Today, we’ll hear from Dr. Dan Willingham, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He’s taught there since 1992, and until about 2000, studied the neural basis of learning and memory. But today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-16 education.
He’s the author of several books, including the best-selling Why Don't Students Like School?, and most recently, Outsmart Your Brain. His writing on education has appeared in twenty-three languages. In 2017 he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences.
Links/Sources mentioned:
Dr. Willingham’s books:
Some relevant op-eds written by Dr. Willingham:
Why Aren’t We Curious About the Things We Want to Be Curious About? – New York Times (October 18, 2019)
You Still Need Your Brain - New York Times (May 19, 2017)
Dr. Willingham’s graduation speech for the University of Virginia’s Class of 2024
Dr. Willingham’s TikTok, where he posts short videos about cognitive science and education
A collection of Dr. Willingham’s academic articles
Wired for This is produced and edited by Nwabata Nnani and hosted by Celia Ford.
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