Instructional Illusions

Instructional Illusions is a tremendously timely book that forensically takes apart many of the most persistent misconceptions in education today. In particular, the section on the Performance Illusion shows how the superficially plausible belief that assessments performance equates deep understanding is responsible for so much bad practice. In an age where AI can easily complete assessments, this corrective has never been more important. This is a must-read for teachers and leaders concerned with improving student learning in lasting ways. * Daisy Christodoulou, Director of Education, No More Marking *
One of the greatest challenges of learning goes mostly unseen; we think we can tell when we (or others) are learning, but our perceptions are often wrong. This excellent, brief volume exposes the most common and pernicious of these errors, and describes how to correct them. Educators, parents, and students...get ready to be shocked, and then to learn! * Daniel T. Willingham, Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia and author of Why Don’t Students Like School? *
Instructional Illusions by Paul Kirschner, Carl Hendrick, and Jim Heal is an entertaining and insightful antidote to many insidious misconceptions about how learning and instruction work that are currently infecting educational practice. If you are interested in how an evidence-based approach can improve education, this little volume belongs on your bookshelf. * Richard E. Mayer, Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara *
A major purpose of all science is to free us from illusions. Our senses tell us the earth is flat, but science disabuses us of that illusion. The science of learning equally disabuses us of educational illusions, but we have not had a compendium that indicates the illusions and their correctives. Now we have such a compendium providing a historical marker indicating where we have been and where we are now. Given the previous work by these authors, we might expect a superbly written book. And that is exactly what we have. * John Sweller, Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology, University of New South Wales *
This book is a boon for educators and students. The authors describe and illustrate conceptual roadblocks in teaching and learning that must be overcome to be successful. The illusions they describe so well are common ones that hinder education, and their recommendations for overcoming them will help learners and teachers. I highly recommend this book. * Henry L. Roediger III, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Washington University, co-author of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning *
Teaching is perhaps the best known and least known profession. Since we have all been taught at some point in our lives, we presume to understand it. Having seen absurd portrayals in popular culture, we are inclined to think of it in terms of simplistic caricature. And knowing that it has been around for roughly time immemorial we tend to believe it consists of processes that can be understood by simple, sensible observation alone. None of this is true, of course, and the resulting misconceptions come at massive cost to students and society. At last, in the hands of Kirschner, Hendrick, and Heal, the most persistent illusions about classroom and cognition are ably and clearly laid to rest, replaced with a clear model of how learning works. Their book is a gift to educators (and those they educate) and should be on every teacher's bookshelf. * Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion *
Instructional Illusions is a remarkable book that fuses scholarly depth with classroom practicality. Far more than a critique of educational fads, it celebrates the science of learning by making visible the core issues that truly drive student growth. With clarity, compelling stories, and humility, the authors lift the veil on deeply embedded misconceptions and guide us toward practices that have real impact. This is a gift to anyone serious about improving teaching and learning. * John Hattie, Melbourne Laureate Professor Emeritus *
Anyone involved in education will find this book invaluable! Kirschner, Hendrick, and Heal show us how cognitive biases can undermine effective teaching, and they offer clear, evidence-based strategies to recognize and overcome these instructional illusions. Grounded in the science of learning, this book is filled with practical examples and actionable advice. It's also a great read! * Anna Stokke, Professor of Mathematics, Winnipeg University *
Instructional Illusions is an important must-read for teachers, students, and parents. It offers practical, immediately useful information backed by first-rate, contemporary scholarship. It not only highlights common illusions experienced by students and educators but also explains that these illusions are perfectly normal and offers actionable solutions to "unmask" the illusions. It is an incredible achievement to distill cutting-edge research on the science of learning into practical recommendations and a brief, accessible format. * Jeffrey D. Karpicke, James V. Bradley Professor of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University *