Mark Guadagnoli (Medicine) was one of six leading U.S. researchers in psychology and neuroscience presenting cutting-edge research to improve learning at the Symposium on the Optimization of Learning and Teaching at Mississippi State University. The symposium was attended by students and scientists from around the southeastern United States. It included presentations by scientists from Harvard University, UCLA, and the University of Michigan. Guadagnoli explained how his "Challenge Point Framework" (Guadagnoli & Timothy Lee) significantly speeds learning. He has shown that appropriate short-term challenges result in long-term learning. “When students are challenged at an appropriate level, they enjoy class more, they learn faster, and are more likely to succeed when tested in the classroom and the clinic," he said. Much like the story of Goldilocks finding a bowl of porridge with a “just-right” temperature, there’s a just-right approach for learning a task, which can vary for each student. “Finding the optimal level of difficulty while learning is the key for ultimate performance," he said.
