Category: Uncategorized

SmarterHumans.ai

Posted on September 1, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday! (Emailing four million people at once is a bit like boarding a jumbo jet: not everyone gets on at the same time, so your Friday might arrive on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday….)

I’ve been working on something I’m especially excited about: SmarterHumans.ai. It’s a new platform designed around a deceptively simple goal — helping us actually remember what we learn.

Here’s the experience. You’re watching a Coursera lecture, reading a paper, or going through notes. With one click, SmarterHumans creates flashcards automatically — not just generic Q&A, but flashcards that are deep-linked back to the exact spot where you first saw the idea. When you review later, you’re not just testing recall; you can instantly revisit the original context in the video, PDF, or webpage. Add in a spaced-repetition algorithm that adapts to how well you know each concept, and you’ve got a memory system that fits seamlessly with the way real courses (like those on Coursera) are structured.

I’ve been using it with Coursera lectures as well as the deluge of new papers and books about genAI and breakthoughs in neuroscience. The difference is striking. Instead of scribbling notes I’ll never look at again, I end up with a living system: a set of flashcards that bring me back to the lecture itself. A concept that would have floated away after a week stays in play, resurfacing just when I’m about to forget it.

Why is this such a big deal? Because in today’s world, forgetting isn’t just a personal nuisance — it’s a societal issue. In our recent Memory Paradox paper, we traced how “outsourcing” memory (first to calculators, then to Google, now to AI) has contributed to something researchers are now measuring: IQ scores in developed countries have begun to decline. The more we rely on external aids, the less we engage the brain’s natural systems for building strong internal frameworks — what neuroscientists call schemata. Without those frameworks, our thinking becomes shallower, our creativity less flexible.

The paradox is this: forgetting is natural, even adaptive. But if we don’t practice remembering, we lose the very scaffolding that supports reasoning and problem-solving. That’s why retrieval practice matters so much. Every successful recall isn’t just a “got it right” moment; it’s a literal strengthening of the neural circuits that carry knowledge.

SmarterHumans is designed to make that process effortless. No juggling between note apps, flashcard apps, and course materials. No guessing when to review. Just a smooth loop of learning, review, and reinforcement — with your own materials at the center.

It doesn’t replace good old engagement, reflection, or practice. But it restores something modern education and technology have often left out: a way to keep what you learn.

And since September always has that back-to-school feel, here’s a little thank-you just for Cheery Friday readers: use the code CheeryFriday20 for 20% off at SmarterHumans.ai. It’s valid through the end of September—think of it as a nudge to make this your season for learning that really sticks.

Barb

P.S. The neuroscience is clear: retrieval practice isn’t about rote drill — it’s about building the circuits that make knowledge available for insight and creativity. SmarterHumans makes it easier to get those “memory reps” in, so ideas stick and stay alive long after the course ends.

Reforming Lessons

Posted on August 12, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Book of the Year: Reforming Lessons

If you want a powerful, uplifting read about how to turn a struggling education system around — despite the drag of “well-meaning” but harmful inertia — pick up Nick Gibb and Robert Peal’s Reforming Lessons: Why English Schools Have Improved Since 2010 and How This Was Achieved.. Fifteen years ago, England’s schools were in a sorry state. Students were underperforming badly compared with their peers in Singapore and Shanghai, and the air was thick with excuses. The idea of lifting an entire country’s educational performance felt like wishful thinking. But during his ten years as Schools Minister, Nick Gibb — along with like-minded colleagues — did something remarkable: they pushed England sharply upward in international measures like PIRLS and PISA.

The transformation didn’t come from catchy slogans or another layer of bureaucratic “innovation.” It came from visiting classrooms, listening to teachers, and then looking squarely at what the best research showed. The verdict was blunt: teachers were being trained to use progressive teaching methods that sound compassionate but in practice make it harder for students to learn. The reforms loosened schools from state “guidance” that pushed those ineffective approaches and opened pathways for teacher training outside the narrow confines of university faculties steeped in the same ideology. Freed from the dogma mills, schools embraced evidence-based methods—and the gains in reading and mathematics have been striking.

Reforming Lessons isn’t just a policy manual; it’s an encouraging, clear-eyed account of how real reform can be done—intelligently, at scale, and with lasting results. It’s a reminder that standing up to entrenched but misguided orthodoxy is worth the effort, and that when educators are trusted to use methods that actually work, students thrive. England’s turnaround shows what’s possible. 

