Designing for Powerful Learning
By applying these 10 principles from research in the cognitive and learning sciences, schools can create dynamic, interactive learning experiences where students and teachers thrive
Teamwork
Collaborative learning involves students working together to achieve shared goals. During collective problem-solving, students learn from one another through modeling, conversation, and constructive interaction.
Cooperative learning strategies can lead to significant gains in achievement, especially when groups are structured to ensure both mutual interdependence and individual accountability (Slavin, 2014). Students in collaborative learning environments develop critical thinking skills as they articulate ideas, question assumptions, and consider multiple perspectives (Webb, 2009). Team-based learning environments help students manage cognitive load by distributing complex tasks among members, allowing students to take on challenging problems collectively (Sweller, 2010).
Project-Based Learning
Students are motivated by hands-on, real-world learning environments that provide agency and self-direction.
A century of research on student-centered education has argued for the centrality of learners’ interests and goals (Kilpatrick, 1918). Students who experience a sense of ownership over their work are more likely to persist through challenges (Blumenfeld et al, 1991). Learning tasks that require sustained inquiry and collaboration help students to think creatively (Hmelo-Silver, 2004).
Embodied Cognition
Learning is grounded in the body’s interactions with the world. Physical movement and gestures can help students understand complex concepts.
The body is a resource for thinking and communication, especially in mathematics (Stevens, 2010). Students can build an understanding of mathematical concepts from non-verbal, non-symbolic processes (Abrahamson et al, 2020). Learning environments can encourage sensory experience and movement, as our understanding of abstractions is often based on concrete physical experiences (Barsalou, 2008; Clark, 1999). Gestures provide visual and kinesthetic support for learning across disciplines (Goldin-Meadow, 2011).
Hands-on Experience
Handling real objects during active problem-solving makes learning more concrete.
Learning by doing enables students to make connections between theoretical knowledge and practical application (Dewey, 1938). Students who engage in hands-on activities become more curious and, in certain cases, can develop stronger conceptual understanding (Haury & Rillero, 1994).
Storytelling
Stories help learners make sense of the world, connect with one another, and remember content.
People naturally think in terms of stories, and using narrative can make complex, abstract ideas more accessible (Bruner, 1997). Stories structure memory (Schank, 1990). The sharing of stories can foster appreciation for cultural diversity (Barton & Levstik, 2004).
Problem-solving
As they solve problems, students must apply knowledge adaptively and develop a deeper understanding of the material.
A learning environment should enable students to understand the problem, make a plan, execute the plan, and look back and reflect (Polya, 1945). Active problem-solving builds critical thinking and teamwork skills (Hmelo-Silver, 2019).
Construction
Students learn well when they are actively engaged in making something meaningful. Constructing things helps students integrate and internalize knowledge and develop practical skills.
Students are motivated by making tangible products, such as models or artwork that they can share with others (Papert, 1980). Making promotes creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration (Blikstein, 2013). Construction-based learning environments can produce productive social interactions that build students’ confidence and leadership ability (Meyerhoff, 2023; Meyerhoff & Stevens, 2022).
Creativity
Creativity is not just about artistic expression but about problem-solving, innovation, and critical thinking.
Collaborative creativity allows students to work together and develop new ideas and solutions (Sawyer, 2010). Learning environments that provide autonomy and encourage exploration can enhance creative performance (Amabile, 1996). Providing challenging but achievable creative tasks along with clear goals and immediate feedback can help students experience a state of creative flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
Leadership
Giving students the chance to take on leadership roles helps them develop confidence and a sense of responsibility to a team.
Educators have long recognized that school should prepare individuals to become participants and leaders in a democratic society (Dewey, 1916). Cooperative learning environments promote leadership by requiring students to take on specific roles within their groups (Johnson & Johnson, 2009).
Community
Students can thrive in a learning environment where they feel valued and connected to a community of learners.
Positive peer interactions contribute to a supportive classroom community where students feel comfortable taking intellectual risks (Wentzel and Muenks, 2016; Meyerhoff, 2023). Culturally responsive teaching practices can enhance students' sense of belonging (Hammond, 2016; Gay, 2010).
References & Recommended Reading
Abrahamson, D., Nathan, M. J., Williams-Pierce, C., Walkington, C., Ottmar, E. R., Soto, H., & Alibali, M. W. (2020). The future of embodied design for mathematics teaching and learning. In Frontiers in Education (5: 147).
Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008). Teaching for meaningful learning: A review of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning. In L. Darling-Hammond (Ed.), Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding (pp. 11-70). John Wiley & Sons.
Barsalou, L. W. (2008). Grounded cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 617-645.
Beaudoin, D., & Johnston, S. (2020). STEM education: Hands-on learning and student engagement. Journal of STEM Education Research, 3(2), 101-112.
Blikstein, P. (2013). Digital fabrication and ‘making’ in education: The democratization of invention. In J. Walter-Herrmann & C. Büching (Eds.), FabLabs: Of machines, makers and inventors (pp. 203-222). Transcript Verlag.
Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., & Palincsar, A. (1991). Motivating project-based learning: Sustaining the doing, supporting the learning. Educational Psychologist, 26(3-4), 369-398.
Boaler, J. (2002). Learning from teaching: Exploring the relationship between reform curriculum and equity. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 33(4), 239-258.
Bruner, J. (1997). The narrative construction of reality. Critical Inquiry, 18(1), 1-21.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. Macmillan.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Kappa Delta Pi.
Ertmer, P. A., & Simons, K. D. (2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K–12 teachers. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 40-54.
Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.
Glenberg, A. M. (2010). Embodiment as a unifying perspective for psychology. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 1(4), 586-596.
Goldin-Meadow, S. (2011). Learning through gesture. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(6), 595-607.
Green, M. C. (2004). Transportation into narrative worlds: The role of prior knowledge and perceived realism. Discourse Processes, 38(2), 247-266.
Hammond, Z. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press.
Haury, D. L., & Rillero, P. (1994). Perspectives of hands-on science teaching. ERIC Digest
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Barrows, H. S. (2006). Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 21-39.
Hutchins, E. (1995). Cognition in the wild. MIT Press.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational Researcher, 38(5), 365-379.
Kilpatrick, W. H. (1918). The project method. Teachers College Record, 19(4), 1-5.
Klassen, S. (2009). The construction and analysis of a science story: A proposed methodology. Science & Education, 18(3-4), 401-423.
Lindgren, R., & Johnson-Glenberg, M. (2013). Emboldened by embodiment: Six precepts for research on embodied learning and mixed reality. Educational Researcher, 42(8), 445-452.
Meyerhoff, P. (2023). Constructive interaction: A process model of project-based STEAM learning. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL
Meyerhoff, P., & Stevens, R. (2020). Kira & the Spinners: Exploring the dilemmas of a structured-choice learning environment in a public school. In Proceedings of the 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences.
Robinson, K. (2011). Out of our minds: Learning to be creative. Capstone.
Sawyer, R. K (2010). Individual and group creativity. In The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity.
Sawyer, R. K. (2018). The Cambridge Handbook of the learning sciences (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Schank, R. C. (1990). Tell me a story: A new look at real and artificial memory. Scribner.
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed leadership. Jossey-Bass.
Stevens, R. (2012). The missing bodies of mathematical thinking and learning have been found. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 21(2), 337-346.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331(6023), 1447-1451.
Wentzel, K. R., & Muenks, K. (2016). Peer relationships, motivation, and academic performance at school. In K. R. Wentzel & G. B. Ramani (Eds.), Handbook of social influences in school contexts: Social-emotional, motivation, and cognitive outcomes (pp. 267-284). Routledge.