- Title: An astonishing regularity in student learning rate
- Authors: Kenneth R Koedinger, Paulo F Carvalho, Ran Liu, Elizabeth A McLaughlin
- Access the original paper here
- Listen to a deep-dive podcast:
Paper summary
This research article analyzes 1.3 million student performance observations across 27 datasets to investigate student learning rates. The study surprisingly reveals that while initial student performance varies significantly, learning rates remain remarkably consistent across students when using interactive learning technologies. This finding challenges existing learning theories and suggests that achievement gaps may stem primarily from differences in learning opportunities rather than inherent learning abilities. The researchers employed a novel modeling approach combining cognitive and statistical growth models to reach their conclusions, and propose new hypotheses to explain their findings. The study has significant implications for educational equity and the development of more effective learning technologies.
What are the key implications for teachers in the classroom?
The findings discussed in the source article have a few key implications for teachers in the classroom:
- All students are capable of learning, regardless of their initial skill level. Although students may exhibit significant variation in initial knowledge, research has shown that student learning rates are surprisingly similar when students are given favorable learning conditions.
- Teachers should strive to create “favorable conditions” that encourage “deliberate practice.” Favorable learning conditions can be created through the use of well-designed educational technologies that incorporate key features of deliberate practice. The authors define deliberate practice as interactive practice with features like tailored task design, sufficient repetition, feedback, and embedded instruction. These technologies should be used to supplement traditional methods of teaching like lectures and reading assignments.
- Teachers should not misinterpret varying levels of initial student knowledge as an indication of differing levels of student learning ability. Instead, they should recognize that some students may have had more opportunities to develop domain-specific knowledge or may have developed different mental models for problem-solving. Teachers should focus on addressing gaps in prior knowledge through explicit instruction and providing students with ample opportunities for deliberate practice.
- Teachers should be aware that learning rate variation is more pronounced in certain subjects, such as language learning. This suggests that teachers may need to tailor their instructional approaches to account for these differences. For example, since language acquisition depends heavily on rote memorization, teachers may need to provide additional support for students who struggle with this type of learning.
By understanding these implications, teachers can create more equitable and effective learning environments that help all students succeed.
Quote
Students do not show substantial differences in their rate of learning. These results provide a challenge for learning theory to explain this striking similarity in student learning rate. They also suggest that educational achievement gaps come from differences in learning opportunities and that better access to such opportunities can help close those gaps.
