Powerful Learning Podcast
This is a podcast about evidence-based teaching and the science of learning. I’m your host, Luke Rowe, and I’m a lecturer and learning scientist in Melbourne, Australia. I’m extremely passionate about the education and the learning sciences, and I started this podcast with the hope of sharing this passion with you! The mission here at Powerful Learning is to help you know more, do more, and be more. Come join me and my guests on a learning journey into topics such as feedback, metacognition, memory, intelligence, health and wellbeing, emerging and established educational technologies, and motivation – as we explore their broader implications for educators and students. The current plan is to post shows at least once per month. If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, I welcome your feedback by sending me a DM on Twitter / X, posting a comment in one of my YouTube clips, or following me on Instagram. May you enjoy listening to the Powerful Learning Podcast!
Powerful Learning Podcast
7 Hidden Cognitive Biases Sabotaging Your Learning—and How to Stop Them! (MASTERCLASS)
Are you really learning as effectively as you think, or are hidden mental shortcuts holding you back? This episode involves a 'Masterclass' in which we unpack the world of cognitive biases and mental bottlenecks in learning—those subtle psychological tendencies that skew how we perceive, absorb, and evaluate information.
What You’ll Learn:
• Spot Your Blind Spots: How confirmation bias keeps you stuck in old beliefs.
• Get Real About Skills: The Dunning-Kruger effect and why it’s easy to overestimate your know-how.
• Stop Overselling Yourself: Overconfidence bias—and how to finally see where you stand.
• Balance Your Study Time: The hard-easy effect and finding that sweet spot between basic and tough stuff.
• Bust the Illusion of Competence: Why re-reading and highlighting aren’t cutting it for real understanding.
• Beat the Clock: The planning fallacy and simple hacks to finish projects on time.
• Ditch Perfectionism: When “good enough” is actually the key to better performance.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: Why Biases Matter in Learning
01:03 - Bias 1. Confirmation Bias: Stuck in Your Own Bubble
07:05 - Bias 2. Dunning-Kruger Effect: When You Don’t Know You Don’t Know
17:55 - Critically Appraising the Dunning-Kruger Effect
24:02 - Bias 3. Overconfidence Bias: Believing You’re Better Than You Are
36:20 - Bias 4. Hard-Easy Effect: Struggling with the Wrong Things
42:10 - Bias 5. Illusion of Competence: Thinking You’ve Got It...But You Don’t
47:20 - Bias 6. Planning Fallacy: Always Running Out of Time
53:30 - Bias 7. Perfectionism Bias: Letting “Perfect” Kill Your Progress
1:00:45 - Perfectionistic Striving vs. Perfectionistic Concern
1:09:50 - Recap
Note that some sections of this episode refer to images and diagrams that can be viewed at the following link:
https://youtu.be/6s-ErMcuqLQ
Why This Matters:
By understanding these biases, you can improve how you learn, teach, and grow. Whether you’re a student, educator, or lifelong learner, recognizing these patterns is the first step toward overcoming them. With deliberate practice, metacognitive training, and strategic self-testing, you can refine your judgments, manage your time more effectively, and cultivate a more resilient mentality in the face of challenge.
🎓 About Me: I'm Luke Rowe, Ph.D. in learning sciences, and I’m passionate about teaching and sharing the latest insights from brain and learning science to help you learn, teach, and communicate better.
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