The Weekly Dispatch #4
Weekly round-up of science of learning news, research and media
News
The UK government DfE’s interim report on curriculum and assessment recommends streamlining GCSEs, updating digital and practical skills, and making the curriculum more inclusive.
School cellphone ban may be tough medicine for kids, but it worked "Students, Mosley said, are more engaged. They are more tuned in. You can see it in their academics. Less time off task, less behavior issues inside the classrooms. Teachers are able to teach more.”
There’s a Good Chance Your Kid Uses AI to Cheat WSJ article pointing out something that every teacher has known since chatGPT emerged.
How a Scientific Consensus Collapsed: The curious case of social psychology. “social psychology appears to be a field in crisis. Classic studies won’t replicate. Academic superstars keep being accused of research fraud. Things have gotten bad enough that some have begun asking whether psychology is a science at all"
In a recent article, The Skeptic critically examines despicable claims from "The Telepathy Tapes" podcast, which suggests that non-verbal autistic children possess supernatural abilities, such as telepathy and interacting with metaphysical realms. The article argues that these assertions lack scientific support and may misrepresent the experiences of autistic individuals.
Five years since COVID, Louisiana's readers are thriving. This is their secret. In 2021, Louisiana mandated K-3 educators to train in the science of reading, emphasizing phonics and evidence-based methods. This initiative led to significant improvements in reading proficiency, elevating the state's national ranking from 50th to 16th. The brilliant
has written a really good post about what’s happening on the south:
Research roundup
Is the idea of a “digital divide” causing inequality even a thing? Study finds that when high-performing students got broadband in their homes, they learned more. When low-performing students got broadband in their homes, they learned less.
Study finds that preschool children show six distinct learning profiles combining math and non-math skills. These profiles can predict later maths achievement, offering a pathway for more targeted early teaching.
Second-generation immigrant students suffer the most academically from discrimination—not first-generation or non-immigrants. link
Study finds that supportive parenting enhances early cognitive and language development in children facing mild social disadvantages, but is less effective under severe deprivation.
What to listen to this week:
Adam Boxer and Amy Forrester talk to Alex Quigley exploring evidence-based practice: what it really means, where it's helped, where it hasn’t, and how we can improve the way research is communicated and used in schools.
Fascinating episode of Fröjd’s toolbox which brings two leading voices on working memory and learning: Professor Alan Baddeley, pioneer of working memory research; and Professor Daniel Willingham, expert in translating cognitive science for education. They are joined by teacher/practitioner Kate Jones, who works on translating research to practice. A rare and insightful roundtable for any teacher or school leader interested in how memory shapes learning.
Classic quote:
“feedback should be more work for the recipient than the donor” If the teacher is working harder than the students then something's not right. Passage from 'Embedding Formative Assessment' by
Also check out this Alexandria school board meeting where board member Laura Knudsen asks for details on the Building Thinking Classrooms programme. One parent said BTC "not very productive for their kid..either they get bulldozed & can't participate b/c [math whiz takes over] or the math whiz feels they have to do all the work b/c other kids don't know what to do"
Upcoming talks
Free webinar on Responsive Teaching for Think Forward. Register here
Keynote at the Learning and the Brain conference in New York The Science of Learning Sheraton NY Times Square Hotel April 25-27, 2025 ‘How Learning Happens: What Educators Need to Know.’
Lastly check out our online science of learning course. There’s no silver bullet in teaching. But there are powerful, proven strategies every teacher should know.
Start here ➡️ https://htalh.com/
Big fan of the research roundup section!