Top 10 Most Effective Learning Strategies 10. Imagery for text

Bridging academic research with classroom practice

Many researchers have tried to link findings from cognitive science to day-to-day classroom practice. Some famous teaching and learning strategies have little or no support in research, like learning styles. Two very influencial articles report strategies that do have a solid scientific basis. They are Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and Dunlosky’s Strategies to boost learning.

Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction

Prof Barak Rosenshine from the University of Illinois created 10 principles of instruction based on cognitive sciences, real experiences of successful teachers and academic research.

1. Begin a lesson with a short review of previous learning

2. Present new material in small steps followed by student practice

3. Ask questions and check answers

4. Use models

5. Guide practice

6. Check for understanding

7. Obtain a high success rate

8. Provide scaffolds in difficult tasks

9. Stimulate and monitor independent practice

10. Conduct weekly and monthly review

Dunlosky’s Strategies to boost learning

Prof John Dunlosky from Kent State University thoroughly investigated 10 commonly used learning strategies and ranked them from the least to the most effective ones according to cognitive sciences. From the least to the most effective, they are:

10. Imagery for text

9. Keyword mnemonic

8. Summarisation

7. Highlighting

6. Rereading

5. Self-explanation

4. Elaborative interrogation

3. Interleaved practice

2. Distributed practice

1. Practice testing

The Learning Scientists’ 6 Effective Learning Strategies

The Learning Scientists are a group of researchers in the US and the UK that conduct experiments and liaise with schools to help teachers and pupils use the 6 most effective teaching and learning strategies. The icons were drawn by Oliver Caviglioli.