Most weekends, I repair to a local coffee shop to read, write and research. Among the throng of people there are usually two or three students, grappling with the same subject for two or three hours. There’s a common misperception that revising like that will somehow force the knowledge into your brain. Unfortunately, it tends not to work like that.

Understanding how we learn: a visual guide should be recommended to every student, and for that matter their teachers. It draws on scientific research in psychology to explain what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to learning and recall.

It covers several topics, including types of evidence in education, perception, memory, and strategies for effective learning. I especially like the fact there are chapters called Tips for Students, Tips for Teachers and Tips for Parents, at the end of the book.

As you would expect from the subtitle, the book has numerous illustrations. IT’s very well-structured as well: each chapter is introduced with a one page summary in the form of pictures with a brief description, while each chapter ends with a summary and a list of references for further reading.

Despite being an academic book, it’s not only highly readable, but useful too!

Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide, by Yana Weinstein and Megan Sumeracki with Oliver Caviglioli. (Amazon affiliate link)

This book has recently been offered as a prize in a draw for subscribers of my ezine, Digital Education. For information, and to subscribe, please click on the graphic below.