1. Hidden Slide for Instructor
Topic
Slides
Time Estimate
(Minutes)
Notes/Suggestions
Homework Discussion
2 - 11 20
Speaker’s notes include suggested discussion questions and an activity that helps students see why multitasking can hurt their studying.
Growth Mindset Activity
You can have students pair up and compare answers, then briefly discuss reactions to the chapters, or quickly review and discuss the quiz questions with the full group.
Wrap-Up 10
Review what you’ve covered in this series of lessons. Ask students what beliefs they’ve changed. Give students index cards to write their thoughts on three things that stand out, and what they’ll do differently.
Total 50
Speaker’s notes offer suggested points – use or adapt as you wish.

2. “If learning is your goal, cramming is an irrational act.”
Start with a discussion of the homework questions. These questions follow the homework, but include a few additional discussion questions.
Why is cramming irrational, if your goal is to learn?
Cramming helps you remember information, but only for a short period.
Does anyone remember how much people typical remember a week after they cram? (Not a quiz question)
Within a week, people forget 75% of what they crammed.
If your goal is learning, you want to be able to remember and use information over time.
What do you think about this? Do you think you’ll do anything differently with cramming?
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3. The opposite of cramming is ...?
Distributed practice
The opposite of cramming is?
(Pause for answer – then click) Distributed practice
What is distributed practice? Practicing over time to get better. It wouldn’t work to go to the gym the day before a big weight lifting competition—you have to build muscles over time.
What’s an example of how you’ve used distributed practice in your life to master a new skill?
How does that apply to college?
Learning is like a sport or weight lifting. You have certain physical abilities but a lot of your ability to succeed depends on the techniques you use. Let’s talk more about that.
(Next slide)

4. Have you every studied for hours but come out thinking –
Why did I not get it?
Have you every studied at the library and stayed there for 4-5hours but came out thinking, what did I learn and not get it? Maybe you were on the phone, distracted with social media, texting while trying to read etc.
Would you like to have a way to cut down on wasted study time and use that time doing something else, spending time with friends, exercising, and so on?
Let’s try an experiment.

5. Multitasking
Draw two lines. On the top line, write, “Multitasking is worse than a lie.”
Each time you write one letter, switch to the second line and write a number, starting with number 1.
M u ...
1 2
Two options for this activity:
1. Have students work individually to do this activity. Hand out index cards or tell students to get a sheet of paper. Tell students to draw two lines. You may want to demonstrate what you’re asking students to do on a white board in addition to showing this slide. Or
2. Ask for 3 – 5 volunteers to come to the front of the room and do the activity –have a contest—while others time them.)
On the top line, I want you to write - “Multitasking is worse than a lie.”
BUT, each time you write one letter, switch to the second line and write a sequence of numbers, starting with 1. So M on the top line, 1 on the bottom line, u on the top line, 2 on the bottom line, and so on.
Go as fast as you can, when I say Go. I’ll time you. Questions?
Ready, set, go! Time students. Tell them their range of times. Ask how that felt. They couldn’t do both at once—they had to shift—an effort.
Continue - next slide.
Adapted from

6. Multitasking Multitasking is worse than a lie. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...
Now, draw two lines again.
On the top line, write “Multitasking is worse than a lie.”
Then, on the bottom line, write out the numbers 1 through 27.
Multitasking is worse than a lie.
Explain the new directions.
Go as fast as you can, when I say Go. I’ll time you (or have students time each other).
Tell students their range of times.
What does the research say about doing one task at a time? (You’re faster and more accurate.)
What do you think? Does this make you think differently about multitasking (or task shifting)?
Adapted from

7. What happens in your brain when you try to shift between tasks quickly?
What happens in your brain when you try to shift between tasks quickly? (Collect answers – This is question 4 from the homework.)
CLICK
The brain has to shut down one task before it can move to another. (Page 74 of ebook)
There’s an alert of the shift, a rule activation for the task—your brain realizes you’re doing one thing but you need to do something new. Your brain disengages with the current task and activates the new task.
[As a background note, the authors of The New Science of Learning say that there’s a difference between multitasking—trying to do two or more things at once that take thinking—and task shifting—jumping from one task to another, like checking an while you’re studying. The main point is that our brain can only do one thing at a time, even if we think we can do more.]
Should you text and drive? (Discuss.)
Shift - activation of task 1- disengagement- activation of task 2.
Should you text and drive?

