Book Review-How Do We Learn? A Scientific Approach to Learning and Teaching (Evidence-Based Education) By Héctor Ruiz Martín

I became aware of this book through the recommendation of Doug Lemov, the man behind Teach Like a Champion and all the publications and videos that is focused on teaching and learning. I am a big fan, and since Lemov thought enough of this book to pen the forward to this book, I was sold, sight unseen.

This book was originally in Spanish and was masterfully translated into English by Oriol Solé Mola. The flow of the language and themes were fluid and continuous, I never had to contend with misconceptions nor confusions due to translation problems.

I have begun to use this book as one of my touchstones when I am thinking about how to teach based on how students learn. As an engineer, the evidence-based approach and more importantly, the science that serves as foundation to the approach is the key to my own thinking and helps form my own teaching philosophy. There are many other books in my arsenal of references, this book has taken a respected place.

There are many principles that form a strong foundation upon which I have started to build my thinking. These are some of the key ones that I had gleaned just from the introduction alone.

·       Cognition and motivation are connected.

·       Proper sequencing of learning goals and adjusting tasks differently is the key to effectiveness and motivation.

·       The brain actively seeks to make connections between new knowledge and prior knowledge; that transfer from working memory to long term memory is learning.

·       Learning is continuous.

·       The center of all the learning activities is the student, or more critically, how the student learns. The teacher is the enabler, the person who creates the environment and situations that allow the students to best learn.

There are so many insights that I deliberately took copious amounts of notes, over 130 pages, so that I can revisit, use, and consult them, knowing that I will not remember it all. The author packed incredible amounts of knowledge, examples, citations of results from studies, and wisdom into two hundred and forty-seven pages, with an additional twenty-nine pages of references that are cited in the book.

Even though teaching and learning is a mutually coupled and nonlinear science, he was able to categorize the areas into five cogent sections to that the delivery of the ideas is in linear form, one that is digestible for the readers. He starts with an introduction of the science of how we learn, introducing the Cognitive Load Theory, before diving into the cognitive processes which form the integrated process of learning. Some of topics within these subjects were reviews while some of the topics were new. The advantage of reading them in totality is that the new knowledge reinforces the prior knowledge, which is actually the definition of the cognitive learning process.

Sections three and four are where the author dives into the fraught subjects of social and emotional factors and the intrinsic abilities of the student to self-regulate impact the student’s ability to learn and retain knowledge. These two subjects are often cited as being important factors in learning, but I have found the discussions amorphous and ambiguous. The author does a great job of explaining these factors and was able to discuss the studies that buttresses his assertions. Of particular interest was his treatment of metacognition, grit, and resilience. These are new areas of research and hold a certain amount of aura. This is especially true of grit and resilience; it seems that the topic had become a pet theory of mass media. The author did yeoman work in exploring the subject while also dispelling some of the mythology that had grown up around the subject without under emphasizing the importance of the ideas.

Finally, the author took on three key teaching processes: instruction, feedback, and assessment. All three are important, but the topics of feedback and assessment can be controversial as it involves honest human communications. He was able to lay out great advice and recommendations and not cookie cutter checklists because the human factor makes the communications variable and uncertain.

The bonus find in the book is the Appendix, which is titled: Pseudoscientific Myths About Learning. These are generally accepted myths amongst the general population which have done long term damage to how the general public treats learning and teaching. These myths frame the discussions about learning and teaching, which in turn affects how learning and teaching are structured within our society.

I obviously found the book informative, full of actionable advices, solid scientific research results which buttresses beliefs, and ultimately will serve as a great reference for me to consult. I highly recommend How Do We Learn.