How we (and our students) learn - abridged version

Mirela C. C. Ramacciotti14th Braz tesol International ConventionMay 2014

HOW WE (AND OUR STUDENTS) LEARN BEST

It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else,

will affect its successful outcome.William James

We are born weak, we need strength; helpless, we need aid; foolish, we need reason. All that we lack at birth, all that we need when we come to man's estate, is the gift of education.Jean-Jacques Rousseau

If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.Isaac Newton

Overview

Minds-on workshop Practical examples of how we learn

best Theoretical framework Academic background Examples Review of main content Assessment

Theoretical Framework

Learning changes the biophysical properties of the neuron

Learning changes the brain

neurons

Theoretical framework

Learning promotes synaptic strength

As all functions involving synapses, the best way to maintain and perfect learning is through exercise and practice

synaptic strength

Synaptic involvement

exercise

practice

Academic Background

Study by Bahrick & Phelps (1987) showed that L2 knowledge remains viable for a very long time (over 30 years)

Study by George Miller (The Magical number 7, 1956) looked at numbers, letters or simple symbols. For concepts and facts, the magic is down to 4 and if we are manipulating or combining these elements, the magic is reduced to 2 or 3.

L2 memory viable for very long time

Cognitive load

Examples

Slow it down

Break complicated ideas into smaller pieces (one at a time)

http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cochrane.html

Lots of practice opportunities with feedback

Focus on relevant information

How to deal with the cognitive load

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Academic Background

Carpenter, S. K., Pashler, H., Wixted, J. T., & Vul, E. (2008) found out that ‘ testing enhanced overall recall more than restudying did’ and it also ‘reduced forgetting more than restudying did.’

Karpicke, J. D. & Roediger, H. L. (2008). stressed the critical role of retrieval practice in consolidating learning. This ‘employs a familiar tool—the test—in a new way: not to assess what students know, but to reinforce it. Every time we pull up a memory, we make it stronger and more lasting, so that testing doesn’t just measure, it changes learning.’ (http://anniemurphypaul.com/2013/09/making-homework-smarter/)

• The testing effect

• retrieval practice

•tests strengthen learning

Examples

Instead of reading a textbook passage several times, ask Ss. to close the textbook and ask themselves to recall from memory what they’ve just read

Test to reinforce (focus less on input and more on output)

retrieval practice (self-testing)

Retrieval practive (test to reinforce)

Academic Background

UCLA psychologist Robert Bjork(1994) developed the idea of desirable difficulties – ‘conditions that introduce difficulties for the learner — and appear to slow the rate of the learning — can enhance long-term retention and transfer.’ (

www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2006/march-06)

Desirable difficulties (Cognitive disfluency)

enhance LTR & transfer

Academic Background

Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H. K., & Pashler, H. (2012) advocated for the spaced approach to learning = prefer briefer sessions of the same material over a longer period of time to concentrating the study of information in single blocks as first acquired memories, are volatile, subject to change or likely to disappear. ‘Exposing ourselves to information repeatedly over time fixes it more permanently in our minds, by strengthening the representation of the information that is embedded in our neural networks.’ (http://anniemurphypaul.com/2013/09/making-homework-smarter/)

•Spaced repetition: same material /briefer sessions

•First acquired memories volatile, changeable and fade easily

•Repetition strengthens new information

Examples

Instead of going through a whole unit in one class, break it down

spacing

study sessions

Examples

Alternate contents and vary ways to present/engage

Provide different problems to be practiced (interleaving)

interleaving

Feedback

10. WHAT HELPS LEARNING? A. blocking info B. reading same info

over and over C. spacing info D. interleaving info

11.THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS

A. by testing oneself B. by spacing content C. by alternating

contents D. all of the above

Conclusion

Learning

neurons

Synapticstrength

L2

Long term viability

Cognitive load

Testing Effect/Cognitive Disfluency

Retrieval Practice

Spaced Repetition

Interleaving

Review of Main Content :Theoretical Framework

Learning

neurons

synapses

exercise

practice

Learning changes the brain

Review of Main Content: Academic Background

Slow down Break into

smaller pieces

Practice with feedback

Focus

Cognitive Load

Cognitive load

Review of Main Content: Academic Background

Self-

testing

Test to

reinforc

e

Retrieval

practice

retrieval practice

Review of Main Content: Academic Background

Cognitive disfluency

Inter-leaving

Enhance LTR

Desirable difficulties

Review of Main Content: Academic Background

• Same material• Briefer sessions

Spaced repetition

•Spaced repetition

Assessment/ Reinforcement

References

Bahrick, H. P., & Phelphs, E. (1987). Retention of Spanish vocabulary over 8 years. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 13(2), 344.

Bjork, R. A. (1994). Memory and metamemory considerations in the training of human beings. In Metcalfe, Janet (Ed); Shimamura, Arthur P. (Ed), (1994). Metacognition: Knowing about knowing. , (pp. 185-205). Cambridge, MA, US: The MIT Press, xiii, 334 pp.

Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H. K., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24, 369-378

Carpenter, S. K., Pashler, H., Wixted, J. T., & Vul, E. (2008). The effects of tests on learning and forgetting. Memory & Cognition, 36(2), 438-448.

Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. science, 319(5865), 966-968.

Kaufeldt, M. (Ed.). (2009). Begin with the brain: Orchestrating the learner-centered classroom. SAGE.

Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological review, 63(2), 81.

Contact

mirelaprof@uol.com.br

Thank you!