When Intuition Meets Neuroscience

Greetings from Lhasa—the “Place of the Gods” at the top of the world in the Himalayas. Over the past few months, I’ve been sharing Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Minds: Learning in the Age of AI with dozens of audiences in India, China, the Middle East, and elsewhere. This keynote digs into (in memorable ways!) the neuroscience research showing how our brains use two complementary memory systems—the declarative system for conscious knowledge and the procedural system for automatic skills—and why internal knowledge is still essential, even in the digital age. We also explore how to integrate generative AI in ways that support, rather than erode, those brain systems.

In the face-to-face conversations afterward, I saw people leaning in, smiling, and saying some version of “I knew it.” In the post-event surveys, that same sentiment came through in writing—often short, emphatic, and full of relief.

For years, many had been told to minimize memorization, lean heavily on discovery learning, and avoid too much explicit instruction. It was framed as the enlightened path to higher-order thinking. But as one teacher wrote, “Many times over the years, I have been presented questionable strategies that are magic bullets that people have invented to improve learning… The value for me is validation that a teacher should provide vocabulary, ideas, concepts, and strategies… to establish memorable connections to learning.”

Another said simply: “Validation of my teaching methods.” A third described the talk as “Reinforcing the key aspects of good teaching,” while another called it a “Great reaffirmation.”

For some, the relief was deeply personal: “Direct instruction is effective. This really strengthens my belief with the hard evidence. It really boost up confidence to push what I belief because it is not just a feeling anymore.”

The same throughline appeared whether the audience was in New Delhi, Shanghai, or Dhahran: “It makes a difference in our mindset,” “I think it really changed my mindset about direct instruction,” and “It was valuable… priceless in this day and age of so much distracting information regarding pedagogy.” “Great conference but this was worth the 15 hour flight alone.”

It wasn’t just about validation—it was about gaining the language and evidence to push back. One participant called it “The strong critique on constructivism, it challenges personal deeply held paradigms. I appreciated this very much.” Another appreciated “Providing me with more resources and language to refine my own educational philosophy.”  Of course, discovering during the presentation that only 0.13% of all educational literature is replicated shows exactly why so many educational fads have left nothing but confusion in their wake.

When people see, at the neural level, why foundational knowledge fuels creativity, and how over-reliance on external aids—including AI—can weaken the brain systems that build expertise, the penny drops. Or as one attendee summed it up: “Great teaching itself which shows the highest value ever in breaking through the myth of active learning!”

Active learning does, of course, have its place.  But by understanding the underlying neuroscience—which is not-at-all difficult when explained properly—educators can understand what that place actually is.

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

A Mind for Numbers—Back to School Sale

Posted on August 7, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Back to School Deal: A Steal for the Science- and Math-Shy!

Heads up! A Mind for Numbers—my classic guide to learning math and science more effectively (even if you’ve sworn those subjects hate you)—is on Kindle sale this weekend only for just $1.99. That’s less than the price of a gas station coffee. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or someone who once broke out in hives at the mention of calculus, this book gives you the tools to tackle tough material with confidence (and maybe even enjoy it a little). The deal runs Saturday, August 9 on Amazon Kindle. Grab it while the algorithm gods are smiling!

10 Cognitive Scientists Walk into a Classroom…

Ever wish you could gather ten of the world’s most delightful cognitive scientists around a campfire and say, “Okay, tell me exactly what you do that actually works in your classroom”? That’s pretty much what Pooja K. Agarwal has pulled off with Smart Teaching Stronger Learning. From retrieval practice to spaced learning to clearing out those persistent neuromyths, every chapter is like a pocket-sized gift of wisdom from teachers who also happen to be researchers. And the best part? It’s research that’s been tested in the beautiful chaos of real classrooms — not just in sterile labs. It’s short, practical, and wonderfully human. This is a book I’ll be revisiting often — and one I wish I’d had in hand years ago. Bravo, Pooja!

Why AI Might Finally Be Ready to Help Teachers—And How You Can See It in Action

We all know that grading student writing can be one of the most time-consuming (and headache-inducing!) parts of teaching. But what if there were a way to blend human insight with AI to make that process not only faster, but also more fair and consistent?

That’s exactly what Daisy Christodoulou and the team at No More Marking are doing. Their approach is rooted in comparative judgement—a powerful, research-backed method where assessors (human or AI!) decide which of two pieces of writing is better. It turns out, both humans and AI are far more reliable when comparing than when assigning an absolute grade—and this insight is now being used to assess thousands of student essays with astonishing accuracy.

Even better? Teachers remain at the center of the process, guiding and validating the AI while reclaiming valuable time and reducing burnout.

If you’re curious about how this actually works—and how it might help you or your school—Daisy’s free upcoming webinar is the perfect place to start:

Assessing America’s Writing: Comparative Judgement + AI
 📅 Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)
 🔗 Register here

This is one of the most exciting—and grounded—developments in AI and education I’ve seen. Don’t miss it!

