X CLOSE

Learning and education

Black and white photo of a thoughtful child in a classroom sitting with hand on chin, other children nearby.

idea

Why good teachers allow a child’s mind to wander and wonder

The experience of wonder is essential to the task of education – it opens up the world. That’s why teachers should foster it

by Anders Schinkel

Photo of school assembly with pupils in uniform, many faces blurred. One student is in focus in the centre of the image.

Mindfulness and meditation

idea

It’s time to hear what adolescents think of mindfulness in schools

Mindfulness for adolescents backfires when it imposes moral ideals, stirs up trauma, or fails to treat young people as agents

by Elena Hailwood, William Wannyn & Suparna Choudhury

A girl is shown reading from a device in her hand, her face illuminated by the screen’s light

Technology and media

idea

What does switching from paper to screens mean for how we read?

It’s well established that we absorb less well when reading on screen. But why? And can we do something to improve it?

by Lili Yu, Sixin Liao, Jan-Louis Kruger & Erik D Reichle

Several children and a teacher interact happily at a table in a classroom, with one boy laughing and a girl in blue looking on.

Learning and education

idea

This is how to nurture curiosity in children (and yourself)

The curiosity that comes naturally to babies and young children can soon wilt – but there are ways to help it grow

by Shayla Love

Person wearing a bucket hat with German flag colours facing Immanuel Kant’s tombstone embedded in a brick wall.

Learning and education

idea

What public philosophy is, and why we need it more than ever

Public philosophy aims to improve critical thinking so that we gain a better understanding of the world and of ourselves

by Lucia Ziglioli

A woman in a headscarf holds a broken umbrella and looks up, while another person sits on a bench in the background.

Knowledge and reason

idea

Reason is a powerful tool, but it pays to know its limits

As a philosophy student, I was bewitched by the power of reason – but my life is freer since I escaped from its spell

by Pranay Sanklecha

Wooden sign of a cow with a “SEAFOOD” sign below, set against a background of a red barn, gravel and a tree.

Learning and education

idea

Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a symptom of learning

Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a sign of learning, but the key is finding the sweet spot of productive confusion

by Juliette Vazard

Ancient Roman mosaic depicting a seated man with scroll, a standing woman with a tablet, and a standing woman with a mask.

Learning and education

idea

Speaking Latin brings an unmediated thrill to the Classics

Learning Latin shouldn’t be like solving crossword puzzles – it was a living language and is best learnt by speaking it

by Armand D’Angour

Photo of a man wearing headphones, working on a laptop at a standing desk with red curtains and framed art in the background.

Learning and education

idea

To make online learning more three-dimensional, let it be bumpy

Effective online teaching requires actively tuning into students’ needs, to ensure they’re doing rich, difficult work

by William Germano & Kit Nicholls

Person typing on a laptop at a wooden table, with a pencil case, pens, and sliced peppers. Another person in the background is reading a book.

Focus and attention

idea

Go on, admit it. You’re multitasking. Here’s how to do it better

Our limited mental resources make multitasking inefficient. As you’re unlikely to stop it, you can learn to do it better

by Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Illustration of the solar system with planets in order of distance from the Sun on a dark background.

Learning and education

idea

The ‘secret strategy’ that could boost your ability to learn

It may sound illogical, but growing evidence shows the benefits of testing yourself before you start learning new material

by Ajdina Halilovic

Learning and education

idea

A radical approach can change behaviour in and out of the classroom

With compassion and consistency, radical behaviourism is a powerful tool for managing difficult classroom behaviour

by Alexandria C Robers