Learning is changing... are your students keeping up?
The science of learning
The psychology of lasting behaviour change
For exam grades like you’ve never seen before
I think your students are AMAZING
But boy, are they making life hard for themselves…
You might have been nagging them about what they SHOULD do…
… but getting them to actually do it?
That’s a whole other matter.
The science of effective learning is becoming well-established: many schools now teach students to use techniques like retrieval practice and spaced learning in their exam revision.
And we know how impressive the results can be: decades of cognitive psychology in the lab and the field routinely show attainment boosts of a whole grade boundary.
But are students actually using it?
The surprising truth from my 30,000-student survey
(The largest of its kind in research history)
In partnership with the world-renowned academics at the Washington University Memory Lab, I set out to discover just how many students are actually USING the science of effective learning.
Data is pre-publication and under analysis, but some headline observations immediately struck us…
Some 97.5% of students are missing out on major learning science strategies: for example, spending too much time re-reading or making notes rather than practising retrieval.
And the schools involved in the research included some of the most learning-science aware schools in the UK.
So how do we get new independent learning habits to stick?
“William captured the interest of all staff. He explained, in simple terms, how the brain works with regards to memory and then gave some exceptional examples to provide evidence for his points. He gave staff a number of practical ideas to take away and I am in no doubt the staff will share his thoughts with their students. He was an excellent presenter and I would highly recommend him.”
“Thank you William for such an interesting and informative talk on “educating the teenage brain” – we really enjoyed learning the science behind the different ways to help our children study better and the practical tips you gave us to use at revision time. We’re looking forward to having you back for another seminar soon!”
Meet the learning science evangelist:
William Wadsworth
I help students find an easier path to exam success, by translating brain-science into highly practical strategies (that really work), and adding a healthy dose of sympathy and understanding:
- I know the science: I’m a Cambridge University trained psychologist, and active learning science researcher.
- I know what it takes to succeed: I got top 0.01% UK exam results at school with 10A*s at GCSE and 6 As at A-level, and went on to graduate from Cambridge in the top 10% with a First Class degree.
- I specialise in embedding lasting change: I know it can be tough. My approach has been refined and battle-tested for nearly 15 years, through helping generations of students ace their exams.
Between this blog and the Exam Study Expert podcast, I have the honour of guiding nearly half a million students to exam success, every year.
Meet the learning science evangelist:
William Wadsworth
I help students find an easier path to exam success, by translating brain-science into highly practical strategies (that really work), and adding a healthy dose of sympathy and understanding:
- I know the science: I’m a Cambridge University trained psychologist, and active learning science researcher.
- I know what it takes to succeed: I got top 0.01% UK exam results at school with 10A*s at GCSE and 6 As at A-level, and went on to graduate from Cambridge in the top 10% with a First Class degree.
- I specialise in embedding lasting change: I know it can be tough. My approach has been refined and battle-tested for nearly 15 years, through helping generations of students ace their exams.
Between this blog and the Exam Study Expert podcast, I have the honour of guiding nearly half a million students to exam success, every year.
My Twitter feed is dedicated to helping teachers understand & apply the science of learning
Bring the science of success to your school or university
Student revision workshops that are more than just a jazzy presentation, they create lasting change
CPD / keynotes for teaching staff that get them thinking about the science and how to apply it, like never before
1:1 coaching for Teaching & Learning leaders: empowering you to lead your school to their best-ever exam results
“William taught me how to study effectively… this has been highly beneficial for my degree grade!“
“I felt a big difference immediately – I can now remember information much more easily.”
“That was cool.
I really like him – I learned loads.”
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