Deliberately difficultWhy it might be
better to makelearning slowerDavid DidauWellington Education Festival22nd June 2013

The most important role ofteaching
is to promotelearning and to raise pupils‟achievement.Ofsted Inspection Handbook, 2013

Outstanding teaching andlearning will result
in “almostall pupils … making rapid andsustained progress.”Ofsted Inspection Handbook, 2013

2 questionsQ: If Ofsted judge
T&L by observing lessons,what does „progress in lessons‟ look like?A: PerformanceQ: Can progress be both rapid andsustained?A: No

TeachingLearningLearningThe input/output myth

• But “as learning occurs,
so doesforgetting……learning takes time and is notencapsulated in the visible here-and-now of classroom activities.”Graham Nuthall, The Hidden Lives of LearnersThe input/output myth

Learning & forgetting

What can be done?1. Separate
performance from learning2. Introduce „desirable difficulties‟Prf. Robert Bjork, UCLA

1.Separating learning fromperformancePerformance ismeasurablebutlearning mustbe
inferred from performance:it cannot be observed directly.Robert Bjork

2. Why is difficulty desirable?•
Rapid improvement (performance):predictability, cues, massed practice• Sustained improvement (learning):variability, spacing, interleavingThese slow down performance butlead to long term retention & transferof knowledge

The (New) Theory of DisuseRetrieval
strengthStoragestrengthOld friend‟saddressNew friend‟saddressChildhoodaddressWhat youlearn in thissession

Rapid progress preventssustained progress• The
higher the retrieval strength, thesmaller the gains from additional study orpractice• Forgetting creates the likelihood ofincreased learning• If learning is difficult, retrieval strength willdecrease in the short term but willincrease in the long term

“The illusion of knowing”Everyone likes
rapid progressBut…The route to sustained progress iscounter intuitive

Desirable difficulties• spacing• interleaving• variability•
generation• testing• reducing feedback

Hermann Ebbinghaus, 1885

What the evidence saysSpaced vs
massed practice d = 0.71Acquisition increased by d = 0.45Retention increased by d = 0.51John Hattie, Visible Learning

InterleavingReadingnon-fictionPersuasivewritingAudience&purposeSpelling,punctuation&grammarParagraphing&structureAnalysingContextualisingAudience&purposeSpelling,punctuation&grammarParagraphing&structureAnalysingUsingevidenceContextualisingAudience&purposeSpelling,punctuation&grammarParagraphing&structureAnalysingContextualisingUsingevidenceUsingevidenceAnalysingpoetryCreativewriting

GenerationGenerating information is morememorable than
just reading itApplePearOr_____Ra______

Items we‟ve not practisedretrieving are
more likely to beforgotten in the short termBut, forgetting increases chancesof retaining information that isrepresentedRetrieval induced forgetting

Testing• Which study pattern will
result in thebest test results?1. STUDY STUDY STUDY STUDY – TEST2. STUDY STUDY STUDY TEST – TEST3. STUDY STUDY TEST TEST – TEST4. STUDY TEST TEST TEST - TEST

Tests don’t have to be
dull

Variability

Reducing feedback• Providing feedback of
success iscounter productive• Students become dependent• Slows down pace of learning• Prevents risk taking & challenge

A teacher‟s job is not
to make workeasy. It is to make it difficult. if youare not challenged, you do notmake mistakes. If you do notmake mistakes, feedback isuseless.John Hattie, Visible Learning

Key messages• Performance is not
evidence oflearning• Share the theory of „deliberatedifficulties‟ with your students• Don‟t trust your gut!

Sapere aude!David Didau@LearningSpylearningspy.co.ukddidau@gmail.com