Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning

A freshly updated edition featuring research-based teaching techniques that faculty in any discipline can easily implement

Research into how we learncan helpfacilitate better student learning—if we know how to apply it.Small Teachingfills the gap in higher education literature between the primary research in cognitive theory and the classroom environment. Inthis book, James Lang presents a strategy for improving student learning with a series ofsmallbut powerful changes that make a big difference―many of which can be put into practice in a single class period.These aresimple interventions that can be integrated into pre-existing techniques,along withclear descriptions of how to do so.Inside, you’ll findbrief classroom or online learning activities, one-time interventions,andsmall modifications in course design orstudentcommunication.These small tweaks will bring your classroom into alignment with the latest evidence in cognitive research.

Each chapter introduces a basic concept in cognitive research that has implications for classroom teaching, explains the rationale for offering it within a specific time period in a typical class, and then provides concrete examples of how this intervention has been used or could be used by faculty in a variety of disciplines. The second edition featuresrevised and updated contentincluding a newly authored preface,newexamples and techniques, updated research,and updated resources.

• How can you make small tweaks to your teaching to bring the latest cognitive science into the classroom?
• Howcan you help studentsbecome good at retrieving knowledge from memory?
• How does making predictions now help us learn in the future?
• Howcan youbuild community in the classroom?

Higher education faculty and administrators, as well as K-12 teachers and teacher trainers, will love the easy-to-implement, evidence-based techniques inSmall Teaching.

Keywords:

Education, higher education, college teaching, university teaching, educator, professor, higher education administrator, pedagogical tools, postsecondary pedagogy, cognitive theory, college students, learning research, evidence-based teaching