Brains, Games, and the Windy Paths of Learning

I recently had a delightful chat with Australian podcast host Tyson Popplestone, whose warmth and curiosity made our meandering conversation one of my favorites. We covered everything from how brains get a little “rut-prone” with age, to why shoot-’em-up video games might actually be better for your cognition than crossword puzzles (really!). We also dipped a toe into deeper waters—such as a potential solution for the riskiness of saying certain things out loud, even in academic circles. Even businesses are suffering, in that no one wants to say things that need to be said, because that would take people out of their comfortable “safe” zone.  That got me reflecting on something new I’ve been quietly working on. Much more on that… soon. 😉

The Dirty Secret of ‘Conceptual Understanding’

One of my engineering students once marched up to me, waving the test he’d just flunked, and exclaimed: “How could I have flunked this test? I understood it when you said it in class!” What he didn’t realize—what so many well-meaning educators don’t seem to realize either—is that understanding something in the moment isn’t the same as being able to recall and use it later. If you can’t remember what you’ve learned, you really haven’t learned it.

Barry Garelick captured this perfectly in a recent piece shared on Rick Hess’s blog, where Barry takes aim at so-called “high-quality instructional materials” that prize “conceptual window-dressing” over procedural mastery. Students are drowning in smorgasbords of strategies before they’ve even learned anything straightforward. What was once the main course—the good old standard algorithm—has been demoted to a confusing side dish. Garelick’s point: when we delay fluency in the name of “exploration,” we’re not unlocking deeper understanding—we’re just failing to lock in anything at all.

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

Making Math Click!

Posted on July 31, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

📣 Our New Course, “Making Math Click” Is Live!

This is the big day: our new MOOC, Making Math Click: Understand Math without Fear, has officially launched! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this course—it’s a labor of love that combines the best of what neuroscience, education, and storytelling can offer.

Created with the brilliant Canadian mathematician John Mighton (yes, the same John Mighton behind JUMP Math!), Making Math Click is for anyone who’s ever struggled with math, taught someone who has, or simply wants to understand numbers in a deeper, more meaningful way.

But this isn’t your average math course. It’s a beautifully designed journey, filled with surprising insights, rich visuals (thank you, generative AI!), and gentle, step-by-step teaching that works with your brain—not against it. From why students freeze at fractions to how confidence grows through structured inquiry, we explore the science—and the soul—of math learning.

Expect stories that stick with you, strategies you’ll want to share, and moments that just might make you say, “Wait… why didn’t anyone teach it this way before?”

If you’ve ever seen a student’s eyes glaze over at the word “fractions”—or if you’ve whispered, “I’m just not a math person”—this course is for you. And if you’re a professional mathematician? You might just see your discipline with fresh eyes. It’s heartfelt, evidence-based, and yes—even fun. We’re here to help those lightbulb moments click—and maybe, just maybe, help you fall a little in love with math.

Teacher’s Book Club Poses the BEST Questions!

On my final full day in New Zealand, I had the privilege to speak with Hagley College Book Club, led by the redoubtable Rowan Milburn.  The book club was reading Uncommon Sense Teaching, and their questions were deep and perceptive.  One particularly thoughtful question caused me to draw back.  “If only the tiniest fraction of research studies are ever checked by anyone else, how can we as teachers avoid fads and the equivalent of cults in teaching?” 

At first, I thought to say, “Just make sure whoever you’re listening to is using evidence-based approaches.”

But then I caught myself. Many educationalists who promote poorly founded fads are very good at appearing evidence-based. They’ll cite plenty of research—but when you look more closely, the studies they cite often don’t support their claims. In fact, sometimes the “supportive” research they cite says the exact opposite.  And some of these deeply misleading pseudo-researcher-educationalists are from leading universities—universities that find it easiest to continually sweep complaints under the rug.  So what’s a teacher to do?

Be wary of educationalists who offer emotional, ego-boosting fixes that sound great but avoid the hard work of actual teaching, such as:

  • “Teachers shouldn’t have to do rote work like grading.”
  • “Why memorize anything when students can just look it up?”
  • “Student-centered learning is where it’s all at—students teach themselves!”

Let’s be honest. Good teaching may look easy, but it isn’t easy.

Book clubs like the one at Hagley—reading Uncommon Sense Teaching, The Schools We Need, Seven Myths about Education, Powerful Teaching, The Knowledge Gap, and Why Students Don’t Like School—are the antidote to fad-based thinking. 

Want to make a real difference in your school or community?  Start a book club. Start with those books. If you have the chance, attend a ResearchEd conference–you’ll be so glad you did! Grow the movement toward a solid foundation for the teaching profession.

Got Thoughts on Online Learning? Share Them!

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “You know, I’ve got a few thoughts about where online learning is headed,” now’s your moment! Class Central (kind of like the TripAdvisor of online education) is looking for writers—especially folks with deep insight into teaching, platforms, or the quirky corners of learning online. Whether you’ve got data to analyze or trends to unravel, this is a lovely way to contribute your voice to a bigger conversation. (Bonus: They even pay you to nerd out.) Go to Write for The Report here: https://www.classcentral.com/write-for-us.

For Anyone Who’s Ever Argued Online

We’ll help you kick off the weekend with a little cognitive mischief.  

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

Teaching Isn’t Just a Belief—it’s a Science!

Posted on July 17, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Teaching Isn’t Just a Belief—it’s a Science!

A fantastic new piece from Jim Hewitt and Nidhi Sachdeva reminds us that teaching should be grounded in evidence, not opinion. Drawing on insights from Douglas Carnine’s classic work, the article challenges us to shift from “I believe” to “the data shows”—just like medicine did decades ago. It’s a powerful nudge to lean into what learning science reveals—embracing research, measurement, and real results over tradition or intuition. A refreshing reminder as we wrap up the week: when in doubt, let the data guide the teaching!

Craig Barton’s “Tips for Teachers”

We were fortunate enough to meet insightful presenter Craig Barton at a recent math conference.  Craig runs a wonderful Substack titled “Tips for Teachers” with brief updates on research papers that provide practical insights for teachers.  This is definitely worth subscribing to.

A Bridge to Lifelong Learning (and Friendship!) 

Here’s a delightful little tale: A while back, my friend Pat Bowden and I climbed Brisbane’s magnificent Story Bridge. (Yes, the view was amazing, and yes, the climb was a blast—even for a hiker-brain like me!) Pat has a knack for embracing adventures, and now she’s written a wonderful piece about how online courses have transformed her life. If you’re looking for something truly uplifting to kick off your weekend, take a peek at Pat’s inspiring story: How Online Courses Changed My Life. It might just make you smile—and who knows, maybe you’ll find your own bridge to something new!

A Triple Scoop of Schooling

The Astral Codex Ten review contest features two fascinating education entries worth your coffee break. First, an experienced teacher asks what school really does—and lands on a surprising answer: it’s less about learning, more about motivating kids at scale. In another review, we head to Austin, where another writer enrolled their family in Alpha School, a tech-powered micro-school promising 2.6× faster learning. The review is both hopeful and skeptical—raising smart questions about screen time, incentives, and the value of human teachers. Bonus: Brandon Hendrickson and Alessandro Gianni discuss both essays in an energetic podcast that might make you rethink (or double down on) your own views on education.

Two Thoughtful Chats from New Zealand: On AI, Curiosity & Broadening Passion
This past week brought the joy of not one but two delightful conversations from New Zealand! First up was a rich discussion with Jeff Harford on Dunedin’s OARsome Morning Show—Jeff is a truly gifted interviewer who brought out connections I hadn’t articulated before. Then I had the honor of joining Kathryn Ryan on RNZ’s Nine to Noon, where the questions were equally thoughtful and the pace just right for digging into some meaty ideas.

Across both conversations, we explored how to equip teachers, parents, and learners in the age of AI—and why tools like ChatGPT can be a surprising ally, especially for generating metaphors that make tough concepts click. (Pro tip: don’t just ask for a metaphor—ask for five!)

We also dove into unexpected gems, like how fine motor skills—think playing piano or violin—can quietly boost a child’s academic focus. And finally, we challenged that classic advice to “follow your passion,” suggesting instead that students might flourish more by broadening their passions—and discovering new ones along the way.

If you’d like to listen in, both interviews offer a different rhythm and flavor—but share the same heart.
 🎧 Kathryn Ryan on Nine to Noon (RNZ)
 🎧 Jeff Harford on OARsome Morning Show (OAR FM)

Yerevan, Armenia, International Conference on “Education and Research in Digital Age Societies”

This November, I’ll be heading to Yerevan, Armenia to keynote a conference at Yerevan State University on education and research in the digital age (You can learn more about it here.)

Sometimes I feel a bit like an intellectual bumble bee—buzzing around the world, picking up bits of insight here and there, and (hopefully) spreading the good stuff as I go. Armenia will be a new stop for me, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s blooming there. If you’re in the general vicinity of Yerevan, I’d love to see you there.

That’s all for now. Have a happy month in learning!

Barb Oakley

For kids and parents: Learning How to Learn—the book and MOOC. Pro tip—watch the videos and read the book together with your child. Learning how to learn at an early age will change their life!

Making Math Click: Understand Math Without Fear!

