What Is the Science of Learning?

Adapted from InnerDrive, with permission. This blog is part of a series on the Science of Learning.

Let’s try a quick quiz. Can you define, in one short sentence, what is meant by “The Science of Learning”? The phrase, now synonymous with Cognitive Science and Teaching & Learning research has become much more mainstream in recent years. And yet, in one recent paper, researchers examined fifty studies and found 43 different definitions for this phrase. Here is what they found.

So, What Actually Is the Science of Learning?

To save you reading through 43 definitions of the Science of Learning, we’ve picked out four key themes that we identified across their analysis. Let’s see if we can help paint a clearer picture of what this field of research is all about….

If the science of learning aims to improve how we teach, we need to go beyond theory and find real, practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom.

The Science of Learning is…

How the Brain Learns

At its core, the science of learning is about understanding how students’ brains take in and process the information that they’re taught; essentially, it’s about investigating how we learn (McQuiggan et al., 2015; Mayer, 2008; James et al., 2007).

A Field That Aims to Improve Learning

We don’t just want to study learning for its own sake; we want to investigate how students process information so we can help them do it better. As such, research on how we acquire knowledge is usually done with the intent to improve teaching practices as a whole (Thammasitboon and Brand, 2022; Maj, 2018; Byers et al., 2022).

Based on Empirical Research

If the science of learning aims to improve how we teach, we need to go beyond theory and find real, practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom. As such, a core theme across ‘science of learning’ research is obtaining findings via empirical research; this means researchers use observable and measurable data to draw sound conclusions (Iran-Nejad and Homaifar, 2005; Pasquinelli, 2011; Murphy and Knight, 2016).

An Interdisciplinary Approach

Learning is a complex word that is difficult to define, so it makes sense that the study of it requires input from a wide range of fields. The researchers identified a plethora of academic disciplines that have contributed to our understanding of ‘learning’ over time, including but not limited to psychology, neuroscience, education, anthropology, and even computer science (Sawyer, 2006; Conyers, 2017; Gooding et al., 2017). 

How Schools Can Use It

The science of learning is being used more and more to inform interventions, practice, and policy in schools. Research related to memory, cognitive load, and motivation and reward is of particular interest in education. Schools can employ research-based strategies derived from cognitive science for effective learning. These include:

Spacing

Spacing is the idea that spacing out review sessions when trying to learn information is more effective than reviewing all of the information in one go. 

Interleaving

Interleaving is the process of mixing up review topics instead of learning just one topic at a time. Interleaving is a highly effective learning strategy. Teachers can bring interleaving to the classroom by designing study plans for students using an interleaved strategy. 

Retrieval Practice

Retrieval practice is a form of self-testing. It requires us to produce answers to questions that we are asked or that we ask ourselves. It has been repeatedly shown that retrieval practice is an extremely effective approach for learning and reviewing. 

Dual Coding

Dual coding is the process of blending both words and pictures while learning. This allows us to retain information in two different ways, resulting in better memory. 

Managing Cognitive Load

Cognitive load theory highlights the limited capacity of working memory. The theory suggests that we can only hold a certain amount of information in our working memory at one time, and processing too much information can lead to forgetting.

Final Thoughts

At its core, the science of learning is focused on how we acquire information and how we can help students remember it for longer. It focuses on both efficiency and effectiveness. And it’s not just about remembering isolated facts; it’s about helping students connect ideas to develop a large body of knowledge.

The differences in definition mainly point to the same direction and are underpinned by similar principles:

• Don’t overload working memory
• Help students attach new information to existing knowledge
• Get them to think hard about the content
• Review things before they are forgotten

 If we aim to follow these four points, we won’t go too far wrong.

Interested in deepening your understanding of the science of learning? Explore CELL's Science of Learning Micro-Credential.