Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning
Judy Willis, M.D.

A long-time fan of Gary Larson’s The Far Side comic strip, I remember a cartoon that featured a student reaching for a brain in his jacket. The caption read, “Midway through the exam, Allen pulls out a bigger brain.” Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning, by Dr. Judy Willis, is a short but informative work that puts an end to the requirement for backup brains.

As a neurologist and classroom teacher, Dr. Willis clearly demonstrates that instructional strategies and student learning can be improved through the application of relevant learning-centered brain research.

This book is written to help improve the art of teaching with practical classroom strategies backed by cutting-edge research on brain development, alertness, attention, memory storage and memory retrieval.

Educators will find the Strategies to Captivate Students’ Attention chapter illuminating and practical. The chapter provides strategies that teachers can use to hold the attention of students and improving learning outcomes. While Dr. Willis provides the science behind the strategy, she also shows how simple elements – humor, optical illusions, curiosity and music, for example – can increase student interest and engagement.

A robust glossary at the end of the book is an added bonus. The glossary provides a one-stop shop on the terms and issues that make up the neuroimaging and brain mapping research worlds.

Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning is an educator-friendly and practical introduction to learning-centered brain research.  In an age where substantial confusion surrounds the application of neurology research to education, Willis’ book is an indispensable guide.

Reviewed by Andrew H. Potter, Vice President for Education & Academic Affairs, Envision.