In this episode, Anna is joined by two world-renowned experts in human memory and learning, Dr. Elizabeth Bjork and Dr. Robert Bjork, to explore what makes a difficulty desirable in learning.

They explain why some learning strategies that feel effortful often leads to stronger, longer-lasting retention while strategies that feel easy, like rereading or rewatching lectures without self-testing, or cramming, can create an illusion of mastery. The conversation unpacks retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, variation, and addresses common misconceptions about what makes a difficulty desirable, and why what looks like slow progress in the short term may actually lead to more durable learning in the long-term.

This episode will be of interest to educators at all levels and is especially important for high school and university students and their teachers who want to develop effective study habits grounded in science.

This episode is also available at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

SHORT COURSE 

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

Evidence-based teaching strategies with Paul Kirschner

How we learn: Naïve, purposeful, and deliberate practice with Stephen Chew

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-mrwn2-18adce0

Powerful teaching with Patrice Bain

How to excel in math and other tough subjects with Barbara Oakley

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-66-transcript

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna is joined once again by Dr. Sarah Powell, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin whose research focusses on supporting students with math difficulties. They respond to a recent NCSM statement criticizing the Science of

Anna and Sarah unpack what the Science of Math is and why high-quality evidence matters.  They address misconceptions about explicit instruction and “one-size-fits-all” teaching and explore why math instruction deserves the same scientific scrutiny as reading instruction. This episode is a must-listen for educators, school leaders, policymakers, and parents navigating the current math education landscape.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

SHORT COURSE 

La Trobe Short Course:  Evidence-informed Mathematics Teaching – An Introduction https://shortcourses.latrobe.edu.au/evidence-informed-mathematics-teaching

[00:00:22] Introduction and an overview of the NCSM statement

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-65-resources

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna is joined by Tom Sherrington, education consultant, author of Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, co-author of the Teaching Walkthrough series, and a former teacher and school leader with over 30 years of experience. Tom shares how Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction became a foundational framework for his own practice and why they remain one of the most useful entry points into evidence-based teaching.

They explore where the principles came from, why they matter, and what they actually look like in real classrooms, with a focus on sequencing and modelling, effective questioning, review, and structured practice. This practical, research-informed conversation offers clear, concrete guidance for educators at all levels who want to align their teaching with how learning works.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

La Trobe Short Course:  Evidence-informed Mathematics Teaching – An Introduction https://shortcourses.latrobe.edu.au/evidence-informed-mathematics-teaching

Principles of Instruction: Research-based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know by Barak Rosenshine: https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/Rosenshine.pdf

[00:00:22] Introduction and listing the 10 principles

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

Educational leadership:  Improving math and literacy with Scott Hill

Exploring evidence for equitable education with Nidhi Sacheva and Jim Hewitt

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-fjdnt-1685615

Evidence-based teaching strategies with Paul Kirschner

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-64-transcript

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna is joined by Craig Barton, former secondary maths teacher, host of the Mr. Barton Maths Podcast, author of How I Wish I’d Taught Maths, and a new Tips for Teachers book series. Craig reflects on how his teaching evolved after engaging deeply with learning science and educational research.

Together, they explore what effective explicit instruction looks like in math from atomisation and worked examples to checking for understanding, purposeful practice, and problem solving across the I do, we do, you do phases. This practical, research-informed episode is essential for educators looking to improve math outcomes by aligning instruction with how learning works.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

SHORT COURSE 

La Trobe Short Course:  Evidence-informed Mathematics Teaching – An Introduction https://shortcourses.latrobe.edu.au/evidence-informed-mathematics-teaching

CRAIG BARTON'S BOOKS & WEBSITE

Order How I Wish I’d Taught Maths here: https://shorturl.at/rGTin

Craig Barton’s Tips for Teachers books & websites: https://mrbartonmaths.com/

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

Raising student achievement with Dylan Wiliam

Project Follow Through:  Direct Instruction’s overlooked success with Marcy Stein

Using the Instructional Hierarchy to teach math with Brendan Lee

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-63-transcript

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna is joined by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a cognitive neuroscientist, educator, and bestselling author of The Digital Delusion. They examine what decades of research and international data reveal about classroom technology, screens, multitasking, attention, and memory, and why more technology often leads to less learning.

Jared explains how offloading knowledge to devices can undermine higher-order thinking, why human teachers’ expertise, and practice, remain central to learning, and when technology may help or hinder students. The conversation also tackles how schools and families can navigate an increasingly tech-saturated education system.

