Cognitive Science for Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Educators

The course addresses how knowledge from cognitive science can contribute to developing teaching and supporting student learning. Central cognitive processes such as attention, memory, perception, motivation and executive functions are discussed in relation to learning in the classroom. The course introduces teaching methods with empirical support within cognitive science, such as retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving and dual coding, and highlights how these can be used to support student learning. Particular focus is directed at how teaching can be designed to meet students' cognitive variation. Through connections to didactic and special education perspectives, it addresses how teaching can be differentiated, and how teachers can be supported and supervised in the work of making teaching more accessible to students with different learning conditions.