New Books in Education Pooja Agarwal, Cynthia Nebel, Veronica Yan, "Smart Teaching Stronger Learning: Practical Tips From 10 Cognitive Scientists" (Unleash Learning Press, 2025)
Smart Teaching Yields Stronger Learning
- Implement evidence-backed cognitive science strategies to strengthen long-term student learning.
- Use small, practical classroom changes for powerful teaching impact.
Interleaving: The Key to Lifelong Learning Success
Interleaving is a powerful learning strategy where skills and concepts are practiced in a mixed-up order rather than one at a time. Dr. Veronica Yan explains that this mirrors real-world learning, where knowledge is applied in a flexible, mixed context, much like the tie-dye pattern rather than organized blocks. This approach helps learners identify and differentiate related or confusable concepts, enhancing long-term understanding and reducing test anxiety.
Yan highlights that interleaving is not just an assessment tool but a practical instructional method involving cumulative, low-stakes quizzes and activities throughout a course. This repeated practice supports memory retention and builds student confidence, thereby increasing motivation and decreasing anxiety before high-stakes exams.
Furthermore, it prepares students for real-life scenarios where they must apply integrated knowledge rather than isolated facts, making it relevant for all learners, including parents and future educators.
Use Interleaving to Boost Learning
- Mix and interleave practice problems rather than blocking by topic to enhance flexible knowledge application.
- Use cumulative, low-stakes quizzes to reduce anxiety and boost confidence.
