How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition

by John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, Rodney R. Cocking

This newly expanded edition shows how the theories and insights from the original book can translate into actions and practice. How People Learn provides answers to many questions -- when learning actually begins, how experts learn, and what teachers and schools can do to help children learn most effectively.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Psychology, Teaching, Science, Textbooks, Academic

548 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jyllian Martini · Rating 1 out of 5]

There has GOT to be a less dry and tedious book for metacognition and research based teaching principles. Somewhere, please!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should really give this four stars, but the first two or three chapters of this book are written in unreadable, clumsy jargon, so I'm being punitive. However, once it gets into reports and explanations of actual research and how the insights of this research apply to real learners, the book becomes fascinating and I forgot about the heavy prose. Still, for a book that touts itself as "teacher friendly" I'm thinking a thoughtful editor could have made this a less painful read. So let's say I would actually give it five stars on content and 2 and a half on style.

[Tony Petrosino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the single best volume of what we know scientifically about how we learn. Science now offers new conceptions of the learning process and the development of competent performance. Recent research provides a deep understanding of complex reasoning and performance on problem-solving tasks and how skill and understanding in key subjects are acquired. This book presents a contemporary account of principles of learning, and this summary provides an overview of the new science of learning.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ran across this cited in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills' white paper. Wish more actual educators and policy-makers were more aware of advances in the cognitive science of human learning. Science knows a lot more about learning nowadays than it did back when we put cats into boxes... I think the book is actually the report of a study funded by a federal grant. Unfortunately the writing has an institutional quality, but it clarifies many concepts you might run across if you're trying to read up on education.

[Ahmed Hassan · Rating 2 out of 5]

للأسف معلوماته قديمة 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
ممشتش بالنصيحة اللي قولتها في الفيديو هنا لما تشتري كتاب جديد 🤷‍♂️😂
https://youtu.be/0hBwyGb2kV8

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book first ignited my interest in figuring out how people learn. I continue to teach proceeding on the theories outlined in this book; namely, by understanding how people learn, I've become better equipped at what to teach and, perhaps even more importantly, why to teach a particular concept, principle, or idea.

[Damon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better as a skim than a full read. Will be useful to revisit when I want to pull things out. Could get the gist through the conclusion sections and bulletpoints provided.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid overview of learning theories and the state of education. Only deficiency is the dated material.

[Mits · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very acceptable overview of psychology, teaching strategies, and how people learn. Nothing riveting, it leans more toward the theoretical than practical. A good reference text for educators.

[Rory Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A summary of educational good practice at the turn of the millennium.

First published in 1999, this expanded edition was produced in 2000. In eleven chapters it gives a good summary of key ideas relating to education. This is useful, but it is also a bit dated, as it is summarising the situation as it obtained around the year 2000.

But things have moved on since then. For example on p101 we are told that some schools are trying to implement Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences in their classrooms, but there was no information available in the year 2000 to be able to report on how successful it was in this particular book. However, information is now available and it raises questions about the educational benefits of trying to plan a curriculum around Gardner’s ideas. But readers will not be made aware of that fact.

I also wondered whether the title was as clear as it could have been. I expected a book entitled ‘how people learn’ to be covering topics about how the brain works, and cognitive load theory and different approaches to remembering content. But the book wasn’t really about those kinds of issues which would be directly useful to teachers. It was more of a book about the educational system(s) and the kinds of topics which would be of more interest to researchers and administrators.

One positive achievement of the book was its comprehensive coverage of the topics which it did deal with, as well as the copious notes and references which it provided. With around 25% of the book consisting of notes, readers were provided with a rich set of sources in which they could pursue the points raised in the book.

Overall, I think this book is a little too dated to be still directly useful for educators, unless the focus of enquiry is upon historical factors as they were almost a quarter of a century ago.

[James]

This popular trade book, originally released in hardcover in the Spring of 1999, has been newly expanded to show how the theories and insights from the original book can translate into actions and practice, now making a real connection between classroom activities and learning behavior. This paperback edition includes far-reaching suggestions for research that could increase the impact that classroom teaching has on actual learning.Like the original hardcover edition, this book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain that provides answers to a number of compelling questions. When do infants begin to learn? How do experts learn and how is this different from non-experts? What can teachers and schools do-with curricula, classroom settings, and teaching methods--to help children learn most effectively? New evidence from many branches of science has significantly added to our understanding of what it means to know, from the neural processes that occur during learning to the influence of culture on what people see and absorb.How People Learn examines these findings and their implications for what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess what our children learn. The book uses exemplary teaching to illustrate how approaches based on what we now know result in in-depth learning. This new knowledge calls into question concepts and practices firmly entrenched in our current education system.Topics include: How learning actually changes the physical structure of the brain. How existing knowledge affects what people notice and how they learn. What the thought processes of experts tell us about how to teach. The amazing learning potential of infants. The relationship of classroom learning and everyday settings of community and workplace. Learning needs and opportunities for teachers. A realistic look at the role of technology in education.

[Shanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is more of a textbook, I especially enjoyed the effective teaching examples chapter modeling what "nontraditional" teaching methods look like in different subjects and how to apply the principles od how people learn to different environments and goals. Every page had something fascinating to chew on and think about.

Really, people learn best when they are put in a position to puzzle it out. Sometimes that means you need to correct assumptions first, but the person needs to discover on their own (with guidance) an error was made before learning can happen.

