Khan Academy Ed Talks with Dan Willingham, PhD - Wednesday, April 21 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Dr. Dan Willingham discusses the role of curiosity in learning and highlights the importance of finding the right level of unknown information to trigger curiosity. He also touches on the impact of screens on learning and shares insights on motivating teens to learn.

Key Insights

• 👶 Curiosity is driven by learning about the environment and discovering new information that adds to our existing knowledge.
• 🎮 Screens may affect the learning experience due to the absence of certain cues and limitations in control and interactivity.
• 🧑‍🎓 Finding personal relevance in learning is valuable but should not be the sole determinant of what students should learn.
• 🧑‍🎓 Encouraging creativity and providing opportunities for deep learning can help keep students engaged and motivated.
• 🤳 Motivating teens requires appealing to their sense of self and emphasizing the importance of learning in their lives and future goals.
• ❓ Personal meaning in learning can also be broadened by understanding diverse perspectives and experiences.
• 🧑 The impact of screens on learning is still an ongoing area of research, but it is clear that there are differences in the learning experience compared to in-person interactions.

Transcript

• Hello, and welcome to Ed Talks with Khan Academy where we talk to influential people in the field of education. I am excited today to talk with Dr. Dan Willingham. Before we get started with that I want to remind all of you that Khan Academy is a non-profit that relies on donations from folks like yourself to help us help keep more people learnin... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How should we think about curiosity in helping us learn?

Curiosity plays a crucial role in learning as it motivates us to explore our environment and seek out new information. It is triggered by the right level of unknown information that adds to our existing knowledge.

Q: How did Dr. Dan Willingham become a cognitive psychologist?

Dr. Willingham initially had no intention of pursuing psychology but became fascinated with cognitive psychology after taking an introductory course in college. His love for the subject led him to pursue it in graduate school.

Q: How can parents and teachers motivate teens to learn, especially during challenging times?

Motivating teens can be challenging, but emphasizing the importance of learning as a family value and appealing to their sense of self can be effective. Positive reinforcement and emphasizing their strengths in certain subjects can also help.

Q: How do screens affect learning, especially during remote learning?

Screens do not significantly change our brains but may impact the learning experience. The absence of certain cues, such as gestures, and the inability to easily go back to previous information can make learning from screens less effective than in-person interactions.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Dr. Dan Willingham emphasizes the role of curiosity in learning and explains that curiosity is driven by learning about the environment and discovering new information that adds to our existing knowledge.

• He shares his personal journey of becoming a cognitive psychologist and highlights the influential teachers in his life, including a fifth-grade teacher who instilled a love for learning.

• Dr. Willingham addresses the question of finding meaning in learning and suggests that personal relevance may not be the most important factor in determining the value of knowledge, especially when it comes to understanding diverse perspectives.

• The impact of screens on learning is also discussed, with Dr. Willingham explaining that screens do not significantly change our brains but may affect the learning experience due to the absence of certain cues, such as gestures and the ability to easily go back to previous information.