The Brain, Emotions, and Learning

The illiterate of the year 2000 will not be the person who cannot read and write, but the person who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Alvin Toffler (futurist of the past)

Session objectives To define learning To understand the nature of memory To explore implications for the classroom To develop individualized strategies for brain-based teaching and learning

Clock 12 11 1 Appointments 10 2 9 3 8 4 7 5 6

What is learning?

The 3-Part Memory System Sensory Memory Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory

Rehearsal R E C P T O S Sight Long-Term Short-Term Memory Memory Sound Sensory Memory Elaboration & Organization Smell Initial Processing Taste Retrieval Touch Forgotten

Memory R E C P T O S Forgotten Sights Sensory Sounds Attention Smells Tastes Tactile Sensations Forgotten

Implication for college learning: Information that is not understood or is considered to be unimportant has little chance of surviving the sensory memory filter! Therefore, faculty should ...

Memory (Working Brain) Rehearsal Short-Term Memory (Working Brain) TO FROM Long-Term Memory Sensory Memory RETRIEVED FROM Long-Term Memory Forgotten

Short-Term Memory Short-term memory retains information for an average of 3 - 18 seconds (20 seconds maximum) What are the implications for the lecture method of instruction?

Short-term memory capacity develops with age, increasing by one unit every other year beginning at age three. AGE 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 BITS (+/- 1 or 2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7 4 9 3 6 7 1 4 9 4 7 2 5 8 9 4 6

Chunking A chunk is any coherent group of items of information that we can remember as if it were a single item. A word is a chunk of letters, remembered as easily as a single letter (but carrying much more information.)

LS DTVF BIJ FKU SA LSD TV FBI JFK USA

Mnemonics Acrostic Sentences Every Good Boy Does Fine Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally Others from your teaching area? Acronyms ROY G BIV HOMES

Implication for college learning: Information that is not rehearsed has little chance of being stored in long-term memory! Therefore, faculty should ...

Rehearsal 1. Maintains information in short-term memory. 2. Mechanism by which we transfer information to long-term memory.

Rote Rehearsal = Two types of rehearsal deliberate, continuous repetition of material in the same form in which it entered short-term memory

Elaborative Rehearsal = elaborating or integrating information, giving it some kind of meaning, creating chunks of information

Rehearsal Strategies  Visualization  Creating a story  Mnemonics  Acting out a process  Role play Create a model  Develop a song, rap, poem

 Interactive notebooks  Quick writes  Create questions  Jigsaw activities  Think, Pair, Share  Games  Reciprocal teaching  Develop a graphic

Long- Term Memory Elaboration Retrieval

Elaboration Elaboration processes transfer short-term memories into long-term memories.

Elaboration Strategies Rhyming Inferring Visualizing Finding Patterns Personalizing Making Connections Integrating

Rehearsal R E C P T O S Declarative Sight Long-Term Memory Short-Term Sound Sensory Memory Elaboration Smell Attention Taste Retrieval Touch Forgotten Procedural

Rehearsal R E C P T O S Sight Long-Term Short-Term Memory Memory Sound Sensory Memory Elaboration & Organization Smell Initial Processing Taste Retrieval Touch Forgotten

network of information. Implication for college learning: New information has to be linked to the existing, related network of information. Therefore, faculty should...

Strategies for greater learning Think about a concept that students find difficult to learn and write it on a sticky note. (3 minutes) With your 6:00 appointment, discuss strategies for improved learning in class. (10 minutes)

Questions and discussion