Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works Disseminating the Science of Learning to All Educators with Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva
Sep 17, 2025
Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva, a Canadian researcher in learning science, shares her insights on translating cognitive science into effective classroom strategies. She discusses the challenges educators face in accessing research and the historical barriers that thwart the implementation of evidence-based practices. Nidhi delves into microlearning, highlighting its cognitive benefits and practical applications. The conversation emphasizes the importance of coaching and constructive observation in bridging the gap between learning science and effective teaching.
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Researcher Recognition Is Not Universal
- Many researchers admired within the field are unknown to everyday teachers due to silos in education.
- Bridging those silos is essential to make evidence-based names and ideas common knowledge.
Knowledge Depth Varies Widely
- Many educators lack deep, ready-to-cite knowledge that top researchers hold, so evidence conversations stay superficial.
- We must bring teachers stepwise from basic familiarity to deeper, practice-ready understanding.
Rosenshine's 1986 Paper Anchored Her Views
- Nidhi kept an old 1986 synthesis by Barak Rosenshine and rereads it often to ground her practice.
- She wonders whether following those simple principles earlier would have changed decades of instructional effort.
