NeuroEducation Myths and Facts

Tracy King, MA, CFD

How do you know what you know?

How do you know what you know?

How do you know what you know?

Emerging Field

Que? What?

Players

Key Points

NeuroMyths / NeuroFacts / NeuroFuture

Your Turn

Pick a partner

Table talk topics: ◦ Introduce your self & where you are from

◦ Identify which of the main points is most interesting to you and your work

2 minutes

NeuroMyths

Myth 1: We only use 10% of our brains

NeuroMyths

Myth 2: The brain’s structure & potential is determined by age 3

Photo credit: Flickr / Hopefuldz9er

NeuroMyths

Myth 3: We are capable of multitasking

Your Turn

Pick a partner

Table talk topics: ◦ Which additional Neuromyths do you know about?

◦ What approaches might you use to address myths in course design?

3 minutes

NeuroFacts: Stress

Fact: Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat.

Photo credit: Flickr / Rebecca-Lee

• If a learner feels threatened or unsafe (whether physically or emotionally), the stress response inhibits learning.

• If a learner feels challenged, relaxed and alert – they are primed for learning.

NeuroFacts: Attention

Photo credit: Flickr / Capt. Tim

Fact: Attention sharpens focus – what the learner focuses upon is encoded.

• Attention is the cognitive process that determines what to focus upon and what to ignore.

• Attention hooks • Emotional appeal • Novel stimuli • Personal relevance • Hands on experience • Patterns

NeuroFacts: Model Building

Fact: Learning is a constructivist process –we scaffold new concepts onto existing models.

Photo credit: Flickr / atsitra

• Knowledge structures in the brain relate new information to what is known.

• Assessment is key to

discovering misconceptions and customizing new learning.

NeuroFacts: Repetition

Fact: What’s repeated is remembered.

Photo credit: Flickr / dkilim

• Repeated access and application of new learning forms physical pathways in the brain improving retrieval and recall.

• Spaced learning vs.

massed learning

• Deliberate practice leads to mastery.

NeuroFacts: Visual Bias

Fact: Pictorial superiority effect (PSE) is a reality – not a learning style.

Photo credit: Flickr / doobybrain

• The more visual the input, the more reliable the retrieval.

• The brain easily stores

images; text is processed both as images (letter forms) and interpreted semantically requiring a complex encoding process.

NeuroFacts: Reflection

Fact: Reflection is required for long term integration of concepts.

Photo credit: Flickr / gfpeck

• Reflection moves info from the sensory brain to the integrative brain center.

• The reflective brain searches

for connections and deepens comprehension.

• Reflection is required for

developing complex thinking and understanding.

• Reflection takes time!

NeuroFacts

Stress (challenge vs. threat)

Attention (attention long-term memory)

Model Building (scaffold learning)

Repetition (well used pathways)

Visual Bias (we remember images)

Reflection (activating the integrative brain)

Your Turn

Table discussion

Table talk topics: ◦ Which of these Neurofacts has the greatest impact on your work?

◦ How can you seize this as an opportunity in course design?

5 minutes

NeuroFuture: Disruptive Tech

Photo credit: Flickr / HawkinsSteven

Thank You!

Twitter: @TracyInspired

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tracylking

Scoopit: www.scoop.it/t/aligned-design

Resources

Clark, Ruth Clovin; Mayer, Richard E. (2008) e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning, Second Ed. Pfeiffer: San Francisco, CA.

Ericsson, K Anders, et al, (1993) The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Psychological Review 100:3. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/freakonomics/pdf/DeliberatePractice(PsychologicalReview).pdf

Deckker, Sanne; Lee, Nikki; Howard-Jones, Paul; Jolles, Jelle. (2012)

Neuromyths in education: Prevalence of predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Educational Psychology. http://www.frontiersin.org/Educational_Psychology/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00429/full

Medina, John. (2008) Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School. Pear Press: Seattle Washington.

Sousa, David, A., ED. (2010) Mind, Brain, & Education: Neuroscience

Implications for the Classroom. Solution Tree Press: Bloomington, IN.

Resources

Tokuhama-Espinosa, Tracey, PhD. (2011) Mind, Brain and Education Science: A Comprehensive Guide to the New Brain-Based Teaching. WW Norton & Company, Inc.: New York.

Zull, James E. (2002) The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the practice of teaching by exploring the biology of learning. Stylus Publishing, LLC: Sterling, VA.

Zull, James E. (2011) From Brain to Mind: Using Neuroscience to Guide Change in Education. Stylus Publishing, LLC: Sterling, VA.

Links Brain Rules: http://www.brainrules.net/ Learning Landscapes Journal, Autumn 2011:

http://www.learninglandscapes.ca/images/documents/ll-no9-final-lr-2.pdf

OECD Report: Understanding the Brain: The Birth of a Learning Science: http://www.oecd.org/site/educeri21st/40554190.pdf

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinoza book excerpt: http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Journals/Winter2011/Tokuhama1

Resources

Organizations

Centre for Educational Neuroscience: http://cen.squarevale.com/wordpress/

Dana Foundation: http://www.dana.org/neuroeducation/

Johns Hopkins Neuro Education Initiative: http://education.jhu.edu/research/nei/

Society for Neuroscience: www.sfn.org

Brain Facts

The average human brain weighs about 3 lbs & is the size of a medium head of cauliflower

20% of your energy is dedicated to maintaining your brain

Your brain is comprised of 100 billion neurons – the same number of stars in the known universe

The energy used by the brain is enough to power a 25 watt bulb!

There are no pain receptors in the brain

The old adage we only use 10% of our brains is not true. There is a known function for each part of the brain

Neurons are social and make an average of 10,000 connections (synapses) – take that Facebook!

Laughing requires activity in 5 different areas of the brain

http://www.nursingassistantcentral.com/blog/2008/100-fascinating-facts-you-never-knew-about-the-human-brain/

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