Module 1 How do students learn?

TED 367 Methods in Sec. Ed.

Module 1

Explain (review) how students learn, and how this relates to planning lessons in secondary education.

• What can we learn from brain research?

• Reconsideration of learning theories.

• About attitudes and interest in subject matter.

What Can We Learn from Brain Research?

What Is Learning?

• What actually is learning?

• How do people learn?

What Is Learning?

•

Learning

is not a thing (noun); it is a

process

(of storage and retrieval).

• •

Neurons

are billions of cells that encode, store, and retrieve information.

• Neurons form

networks

connected information.

Learning

of involves making connections between neurons.

• “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Example of How Our Brain Works (Proof of Neural Network)

• Sally took her birthday money and went to buy something from the ice cream truck.

– Now, tell me more… Info Info Info Info Info Info

Example of How Our Brain Works (Proof of Neural Network)

Example of How Our Brain Works (Proof of Neural Network)

• The way that information was stored (neural pathway), is the way that information will be retrieved.

– Example: How did you store the alphabet?

Example of How Our Brain Works

Cna yuo raed tihs? The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mind! Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a word are. The olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

What Is Learning?

• Memory is

not static

computer).

(like storage in a • The brain is

dynamic

. It constantly arranges and rearranges its networks to accommodate incoming information.

vs.

What Is Learning?

• The brain is constantly bombarded with all kinds of sensory data.

• If we paid conscious attention to all these data, we would be on continuous overload and unable to process any of the information.

What Is Learning?

• The brain

filters out

any information that it finds not useful, not important, or irrelevant. This material does not get encoded nor is it stored.

The brain does not store everything it has experienced, as was once thought.

What Is Learning?

• Unfortunately, much of the information taught in schools fits into this category. The brain does not see fit to store or retain dates of events, definitions of terms it does not understand, or any other data it deems irrelevant.

New Stimulus

What Is Learning?

Fits info. into schema. Learning has taken place.

Brain searches existing networks to find a place where new information fits.

Irrelevant, not useful, unimportant, nonsensical data gets discarded.

The

Magical

Number

•

The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information

(Miller, 1956).

• Memory span of young adults was found to be

7 ± 2 elements (chunks)

regardless of whether the elements were digits, letters, words, or other units.

Demonstrating the

Magical

Number

• How do you remember your phone number?

– (570) 674-6761 • How did you learn the alphabet?

• Can you retell a story (a movie or a book)?

What Can We Take from Brain Research into the Classroom?

1) Learner attention is critical.

2) 3) Don’t cognitively overload learners.

Help learners “chunk” material into larger pieces to aid understanding and memory.

4) 2 powerful features in teacher’s control: – Meaning.

– Emotion.

• Eliminate negative aspects.

• Accentuate positive aspects.

1. Importance of Attention

•

Attention

is the first step in the learning process. If the brain ignores information, it is not encoded or retained in memory.

• Brain is programmed to attend to

loud noises

or

sudden movements

(survival technique).

• Highly responsive to novel stimuli and events.

Importance of Attention

 Gain learner attention at the beginning of a lesson, and as frequently as needed throughout instruction.

 Incorporate attention-getting devices (sound and/or movement) in materials such as PowerPoint.

2. Don’t Cognitively Overload Learners

 Remember the Magical Number (7 ± 2 elements/chunks).

 Help students chunk information: • Use mnemonic devices.

• Do not provide more than the magical number of elements and expect students to remember it effectively.

3. Meaning

• Realize that learners are not information absorbers. They are active participants in learning (constructing knowledge).

• Learners create new neural pathways, connecting new information to existing knowledge.

• Therefore, new learning depends on previous experience.

Meaning

 Start a lesson by helping learners recall previous knowledge before delivering new information.

 Respect prior knowledge. Don’t assume students understand something clearly.

• Brain is pattern-seeking. When it does not understand something, it tries to figure it out.

 Example: Understanding sets.

 Work to connect new information with existing knowledge.

Meaning

 Use metaphors and analogies.

• Helps learner bridge existing knowledge and new information.

 Example: Electrical circuits are like flowing water.

 When there is little or no previous experiential knowledge, use concrete experience.

 Projects and problem-solving help brain see context into which discrete parts fit into. Brain does not “get” meaning, it “makes” meaning.

 Examples: Problem-based learning, case studies, hands-on learning.

4. Emotion

•

Amygdala

is a set of 2 almond-like structures associated with the reptilian brain (brain stem) that regulate emotion.

• Releases adrenaline and triggers

fight or flight

• Emotion can influence memory.

– Try it: • Where were you during the World Trade Center Bombing?

• Recall an experience from Kindergarten (or 1 st or 2 nd (the stress response).

grade).

Emotion

• Positive: – Classroom activities that engage student emotional and motivational interest lead to more vivid memories.

• Negative: – Stress can lead to “down-shifting” to the reptilian brain, which makes the rational problem-solving part of the brain less efficient.

