1. Pathways to Excellence: A Reflection on How Connections Enrich Learning
9th Annual Conference on Quality
Assurance in Online Learning
September 25, 2017
Todd Zakrajsek, Associate Professor
Department of Family Medicine
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

2. Golf Course Calculation of Slope1    1    1    1   
Golf Course Calculation of Slope

9. Learning is an Interconnected Process

10. Cognitive Load Sweller 1988
Intrinsic Load – inherent difficulty of the content
Extraneous Load–additional external stimuli
Germane Load – processing of information; construction and automation of schema

11. Learning and Memory
What I have learned from 31 years of teaching psychology and information processing….

12. Learning and Memory To Learn: Attention Understanding Value/Interest
To Remember
Repetition
Elaboration

13. Attention
In order to learn it is necessary to attend to that which is to be learned.

14. Photo credit: Auto Repair Match

15. Multi-tasking
The mere presence of a cell phone has been shown diminish attention and reduce performance on cognitively complex tasks. (Thornton, Faires, Robbins, & Rollins, 2014)

16. Understanding
Learning requires that the learner understand what is being seen or experienced. Prior knowledge is critical in this process.

17. Value/Interest
There must be some value in order for the learner to process the new material.

18. Retrieval Dependent on Encoding and Use of Information
Strength of Elaborations Memory Trace

19. Repetition
Long-term potentiation is the physical process by which we learn through repetition.

20. Karpicke & Roediger, 2007 SSSS SSST STTT Proportion of ideas recalled
.80
.70
Proportion of ideas recalled
.60
This is the study that has been circulating recently. I have been having the worse luck….. I have used this study for about 2 years and really like to use it as an example, then it gets popular. Not as bad as the gorilla basketball video, but close ;)
.50
.40
5 Minutes
1 Week
Retention Interval For Final Test

21. Elaboration
New information is best recalled when it is connected to other information.

22. Checking for Connections in our Own Learning -- Metacognition
Planning to Learn
Scheduling an appropriate amount of time to study
Minimize distractions
Reflecting on study strategies that are working (or not working)
Quizzing yourself
Monitoring Learning
Connecting new learning to prior knowledge
Identifying gaps in understanding
Evaluating Learning

23. NSL COMP Success MAT-35 62.8% 43.4 19.4%
Kathy Nabors, Riverside City College, Manuscript in development

24. NSL COMP Success MAT-35 62.8% 43.4 19.4% Success Next Math Course
71.6%
47.0%
24.6%
Kathy Nabors, Riverside City College, Manuscript in development

25. Teaching How to Connect As Groups

26. Teaching Strategies

28. Sleep and Rest
Sleep and Rest – Researchers at the NYU’s Department of Psychology and Center
for Neural Science have found that rest directly after learning increases retention
A NASA study found astronauts who napped
for 27 minutes in the
afternoon improved their
cognitive functioning on
later day tasks by 34% over
nonnapping astronauts(Medina, 2008).

29. Exercise
Ratey (2008) has shown that exercise increases the production of vital neurotransmitters important for:
Focusing and Attention
Motivation
Patience
Mood

30. Hydration Mild dehydration can result in cognitive declines of 10%.
(Norman, 2012)

31. Food
Food (glucose) --- Complex carbohydrates (vegetables and whole grains) MUCH better than simple sugars

32. Card passing
What is one issue or concern you have with respect to your students and creating an effective learning environment?

33. Pathways to Learning and Memory
Attention
Understanding
Value/Interest
To Remember
Repetition
Elaboration

35. Teaching is the Profession that Makes All Professions Possible
Teaching is the Profession that Makes All Professions Possible --Todd Whitaker