acknowledge the support and resources that have been provided by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of New Hampshire. We dedicate this book to the many teachers who participated in the University of New Hampshire’s Cognition Toolbox project (2009 – 2013). e-book cover: Catherine E. Overson. ii About the Editors Victor A Benassi Victor Benassi is professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and currently Faculty Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. He is a fellow of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA, Division 2), and was its 2013 President. He was principal investigator of a Davis Educational Foundation (DEF) grant--The Cognition Toolbox: Implementing Cognitive Principles and Assessing Student Learning in College Courses. He is currently principal investigator of a DEF grant: Teaching and Learning with Multimedia (2012 – 2015). Victor is co-editor (with William Buskist) of Effective College and University Teaching: Strategies and Tactics for the New Professoriate (2012, Sage Publications). In 2003, he received the American Psychological Foundation’s Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology award. Earlier in his career, his research interests centered on judgment and psychology of belief. His current research focuses teaching and learning, including the application of science of learning principles to teaching in colleges and universities. Catherine E. Overson Catherine Overson, University of New Hampshire, is Project Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s Teaching and Learning with Multimedia grant (funded by the Davis Educational Foundation). She was previously a research associate on the Center’s Cognition Toolbox grant (also funded by the Davis foundation). She is an experienced teacher of university courses in psychology, statistics, and the science of learning. She is a member of Division 2 of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (American Psychological Association) and has presented her research on teaching and learning at annual APA and other national conventions. She has published in the same area (Overson & Goldstein), in Your graduate training in psychology: Effective strategies for success, Sage Publications, 2011; Stiegler-Balfour & Overson, in Effective University and College Teaching, Sage Publications, 2012). Her research has focused applications of the science of learning in college and university courses. Christopher M. Hakala Christopher Hakala is Professor of Psychology at Western New England University. He received his Ph.D. at the University of New Hampshire in 1995 and had previously taught at Gettysburg College and Lycoming College, both in Pennsylvania. His areas of expertise are reading comprehension and psycholinguistics. Over the past three years, Chris has split his time between teaching, research and developing the Western New England University Center for Teaching and Learning, and serving as its director. Chris has also served as Associate Editor of Teaching of Psychology and Associate Director of the Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology for the Society for Teaching of Psychology (Society for the Teaching of Psychology, APA Division 2). iii Table of Contents Acknowledgments and Dedication ............................................................................................................... ii About the Editors ......................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction Victor A. Benassi, Catherine E. Overson, and Christopher M. Hakala ........................................................... 1 Part 1: Science of Learning - Principles and Approaches Prior Knowledge is More Than Content: Skills and Beliefs Also Impact Learning Susan A. Ambrose and Marsha C. Lovett ...................................................................................................... 7 When and Why Introducing Difficulties and Errors Can Enhance Instruction Courtney M. Clark and Robert A. Bjork ....................................................................................................... 20 Expertise Reversal Effect and Its Instructional Implications Chee Ha Lee and Slava Kalyuga .................................................................................................................. 31 Using Feedback to Promote Learning John A. C. Hattie and Gregory C. R. Yates ..................................................................................................