Unmasking instructional illusions with Paul Kirschner, Carl Hendrick and Jim Heal (Ep 56)
10 October 2025

Unmasking instructional illusions with Paul Kirschner, Carl Hendrick and Jim Heal (Ep 56)

Chalk & Talk

About

In this episode, Anna Stokke welcomes three leading experts in education, Dr. Paul Kirschner, Dr. Carl Hendrick, and Dr. Jim Heal for a fascinating discussion about their new book, Instructional Illusions. Drawing on decades of experience and research, they explore key ideas from the book, including how to bridge the gap between educational research and classroom practice. Together, they discuss the science of learning, evidence-informed teaching, and how educators can apply research insights to improve instruction. This engaging conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about effective teaching and student learning.


 


Register for the Masterclass:  Evidence-informed Mathematics Teaching, La Trobe School of Education


 


Read the book, Instructional Illusions, here: https://tinyurl.com/instructional-illusions 


 


TIMESTAMPS


[00:00:22] Introductions


[00:05:15] What are Instructional Illusions?


[00:07:30] The difference between illusions and myths


[00:11:13] The discovery illusion


[00:12:50] Why do people believe in discovery learning?


[00:19:50] The curse of knowledge


[00:24:29] The innovation illusion


[00:30:01] Unmasking the innovation illusion


[00:32:59] The expertise Illusion


[00:38:04] The Dunning-Kruger effect


[00:43:48] Unmasking the expertise illusion


[00:47:50] The uniqueness illusion


[00:50:52] The engagement illusion


[00:57:10] Shifting the focus to cognitive engagement


[01:01:28] The student-centred illusion


[01:05:00] Unmasking the student-centred illusion


[01:06:23] Is the science of learning a fad?


RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES 


Evidence Based Teaching Strategies with Paul Kirschner
https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep2-evidence-based-teaching-strategies-with-paul-kirschner/


 


Mindsets and Misconceptions with Carl Hendrick


https://chalkandtalkpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-22-mindsets-and-misconceptions-with-carl-hendrick/


 


EPISODE RESOURCES


Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15326985ep4102_1


EPISODE TRANSCRIPT


https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-56-transcript


 


MUSIC


Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it
Website: www.annastokke.com
X: @rastokke
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c
Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social