Paul Kirschner
@paulkirschner.bsky.social
Educational realist, Diehard edu myth-buster, Grumpy Old Man, Emeritus Prof. Educational Psychology Open Universiteit, Guest Prof. Thomas More Uni (Belgium), owner kirschner-ED
Designing instruction that depends on failure to do the heavy lifting isn’t principled minimalism; it’s misplaced optimism.
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
#EduSky
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/publish/post...
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
#EduSky
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/publish/post...
Stop teaching (through) failure
Why “failure as pedagogy” is a comforting yet dangerous myth
paulkirschner173727.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Designing instruction that depends on failure to do the heavy lifting isn’t principled minimalism; it’s misplaced optimism.
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
#EduSky
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/publish/post...
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
#EduSky
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/publish/post...
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
Stop teaching (through) failure
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
www.kirschnered.nl
January 1, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Failure is an outcome. Learning is a design problem. And confusing the two is a mistake we can’t afford.
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
#EduSky
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
#EduSky
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
When teachers fear math, students feel it
The anxiety in the room
substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:25 AM
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
#EduSky
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
#EduSky
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Wanneer leraren bang zijn voor wiskunde, voelen leerlingen dat
Als we leerlingen willen die zelfverzekerd met wiskunde omgaan, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waar de docent voor de klas zich niet bedreigd voelt tijdens het lesgeven.
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
Als we leerlingen willen die zelfverzekerd met wiskunde omgaan, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waar de docent voor de klas zich niet bedreigd voelt tijdens het lesgeven.
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
Wanneer leraren bang zijn voor wiskunde, voelen leerlingen dat
De angst in de kamer
open.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:22 AM
Wanneer leraren bang zijn voor wiskunde, voelen leerlingen dat
Als we leerlingen willen die zelfverzekerd met wiskunde omgaan, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waar de docent voor de klas zich niet bedreigd voelt tijdens het lesgeven.
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
Als we leerlingen willen die zelfverzekerd met wiskunde omgaan, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waar de docent voor de klas zich niet bedreigd voelt tijdens het lesgeven.
open.substack.com/pub/paulkirs...
Als we leerlingen willen die zelfverzekerd met wiskunde omgaan, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waar de docent voor de klas zich niet bedreigd voelt tijdens het lesgeven.
Wanneer leraren bang zijn voor wiskunde, voelen leerlingen dat
Als we leerlingen willen die moedig zijn in wiskunde, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waarin de volwassene voor de klas niet het gevoel heeft onder dreiging les te geven.
www.kirschnered.nl
January 1, 2026 at 8:17 AM
Als we leerlingen willen die zelfverzekerd met wiskunde omgaan, hebben we klaslokalen nodig waar de docent voor de klas zich niet bedreigd voelt tijdens het lesgeven.
When teachers fear math, students feel it
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
When teachers fear math, students feel it
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
www.kirschnered.nl
December 31, 2025 at 10:43 AM
When teachers fear math, students feel it
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
If we want learners who are brave with maths, we need classrooms where the adult at the front doesn’t feel they’re teaching under threat.
Will the educational sciences ever grow up?
An oldie but goodie from Miriam Neelen and me
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Eminence-Based Education or The Terror of Famous & Shameless Eduquacks
It’s time to get rid of our belief in eminences and move toward evidence-informed practices. It's time to see that many educational emperors have no clothes.
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/p/eminence-b...
It’s time to get rid of our belief in eminences and move toward evidence-informed practices. It's time to see that many educational emperors have no clothes.
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/p/eminence-b...
Eminence-Based Education or The Terror of Famous & Shameless Eduquacks
Another oldie but goodie by Miriam Neelen and me
paulkirschner173727.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Eminence-Based Education or The Terror of Famous & Shameless Eduquacks
It’s time to get rid of our belief in eminences and move toward evidence-informed practices. It's time to see that many educational emperors have no clothes.
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/p/eminence-b...
It’s time to get rid of our belief in eminences and move toward evidence-informed practices. It's time to see that many educational emperors have no clothes.
paulkirschner173727.substack.com/p/eminence-b...
