Urban Myths about Learning and Education

by Pedro De Bruyckere, Paul A. Kirschner, Casper D. Hulshof

Overview

Many things people commonly believe to be true about education are not supported by scientific evidence.  Urban Myths about Learning and Education examines commonly held incorrect beliefs and then provides the truth of what research has shown.  Each chapter examines a different myth, with sections on learning, the brain, technology, and educational policy.  A final section discusses why these myths are so persistent.  Written in an engaging style, the book separates fact from fiction regarding learning and education.

Recognize any of these myths?

• People have different styles of learning
• Boys are naturally better at mathematics than girls
• We only use 10% of our brains
• The left half of the brain is analytical, the right half is creative
• Men have a different kind of brain from women
• We can learn while we are asleep
• Babies become smarter if they listen to classical music

These myths and more are systematically debunked, with useful correct information about the topic in question.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780128015377
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	03/18/2015
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Pedro De Bruyckere (1974) is an educational scientist at Arteveldehogeschool University College, Ghent, Belgium (www.arteveldehs.be) since 2001. He co-wrote several popular books in Dutch debunk popular myths on GenY and GenZ, education and pop culture. Pedro is an often asked public speaker, one of his strongest points is that he is funny in explaining serious stuff. Pedro is often asked in media in both Belgium and The Netherlands on topics of both education and Youth and was mentioned by Dutch Magazine Vrij Nederland as one of the most influential voices in educational debates.

Paul A. Kirschner (1951) is professor of Educational Psychology and Director of the Fostering Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable Learning environments (FEEEL) program at the Welten Institute, Research Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology at the Open University of the Netherlands as well as Visiting Professor of Education with a special emphasis on Learning and Interaction in Teacher Education at the University of Oulu, Finland. He is an internationally recognized expert in his field. A few notable examples of this is that he was President of the International Society for the Learning Sciences (ISLS) in 2010-2011, his election to both the ISLS CSCL Board and the Executive Committee of the Society and the fact that he is an AERA Research Fellow (the first European to receive this honor). He is currently a member of the Scientific Technical Council of the Foundation for University Computing Facilities (SURF WTR) in the Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch Educational Council and, as such, was advisor to the Minister of Education (2000-2004). He is chief editor of the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, associate editor of Computers in Human Behavior, and has published a very successful book Ten Steps to Complex Learning (now in its second revised edition and translated/published in Korea and China). He also co-edited two other books (Visualizing Argumentation and What we know about CSCL).

Casper Hulshof (1973) has a PhD in educational sciences, and works as a teacher at the faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands (www.uu.nl). He specializes in courses on educational psychology, research methodology, and philosophy of science. To him, the most important points about effective teaching are humor and making the connection between classic theory and contemporary research. He is an active user of social media where he likes to discuss science and pseudoscience, and tries to bridge the gap between educational research and educational practice.

Table of Contents

1. The Big Clear-Out 2. Myths about Learning 3. Neuromyths 4. Myths about Technology in Education 5. Myths in Educational Policy 6. Myth Persistence and Myth Busting

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A succinct summary of common myths about learning and education, and what the reality is per research findings

Editorial Reviews

" If ever there was a book that needed to be written for our field, Urban Myths About Learning And Education is it...should be essential reading for all graduate students, not to mention faculty, administrators (K-12 and higher education), and educational policy makers."  —TechTrends

"...provides useful summaries of a wide array of issues that the authors believe are myths." —PsycCRITIQUES

"A marvelous compendium of plausible-sounding ideas about education that have seeped into popular culture, but have little or no scientific support. Carefully documented yet a pleasure to read, this book should be required reading in all teacher training programs." —Daniel T. Willingham, Professor, University of Virginia

"If ever there was a book that needed to be written for our field, Urban Mythes About Learning and Education is it.  Pedro De Bruyckere, Paul Kirschner, and Casper Hulshof have created an important contribution to our literature base, a text that should be essential reading for all graduate students, not to mention faculty, administrators (K-12 and higher education), and educational policy makers.  This book makes significant strides in debunking many of the prevalent misunderstandings and misinterpretations of frequently cited educational research claims.  Learning styles, digital natives, multiple intelligences, and brain training, they are all here and thoroughly analyzed for their veracity."—Barbara B. Lockee, Virginia Tech for TechTrends

From the Publisher