How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching

by Marsha C. Lovett, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro

Apply these eight learning principles for more effective teaching As educators in the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, we are continuously challenged to keep our courses effective, engaging, relevant, and inclusive. The updated and expanded second edition of How Learning Works can help! It incorporates the latest research, provides a wider range of strategies, and adds a new principle to your toolkit. Readers will find eight essential learning principles that distill the overwhelming research literature With these practical, broadly applicable insights, you Based on research from cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, education, anthropology, and more―this book makes learning work …for you and your students.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Communication, Academic, Teaching

336 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock full of information - a very helpful resource. Definitely more academic writing (i.e., a little dry), but that's to be expected.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book, has already helped and will help my teaching. I had been interested in this book and waited for this most recent edition to be released since they added a new principle for learning. Turns out it was just a discussion on valuing individual identities, which is useful, but it felt more like something to make the book more in line with modern universities' DEI initiatives than something with groundbreaking new research.

I found the discussions on how to organize knowledge, how encourage mastery through component pieces of knowledge, and how to best provide feedback to be the most useful. I'd recommend it for any teacher.

[Matt Quintana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book, insightful and engaging all the way through. The eight principles expounded by the authors are well-informed by extensive research, and both explained and applied in ways that are accessible and creative. It appears that the second edition has been revised to feature a much more heavy emphasis on diversity, inclusion, etc.—no doubt a sign of the times and current emphases of higher education. Nevertheless, the work remains useful and applicable to a wide range of fields, and those involved in teaching at any level would do well to read and glean from this book.

[202 unknown · Rating 4 out of 5]

đã đọc 1/4 đầu tiên và sách vẫn đang xoay quanh những câu chuyện về văn hóa hay là kiểu, bạn phải hiểu học viên của mình là ai, background như thế nào, nền tảng/xuất thân khác nhau thì suy nghĩ cư xử cũng khác luôn

đọc một hồi hơi lú không nhập gì lắm vào người ngoài việc vẫn thấy phảng phất nói về xuất thân học viên

1/4 cuối có đề cập về siêu nhận thức thì cũng được - ta cần nhận thức việc học của mình có ổn không và cải thiện nó hoặc là cứ theo quán tính làm theo những thói quen học tập đã cũ không còn hiệu quả cho hiện tại thì ngáp

[Jeff Przybylo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher, I wish someone had given me this book 25 years ago. Most of the things in here I’ve stumbled upon or learned at conferences. This is an excellent overall review of teaching strategy. I think it’s a must read for any teacher. Veteran teachers should give it as a gift to young teachers. It’s pretty thick with information. It should be read and then used as a reference. Go back to whatever year and set some goals.

[Isabeau Iqbal]

I read the first edition and loved that book - as an educator, I learned a lot. The book was well written and organized.

I read parts of the 2nd edition and it has the same strengths as the 1st edition: addresses key topics, well structured, brings in relevant research.

The font in this book is tiny and I found that a deterrent to reading.

[Matt Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful reference for intervention teaching strategies to use when something breaks down between teachers and students in a traditional classroom. A good starting point for planning initial responses, though necessarily broad.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved working through this book with my doc students and looking forward to applying the principles in clinical education in SLP.

[J.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent practical advise for college instructors.

[Wami · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4/27/2025] I had to pick up this book again after successfully landing a 1-year visiting faculty job. The tools in this book feel more relatable now that I am actually teaching classes as a lead instructor. I have now landed a tenure-track role at a teaching focused institution, so I am sure that I will be revisiting this book many times to help me on my journey to continually become a better professor.


[1/6/2024] I received this book as a gift for attending the NextProf Nexus workshop at Georgia Tech in 2023 from one of the authors. Little did I know at the time that I would be applying for faculty positions just a few weeks later (I thought that I would be applying the following year)!

In addition to traditional tenure-track positions at R1 institutions, I also applied for tenure-track positions at liberal arts colleges as well as teaching positions at R1 institutions. I was lucky enough to make it quite far for a position at a liberal arts college, and it dawned on that I needed to create a teaching talk that showcased my teaching skills. I then remembered that I had this book, so I read it! The advice/strategies in this book are well-researched and articulated. The authors do a great job making this book a practical guide on how to improve one's teaching. I will be giving my teaching talk in 24 days and feel better equipped to make a killer talk thanks to reading this book!

5 stars out of 5!