Posted on June 20, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Something Big Is Coming: Making Math Click: Understand Math Without Fear!

We’ve been quietly building something we think you’ll love: Making Math Click: Understand Math without Fear, our brand-new MOOC designed to help learners truly understand—and maybe even enjoy—math. Together with Canadian mathematician John Mighton (cofounder of JUMP Math), Barb will help will give you insights that can help you know how to learn—or teach–the foundations of math.  If you’ve ever seen a student’s eyes glaze over at the mention of fractions, fear not. This course brings together the best insights from neuroscience and teaching to make those “aha!” moments a lot more common.

Expect engaging visuals, concrete strategies, and yes—even a little math fun. The course launches on July 31st.   You can sign up here. Come join us as we help math finally click!

What AI and Your Brain Secretly Have in Common (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)

Last week I had the chance to speak at the AI Sandbox in Nelson, New Zealand—a grassroots group doing some remarkable things to help everyday folks explore AI. But the real treat wasn’t just talking about transformers or neurons (though yes, we went there). It was seeing the light bulbs go off as we explored how deeply intertwined neuroscience and AI really are—and why that matters for learning today.

Here’s the short version: our brains and AI models both rely on building and strengthening networks. And just like students can’t truly learn without forming solid links in long-term memory, AI can’t do much without a well-trained web of connections either. The parallels are fascinating—and practical.

If you’re curious, you can watch the full talk here. We covered everything from the surprising role of memory in critical thinking to what AI can (and can’t) teach us about how we learn.

And here’s a related update I’m especially grateful to share: “The Memory Paradox,” our new chapter on why knowledge stored in your own brain still matters—even in the age of ChatGPT, has now been downloaded over 10,000 times on SSRN alone. That’s a huge number for a working paper. It suggests that this question—how memory and intelligence connect in an AI-saturated world—is resonating with a lot of thoughtful readers. (You can still read it here if you missed it: The Memory Paradox).

Back to Nelson: the AI Sandbox itself is what I’d call a macroscope—a community-powered lens that lets us zoom out and really see the bigger picture in education, AI, and beyond. It’s a brilliant model of how grassroots learning can ignite national conversations.

Of course, none of this would have happened without the New Zealand Initiative. They’re the ones who brought me to New Zealand as an educational change agent to speak all around the country for six months. Their commitment to evidence-based policy and real educational impact is something truly special.

Two Talks in Dunedin—Yes, It’s Worth the Trip!
 If you’re anywhere near Dunedin—or even if you’re much farther afield—it’s absolutely worth it. One survey respondent from one of my recent international talks wrote, “It was worth flying 16 hours just to come to this talk alone.” 

  • Plenary at the Math Association of New Zealand’s biennial conference — held just once every two years, this gathering runs July 1–3, 2025 in Ōtepoti (Dunedin) at St Hilda’s Collegiate School. On July 1, I’ll be sharing classroom-proven scaffolding strategies for the ever-challenging topic of division—because yes, it can be a favorite topic when we teach it right! We’ll also be diving even deeper into the idea of paradigm cartels,  how they can subvert progress in education, and how YOU can make a difference. Register here. 
  • Logan Park High School event — open to both parents and teachers, this talk happens on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Logan Park High School in North Dunedin. We’ll explore effective learning and teaching methods—covering memory, motivation, habit—and why some strategies stick (while others sink). Register here.

So come for the ideas, stay for the scenery—Dunedin is stunning this time of year. Whether you’re an educator or a family member, I hope to see you there!

That’s all for now. Have a happy month in learning!

Barb Oakley

Why IQ Scores Are Dropping

Posted on May 30, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Why IQ Scores Are Dropping: A New Neuroscientific Explanation for a 50-Year Mystery

What if I told you that well-meaning Western educational reforms and our smartphone habits might actually be making us less intelligent? New research suggests that’s exactly what’s happening. 

Our new chapter, “The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI,” provides the first solid, neuroscience-based explanation for why IQ scores have been mysteriously declining across Western nations for the past 50 years, even as technology has exploded around us. This research will appear in the upcoming Springer Nature volume The Future of Artificial Intelligence: Economics, Society, Risks and Global Policy, edited by Max Rangeley and Lord Nicholas Fairfax.

Here’s what we discovered: The very educational reforms that promised to make us smarter—particularly the widespread rejection of memorization as “rote learning” and the shift toward “critical thinking skills,” combined with our increasing reliance on external devices—may actually be undermining our cognitive abilities. When we constantly offload thinking to calculators, smartphones, and AI, we’re not just changing where information is stored. We’re bypassing the brain’s natural learning mechanisms that build the neural architecture necessary for genuine understanding and insight.

