Deeper learning refers to an approach to education that aims to equip students with the skills needed to deal with complexity and solve real-world problems. It goes beyond memorizing facts and focuses on competencies like problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, effective communication, learning how to learn, and developing an academic mindset. It’s important because traditional education often fails to prepare students for the challenges they will face in their professional and personal lives.
Deeper learning encompasses five key components: framing the environment as a set of concrete problems to solve, mastering declarative knowledge, developing thinking skills (integrating information from various sources, embracing diversity, scientific inquiry), fostering self-regulation, and encouraging collaboration.
Experts are often flexible in how they represent information. By providing learners with opportunities to practice switching between and integrating different representations (e.g., text, numbers, visuals), they can develop a deeper understanding of the material. Different representations might be advantageous for different tasks, and fluency in switching between them enhances transfer of learning.