--- title: "Unforgettable Lessons with the Science of Learning!" type: "blog" space: "The Teaching & Learning Centre" author: "Ashley Ribbel" created: 2026-09-19T00:22:40Z updated: 2026-09-19T00:23:29Z tags: ["faculty-pd", "learning", "professional-development", "science-of-learning", "spark-plug", "student-engagement", "teaching", "teaching-and-learning", "teaching-and-learning-centre", "tlc-course"] url: "https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/39/the-teaching-learning-centre/blogs/updates/24809/unforgettable-lessons-with-the-science-of-learning" --- # Unforgettable Lessons with the Science of Learning! [**View all the Teaching & Learning Centre Spark Plugs!**](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/39/the-teaching-learning-centre/blogs) * * * **by Laura Page, Professor in the Teaching & Learning Centre** Hello, Colleagues! It’s time once again for the course that puts the “L” in the TL&C: The Science of Learning! My name is Laura Page, and I’m a professor in the Teaching & Learning Centre. Let me tell you a story about why I think the **Science of Learning** is so important. ![Two young children reading books in the sun on a front lawn](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=XD8xaYZPpnQA4tmbEUkguA%3D%3D)My two children loved the exciting world of school in their early years. However, I noticed quickly that they were falling behind in reading, struggling with their school’s “whole language” approach. This method of reading acquisition \(memorizing sight words, etc.\) may feel right, but it does not work for every child. When children can’t easily “crack the code” of sounding out words, they don’t have the cognitive space to enjoy the story, leading to less time practicing reading and a well-established negative feedback loop \(e.g., [Stanovich, 1986](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1987-15181-001)\). Research shows that a structured, phonics-based approach is much more effective for all learners. I was able to enrol both boys in a reading intervention program designed by psychologists at Sick Kids hospital, and now they’re able to enjoy the adventures of books along with their classmates. The science of learning to the rescue! One stroll through the “Education” section of any bookstore will now reveal titles such as, [How Humans Learn](https://wvupressonline.com/node/758) \(Eyler, 2018\), [Outsmart your Brain](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Outsmart-Your-Brain/Daniel-T-Willingham/9781982167172) \(Willingham, 2023\), [Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology](https://wvupressonline.com/remembering-and-forgetting-in-the-age-of-technology) \(Miller, 2022\), and [Make it Stick](https://blog.apaonline.org/2020/02/19/takeaways-from-make-it-stick-the-science-of-successful-learning/) \(Brown, et al., 2014\). In this burst of fascinating new data on how information gets into the brain \(and eventually gets out again\), what do polytechnic instructors really need to know about the Science of Learning? This four-week fully asynchronous online course will explore questions such as: What tips should I give my students about how learning works and how to study? How can I tie new content to my students’ prior knowledge to create lasting connections? How can I leverage [“desirable difficulties”](https://blog.apaonline.org/2020/02/19/takeaways-from-make-it-stick-the-science-of-successful-learning/) to challenge students and lead to durable learning? After all, easy in, easy out! This course digs into some of the most interesting and sometimes counterintuitive findings from this field over the recent years and provides a forum for sharing useful tips among a community of interested colleagues. Join us in helping our students make the most of their learning here at Seneca and carry that knowledge with them into future successful careers! So come on out, earn a new badge, and raise your glass with me: To Science! Our [**Science of Learning course**](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/39/the-teaching-learning-centre/events/details/4888) begins on Nov. 9, 2026. Spaces are limited! Register in [MyPD](https://mypd.senecapolytechnic.ca/lime/Pages/Courses/Details.aspx?id=4414&returnUrl=Calendar.aspx&q=). ^Header photo by [Brett Jordan](https://unsplash.com/de/@brett_jordan?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/w7sIj-M5Xyc?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)In-article photo credit: Laura Page^ * * * [**View all the Teaching & Learning Centre Spark Plugs!**](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/39/the-teaching-learning-centre/blogs) * * * ## Attachments - [SoL Content Pic.jpg](https://employees.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=XD8xaYZPpnQA4tmbEUkguA%253D%253D)