Learning to Think, Learning to Learn
Reviewed by Rena Neufeld, Instructor

Most teachers of adult students rarely see any research on teaching, thinking or learning. If they do read and understand such research, it is often unclear how these findings translate into actual teaching practice. This publication attempts to bridge the gap between research and practice for adult educators.

The research and findings presented here are based on the idea that teaching means teaching students to think, and learning is a process of coming to understand the world. The approach taken in this report is that all learning involves active thinking, and teaching should be based on what we know about how the mind takes in and organizes information. The author uses current research to offer ideas and approaches for diagnosing and solving problems in the classroom.

The book contains 18 fact sheets on learning and thinking: each fact sheet is about 10 pages long and can be read and understood on its own without reading the whole report. The fact sheets incorporate learning methods based on research. They are organized into:

1. Reflective questions to orient you to the topic.
2. Quotes from teachers, learners, and researchers that show how the information is relevant.
3. A summary of the ideas and evidence.
4. What this means for teachers.
5. A set of short lesson ideas (not full lesson plans) based on the findings.

Topics addressed in the fact sheets include: making connections, memory and learning, how thinking develops, the importance of teaching content, critical thinking, active learning, and problem-based learning. There are two useful appendices that address the questions of learning styles and brain-based learning.

In presenting this report the author strives to use plain language. The format of the report makes it easy to learn about individual topics without tackling the entire document. As the author suggests, "It is ideal for teachers or tutors who want to get new ideas about teaching methods and have perhaps 30 minutes each Friday afternoon to do a little professional reading."