Teachers' expertise in feedback application adapted to the phases of the learning process

BUILDING BETTER BRAINS—SCHOOL DAY BY SCHOOL DAY In this essay we highlight feedback application as a domain to study the knowledge and abilities involved in the construct of teachers’ expertise. One approach to advance the discussion in a field of research such as expertise acquisition generally is to combine (a) analysis of complex natural phenomena by division into hypothetical simple building blocks, with (b) the synthesis of complex phenomena based on known simple building blocks (e.g., Braitenberg, 1984; Gaschler et al., 2012). For instance, (a) knowledge representations such as chunks have been hypothesized to underlie chess expertise and (b) this analysis in turn was supported by a computer-run expert system based on chunks (cf. Lane et al., 2001; Guida et al., 2012). Gobet et al. (2014) summarize research on expert knowledge as well as the Einstellung effect (e.g., missing a to spot an efficient procedure, because a wellknown one is available; cf. Bilalić et al., 2010), and neuro-interventions targeting it. They conclude with the desideratum to build better brains—brains that can take full advantage of the power of hypothesis-driven cognition while being safeguarded against cognitive illusions and the Einstellung effect. In the current article we argue that building better brains is (an admittedly to-be-optimized) everyday practice, rather than a thought experiment. Like Gobet et al. (2014) we ask how creativity can be fostered by gaining control over prior knowledge so that it can be flexibly used or blocked at demand (cf. Bilalić et al., 2008). Teacher education in universities delivers quasi-experimental conditions for studying how expertise on learning can be acquired and applied best. In particular, concepts of motivation and action control relevant in robotics and psychology seem promising in order to capture and structure the gist of teacher expertise.