Book Review: Great Learners by Design

*Great Learners by Design* outlines a structured approach to education centered on three progressive stages: surface learning, deep learning, and transfer. Effective instruction requires mastering surface-level building blocks—such as content recall and basic understanding—before advancing to deeper conceptual connections and eventual knowledge transfer. Key strategies identified for high impact include rehearsal, mnemonics, and the ability to find similarities and differences, the latter of which boasts an impressive 1.23 effect size. By moving beyond mere rote memorization, educators can help students organize information into long-term memory and apply it across diverse contexts. While standardized testing often prioritizes surface-level recall, true learning outcomes depend on the successful integration of these foundational skills into a broader, transferable knowledge base that allows students to synthesize and apply information independently.