The chapter traces how this “cognitive offloading” disrupts everything from forming robust mental frameworks to developing intuitive expertise. When students never memorize math facts because “they can always use a calculator,” or when we “just Google it” instead of wrestling with information internally, we may be weakening the very cognitive foundations that enable advanced reasoning. The timing is telling: the cohorts showing declining IQ scores were precisely those educated when memorization was not just abandoned but actively demonized, and digital dependence took hold.

The good news? This isn’t about rejecting technology or returning to mindless drilling. Drawing from these neuroscientific insights, we can learn to use powerful tools as supplements to, rather than replacements for, robust internal knowledge. Understanding this delicate balance between external tools and internal memory will be crucial as we navigate the age of ChatGPT and generative AI.

Read the full paper here: The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI.

Ready to Reclaim Your Memory? Here’s How to Start

If our chapter made you think twice about how much you’re outsourcing to AI, here’s something to bring it back home—literally, to your own brain. My friend Nelson Dellis is a 6x USA Memory Champion and one of the world’s leading memory experts. He doesn’t just talk about memory techniques—he lives them, performing jaw-dropping feats and teaching others to do the same.

His Everest Memory Masterclass is a practical, engaging course that teaches you how to remember names, numbers, to-dos, and anything else life throws your way. Nelson is both a phenomenal teacher and a trusted guide for anyone wanting to sharpen their mind.

The course opens officially on Monday, but if you join the waitlist now, you’ll get early access this Sunday—plus a few extra bonuses. These spots usually fill up quickly, so if you’ve ever wanted to learn the techniques memory champions actually use, don’t miss this opportunity.

Join the waitlist here: https://www.everestmemory.com/waitlist

Double Feature Friday! Two Sides of the Learning Coin

This week, I had the pleasure of diving into two very different conversations—one that’ll tug your heartstrings and another that might raise your eyebrows (in a good way).

Empathy, Engines, and a Dose of Real Talk

Ever noticed how sometimes being too nice can backfire? This week, I joined Joe Sanok on the Practice of the Practice podcast to chat about one of my favorite awkward topics: pathological altruism—aka when our best intentions accidentally make a mess. 

We talked about how over-empathizing in therapy can actually drag the therapist down, and how learning to take a step back—with sympathy instead of deep emotional mirroring—might just save one’s sanity. Therapists, take note: your ability to be a calm, clear presence is often more powerful than jumping headfirst into someone else’s emotional tornado.

Of course, we also squeezed in a few hits from the “Learning How to Learn” greatest hits album—like why rereading isn’t studying, and how a little retrieval practice goes a long way (yes, flashcards, but make them smart).

If you want to hear the full conversation—including a story about how a well-intentioned school study went sideways—you can listen here. Spoiler alert: sometimes the best way to help… is to pause and ask if you’re actually helping.

School Shorts with Melissa Chan-Green: Learning Differences & Superpowers

In this warm and inspiring chat with Melissa, we explored how the things that make learning hard—like ADHD or dyslexia—can actually turn out to be secret strengths. We talked about how I rewired my own brain at age 26 (math-phobe to engineering prof, anyone?), and why tiny habits like 20-minute daily practice can change lives. Parents and teachers, this one’s a hug in podcast form—with bonus tips on battling procrastination and helping kids thrive.

That’s all for now. Have a happy (rationally empathetic) week in learning!

Barb Oakley

A Revolution in Teaching: And We’re Just Getting Started

Posted on May 9, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

A Revolution in Teaching: And We’re Just Getting Started

Coursera celebrated Teacher Appreciation Day this week by recognizing a few of their instructors—and, yes, I was surprised (and slightly surreal-ed) to find myself leading the list.

What stood out, though, was what this moment reflects. For a long time, research has been the primary path to broad academic influence—shaping medicine, technology, policy, and more. Teaching has always had deep impact too—but historically, it’s been seen as more local, unfolding student by student, classroom by classroom.

That’s what’s changed.

With the rise of online learning, teaching now operates at the same scale as research. A thoughtfully designed course can reach learners across the globe and reshape how entire fields are understood—not just in one institution, but everywhere. It’s not that teaching is newly important. It’s that its reach has finally caught up with its value.

And here’s the thing: when teaching is excellent, it looks easy. The ideas feel clear. The path through the material seems obvious. But that clarity is the result of hard, often invisible work—carefully structuring content, anticipating confusion, smoothing rough edges. The better the teaching, the more likely it is to be taken for granted.

So here’s to the teachers—whose skill hides in plain sight, and whose work is quietly reshaping how the world learns.

What If “Good Teaching” Isn’t Good Teaching?

