Author: Celia Popovic
Most of the categories here are not necessarily 'fake' in the sense that they are incorrect, rather they were identified by respondents as examples of ideas that have been over-used, possibly simplified inappropriately or used out of the original context. We are not suggesting all should be removed from use, we are suggesting readers use them with caution and from a critical standpoint.
- Learning Styles
- Various theories related to learning styles, the idea that individuals learn in specific but different ways, gained huge popularity. Coffield and colleagues reviewed 13 of the most popular and found that all but one lacked sufficient evidence to support their claims. While it may be helpful to recognize that people are different and learn in diverse ways, it is less helpful to label an individual as having a fixed specific learning style. Teaching that incorporates multiple means of communication and activity (eg reading, writing, speaking, listening, creating, applying) is likely to benefit all learners regardless of "style".
- For an overview see Coffield et al: a critique of learning styles
- Paul Penn Learning Styles: a case study of when the evidence doesn't support popular advice on learning
- Dale's Cone of Learning
- In the 1960's Edgar Dale developed the Cone of Learning, based on his observations that students learn more from what they do than from what they hear, read or observe.
- The objection to this is that the Cone has been over used, and the message simplified; suggesting that doing is all that matters, ignoring the need for a foundation of knowledge and skills.
- Summary from Queens University, Ontario
- Thalheimer et al. Mythical Retention Data and the Corrupted Cone
- Management theories apply to learning
- Business schools, management training companies and other commercial providers have invested in identifying effective working approaches which tend to be motivated by profit. Some of the theories that apply in a management or business context have been applied to learning. Some of this application has been inappropriate. Some commentators feel that this has contributed to a neoliberal approach to education where value is measured in financial terms at the expense of social or spiritual values.
- Left Brain Right Brain
- According to this popular notion, our thinking and behavior is influenced by one side of our brain or the other. Right brain thinkers are more creative and free thinking than left brain thinkers, while left brain thinkers are more analytical, pay attention to details and use logic. Neuroscience does not point to any evidence of this. While it is true that different functions are governed by different parts of the brain, CT scans show the same levels of activity in both sides of the brain regardless of personality type. Rather than being a scientific fact, as a metaphor this can be helpful in recognizing that some people are more logical or more creative than others.
- More information here from Harvard Health Publishing
- Nielsen JA, Zielinski, Ferguson, Lainhart, Anderson. An Evaluation of the Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Hypothesis with Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging. PLoS ONE, 2013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071275
- High Impact Practices (HIPS)
- George Kuh identified 11 practices in higher education that he claimed had a higher impact on student learning than others. The full list is in the link below. While most commentators would agree that these practices are helpful in promoting active learning, they object to the way they have been implemented as if no other practices are equally impactful. The NSSE survey used in many Colleges and Universities in North America was highly influenced by the HIPS, some find this limiting.
- Association of American Colleges and Universities High Impact Practices.
- Active learning
- Few would argue against active learning if the opposite is passive learning with didactic one directional teaching. We have moved on from the idea of learning as an activity where the teacher talks and the student listens, then regurgitates the teacher's words in an end of course exam. However, those who raised this as "fake news" objected to the idea that every element of Teaching must involve active learning, or that if a student is active in some way, they must be learning. As with so many examples on these pages, we need to be skeptical when adopting teaching practices and look for the evidence of efficacy before whole-sale adoption of a practice.
- HR Professional Development is the same as Educational Development
- The perception that educational development belongs in HR or Personnel departments is hotly disputed by many developers. Professional development is usually focuses on training. There is a specific behavior set that is determined at the outset, eg compliance with a safety policy, that is delivered to the employee. Educational development is concerned with supporting those who teach to develop their own approaches, to adopt techniques that have evidence to support their worth, but in a climate of education rather than training. Approaches that work in a training context are less likely to work in an educational development context.
- Gibbs' cycle for teaching reflection
- In 1988 Graham Gibbs developed his reflection cycle in which he described learning as occurring in a repetitive cycle through description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plans. If we approach both our own learning and that of others through this lens we have a structure which can help to promote metacognition (thinking about thinking) and improve the learning experience. Gibbs offered this as a model to assist in teaching and learning. The objection that some have to this, is when that model is assumed to be an exhaustive description of learning. Gibbs himself did not claim that this is the only way that learning happens.
- For a comprehensive explanation of the model with examples of ways to incorporate it into teaching and learning; see this page on Gibb's reflection cycle from The University of Edinburgh
- IQ tests
- IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, purports to measure a person's intelligence. In some educational systems IQ tests are used to determine selection for schools or courses. The problem with IQ tests, for many, is that the questions used in the IQ test are often culturally specific, or require problem solving techniques that can be taught.
- For a discussion of this issue see The Conversation
Dekker, S., Lee, N., Howard-Jones, P. and Jolles, J. (2012) Neuromyths in Education: Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontier Psychology, 18 October 2012 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00429
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