Teaching Innovation & Learning Enhancement

Bringing people from different disciplines and sectors together to discuss ways to overcome issues in education using evidence-based findings

TILE EduSnaps

Experts in psychological science, education, and learning & teaching answer questions!

EduSnaps will be uploaded on a rolling basis throughout the year, extending the successful EduSnaps Summer Series 2018. We hope you enjoy these brief videos of our experts.

If you want to contribute an Edusnap yourself or have a burning question that would fit in here, don’t hestitate to get in touch.

Enjoy!

TILE website has moved

The TILE website has been migrated to the new domain: http://tile.gla.ac.uk please update your bookmarks.

About TILE

TILE is a new, interdisciplinary network that spans across educational sectors. Our mission is to start a conversation between different groups interested in improving teaching and learning through sharing of best practice in education and disseminating research-based findings. Read our full mission statement here.

Join TILE

Sign up for TILE updates by clicking the ‘Subscribe’  button on the lower right corner!

If you want to contribute to our blog or share your best practice with us (we feature best practice examples here), please get in touch: tile@dundee.ac.uk

TILE Youtube Channel

When should previouly-taught material be reviewed to decrease forgetting of it?

Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel is Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Dundee and with her expertise in learning and memory sciences she hopes to improve educational practice. She engages in science communication nationally and internationally. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, going on daytrips around Scotland, reading books, watching series/movies, and listening to her vinyl records. You can follow her on Twitter @pimpmymemory.

What are the benefits of sleep for learning?

Dr Cindy Nebel is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. She is a cognitive scientist with broad interests in human learning and memory, but her passion is applying cognitive concepts to improve education. She spends most of her spare time with her family, but also enjoys reading and swing dancing. You can follow her on Twitter @PsyDocCindy.

Does our memory generally decline with old age?

Dr Flávia Schechtman Belham is the Chief Scientist at Seneca Learning, where she applies cognitive sciences to create free and effective learning resources. Before that, her research was about the interactions between memory and emotion in healthy ageing. In her free time, Flávia enjoys spending time with her family, reading gothic novels, and going to the beach. You can follow her on Twitter @FlaviaBelhamPhD.

Can thinking about themselves ('self-referencing') help children learn?

Dr Sheila Cunningham is a Senior Lecturer at Abertay University in Dundee. Her research is focused on the development of social processing biases on memory (such as the self-reference effect), and how these biases can be applied in education. Outside of work, she enjoys socialising with friends and family. You can find out more information by visiting her web page: www.selflab.co.uk.

Does retrieval practice work as a learning strategy for all learners independent of age and abilities? Why does taking practice tests work better than rereading the material?

Dr Pooja K. Agarwal is an Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Founder of RetrievalPractice.org, a hub of cognitive science resources for teachers. She has conducted research on learning in K-12 public schools for more than 15 years and she is co-authoring a forthcoming book, Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning. You can learn more about her work on her website and follow her on Twitter @PoojaAgarwal and @RetrieveLearn.

What considerations do you make when deciding whether or not to use a new strategy or gadget in your classroom?

Blake Harvard is an AP Psychology teacher at James Clemens High School in Alabama.  He uses evidence from cognitive psychology to improve his student’s study skills and learning habits in and out of the classroom.  He has led presentations on the application of cognitive psychology in the classroom across the United States and worked with the Institute of Education Sciences to improve the connection between research and the classroom.  You can follow him on twitter at @effortfuleduktr and visit his blog at www.effortfuleducator.com.  

Retrieval practice is a good learning strategy. Are there specific test formats that are more beneficial than others and that you would suggest learners to use during studying?

Dr Megan Sumeracki (formerly Smith) is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rhode Island College. Her area of expertise is in human learning and memory, and applying the science of learning in educational contexts. She is passionate about the science of learning. To help engage in science communication she co-founded The Learning Scientists. In her spare time Megan loves to travel, crochet and knit, go hiking and camping, and wine tasting! You can follow her on Twitter @DrSumeracki.

What are the pros and cons of lecture capture in Higher Education?

Dr Emily Nordmann is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Aberdeen. Her pedagogical research focuses on the use of lecture capture in higher education, and how it can be used to support learning. In her free time, she likes doing karaoke with her wife and playing videogames. You can follow her on Twitter @emilynordmann.

Is student personality associated with academic achievement?

Dr Lisa Kim is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of York. She aims to use her expertise in personality psychology, organisational psychology and teacher effectiveness to improve the educational system. She enjoys cycling and singing around the piano with friends. You can contact her via email.

Does parenting cause children’s ‘bad' — or good — behaviour?

Dr Bonamy Oliver is a Senior Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her research focuses on family processes — particularly parent-child and sibling relationships — important for children’s mental health and wellbeing. She is interested in how these processes differ between families, as well as how family relationship experiences differ for children growing up in the same home. She also works with family practitioners to consider how to help families with difficulties. In her spare time, Bonny enjoys time with family and friends, long dog walks, pilates and tennis, as well as reading, jigsaws, crosswords and any other kind of puzzle! You can follow her on Twitter: @BonamyOliver.

How do you use LEGO to support learning in the classroom?

Shafina Vohra is a teacher of A Level Psychology at the London Design & Engineering UTC, as well as a PhD candidate at UCL, researching creativity and motivation within STEM subjects by using a hands-on approach. As a certified Lego Education Academy Trainer, Shafina has adapted the LEGO Foundation 6-brick method for her lessons and engages with learners, teachers and other educators to try their own hands at ‘teaching and learning with hands’. You can follow her on Twitter @ShafinaVohra.

More EduSnaps coming soon!

Stay tuned!

TILE website has moved

The TILE website has been migrated to the new domain: http://tile.gla.ac.uk please update your bookmarks.

About TILE

TILE is a new, interdisciplinary network that spans across educational sectors. Our mission is to start a conversation between different groups interested in improving teaching and learning through sharing of best practice in education and disseminating research-based findings. Read our full mission statement here.

Join TILE

Sign up for TILE updates by clicking the ‘Subscribe’  button on the lower right corner!

If you want to contribute to our blog or share your best practice with us (we feature best practice examples here), please get in touch: tile@dundee.ac.uk

TILE Youtube Channel