For decades, we’ve embraced bold reforms in education—more exploration, more tech, less memorization. But quietly, across much of the Western world, something strange has been happening: IQ scores are slipping.

At researchED Toronto 2025, I’ll be sharing a new theory—one that traces a subtle but powerful shift in how we teach and what it may be doing to how we think.

This conference brings together an extraordinary group of educators, researchers, and truth-tellers ready to challenge assumptions and spark change. Because sometimes the road to cognitive decline is paved with good intentions. Register now to learn more! 

Learn Faster. Remember More. It’s Not Magic—It’s Memory Mastery!

If you’ve ever wanted to sharpen your memory, learn faster, or actually remember what you study, you’ll want to check out what my friend Nelson Dellis is up to. He’s the current and 6x USA Memory Champion and one of the world’s leading experts on memory training.

Nelson is launching a brand-new round of his popular memory course, the Everest Memory Masterclass, on June 1st. It’s packed with the same techniques he’s used to memorize thousands of digits, names, faces, and more—and how you can apply them to everyday life, school, or work.

If you want early access and a chance at some special bonuses, hop on the waitlist here:
 👉 https://www.everestmemory.com/waitlist

(Spots are limited, and it always fills up fast.)

Seeking Educational Consulting Support for a New Learning Institute in Kerala

Learning How to Learner Sudheer Mambra is embarking on an exciting educational journey! After a successful career in finance, he’s planning to establish an educational institution in Kerala, India that will help students prepare for professional accounting qualifications. Sudheer is deeply passionate about implementing evidence-based learning techniques, including spaced repetition and active recall, to help students truly master the material. He’s looking for someone who could provide practical guidance on applying these principles in real classroom settings—from curriculum design to lesson structure, assignments, and retention strategies. If you have expertise in developing educational programs that incorporate learning science principles and would be willing to lend your insights, please reach out to Sudheer at sudheermambra74@gmail.com. He’s particularly inspired by how understanding the neuroscience of learning can transform educational outcomes, and your experience could help shape this new venture!

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

Our Little Course, One Big Deal

Posted on April 9, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

And I’m a little early with this week’s Cheery Friday–flights will be catching me with dicey internet connections, so better to send early!

Our Little Course, One Big Deal

Who would’ve guessed? That quirky little course Learning How to Learn—the one you’re in right now—has just been named one of the top three online courses of all time by ClassCentral. Of. All. Time. (Take that, algorithms and cat videos!) This is a huge shout-out not just to the science behind the course, but to you—yes, you—the learner putting it into action. So pat yourself on the back, do a victory lap around your desk, and remember: you’re part of something big, brainy, and wonderfully weird.

Artem’s Mind-Blowing Videos

If you haven’t seen a YouTube video by Artem Kirsanov yet, drop everything (okay, finish your coffee first) and go watch one. Artem has this uncanny superpower: he takes wildly complex topics—like neural manifolds, memory encoding, and how AI and the brain overlap—and makes them not just understandable, but thrilling. His visuals don’t just decorate the science—they are the science, communicating deep ideas with such clarity and style you almost forget you’re learning something that could melt your brain in a textbook. Professors use his videos in university classrooms. Fellow science communicators use them to level up their own explanations. Artem isn’t just explaining science—he’s building the bridges that help others teach, learn, and leap forward. Bravo, Artem!

Reminder, Barb in Suzhou, China on April 12

Just a quick reminder–I’ll be speaking on April 12th in Suzhou, China at the East Asia Schools Conference.  (Here’s the English registration, and here is the Chinese registration.)

Feel free to read more about my work from a Chinese perspective by the ever-brilliant Ling Huang, here! 从学渣逆袭成工程学教授——美国的良知芭芭拉·欧科丽与你分享学渣逆袭为学霸的奥秘.(Sorry for the previous bad link!)

What a UNESCO Report on EdTech Can Teach Us

This week, a remarkable piece from Jon Haidt and Zach Rausch caught my attention. It’s about a new UNESCO book, An EdTech Tragedy, that quietly but devastatingly tells the story of how well-meaning efforts to digitize education during the pandemic went deeply wrong. The book is structured like a Greek tragedy—and rightly so. It begins with high hopes, moves through a slow unraveling, and ends in something close to despair.

What makes this account different is its tone. There’s no breathless outrage, no rhetorical overreach. Just careful attention to what actually happened—how we sidelined teachers, ignored what we knew about learning, and over-relied on devices that disconnected more than they helped. It’s a hard story, but one that offers space for reflection and, hopefully, better choices ahead. Worth your time.