Google fails miserably with its new AI programme Learn Everything according to @larryferlazzo.bsky.social
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2025/12/21/w...
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2025/12/21/w...
With “Learn Everything,” Google Strikes Out Again In Trying To Make AI Useful
Google has been trying hard for years to come up with useful ways to use AI, and they have developed two of them – NotebookLM and Google Storybook. Their latest AI experiment, Learn Ev…
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org
December 22, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Google fails miserably with its new AI programme Learn Everything according to @larryferlazzo.bsky.social
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2025/12/21/w...
larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2025/12/21/w...
The Long-Term Memory Problem: Why Teaching and Learning Policies Fail
Priceless! Watch my favourite teaching/learning-geek @adamboxereducation.bsky.social die in front of a full class!
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Priceless! Watch my favourite teaching/learning-geek @adamboxereducation.bsky.social die in front of a full class!
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
The Long-Term Memory Problem: Why Teaching and Learning Policies Fail
Schools are very good at writing policies about in-the-moment teaching. They are much worse at strategising for long-term memory and learning.
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The Long-Term Memory Problem: Why Teaching and Learning Policies Fail
Priceless! Watch my favourite teaching/learning-geek @adamboxereducation.bsky.social die in front of a full class!
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Priceless! Watch my favourite teaching/learning-geek @adamboxereducation.bsky.social die in front of a full class!
open.substack.com/pub/carousel...
Nice set of tips when using slides from Rob @rmcenta.bsky.social #EduSky
www.edutopia.org/article/simp...
www.edutopia.org/article/simp...
3 Simple Slide Tips That Deepen Learning—and Save Time
Whether you use Google Slides or something else, you can promote deep thinking during presentations by tweaking the slides you already have.
www.edutopia.org
December 15, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Nice set of tips when using slides from Rob @rmcenta.bsky.social #EduSky
www.edutopia.org/article/simp...
www.edutopia.org/article/simp...
Deze is voor jou @ionica.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy - Fijne feestdagen,
December 15, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Deze is voor jou @ionica.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy - Fijne feestdagen,
The Illusion of Performance is now in American Educator @carlhendrick.substack.com Jim Heal @lisahansel.bsky.social
For a 15% discount on the book visit go.aft.org/u2x and use the code InstructionalIllusions15 by March 31, 2026.https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2025-2026/kirschner_hendrick_heal
For a 15% discount on the book visit go.aft.org/u2x and use the code InstructionalIllusions15 by March 31, 2026.https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2025-2026/kirschner_hendrick_heal
The Illusion of Performance
www.aft.org
December 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
The Illusion of Performance is now in American Educator @carlhendrick.substack.com Jim Heal @lisahansel.bsky.social
For a 15% discount on the book visit go.aft.org/u2x and use the code InstructionalIllusions15 by March 31, 2026.https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2025-2026/kirschner_hendrick_heal
For a 15% discount on the book visit go.aft.org/u2x and use the code InstructionalIllusions15 by March 31, 2026.https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2025-2026/kirschner_hendrick_heal
A simple thought for a grey and dreary Sunday ⬇️
December 7, 2025 at 1:18 PM
A simple thought for a grey and dreary Sunday ⬇️
Neurofog- how useful is the term neurodiversity in education?
I recently wrote a piece that aligns perfectly with this by the inimitable @tombennett71.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/bennettt...
I recently wrote a piece that aligns perfectly with this by the inimitable @tombennett71.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/bennettt...
Neurofog- how useful is the term neurodiversity in education?
The dangers of ambiguous definitions, and why we desperately need evidence based approaches in this area
open.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Neurofog- how useful is the term neurodiversity in education?
I recently wrote a piece that aligns perfectly with this by the inimitable @tombennett71.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/bennettt...
I recently wrote a piece that aligns perfectly with this by the inimitable @tombennett71.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/bennettt...
For all those teachers and speakers who use slides (all, thus, except John Sweller😂) I give you the 'Oli-Filter' . Please use it!
@olicav.bsky.social
@olicav.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 1:33 PM
For all those teachers and speakers who use slides (all, thus, except John Sweller😂) I give you the 'Oli-Filter' . Please use it!
@olicav.bsky.social
@olicav.bsky.social
Make the Connection
When you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands. #EduSky
www.kirschnered.nl/2025/12/01/m...
When you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands. #EduSky
www.kirschnered.nl/2025/12/01/m...
Make the Connection - kirschner-ED
hen you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands.
www.kirschnered.nl
December 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Make the Connection
When you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands. #EduSky
www.kirschnered.nl/2025/12/01/m...
When you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands. #EduSky
www.kirschnered.nl/2025/12/01/m...
hen you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands.
Make the Connection
hen you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands.
www.kirschnered.nl
December 1, 2025 at 3:10 PM
hen you really want something to “stick”, there are good neuropsychological arguments for putting a pen – or a stylus – in students’ hands.
It's official. Today was my last day as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:38 PM
It's official. Today was my last day as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...
Wait! What?
For all of you who take so much joy in spreading personal things about yourself and your kids on Facebook, think first!!
www.reddit.com/r/SipsTea/co...
I wrote this years ago. Take 2 minutes to read it.
3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/k...
For all of you who take so much joy in spreading personal things about yourself and your kids on Facebook, think first!!
www.reddit.com/r/SipsTea/co...
I wrote this years ago. Take 2 minutes to read it.
3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/k...
From the SipsTea community on Reddit: Wait WHAT?
Explore this post and more from the SipsTea community
www.reddit.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Wait! What?
For all of you who take so much joy in spreading personal things about yourself and your kids on Facebook, think first!!
www.reddit.com/r/SipsTea/co...
I wrote this years ago. Take 2 minutes to read it.
3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/k...
For all of you who take so much joy in spreading personal things about yourself and your kids on Facebook, think first!!
www.reddit.com/r/SipsTea/co...
I wrote this years ago. Take 2 minutes to read it.
3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/k...
Reposted by Paul Kirschner
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
As of Friday 28 November, I’ll be stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of JCAL. It has been a pleasure and an honour to serve you and the research community for the past 12 years. I’m fully confident that my successor, Prof. @j3ro3nj.bsky.social, is the perfect person for the job. #Edusky
November 24, 2025 at 11:55 AM
As of Friday 28 November, I’ll be stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of JCAL. It has been a pleasure and an honour to serve you and the research community for the past 12 years. I’m fully confident that my successor, Prof. @j3ro3nj.bsky.social, is the perfect person for the job. #Edusky
Cómo se aprende: Aportaciones fundamentales en psicología de la educación y su significado en la práctica #EduSky
www.akal.com/libro/como-s...
www.akal.com/libro/como-s...
Cómo se aprende
Cómo se aprende presenta a 32 gigantes de la investigación educativa y sus descubrimientos sobre cómo aprendemos realmente y sobre todo lo que necesitamos saber para hacerlo de forma eficaz, eficiente...
www.akal.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Cómo se aprende: Aportaciones fundamentales en psicología de la educación y su significado en la práctica #EduSky
www.akal.com/libro/como-s...
www.akal.com/libro/como-s...
With so much news, hype, and 'research' about AI in education, I thought it a good idea to bring this blog and open access article under everyone's attention.
ChatGPT: An effect in search of a cause
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
ChatGPT: An effect in search of a cause
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
ChatGPT in Education: An Effect in Search of a Cause
Background As researchers rush to investigate the potential of AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance learning, well-documented pitfalls threaten the validity of this emerging research. Issues of media co...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:26 AM
With so much news, hype, and 'research' about AI in education, I thought it a good idea to bring this blog and open access article under everyone's attention.
ChatGPT: An effect in search of a cause
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
ChatGPT: An effect in search of a cause
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Can't wait to get this!!
Really pleased that the Spanish version of 'How Learning Happens' is finally coming out.
@paulkirschner.bsky.social @olicav.bsky.social @akaleditor.bsky.social
akal.com/libro/como-s...
@paulkirschner.bsky.social @olicav.bsky.social @akaleditor.bsky.social
akal.com/libro/como-s...
November 9, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Can't wait to get this!!