The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice

What do we know about how people learn? How do young people’s motivations and emotions influence their learning? What does research show to be the benefits of group work, formative assessments, technology applications, or project-based learning and when are they most effective? How is learning affected by family background? These are among the questions addressed for the OECD by leading researchers from North America and Europe. This book brings together the lessons of research on both the nature of learning and different educational applications, and it summarises these as seven key concluding principles.


Table of contents:
Executive summary
Why such interest in learning?
The coverage of The Nature of Learning
Transversal conclusions on learning
A demanding educational agenda
Chapter 1. Analysing and designing learning environments for the 21st century — Hanna Dumont and David Istance
Chapter 2. Historical developments in the understanding of learning — Erik de Corte
Chapter 3. The cognitive perspective on learning: ten cornerstone findings — Michael Schneider and Elsbeth Stern
Chapter 4. The crucial role of motivation and emotion in classroom learning — Monique Boekaerts
Chapter 5. Learning from the developmental and biological perspective — Christina Hinton and Kurt W. Fischer
Chapter 6. The role of formative assessment in effective learning environments — Dylan Wiliam
Chapter 7. Co-operative learning: what makes group-work work? — Robert E. Slavin
Chapter 8. Learning with technology — Richard E. Mayer
Chapter 9. Prospects and challenges for inquiry-based approaches to learning — Brigid Barron and Linda Darling-Hammond
Chapter 10. The community as a resource for learning: an analysis of academic service-learning in primary and secondary education — Andrew Furco
Chapter 11. The effects of family on children’s learning and socialisation — Barbara Schneider, Venessa Keesler and Larissa Morlock
Chapter 12. Implementing innovation: from visionary models to everyday practice — Lauren B. Resnick, James P. Spillane, Pam Goldman and Elizabeth S. Rangel
Chapter 13. Future directions for learning environments in the 21st century - David Istance and Hanna Dumont
References