"How Learning Works": some fundamentals that can improve all communication, learning, research and teaching practices

Virtually any communication involves someone learning something from someone else; maybe even everyone learning something! What fundamentals about how people learn are well established? And - how can we leverage those ideas to improve research, teaching and professional communication?

I will outline and we will discuss some fundamental concepts, including:

1. Distinguishing novices from experts; structured knowledge & deliberately practiced skills;
2. Influence of prior knowledge (or lack of it) on learning;
3. Motivation: can learning happen without it?
4. Practice and Feedback; a crucial, iterative cycle, but how best to do it?

We will mix some presentation with plenty of interaction because no-one learns best by simply listening to an individual talking at them for an hour! Also, a resource package will be available with succinct summaries, guidelines and references to help you pursue your own areas of interest.