Getting to Grips with Cognitive Science and Education
Jonathan Firth's Memory & Metacognition Updates #123
Hi all :)
This is rather a short update, as I have been rather occupied with some family matters, but I wanted to let you know about a couple of upcoming events that I have organised. One is a professional learning session for teachers and other educators, running on Wednesday 19 November 2025, titled:
Getting to grips with cognitive science and education
This is in person in Glasgow, and as it’s run via my university, there is a small fee. If you’re interested despite those barriers, you can find out all about it and sign up via the link below:
Strathclyde Institute of Education: Career-long Professional Learning
Here’s a brief blurb:
This session will provide a beginner-friendly primer on cognitive science as it applies to education. It will then move on to clear and actionable strategies for translating the most robust research findings into classroom-ready techniques, along with guidance on how to keep appraised of new research evidence while remaining critical. Finally, we will focus on four of the most widely-recommended and easy to apply evidence-based strategies: retrieval practice, spaced practice, dual coding and interleaving.
If you scroll down on the same link, you can see that I’ll be running other sessions in January-March (on assessment/feedback, questioning, and study skills). Many of my departmental colleagues also run sessions on a range of topics.
It would be amazing to have some of you come along to any of the sessions! Please do reach out if you are planning to come along, or if you have any difficulties registering.
Ease versus difficulties
Also in November – a free event! I’ll be running an academic seminar on the following theme: when should education be easy, and when is difficulty desirable?
The seminar will feature several speakers all looking to contribute to our understanding of where learning benefits from simplification, and where difficulty is the preferable course. Again, a bit of the blurb:
Example questions include the level of challenge in the curriculum; pedagogical choices over scaffolding and/or differentiation; resistance or discomfort inherent in transformational learning; issues around the use of technology in simplifying or easing educational processes. Many other issues could also be considered via the lens of ease/support versus difficulty/challenge.
I am anticipating a wide range of theoretical perspectives to be shared – all educational, but not necessarily drawing on cognitive science.
More details here:
Educational ease and desirable difficulties (Thursday 6th Nov, 2025)
If you want to come along as a delegate and enjoy a bit of intellectual stimulation, you’d be most welcome (no charge for the seminar, and refreshments are provided, though spaces are limited). Sign up here:
Ease vs. Difficulties (Eventbrite link)
Blog post
I’ll be back with a more substantial topic next time, but in the meantime, perhaps I can share this blog on learning vs. performance that was posted on the BERA site – I’ve included it in an update before, but that was way back in update #7, so it’s been a while!
Have a great week,
Jonathan
Last time: Retrieval Practice and Generative Learning: Classroom Implications
Please note that my slides and similar materials are shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This means you can use or adapt them with attribution for non-commercial purposes. If you wish to use my materials for other purposes, feel free to get in touch.