Summary of 7 Books on the Science of Learning

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

In the video, John Anderson discusses how the human mind works, why the best writers get the most writer's block, and the process of evolution. He also provides selections from his recent reading list, which include books on the science of learning, the mind, evolution, and expertise. Anderson argues that to understand the mind, we must integrate human intentions, memory, and step-by-step thinking processes. Finally, he discusses how writing defies the standard picture of expertise and how experienced office writers often start writing immediately, while expert writers are slow plotting and effortful problem solvers.

• 00:00:00 In "7 Books on the Science of Learning", John Anderson discusses how the human mind works, why the best writers get the most writer's block, and the process of evolution. He also provides selections from his recent reading list, which include books on the science of learning, the mind, evolution, and expertise. Anderson argues that to understand the mind, we must integrate human intentions, memory, and step-by-step thinking processes. Finally, he discusses how writing defies the standard picture of expertise and how experienced office writers often start writing immediately, while expert writers are slow plotting and effortful problem solvers.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses the different learning strategies that novice and expert writers use. Novices typically use a knowledge telling strategy, while experienced writers use a more elaborate process called a knowledge transformation strategy. The expert is working simultaneously in two problem spaces: one concerning rhetorical issues and the other concerning content issues. The back and forth process is effortful but it results in better writing than is achieved by novices.
• 00:10:00 Ziegler argues that the field of learning has systematically overlooked variability in cognitive development, instead favoring a single way of thinking. Siegler's investigations have shown that the strategies children use to solve problems evolve over time, and that functional fixity - the idea that people are less able to see objects in alternative functions - is a common phenomenon.