Learning by Scientific Design, a DFI podcast

Imagine that you recently graduated from a teacher preparation program and are getting ready for your first teaching job. Next week, you’ll be leading your very own classroom with students who represent a diverse range of identities, lived experiences, and grade-level readiness. Every one of your students has infinite potential for learning. As their teacher, you look forward to making strong instructional decisions that meaningfully engage all your students. 

But how do you make strong instructional decisions when inequitable systems and nearly three years of pandemic-related disruptions have impacted access to grade-level learning for your students, especially students from historically marginalized communities?

The answers to this question are complex. 

At Deans for Impact (DFI), we believe part of the solution lies in using principles of learning science, or a scientific understanding of how students learn, to guide instruction. Putting these principles into teaching practice can lead to more rigorous, equitable and inclusive learning environments.

Over the last four years, we have worked with program faculty preparing thousands of future teachers in diverse contexts across the country through our Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) network. 

In our newly launched podcast, former education reporter Claire McInerny talks with LbSD program faculty and a mentor-teacher on their experiences putting learning science into practice. Through four episodes, we explore:

• Episode 1: What are some foundational principles of learning science? How can they facilitate more effective teaching?
• Episode 2: How does teaching with a deep understanding of learning science lead to equitable experiences and outcomes, especially for students with special needs?
• Episode 3: How does learning science influence specific teaching practices? How might an understanding of learning science lead to stronger relationships with students?
• Episode 4: How can the growing adoption of learning science in teacher preparation contribute to systemic change in U.S. education?

As school starts back up, we invite you to tune in to learn how the science of learning is transforming teaching and learning in classrooms across the country.

You can now listen to the first episode, Teaching with a scientific understanding of how students learn, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or YouTube. Episodes will be rolled out on a weekly basis; subscribe on any of these platforms to get the latest episodes.