Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Episode OverviewIn Part 2 of this interview, I continue my conversation with André Hedlund, creator of The Learning Cosmos. This episode moves from practical classroom applications into the foundational theories of learning science, exploring how teachers can help students become more independent and effective learners.Key Discussion PointsMetacognition as "Learning How to Learn": André argues that metacognition must go beyond just "thinking about thinking". It involves giving students agency by teaching them the evidence-based strategies (like spaced practice) that make their brains work.Navigating the Curriculum: Tips for focusing on the "substance" of a lesson instead of being a "hostage" to a textbook. André suggests using textbooks as tools to meet learning outcomes rather than rigid guides.The Necessity of "Desirable Difficulties": Drawing on the work of Robert and Elizabeth Bjork, the pair discuss why learning requires a certain level of struggle—much like a physical workout at the gym—to consolidate long-term memory.The Foundation of Critical Thinking: Why critical thinking is domain-specific and impossible without foundational knowledge. As André notes, quoting Carl Hendrick, students cannot "connect the dots" if they do not have any dots in their long-term memory to begin with.AI and Cognitive Offloading: A look at the limitations of artificial intelligence in education and the danger of offloading knowledge to search engines, which can deplete working memory and hinder deep thinking.About the Guest: André Hedlund is an education consultant and the host of The Learning Cosmos podcast, where he interviews leading cognitive psychologists and researchers to bridge the gap between science and the classroom.Mentioned in this EpisodeResearch: Robert and Elizabeth Bjork on Desirable Difficulties.Guest References: Daniel Willingham, John Sweller, and Carl Hendrick.Website: Learning Cosmos. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit josephmcmayhew.substack.com

This is part one of a two-part conversation between me and Andre Hedlund of the Learning Cosmos Podcast and Learning Cosmos Substack account.He is an extremely knowledgable learning scientist and teacher trainer and the perfect person to have on the podcast.In this episode, we discuss how he found his way into teaching and then eventually learning science, his approach to applying what we know from Learning Science in the classroom, and we discuss how to applies these principles in a 7th grade science class with a specific learning objective.I've learned most of what I know about the science of learning from him and the amazing guests on his podcasts. Make sure to go check him out at https://learningcosmos.substack.com/Thanks again, Andre! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit josephmcmayhew.substack.com

This first episode lays out my plans for this show. I’m interested in discussing applied examples of and research on best practices in cultivating critical thinking in the classroom. I describe my professional background and understanding of how critical thinking is achieved in the classroom. Based on the literature, I don’t believe it is possible to “teach” critical thinking, but critical thinking is rather a mode of thinking we experience. So, this show is not about how to teach critical thinking, but rather how to create a situation in class that is conducive to critical thinking.If you are a teacher, homeschooler, youth program leader, or education and learning science researcher, and you’d like to come on the show, please dm me, send a message or comment on this episode so we can talk shop. My main goal is improving my own practice and allowing others to share what works for everyone’s benefit, especially kids. The show is produced by me and the theme music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit josephmcmayhew.substack.com