Blog for Computer Education Technology 792

This blog has been created as part of a course, Computer Education Technology (CET) 792 with Dr. Lynette Molstad Gorder, Ed.D. College of Business and Information Systems, Dakota State University.

Bob Gehringer

Today’s post is documenting the assignment and verifying that I have the site up and running so I can test accessibility. Following blog entries will answer the these questions from the 5^th unit of the course on “Neuroscience and Learning”.

1.What does it mean to you to ‘teach with the brain in mind’?

2.Explain the following and relate each to teaching adult learners at a distance.  Each term could be a separate entry.

   (a) concrete experience,
   (b) reflective observation,
   (c)  abstract conceptualization,
   (d) active experimentation. 

3. What must teachers be aware of about brain-based learning when teaching online courses?

Teach with the brain in mind!

What does it mean to you to ‘teach with the brain in mind’?

The basic idea is to learn different typical ways that the human brain works with the objective of enhance the learning process. The assignment article by John Joseph Learning with the Brain in Mind (Joseph, 2003) provides a list of 50 tips for strategies and procedures that are brain conducive to learning. These range from physical support such as nutrition and exercise to increasing student engagement by using student’s names in discussion. The full list is worth reading and a link is provided in the references below.

Following up on some of the references cited in the Joseph article I also found this short video that has some perspectives(Jensen, 2012). One caution, the video is a teaser for an entire seminar on the topic.
 

References

Jensen, E. (2012). 2012 Summer Teacher Workshop, 2012, from http://www.jensenlearning.com/workshop-teaching-with-brain-in-mind.php
Joseph, J. (2003). Learning with brain in mind Retrieved Feb. 28, 2012, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cts=1330723929866&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.focuseducation.com.au%2FWebzine%2FLearning_with_the_brain_in_mind.pdf&ei=RzxRT46UJMrciQLXy5W1Bg&usg=AFQjCNE6p7KwI9U1eaNFMJ1NVHstzdA7QQ&sig2=q4sPZJ0whVIuepyrIGZNNw

Adult Distance Learners and Learning Styles

Learning styles are different for different online students in ways similar to all students having different styles.
Terry Anderson provides an excellent presentation on some dimensions to online learner styles in his book: The theory and practice of online learning (Anderson, 2008). Starting in the last paragraph of page 26 (see embed below for details) Anderson elaborates on Klob’s insights(Klob, 1984) into the learning experience and the perceiving and processing that is entailed.
Klob's work in turn was based on Piaget’s Model of Learning and Cognitive Development illustrated here from the Klob book.

Anderson presents that perceiving is a dimension that is bounded on one side by concrete experience and reflective observation at the other. Concurrently processing gives a second dimension that ranges from active experimentation to abstract conceptualization. Recognizing these styles allows the selection of the best activities for the online learner.

Concrete Experience, as related to adult learners at a distance.
These learners want to relate, or anchor the things they learn to personal experience. They work well with groups and see the instructor more as a coach. They have a social orientation.
Reflective Observation, as related to adult learners at a distance.
These learners like to think about what they are learning to tie it to what they already know. They will want all of learning materials and tend to relate to the teacher as expert. They are not socially oriented.
Abstract Conceptualization, as related to adult learners at a distance.
These learners like to learn facts that can lead them to "research new information on different topics." They are into working with symbols of things and events more than people. They are also not socially oriented.
Active Experimentation, as related to adult learners at a distance.
These learners like to "apply what they learn to real-life situations" going beyond what they learn, "they like to try things and learn from their experience." They tend to have their own ideas for looking at things and are socially oriented, looking to peers for information and feedback.

Conclusion
As I looked over the different online adult learner types as they are described I could not help but see many of the tendencies that I have demonstrated during this course. I am seeing myself as more toward the Reflective Observation / Abstract Conceptualization orientation than I am with a Concrete Experience / Active Experimentation orientation. At least online anyway :-)

References

Anderson, T. (2008). The theory and practice of online learning: Athabasca University Press. Jensen, E. (2012). 2012 Summer Teacher Workshop, 2012, from http://www.jensenlearning.com/workshop-teaching-with-brain-in-mind.php
Klob. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development Retrieved from http://www.learningfromexperience.com/images/uploads/process-of-experiential-learning.pdf

Appendix

Online Teaching and Brain-Based Learning

What must teachers be aware of about brain-based learning when teaching online courses?

While the list of 50 items from Learning with the Brain in Mind (Joseph, 2003) are good to know, a resource was located that is more of a practitioner focused set of tips for the online educator: Brain-Based Learning: Possible Implications for Online Instruction(Clemons, 2012). This list of suggestions was hard to improve upon and was taken from the webpage. The article as a whole with detailed references  can be found here.

*	Make learning contextual and related to student interests. The big picture should not be separated from the details. Studies show that, especially with adults, there is a need to understand the big picture to recognize the value of each piece of information encountered.
*	Structure learning around real problems and in teams. Immerse learners in rich, complex interactive experiences.
*	Offer personally meaningful challenges to enhance learning. The student’s mind is stimulated to the desired state of alertness.
*	Humor aids in learning.
*	Develop educational tools that are artistic to create brain-friendly environments.
*	Offer two minutes of time for the students to process the information for every ten minutes of information shared with students. Present online information in chunks; then offer an activity that incorporates content and gives downtime to process information.
*	Use patterns. The brain is able to retain the equivalent of 500 encyclopedias. When knowledge is organized as a pattern, it is easier to retrieve. Use mnemonic devises to help students recall difficult subject matter concepts.
*	Suggest periodically the value of good nutrition. Nutrition is crucial to effective learning. The immune and endocrine systems as well as the brain contain many of the same types of chemicals and chemical receptors.
*	In addition, the brain’s super fuel is oxygen, with water the next most important. Protein helps boost memory and attention. Carbohydrates promote release of the relaxant serotonin (hence drowsiness after lunch). Fruit is an excellent source of energy that requires minimal digestion. Studies indicate that students who eat nutritious food while studying earn statistically higher test scores, and increase reading speed and accuracy.

References

Clemons, S. A. (2012). Brain-Based learning: Possible implications for online instruction, 2012, from http://www.bucks.edu/academics/faculty-web/bestpractices/teachinglearning/brain-basedlearning/
Joseph, J. (2003). Learning with brain in mind Retrieved Feb. 28, 2012, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cts=1330723929866&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.focuseducation.com.au%2FWebzine%2FLearning_with_the_brain_in_mind.pdf&ei=RzxRT46UJMrciQLXy5W1Bg&usg=AFQjCNE6p7KwI9U1eaNFMJ1NVHstzdA7QQ&sig2=q4sPZJ0whVIuepyrIGZNNw