Unlocking the Brain’s Secrets: A Deep Dive into Effective Learning

In a recent episode of the GOTO podcast, I had the pleasure of discussing the intricacies of how we learn with Charles Humble. We explored the brain’s dual modes of thinking—focused and diffuse—and how balancing these can enhance our ability to grasp new concepts. We also touched on the vital roles of deliberate practice, retrieval techniques, and the surprising benefits of integrating AI into educational practices. If you’re curious about optimizing your learning strategies and reinforcing your understanding the neuroscience behind them, this conversation offers valuable insights.

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

The Hidden Life of the Basal Ganglia

Posted on March 12, 2025 by - Uncategorized

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Book Pick: The Hidden Life of the Basal Ganglia by Hagai Bergman. If you’ve ever wondered about the backstage crew running the show of your everyday thoughts and actions, The Hidden Life of the Basal Ganglia is a fascinating peek behind the curtain. Hagai Bergman takes readers deep into this underappreciated yet essential brain region, revealing its role in one of our most crucial learning systems—habitual, non-conscious learning.

One of the delights of this book is Bergman’s use of metaphor, making the complexity of basal ganglia circuits surprisingly intuitive. My favorite? The striatum as the melody of a piano, and the subthalamic nucleus as the pedal—beautifully illustrating how these structures interact to shape our behavior. The striatum, the brain’s primary hub for processing incoming information, is like the pianist’s hands on the keys, selecting and refining actions based on experience. Meanwhile, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) acts like the sustain pedal, momentarily amplifying or inhibiting actions, helping to fine-tune movement and decision-making by adding a crucial layer of control. Too much or too little engagement of these structures, and the melody—our fluid execution of learned behaviors—gets disrupted.

The basal ganglia, often relegated to discussions of movement disorders, emerge in this book as key players in decision-making, learning, and even emotion. Bergman’s insights help illuminate how we automate skills—from playing an instrument to making split-second choices—without needing conscious oversight. If you’re fascinated by neuroscience, psychology, or just how your brain quietly learns without you realizing it, The Hidden Life of the Basal Ganglia is a deeply rewarding read. Highly recommended!

GSoLEN Shines a Spotlight on Learning How to Learn!

What a delight to see GSoLEN (the Global Science of Learning Education Network) giving Learning How to Learn—Terry’s and my book on learning, geared for younger people, a well-deserved spotlight! GSoLEN, a collective of international scientists, educators, and policymakers, is dedicated to integrating the science of learning into educational practices worldwide. In their recent LinkedIn article, they dive into the impact of this little book with a big mission—helping learners everywhere unlock the science of how to learn more effectively. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or lifelong learner, it’s thrilling to see these principles spreading far and wide, making learning easier and more joyful for so many. If you haven’t checked out their post yet, now’s the time to give it a read and share the love of learning!

Barb in New Zealand and in Suzhou

I’m in New Zealand for the months to come under the auspices of the New Zealand Initiative, speaking throughout the country. There are still some dates available if you are interested in new insights in learning, (especially related to ChatGPT!), that could help your business, university, or school, please reach out to Jamuel Enriquez at jamuel.enriquez@nzinitiative.org.nz.  

And I’ll also be speaking on April 12th in Suzhou, China at the East Asia Schools Conference.  (Here’s the English registration, and here is the Chinese registration.)

Feel free to read more about my work from a Chinese perspective by the ever-brilliant Ling Huang, here! 从学渣逆袭成工程学教授——美国的良知芭芭拉·欧科丽与你分享学渣逆袭为学霸的奥秘.

Making Math Click: The Right Kind of Fun

A recent EdSurge article explores whether more play in math instruction could improve student learning. The key isn’t whether play is valuable—it absolutely can be—but rather, what kind of play best supports deep mathematical understanding. When play sparks “aha!” moments and reinforces structured practice, it can be a fantastic learning tool. Programs like Smartick demonstrate how gamification can keep students engaged while systematically building their math fluency. Research shows that automaticity—developed through well-sequenced, effortful practice—lays the foundation for higher-level problem-solving.

This August, I’ll be launching a new MOOC on Coursera, “Making Math Click,” co-taught with mathematician John Mighton. The course is designed for teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to understand how math learning really works. Our focus? Bridging the gap between discovery-based learning and the structured practice that builds lasting mathematical intuition. Because when done right, math isn’t just fun—it clicks.

How We Think, Learn, and Focus

Can AI make us less critical thinkers? Can attentiveness spread like a social contagion? Can a simple “why” question improve reading comprehension? This week’s Edu-Snippets explores fascinating new research on how learners engage with AI, how the focus of one student can influence others, and how elaborative interrogation helps deepen understanding.

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

For kids and parents: Learning How to Learn—the book and MOOC. Pro tip—watch the videos and read the book together with your child. Learning how to learn at an early age will change their life!