"A teacher who has experienced this course ought to come away with the notion that there are some fundamental principles that we understand about how people learn, and how they develop, and that a good teacher can, by watching, looking, and listening for those clues about what the learner is experiencing, can develop a curriculum and a set of lessons that are more responsive and more effective."  - Linda Darling-Hammond

Components of the course

Print guide

The print guide is a complete handbook for learners participating in the course and faculty or group leaders conducting it. The guide contains the objectives for each session along with an overview essay, discussion questions, other activities that may be completed within a group meeting or outside it as homework assignments, and references and other recommended readings.

The 30-minute video programs present teachers actively using learning theory in their own practice. Each program generally includes one vignette taped in a K-5 class and one taped in a middle or high school classroom that help illustrate the main ideas of the session. Experts put perspective on the segments with additional comments. The programs contain "video pauses" identified with an icon on the screen. These are places keyed to discussion questions in the print guide that highlight main ideas and teaching practices portrayed in the video. You may watch the videos via Video on Demand. You may also purchase videocassettes of the course either online or by calling 1-800-LEARNER.

Web site

This Web site contains overview descriptions of each of the sessions in the course, transcripts of the videos, copies of the print guide in PDF format and other support materials, learning activities in the learning challenges section, and a site map.

The site also contains a link to Teacher-Talk - an online discussion group.

If you are a faculty member or professional development facilitator who is conducting this course, you will find it is designed to be flexible for teaching in different contexts.

For faculty who meet in a group with their students, the components are designed to help you -

• prepare learners for each of 13 sessions by giving them reading assignments and questions to think about
• begin the session with "getting started" activities that relate to the session
• watch and discuss the video program
• continue with other activities and assessments that can be incorporated into the session time, or discussed in class and completed as homework
• finish in approximately two to two-and-one-half hours

The course can also be easily adapted for teaching at a distance, where students may view the programs via cassette, or Video on Demand.

To prepare for conducting the course, go to the print guide (PDF) and find detailed suggestions for using the print, video, and Web components.

Sign up for Teacher-Talk to engage in discussion with others participating in the course across the country.

If you are a student or inservice teacher who will be taking this course, go to the Session Overview link on the left-side navigation bar to find an index of the sessions and links to each session home page.

Download and review the print About This Course (PDF).

If you are taking the course on your own and not with a group, be sure to sign up for Teacher-Talk to participate in discussions with other learners across the country.

Go to www.learner.org/4gradcredit for details on receiving graduate credit for the course.

Before your first session download the print guide for How People Learn: Introduction to Learning Theory (PDF), review and reflect on Getting Started activities (Section IV-A), and read the Session Overview and other session reading listed in the guide.

Return to home page.

Begin exploring the Session Overviews.

Purchase the course online or by calling 1-800-LEARNER.