This is a thoughtful, evidence-informed episode for educators, parents, and anyone questioning whether digital tools in the classroom are helping students learn or holding them back.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

Order The Digital Delusion here: https://www.lmeglobal.net/digital-delusion

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

Mindsets and educational misconceptions with Carl Hendrick

Applying cognitive science to education with Daniel Willingham

The tweet that roared with Tom Bennett

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-62-transcript 

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna is joined by two familiar guests, mathematician and founder of JUMP Math, Dr. John Mighton, and learning expert and bestselling author Dr. Barbara Oakley. They discuss their new Coursera course, Making Math Click: Understanding Math Without Fear, what learning science reveals about how students learn math, and why practice and worked examples play such a critical role in building math confidence.

They discuss schemas, give some cautionary advice about using manipulatives and concrete-pictorial-abstract approaches, and explain why moving quickly from concrete to abstract matters. They describe what’s at stake when math education fails, what’s lost when students don’t develop foundational skills, and what it will take to help more learners succeed in math.

This is a practical, engaging, and insightful episode for teachers, parents, university students, and anyone who has ever felt they weren’t a math person.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

Making Math Click: Understand Math Without Fear: Free course with certificate: https://www.coursera.org/learn/math-click?action=showPartnerSupportedAccess

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

How to excel in math and other tough subject with Barabara Oakley

https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-7-best-ways-to-learn-math-with-barbara-oakley/

https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-1-math-and-the-myth-of-ability-with-john-mighton/

Balanced literacy didn’t work–will balanced math? with Ben Solomon

Math fact crisis: strategies for improving numeracy with Brian Poncy

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-61-resources 

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-61-transcript

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna talks with Dr. Jonas Linderoth, a professor of education at the University of Gothenburg, about how influential educational ideas have shaped the teaching profession and why evidence from cognitive science and educational psychology still faces resistance in teacher education. They discuss how education reforms of the 1990s affected teacher status and student outcomes, and Jonas’ reflections on his own role during that period.

They also discuss why evidence-based pedagogy is so crucial and what it means when teachers encounter research-informed strategies and respond with a single word – “finally”.   They also explore Sweden’s recent proposal to embed cognitive science in teacher preparation, why it’s controversial, and how implementation is unfolding.

This is an insightful episode for anyone interested in how research, policy, and classroom practice come together.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/the-power-of-explicit-instruction-with-anita-archer-ep-57/

Maximizing learning through explicit instruction with Zach Groshell

https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-10-maximizing-learning-through-explicit-instruction-with-zach-groshell/

Evidence-based teaching strategies with Paul Kirschner

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-60-resources

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-60-transcript

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

FB: Chalk & Talk

IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna talks with Dr. George Georgiou, an educational psychologist and professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, whose work focuses on preventing and remediating reading difficulties. The episode explores recent Human Rights Commission investigations in Canadian provinces that examined why students haven’t been taught to read using effective, evidence-based, methods–what the inquiries uncovered, and how the situation deteriorated to this point.  

They also discuss George’s research on reading difficulties and his eye-opening study that revealed the gaps in pre-service teachers’ knowledge of language and literacy. They talk about recent reforms in Alberta, including the rollout of universal literacy screening–what the results have shown so far, and how parents and schools are responding. This conversation really highlights what’s possible when research, policy, and practice come together.  As always, Anna advocates that math deserves the same attention as reading.  It’s a must-listen for educators and policymakers worldwide. 

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

Supporting the Right to Read in Manitoba (Manitoba Human Rights Commission, 2025)

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

Using evidence in education with Pamela Snow

Reading and math: parallels and pitfalls with Matthew Burns

https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-20-reading-and-math-parallels-and-pitfalls-with-matthew-burns/

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-59-resources

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-59-transcript

MUSIC

Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

In this episode, Anna Stokke welcomes Dr. Nuno Crato, research professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of Lisbon. He was Portugal’s former Minister of Education and led major education reforms from 2011 to 2015.  His education reforms contributed to Portugal’s strongest-ever results on international assessments like PISA and TIMSS. Nuno shares his belief that everything starts with the curriculum and stresses the importance of clear standards, accountability, and student support. He also explains how Portugal raised academic rigor while helping struggling learners. They also discuss what Nuno’s research on PISA and TIMSS reveal about the characteristics of effective education systems and the lessons policymakers can draw from Portugal’s success. This episode is a must-listen for educators, policymakers, and anyone with an interest in improving education.

This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke

Nuno Crato’s website: https://www.nunocrato.org

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:22] Introduction

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 

From decline to top rankings: How England transformed education with Nick Gibb

The importance of practice and the power of Math Corps with Alex Kontorovich

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-58-resources

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-58-transcript

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

This episode features top takeaways from Anna Stokke’s interview: The Power of Explicit Instruction with Dr. Anita Archer. If you haven’t heard the full conversation yet, you can find the entire episode on the Chalk & Talk YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EE5wvi-xQTM?si=Wx8W4eb5YOqdWEvM

Anita is one of the world’s leading experts on explicit instruction and co-author of the bestselling book Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching. 

Resource page: https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-57-resources