Applying the Science of Learning

Richard E. Mayer is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  His research interests include educational and cognitive psychology. He received the E. L. Thorndike Award for career achievement in educational psychology and the Distinguished Contribution of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training Award from the American Psychological Association. He is the author of numerous publications and 23 books, including Multimedia Learning (Cambridge, 2009), Learning and Instruction (Prentice Hall, 2008), E-Learning and the Science of Instruction (Pfeiffer, 2008) with Ruth Clark.

• PrefaceIntroduction1.  The Big Three: Learning, Instruction, Assessment 2.  Rationale for Applying the Science of Learning3.  What Is Applying the Science of Learning?4.  Historical Overview of the Relation Between the Science of Learning and the Science of Instruction5.  Viewing the Relation Between the Science of Learning and the Science of Instruction as Overlapping GoalsSuggested Readings and ReferencesHow Learning Works1.  What Is Learning?  2.  What is the Science of Learning? 3a.  What Changes: Behavior or Knowledge? 3b.  What Changes: General or Specific Transfer? 4.  How Learning Works: Three Metaphors of Learning4a.  A Closer Look at Response Strengthening: Thorndike’s Law of Effect4b. A Closer Look at Information Acquisition: Ebbinghaus’ Learning Curve4c.  A Closer Look at Knowledge Construction: Bartlett’s Assimilation to Schema5.  How Learning Works: Three Principles from the Learning Sciences5a.  A Closer Look at Dual Channels: Paivio Concreteness Effect5b.  A Closer Look at Limited Capacity: Miller’s Magic Number 75c. A Closer  Look at  Active Learning: Wittrock”s Generative Processes6.  How Learning Works:  A Cognitive Model of Learning6a.  Three Memory Stores in Meaningful Learning6b.  Three Cognitive Processes in Meaningful Learning7.  The Mighty Ms: Motivation and Metacognition7a.  Motivation to Learn7b.  How Motivation Works7c.  Metacognition in Learning8.  Learning in Subject Areas9.  Eight Things We Know About Learning from Word ListsReferences and Suggested ReadingsHow Instruction Works1.  What Is Instruction?   2.  What Is the Science of Instruction?  3.  What Is an Instructional Objective?3a.  Three Levels of Instructional Objectives3b.  Five Kinds of Knowledge in Instructional Objectives3c.  Six Kinds of Cognitive Processes in Instructional Objectives4.  How Instruction Works: Three Demands on Cognitive Capacity5.  How Instruction Works:  Three Instructional Scenarios         6.  Twelve Instructional Design Principles for Lesson Learning6a.  Evidence-Based Principles for Reducing Extraneous Processing6b.  Evidence-Based Principles for Managing Essential Processing6c.  Evidence-Based Principles for Fostering Generative Processing7.   Eight Instructional Design Principles for Effective Studying 7a.  Evidence-Based Principles for Studying by Practicing7b.  Evidence-Based Principles for Studying by Generating8.  How to Guide Cognitive Processing During Learning8a.  Instructional Techniques for Selecting8b.  Instructional Techniques for Organizing8c.  Instructional Techniques for Integrating9.  Three Popular But Questionable Principles10a.  How Active Teaching Methods Can Go Wrong10b.  Two Kinds of Active Learning References and Suggested ReadingsHow Assessment Works1.  What Is Assessment?1a.  Three Functions of Assessments2.  What Is the Science of Assessment?2a.  Using Instructional Objectives in Assessment2b.  How to Construct a Useful Assessment Instrument3.  What Is Research on Instructional Effects?3a.  What Works?  Using Randomized Controlled Experiments3b.  When Does It Work?  Using Factorial Experiments3c.  How Does It Work?  Using Observational Analysis4.  A Closer Look at Experiments4a.  Using Effect Size to Assess Instructional Effects4b.  Six Reasons for No Difference Between the Treatment and Control Groups            5.  How to Assess Learning Outcomes5a.  Two Ways to Measure Learning Outcomes5b.  Three Kinds of Learning Outcomes6a.  A Closer Look at Meaningful Versus Rote Learning: Wertheimer’s Parallelogram Lesson6b.  A Closer Look at Assessment of Learning Outcomes: How Much or What Kind?7.  Broadening the Domain of Assessment8.  A Closer Look at Broadening the Domain of Assessment: Attribute Treatment Interactions8a.  Attribute Treatment Interactions Involving Prior Knowledge9.  What Can Go Wrong with Assessments?References and Suggested Readings    EpilogueAbout the AuthorGlossaryAuthor IndexSubject Index