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
No comments:
Post a Comment