'Aha' moments don't add up to learning

If we could make learning as addictive as TikTok, would that be a good thing? EdSurge's Mi Aniefuna is doubtful that scrolling 30-second lessons, each ending with an "aha" moment and a new fact, will lead to real learning.

"The algorithm could learn what students enjoy and what they are struggling with, then feed them culturally relevant examples with humor and well-timed reveals," he writes. Students would enjoy all those dopamine hits.

But "learning requires effortful processing, retrieval, and opportunities to apply ideas in new situations," he writes. It's no good keeping kids eyes glued to the screen if they're not thinking.

Engagement has become the "holy Grail" of education, writes Rebecca A. Huggins, a literacy leader and instructional designer, in Education Week. "We gamify lessons, add technology, and design ever more creative activities, all in the name of engagement."

Administrators often "mistake activity for learning." They hope to see "students who are up, out of their desks, talking, collaborating, or working in small groups, with minimal teacher direction." They're engaged! But are they learning?

Maybe, maybe not, writes Huggins. "Durable learning" requires "mental effort, challenge, and persistence." Students may look busy, but not be cognitively engaged. Sometimes all the activity makes it hard for them to think.

"Many educators assume that giving students more control over their learning will automatically boost both engagement and achievement," she writes. "However, cognitive load theorists have found that students lacking sufficient background knowledge often struggle in minimally guided settings."

Teachers spend a lot of energy trying to make lessons “fun” or relevant, she writes. Yet, "students are motivated the most when they feel competent and autonomous."

"Instead of relying on quick fixes or elaborate engagement tactics," she writes, teachers should "double down "on what works: explicit modeling, deliberate practice, and timely, targeted feedback.

She has a book coming out on Teaching for Cognitive Engagement.