But also questioning what is the goal to learning different subjects is a good message too.

And the call to actions in the conclusion chapter are really great for inproving teavhing in general. Has anyone actually written a more accessible book because of this one like he asks?

[Jesús Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estupendo libro que pone al alcance de la mano de un público no especialista los mecanismos que hacen mejor el aprendizaje de los seres humanos

Obra necesaria para maestros, educadores, psicólogos, pedagogos y estudiosos de las ciencias de la educación

[Marko Zanev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. It actually explains how the research has evolved. An old book, but definitely show what we still need to change in our educational system.

[Lisa]

Let's be honest - I did not read this cover to cover. But I'd say I read enough of it to consider it read.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent text on learning theory. Takes a mostly Constructivist view. A bit much for my Ed Psych course, but is well written.

[Crystal]

grad school book

[Adnan Nanang]

i wanted to read this book

[Teresa Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will be using for my master's thesis.

[Karime · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the reviews here stated that this book was a "dry read" but I disagree; this book offered research that backed up most theories on learning at various stages and under several conditions. I loved it because it seemed to me to be so relatable and even though it is kind of an older book, its theories, like those of Dewey, Vygotsky, Foucault, Bakhtin, and Piaget, are still relevant.
If I had to compare, I'd say that a textbook on Research, or Mixed Methods Research by Creswell is a more dry read than this.

[Gerardo B. Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides valuable information on how we learn. I connected the information in this book to my learning and teaching journey, and I now have a better grasp on how to educate my students. The section on technology is dated since this book was published in 2000, but the other chapters are very good.

[Elizabeth Drake]

Every teacher and school administrator should read one of the books in this series. Easy to follow and packed full of important insights based on research. The ideas are not all new anymore, but everything is science-based.

Some of the major points that I took away:

The importance of understanding that students do not arrive in school as blank slates, but, instead, already have ideas about the world and how things work. Teachers need to address the prior knowledge that students bring to the classroom and build off of it. Students can often also bring in incorrect ideas about the world and the concepts of a subject, so it is equally important to figure out what students believe and correct those misinterpretations before you can teach anything that builds on them. "A logical extension of the view that new knowledge must be constructed from existing knowledge is that teachers need to pay attention to the incomplete understandings, the false beliefs, and the naive renditions of concepts that learners bring with them to a given subject. Teachers need to build on these ideas in ways that help each student achieve a more mature understanding. If students' initial ideas and beliefs are ignored, the understandings that develop can be very different from what the teacher intends."

The authors discuss the difference between experts and novices; it turns out experts have memorized and can see patters much easier. They see the deep structure of a question, where as novices get stuck at the surface structure. "Research shows that it is not simply general abilities such as memory or intelligence, nor the use of general strategies that differentiate experts from novices. Instead, experts have acquired extensive knowledge that affects what they notice and how they organize, represent, and interpret information in their environment" (31).

Learning and transfer: The researchers make recommendations for a curriculum that covers the core topics or principles of a subject in great depth, rather than a superficial covering of a lot of material. "Attempts to cover too many topics too quickly may hinder learning and subsequent transfer because students a) learn only isolated sets of facts that are not organized and connected or b) are introduced to organizing principles that they cannot grasp because they lack enough specific knowledge to make them meaningful" (58). Subjects need to be taught in multiple contexts and the teaching must include examples that demonstrate wide application of what is being taught. Knowledge must be abstracted so that it becomes fluid and can be applied to many situations. Students must develop metacognitive skills. They should become aware of themselves as learners and be taught how to actively monitor their learning strategies and access what they know and have yet to master.

[Ammar Elmerhbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How People Learn is a fascinating book on the application of cognitive Science findings in practical teaching and learning. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or a novice, you need to read this book. Some teachers might find some terminologies hard to interpret, but it is worth the time and effort. Teachers need to reflect on their current Teaching practice whilst reading the book to maximize the benefit. The book however might have fallen short in interpreting new Theories of learning, but since it's a book on cognition and metacognition, this is expected. The book needs to be updated to incorporate new findings on cognite science and its application to teaching and learning.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a number of months ago my friend, Elaine Logan, recommended this book on Facebook. Even though I was intrigued by the content, it took be another number of months to buy it. Then after buying it, I still took a number of months to read it. I'm so glad I finally read it! It is an excellent book that every educator should read. It will have an impact on what we do at Esperanza.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contained a lot of stuff that I'd already picked up from other pedagogy reading. Very theoretical. Some of the most memorable parts were about the differences in how parents from different American subcultures interact with their kids and how that leads to some kids being perceived as dumb or unintelligent in school because they don't respond to questions in a particular way.

[Victor Delclos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is classic. Even after 15 years it still captures the essence of the thinking that drives much of progressive educational thought today. Research-based, very well written, and very accessible. Anyone who wants a clear perspective on what we would be doing in education should read this.

[Mark]

This really is the bible for teachers. It says very bad things about the graduate program in education I attended (it was part of the New York City Teaching Fellowship's alternative teaching certification route) that it never exposed me to this book.

[Jeremy]

a good dose of neuroscience and cognitive psychology. its implications for teaching are valuable.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are reading this at school for CTE discussions. Chapter two compares experts and beginners learning processes. It has been on my to-read list for a long time ... wish i had picked it up earlier.

[Kenneth · Rating 2 out of 5]

written by a research committee....