8. How does task shifting affect errors?
Research demonstrates that individuals who shift tasks make 50% more errors and spend 50% more time on both tasks (Medina, 2008).
How does task shifting affect errors?
Collect answers, then click. This is question #5 from the homework. Page 74 of e-book.
So, think about it. You might be able to cut down on wasted study time if you focus on ONE TASK at a time.
That means ruling out culprits like texting, listening to music, Facebook, Snapchats.
What do you think? Have you changed any beliefs about multitasking? (Again, there are no wrong answers – your goal is to ask students to consider what the research says.)

9. Pair – Share - Discuss Enhancing Attention
What are two ways of enhancing attention that you use or will try using?
Refer to Chapter 8, Paying Attention. As part of homework, students were asked to consider two ways of enhancing attention they found interesting.
Divide the class into pairs.
Give people about 4 minutes to share their thoughts about these questions.
Then ask pairs to report out to the full group. You don’t have to call on every pair.
(Ideas from The New Science of Learning – pages ebook: meditation, writing yourself notes, removing distractions, recording lectures, staying focused on big goals.)
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10. Fixed Versus Growth Mindsets
Describe a student with a fixed mindset. What kinds of things would that person do or say?
What would you see if you observed a student with a growth mindset?
Refer to the Chapter 7 homework questions.
Describe a student with a fixed mindset. What kinds of things would that person do or say?
(Collect answers. Examples - I can’t do it, this won’t work, I’ll look stupid, I don’t have enough time, I am not good in math. I don’t get science .)
CLICK
What would you see if you observed a student with a growth mindset? (Works hard, comes across as confident, encourages others, etc.)
How would that person handle setbacks, like not doing well on a test? (Wouldn’t get discouraged – would treat it as a learning experience.)
Ebook – pages

11. Design a Poster for a Growth Mindset
Use words, symbols, sketches – whatever! What’s a message or slogan that sums up what a growth mindset is about? Take about 10 minutes.
Discuss activity – design a poster for a growth mindset. (You can show examples on the next slide.)
Organize students into groups of 5 – have them count off.
Give each group a sheet of butcher paper or flip chart paper.
Give them about 8 minutes to work, then have students hold up their posters.
Transition to review – Let’s look at what we’ve covered.

13. Have you changed any beliefs?
Negative beliefs about your ability as a student
Misconceptions about your field
Myths about learning:
Learning is fast.
I just need to memorize.
Being good at a subject is a matter of inborn talent.
I’m good at multitasking.
I reflect on college course material to modify or add to what I believe
Stuff I Believe From my 18+ Years of Life
We talked at the start about how we may have to change or let go of some old beliefs.
Think about what we talked about. Have you changed any beliefs?

14. Paying attention, distributed practice
How your brain changes with learning
Long-term potentiation
Learning styles
Sleep and exercise
Review highlights of what you’ve covered.
LT potentiation – Our brains form neural connections when we learn. When we strengthen those connections through practice and working with new information in different ways, we are much better able to recall and use the new information. It becomes part of us.
Learning styles – Once we’re aware of how we prefer to learn, we can use those preference and also adapt better to instructors or situations that aren’t using our preferred style.
Sleep and exercise affect how well we learn.
We discussed the limits of cramming, the benefits of distributed practice, some ideas for enhancing our attention and how it helps us to have a growth mindset.
Paying attention, distributed practice
Growth mindset

15. What will you do differently, based on what we’ve discussed?
From everything we’ve covered, what are three things that stand out as important for you?
What will you do differently, based on what we’ve discussed?
How your brain changes with learning
Long-term potentiation
Learning styles
Sleep and exercise
CLICK to show questions.
Hand out index cards.
Ask students to write down their thoughts, for themselves.
What are three things that stand out as important?
What will you do differently?
After students have made notes, ask if anyone wants to volunteer to share.
Paying attention, distributed practice
Growth mindset

16. College Success Skills
Starting Off Strong
Reading, Writing and Research
Test-Taking
Syllabus Reading
Note-Taking Skills
Mastering College-Level Tests
Time Management
Annotating Texts
Metacognition – Understanding How You Learn
Summarizing Readings
Using Your Study Time Well
Library Skills
Working in Groups (Class Projects & Study Groups)
Campus Resources
If applicable, tell students about the other topics you’ll focus on in the future.