I don't agree with Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). Here's Why (Updated with downloadable paper)file)

February 14, 2024

A question: is Cognitive Load Theory another example of the emperor’s new clothes?

Some thoughts on memory, and especially 'working memory'

July 19, 2022

My position is that I think the idea of ‘working memory’ is misapplied and, in any case, unnecessary.

Review: The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

July 16, 2022

This book differs from many of the books and articles I’ve read about memory because it delves into the physical changes that occur in different situations.

I don't agree with Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). Here's Why

November 7, 2021

A question: is Cognitive Load Theory another example of the emperor’s new clothes?

Recent book reviews

Review: The Art of Uncertainty (two reviews in one)

The Computing department would find the section on facial recognition interesting, because apart from possible ethical concerns, the fact is that even if the system has high accuracy, most of its identifications will be wrong.

Review: The Newsmongers: A History of Tabloid Journalism (two reviews in one!)

I was intrigued to discover that a popular news magazine of the sixties had been anticipated by Defoe.

Quick look: AI For Educators

There are some good ideas here, especially for prompts.

Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich -- Extended review

Nearly a hundred years after the Nazi phenomenon people are still asking the question: how could apparently ordinary or, in some cases, highly cultured, people commit such terrible crimes.

Education book reviews of 2024

This pdf contains the reviews of mine that were published in Teach Secondary magazine in 2024.

Review: How I review books on edtech

My views on what constitutes a book on edtech are fairly catholic. Indeed, it would me more accurate to denote the books I review as books for teachers of ICT, Computing, digital literacy etc etc,, rather than books on edtech. The latter tend to have titles like “How to teach Computing”, or “How to use Excel in the classroom”.

Review: Nuts and Bolts: How Tiny Inventions Make Our World Work

It's rather disconcerting when one considers that buildings like The Shard are essentially held together by nuts, bolts and washers.

Review: Love Triangle: The Life-changing Magic of Trigonometry

Like, I suspect, many people, I have never knowingly come across an isosceles triangle in my life, and wouldn’t know what to do with it if I did. However...