Principles for Effective Teaching: Insights from Dr. Susan Ambrose

📚 Dr. Susan Ambrose conducted research on learning and teaching.

💡 She discovered seven principles of learning that have a significant impact on student success.

🌎 These principles are widely applicable across different educational levels and have been used by educators worldwide.

📚 Learning is a process that leads to change and increased potential for improved performance and future learning.

🧠 Learning happens in the minds of the learners, and creating conditions for engagement is crucial for effective learning.

🔑 Prior knowledge is the lens through which learners process new information and must be accurate, appropriate, sufficient, and activated.

📚 Students often come into classrooms with inaccurate or inappropriate knowledge that needs to be recognized and addressed.

💡 Insufficient knowledge is when students have some accurate information but it is not enough to fully understand and apply it.

💤 Inactive knowledge is when students have accurate knowledge stored in their long-term memory but do not activate or use it.

🧠 Understanding students' prior knowledge and addressing any gaps is crucial for effective teaching.

🌍 Experts have organized knowledge structures that allow them to connect new information and use it fluently and flexibly.

📚 Organizing knowledge in a meaningful and integrated way helps students retain and apply information in authentic contexts.

💡 Many girls avoid science and engineering due to a belief that they can't do math.

🔑 Motivation is influenced by students' beliefs and perceptions, and early successes can build confidence and lead to engagement in learning.

📚 Students must understand the importance of practice, targeted feedback, and mastery in order to succeed in their courses.

💡 Teaching often overlooks the steps and sub-steps involved in a subject, making it difficult for students to grasp.

🧠 Novices and experts have different levels of consciousness and competence in a subject.

🎓 Creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment is crucial for student success.

📚 Students have diverse backgrounds and responsibilities outside of the classroom that can impact their learning.

💡 Students need to become self-directed learners to succeed in the workplace.

🎓 It is important to design educational activities that help students learn self-directed learning skills early on.