One area of the learning sciences that resonates with me is the idea of productive struggle, which George Reese discussed in the course materials. His examples helped me appreciate how learning often requires students to stay with a challenging idea long enough for deeper understanding to form. Educational psychology gives us a framework to understand why these moments of difficulty are so powerful.

Research in educational psychology and cognitive science, such as Bjorks concept of desirable difficulties, explains that when learners engage in effortful thinking, their long term retention and ability to transfer knowledge both improve. Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development also helps illustrate that learners grow the most when a task is just beyond what they can do independently, yet still reachable with the right guidance. This connects well with the readings on scaffolding, where teachers intentionally adjust their support so students can handle a challenge without feeling overwhelmed.

The videos and readings also emphasized the emotional side of learning. Struggle is not only a cognitive experience, it is shaped by motivation, perseverance, and the belief that confusion can be worked through. Self determination theory helps explain why students embrace struggle more easily when they feel autonomy, competence, and a sense of connection with their teacher. This link between thinking and emotion made the concept more human and relatable for me.

Educational psychology also offers interpretive concepts like metacognition, feedback timing, cognitive load, and motivation theory, all of which explain how a challenge can become meaningful instead of discouraging. What stands out to me is how these theories guide practical classroom decisions: when to step back, when to support, and how to give feedback that helps students persist rather than become dependent.

Overall, productive struggle is not simply a strategy, it is part of a broader vision of learning where students grow through effort, reflection, and support. The course materials helped me see this process in a more holistic, human, and evidence based way.

Suggested Media

1. Visual of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

A clean and widely used diagram showing the three learning zones:

Link:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zone_of_proximal_development.svg

(This is from Wikimedia Commons — free, open-license, and allowed for academic use.)

2. Diagram of “Desirable Difficulties”

A simple image illustrating Bjork’s concept—effortful learning leads to better retention.

Link:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desirable_Difficulties_(Bjork,_2011).png

References 

Bjork, R. A. (1994). Desirable difficulties in theory and practice.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Reese, G. (Course video). Productive Struggle in Learning. Coursera / Scholar MOOC.
National Academies of Sciences. (2018). How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures.