Tag: visible learning

Old-School Teaching Techniques Are Back!

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback)

Illustrated by Sutthiya Lertyongphati

Accompanying podcast episode:

For years, the narrative in education was clear: more technology means better learning. Classrooms filled with devices, digital textbooks replaced print, and innovation was measured in the number of screens a school could acquire.

Now, after a decade of high-tech experimentation, something fascinating is happening.

Teachers are rediscovering the power of traditional, low-tech methods. Not because they are nostalgic, but because research is proving that these approaches work. As Dylan Wiliam said,

“Not all innovations improve learning. Sometimes, the most effective tools are the simplest.” – Dylan Wiliam

The future of teaching might just look a little like the past.

1. Simplicity Improves Thinking

Too much digital stimulation can overload working memory and reduce focus. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (2020), simplifying lesson design leads to better learning outcomes, especially in problem solving subjects.

Sometimes a whiteboard and a pen allow deeper thinking than a touchscreen ever could.

2. Handwriting Helps Students Remember More

The research is clear: writing notes by hand improves memory and understanding.

“Writing by hand is a stronger cognitive process than typing.”
– Dr. Virginia Berninger

Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) found that handwritten notes encourage students to summarise and process information, which boosts long-term recall.

When students write by hand, they engage more brain systems than when typing.

3. Teacher-Led Instruction Works

Student autonomy can have a place in education (especially for older students), but explicit teaching often leads to stronger progress.

“Direct instruction is one of the most powerful teaching tools available to educators.”
– Barak Rosenshine

Reports from the Institute of Education Sciences (2018) show that clear modelling and guided practice significantly increase achievement in literacy and numeracy.

4. Retrieval Practice Builds Long-Term Knowledge

There is a reason that quizzes, tests and assessments are back with a vengeance.

“Testing is not a mere assessment tool. It is a learning event.”
– Henry L. Roediger III

Roediger and Karpicke (2006) found that retrieval practice produces far better retention than re-reading or highlighting.

Flashcards and low-stakes quizzes are not outdated. They are brain-friendly.

5. Balance Matters More Than Tech Integration

Digital tools can enhance learning, but they are not magic.

“Technology amplifies great teaching but cannot replace it.”
– John Hattie

Hattie’s Visible Learning meta-analyses (2018) reveal that teacher clarity has a much bigger impact on achievement than technology alone.

Tech is a support. Not the star of the show.

6. Routines Make Students Feel Safe

Predictability allows students to focus on learning rather than uncertainty.

“Structure creates freedom for students to learn.”
– Doug Lemov

Research by Lemov (2021) shows that routines reduce stress and waste less instructional time. Consider building routines for homework, lesson structures, topic reviews, journaling and anything else that may be appropriate.

Are your classroom routines truly embedded?

7. Printed Text Creates Deeper Reading

Screens encourage quick scrolling. Paper encourages processing.

“Digital reading encourages skimming. Print encourages deep reading.”
– Dr Maryanne Wolf

A University of Maryland meta-analysis (2018) found that print improves comprehension, especially when reading for detail or analysis.

8. Human Connection Is the Ultimate Educational Technology

The best learning happens in positive relationships.

“A teacher’s relationship with students is the single biggest factor in classroom success.”
– Robert Marzano

Marzano (2003) found that strong teacher-student relationships equate to several additional months of learning per year.

9. Back to Basics Because Basics Matter

Employers are noticing that many young people lack essential skills.

“Foundational skills are not optional. They are prerequisites for advanced learning.”
– OECD Education Directorate

The OECD Skills Outlook (2021) reports global declines in basic numeracy and literacy. Schools are responding by emphasising phonics, fluency and vocabulary again.

Employers are increasingly reporting that fresh graduates lack basic, essential skills.

10. Paper Helps Students Focus

Digital distraction is now one of the biggest challenges in education.

“Students today face unprecedented levels of distraction. Simpler tools help them concentrate.”
– Dr Larry Rosen

Common Sense Media (2022) reports that teens check their phones more than 100 times per day. A paper worksheet can feel like a break for their brains.

11. Blended Learning Works Best When it is Light on Tech

John Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory reminds us that unnecessary complexity restricts learning efficiency.

“Effective teaching is about the intentional selection of methods, not the novelty of tools.”
– John Sweller

The best classrooms blend traditional and digital strategies with purpose.

12. Old-School Methods Now Look Fresh and Innovative

There is a delightful irony in the fact that traditional methods feel new again.

“The future of learning is a balanced classroom where tradition and innovation work together.”
– Sir Ken Robinson

UNESCO (2021) recommends hybrid approaches that keep human interaction at the heart of learning while allowing technology to support, not dominate.

Final Thought

Old-school is not old-fashioned. It is evidence-based.

The lesson schools are learning today is simple: The best methods are the ones that help students think deeply, connect with others, and remember what they learn.

Oftentimes that means closing the laptop and opening a notebook.

Bibliography and References

  1. Common Sense Media (2022) Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences. San Francisco: Common Sense Media.
  2. Education Endowment Foundation (2020) Cognitive Load: Using Instructional Approaches to Reduce Learners Mental Burden. London: EEF.
  3. Hattie, J. (2018) Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 1,400 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge.
  4. Institute of Education Sciences (2018) What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Reports. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
  5. Lemov, D. (2021) Teach Like a Champion 3.0. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
    Marzano, R.J. (2003) What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
  6. Mueller, P.A. and Oppenheimer, D.M. (2014) The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), pp.1159 to 1168.
  7. OECD (2021) OECD Skills Outlook. Paris: OECD Publishing.
  8. Roediger, H.L. and Karpicke, J.D. (2006) Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), pp.249 to 255.
  9. Sweller, J. (2019) Cognitive Load Theory and Educational Technology. Educational Technology Research and Development, 67(2), pp.507 to 528.
  10. University of Maryland (2018) Print vs Digital Reading: A Meta-Analysis on Comprehension. College Park: UMD.
  11. Wiliam, D. (2016) Leadership for Teacher Learning. West Palm Beach, FL: Learning Sciences International.
  12. Wolf, M. (2018) Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World. New York: HarperCollins.
  13. UNESCO (2021) Futures of Education: Learning to Become. Paris: UNESCO.