Robert Bjork

The purpose of the National Center for Advanced Technology in Schools (NCATS) is to create materials that will lead to improved learning of critically important math concepts such as pre-algebra and algebra, commonly referred to as "gateway" concepts, because they are necessary for successfully performing higher-level math. The team will leverage advances in instructional technology (e.g., "serious games") in order to challenge and motivate 9th grade students, particularly underperforming on...

At the time of this study, laboratory research indicated that interventions that appeared to make learning more difficult and slowed the rate of learning were often effective in enhancing long-term retention of information. This research team planned to determine whether the benefits of these "desirable difficulties" demonstrated in laboratory tasks could be generalized to realistic educational materials and contexts. The subjects of this study were middle school and college students using t...