SideCog learning platform logo

    BLOG

    SideCog Blog

    Insights, tips, and resources for parents, teachers, and learners on their educational journey.

    Articles

    Why We Can't Think in a Heatwave (And What It Teaches Us About Learning)
    4 min read
    Cognitive Science
    Teaching & Learning
    How Students Learn

    Why We Can't Think in a Heatwave (And What It Teaches Us About Learning)

    Britain's recent heatwave has left many of us saying the same thing: "I just can't think." But what if that experience reveals something important about how learning works? In this article, Julian explores the surprising parallels between cognitive performance in extreme temperatures and the challenges students face when misconceptions, knowledge gaps and cognitive overload get in the way of understanding.

    J

    Julian Dance

    24 June 2026
    Why Do Some Students Understand and Others Don't?
    5 min
    Cognitive Science
    Learning Science
    +5

    Why Do Some Students Understand and Others Don't?

    After nearly twenty years in the classroom, I've become fascinated by a simple question: why do some students develop deep understanding while others struggle despite working hard? Looking back at a career's worth of books on teaching, cognitive science and misconceptions, I realised they were all helping me explore the same challenge.

    JJulian Dance
    8 June 2026
    Everything in Education Comes Back to Memory
    6 min
    Cognitive Science
    Memory
    +4

    Everything in Education Comes Back to Memory

    Learning is not exposure-it is memory. This article explores why thinking, retrieval and spacing are essential for building lasting understanding in education.

    JJulian Dance
    15 April 2026
    Metacognition: The Learning Habit That Helps Your Child Make Real Progress
    6 min
    Cognitive Science
    Learning That Sticks
    +5

    Metacognition: The Learning Habit That Helps Your Child Make Real Progress

    Metacognition helps students plan, monitor and improve their learning. A simple guide for parents to build confidence, independence and real GCSE progress.

    GGareth Moores
    8 April 2026
    The Flexible Brain - The Learning Science Students Aren’t Taught - But Should Be
    6 min
    Cognitive Science
    How Students Learn
    +4

    The Flexible Brain - The Learning Science Students Aren’t Taught - But Should Be

    Students are not “visual learners” or “not science people.” Modern neuroscience shows the brain is flexible and constantly changing. Gareth Moores explains the learning science every student should understand.

    GGareth Moores
    5 March 2026
    Why Connected Knowledge and Big Ideas Transform GCSE Science Learning
    6 min
    Deeper Learning
    Cognitive Science
    +4

    Why Connected Knowledge and Big Ideas Transform GCSE Science Learning

    After 15 years in the classroom, Julian argues that connected knowledge - not memorised facts - is what truly transforms GCSE science outcomes. Drawing on Wynne Harlen’s Big Ideas, he explains why coherence builds confidence, understanding and exam success.

    JJulian Dance
    5 February 2026