Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching Module Summary

Conclusion & References

Congratulations! You have completed this online module on Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching!  

You should now be able to: 

• Identify four research-based principles about how students learn 
• Describe possible strategies for implementing these principles 

This module covered: 

• Research-based principles about how students learn  
• Possible strategies for implementing these principles 

The four research-based principles reviewed include: 

• Students’ prior knowledge can help or hinder learning 
• How students organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they learn 
• Students’ motivation determines, directs, and sustains what they do to learn 
• Goal-directed practice, combined with targeted feedback, enhances the quality of students’ learning 

Because these principles are interconnected, you can design strategies that simultaneously address how students build knowledge, stay motivated, and develop their own learning strategies, leading to more robust and effective learning experiences. 

You can find more information about these and other research-based principles in Lovett et al. (2023)’s book How Learning Works.