Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Kelly Brelsford

Kelly Brelsford

Brain Based Research and Learning

Brain based research is essentially the basis for brain based learning. Brain based learning is a learning theory based on the structure and function of the brain. The main principal is that as long as the brain is not prohibited from fulfilling its normal processes, learning will occur.

The commonly cited core principles of brain-based learning are:
• The brain is a parallel processor, meaning it can perform several activities at once, like tasting and smelling.
• Learning engages the whole physiology; everything that affects our physiological functioning affects our learning.
• The search for meaning is innate; it is survival oriented and is a basic function of the brain.
• The search for meaning comes through patterning. Patterning is the meaningful organization and categorization of information. The brain is designed to perceive and generate patterns, and it resists having patterns imposed.
• Emotions are critical to patterning; everything we learn is influenced by our emotions.
• The brain processes wholes and parts simultaneously. Although there is evidence of brain laterality, the concept that each hemisphere of the brain controls specific functions, the two halves are definitely interactive.
• Learning involves both focused attention and peripheral perception; the brain absorbs information that it is aware of as well as underling information that is not explicitly given.
• Learning involves both conscious and unconscious processes; information that is perceived peripherally enters the brain without the learners’ cognizance.
• We have two types of memory: spatial and rote. Spatial memory allows for instant memory of experiences. Rote memory is designed for storing relatively unrelated information.
• We understand best when facts are embedded in natural, spatial memory, which is best invoked through experiential learning.
• Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat.
• Each brain is unique, and uniquely organized.

Brain based research and learning effects education in terms of curriculum development, instruction, and assessment. Curriculum must be designed to immerse the students in what they are learning and be designed around their interests. Thematic instruction utilizes this principal. Teachers are encouraged to structure learning around problems that students can relate to their lives. Instruction in areas outside the classroom and team learning are also encouraged. As far as assessment, students are allowed to monitor their own learning progress through understanding their own learning styles and preferences.

Three instructional techniques associated with brain-based learning are:
• Orchestrated immersion: creating learning environments that fully immerse students in an educational experience. A complex learning environment that is highly interactive in which students can perform at multiple levels allows them to make connections to create meaning. An example of orchestrated immersion could be to place students in an environment that simulates Paris to immerse them in the French language and culture.
• Relaxed alertness: attempting to eliminate fear in learners, while maintaining a highly challenging environment. A personal sense of well-being allows students to more freely explore new thoughts and connections.
• Active processing: allowing the learner to consolidate and internalize information by actively processing it. Students process information in a way that is personally meaningful to them, understanding information rather than memorizing it.

Criticism
The primary critical element of brain-based research and learning seems to be that articles relating to brain-based curricula are most often not written by neuroscientists (neuroscience is the biological science of the brain). Normally the authors of such articles are cognitive (cognitive science is the behavioral science of the mind) scientists or educational-futurists. Critics felt that a more appropriate title for brain-based learning would be mind-based learning.

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