Emotion



Eliminate negative:

Foster an environment where students feel safe. • Brain does not distinguish between physical and psychological danger.



Accentuate positive:

Intensify students’ emotional state to enhance both meaning and memory.

 Examples: Simulations, role playing, real-life problems, interviewing people who lived through events.

Reconsideration of Learning Theories

Behaviorism vs. Constructivism

Behaviorism

• Learning deals with changes in overt behavior.

• Tie response to stimulus.

Use knowledge of both Constructivism and Behaviorism in planning, teaching, and assessment.

Constructivism

• Learning entails construction (and reshaping) of mental schemata.

• Emphasize teaching how to think.

• Focus on concept formation, problem solving, decision making, lifelong learning.

Taking Constructivism into the Classroom

• Thoughtful discussion.

– Ask open-ended questions, listen to ideas, and provide alternative proposition.

• Use metaphors to build bridges to new knowledge.

• Use graphic organizers.

– Show how new material fits in with previously presented material.

More ideas in topic 6 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Knowledge – Ability to recognize and recall information. Memory.

• Comprehension – Ability to translate, explain, or interpret knowledge. Comprehension.

• Application – Apply knowledge to address new situations.

• Analysis – Scrutinize information knowledge and explain its significance.

• Synthesis – Form new ideas.

• Evaluation – Offer opinions and make value judgments.

Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help students scaffold learning and build & fortify neural networks.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

1. Linguistic:

writing journals, making speeches, advocating, retelling, and reading.

2. Musical:

singing, performing, reading and writing poetry, and playing instruments.

3. Logical-mathematical:

outlining, calculating, analyzing statistical information, and creating timelines.

4. Visual-spatial:

graphs.

drawing, using guided imagery, making mindmaps, and using graphic organizers, maps, charts, and

5. Body-kinesthetic:

enacting simulations, playing games, and using manipulatives.

role-playing,

6. Intrapersonal:

doing self reflection tasks, practicing higher-order reasoning, questioning, and taking personal inventories.

7. Interpersonal:

participating in group work, practicing cooperative learning, mentoring, tutoring, and conducting field interviews.

8. Naturalistic:

fishing, hiking, camping, farming, and investigating the natural world.

Use Multiple Intelligences to help students build more robust neural pathways (connections).

About Attitudes and Interest in Subject Matter

Challenge of Teaching Sec. Ed.

• Teaching students who have little enthusiasm for your discipline is one of the

greatest challenges

for middle and high school teachers.

• This is a problem of a different order than the students who are doing poorly in general.

Student Attitude

•

Attitudes

toward one domain or discipline as opposed to another are shaped by: – Temperament.

– Learning style.

– Innate ability.

– A range of experiences: • Interactions with teachers in content area.

• Activities involving the content.

• Thinking skills of the domain or discipline.

Student Attitude

• • •

Nonapprentices:

individuals with little

interest

or

inclination

in the field and who probably will not pursue knowledge in the domain.

Potential apprentices:

yet decided

individuals who have

not

whether to pursue knowledge in the domain.

Apprentices:

individuals who are

disposed

toward the domain/discipline and are joining the community of practice.

Realities of Teaching/Learning

• It is the student’s responsibility to

actively participate

“sponges.”) in learning (vs. being passive • Not all learning will be

fun

and entertaining, but it all should be meaningful.

• Engage students by requiring them to

reconstruct

the knowledge they acquire.

Realities of Teaching/Learning

• In secondary educ., higher educ., and the workplace,

efficiency

requires: – Less pleasurable learning strategies.

– Less personal attention.

– More self-responsibility.

• The burden for motivation and learning shifts more to student. This is an essential part of maturation process.

Teacher Impact on Learning

• •

Teacher temperament and learning style plays an important role in shaping:

– Your teaching practices and how you approach your students.

– Your decision to become, for example, an English teacher as opposed to a biology teacher (teaching field preference).

It is a truism that we prefer to teach the way we personally prefer to learn.

Remember to focus on the students and the way they will learn best. Act on results of assessment.

Active vs. Passive Learning

Active • Students actively construct knowledge by listening carefully, conversing, and performing meaningful tasks.

• Students are engaged mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically.

Passive • Teacher-centered instruction.

• Students sit at desks and memorize, take notes, recite, and drill as primary instructional methodology.

Employ this test: Are your students

actively

thinking/learning process?

involved in the

Active vs. Passive Learning

• Suggestions:  Allocate passive activities (reading, drill, practice) to homework.

 Use the classroom for active learning experiences and group experiences.

Review: MODULE 1

• How learning physiologically works.

• What can we learn from brain research?

– Attention.

– Magical number, chunking, and cognitive overload.

– Meaning.

– Emotion.

• Reconsidered learning theories: – Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.

– Bloom’s Taxonomy.

– Behaviorism vs. Constructivism.

Review: MODULE 1

• Items that affect student learning: – Student attitude.

– Teacher temperament and learning style.

– Teacher-selected methods (active vs. passive).