College classrooms are supposed to be spaces where learning happens. However, far too often, neither college professors nor their students explore fundamental questions about the nature of teaching and learning in college, questions like:

1. What is learning?
2. How do people learn?
3. What models for learning inform the design of my college classes?
4. What types of instructional methods lead to significant learning experiences?
5. How can teachers and students work together to create highly engaging learning environments?

That these questions frequently go unexamined in college courses relates to a series of problems within many U.S. higher education systems. In this post, we name and identify one such problem that results from the fact that most college professors have almost no training in the science of learning and have little experience with effective teaching practices.

Continue reading “The no-teacher-training-for-college-professors problem” →