Desirable difficulties for learning with Elizabeth Bjork and Robert Bjork (Ep 66)

About this episode

Anna Stokke discusses desirable difficulties in learning with experts Elizabeth and Robert Bjork.

In this episode, Anna is joined by two world-renowned experts in human memory and learning, Dr. Elizabeth Bjork and Dr. Robert Bjork, to explore what makes a difficulty desirable in learning. They explain why some learning strategies that feel effortful often leads to stronger, longer-lasting retention while strategies that feel easy, like rereading or rewatching lectures without self-testing, or cramming, can create an illusion of mastery. The conversation unpacks retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, variation, and addresses common misconceptions about what makes a difficulty desirable, and why what looks like slow progress in the short term may actually lead to more durable learning in the long-term. This episode will be of interest to educators at all levels and is especially important for high school and university students and their teachers who want to develop effective study habits grounded in science. This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke SHORT COURSE La Trobe Short Course: Evidence-informed Mathematics Teaching – An Introduction https://shortcourses.latrobe.edu.au/evidence-informed-mathematics-teaching TIMESTAMP [00:00:22]…

People in this episode

Host: Anna Stokke

Guests: Elizabeth Bjork, Robert Bjork

Topics covered

• learning strategies
• human memory
• desirable difficulties
• educational techniques
• study habits

Keywords

• retrieval practice
• spacing
• interleaving
• memory retention
• effective study habits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: La Trobe, YouTube

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