The Science

Everything we do at thinkfour is built on the science of learning.  

Our videos are designed to have maximum impact. They look simple but they are based on some pretty deep ideas. 

Here is a quick summary of the science:

8 step process

Threshold Concepts

  • in every subject there are some theories or concepts that are crucial to understand. Without them, you cannot progress or improve much. Every thinkfour tutorial works through a threshold concept – something we think you must understand for this subject.

1

Dual Coding

  • research shows that learning is most effective when words and diagrams are used together. This is why most of our videos include picture summaries or diagrams.

2

Cognitive Load

  • our brains can only handle so much information of any sort at one time. Therefore, the core of each episode (after the intro and before the outro) has nothing but spoken explanation and summary diagrams – no music, no fancy video shots, nothing that will take away brain capacity from your learning.

3

Direct instruction

  • this is a growing body of research evidence highlighting the power of scripted and sequential lessons for understanding new material, particularly if you can return to it again and again.

4

Chunking

  • each four-minute tutorial focuses on only one key idea at a time. This matters when learning new and complex material, as it avoids putting too much pressure on your working memory. Build it bit by bit.

5

Scaffolding and modelling

  • on your way to mastery of a new idea it is really important to see how someone who already has it clear in their head (an expert) treats a problem. This is why we have asked our presenters to talk through sample questions and picking apart on-screen examples. Watch it being done right.

6

Analogy

  • we try and get you thinking about complicated ideas in different ways. If you can see a problem from different angles you are more likely to remember it and to be able to reapply it in different ways in the future. Those curious stories in the introductions actually matter…

7

Asynchronous access

  • the power of returning. We reckon a great teacher explaining a complicated idea is gold. But, too often, this is missed in the classroom or just never understood in the first place. That’s why we think capturing these explanations matter – so, unlike a normal lesson, you can return to them as often as you need, whenever you need.

8

Explore subject videos

Art

Seeing & Creating

Biology

Life & Nature

Business

Work & industry

Chemistry

Elements & atoms

English

Words & ideas

French

language & culture

Geography

people & places

History

PAST TO PRESENT

Latin

Classics & literature

Mathematics

Values & Analysis

Modern Studies

Society & culture

Physics

matter & motion

Physical Ed

sport & fitness