We all know that cramming is not an ideal practice for long-term memory and learning
Nice to hear some alternatives, I feel like we are always told that cramming is not ideal for studying, but they sometimes forget to then provide us with other methods that we can use.
as described by the SOLO Taxonomy.
Very interesting! I've never heard of this model before.
Follow these study tips:
One of my favourite methods! Much easier to create connections and phrases that help me remember the information.
This means that we should focus on a few broad categories of ratings as opposed to more “precise” pseudo-measurements.
Proficiency scales rather than percentage grades
We might know that one learner is more capable than another, but you cannot know how much more capable they are.
Nor about what.
Doesn’t it seem like B made the most progress during the course while C just got more confused?
Only if the tests were cumulative.
Formative assessment allows a designer to share feedback with a learner with the intention of helping a learner take initiative and ownership of their learning.
I've seen what a difference formative assessment makes to initiative and ownership!
Tasks that are easily copied, completed by cheating, or solved with an answer key, probably should not be factored in as assessment. These lower demand tasks should be seen as practice leading up to proficiency in applying new learning.
I think that this is tricky in K-12 Math in the current educational system. When factoring in the need to assess many students, mathematical procedural fluency is most easily assessed through written tests, which are easily copied or solved with an answer key. Adding additional tasks such as long written explanations disadvantages those students who may have strong mathematical skill but poor language skill. Although, mathematical communication is also important, it can be done purely symbolically, and this method of communication is usually most like how we use math outside of school. At the same time, we must assess procedural fluency. Without more time spent on Math and more Math integrated into other subjects, my experience is that students don't acquire adequate fluency without motivation to specifically practice those skills for assessment.
Then again, perhaps tests which are protected against copying and cheating, such as through invigilation, are not the tasks referred to here...
The emphasis is not on retrieving intact knowledge structures,
I liked this quote because, in the context of school/academics, our learnings usually needed to be recalled in an "intact structure" as proven this is not the easiest task to do. However, the lack or failure of this task does not mean that the "learning" and knowledge are not in the individual memory or that they lack understanding. In the real-world context, the application of knowledge comes in many forms, therefore calling for different forms of recall (ie. providing learners with the means to). This was described perfectly in the word "assembling" of prior knowledge from diverse sources to be applied.
As suggested by Warries (1990), a selection based on strong research is much more reliable than one based on “instructional phenomena.”
I think that both of these methods of selection pose their unique pros and cons in the context of teaching and the learners knowledge (ie. using timely real-world events/problems in learning to engage the learner in developing skills to solve real world problems [I had to google examples], outside of their learning environment and/or context). However, the field of psychology is well versed, grounded and continues to evolve to the contemporary demands. When it is employed to create appropriate learning designs— the occurrence of issues spurs from a misunderstanding and inaccurate representation of the learners needs. I think that with exclusively tailored study and employment use of research grounded selection is more reliable than instructional phenomena, regardless of its positive outcomes for learners.
These strategies are much more effective than trying to memorize large amounts of disconnected information in a short period of time
Create connections!
the web is built to make connections through hyperlinks.
I wonder how learning in the digital world has changed the way young people retrieve information. Because the web is built to make connections through hyperlinks, the associations learners create are analagous to - to use computer language - abstract pointers. Where physical books allow us to remember where things are in space, using our body memories to help find information, hyperlinks have no such physical association. How do learners growing up in a digital world mentally organize their information?
Learning is promoted when learners are engaged in a problem-centered strategy involving a progression of whole real-world tasks
I agree. The concept of problem-centered instruction allows students to think and discuss problem points without getting too far off-topic. In addition, this practical approach can greatly motivate learners as they can see the direct impact and practicality of what they are learning in real-life scenarios.
Adding demonstration to a course will result in a significant increment in the effectiveness of the course.
I agree. Adding examples helps students to see what is expected of them. It's something that I also prefer.
Motivation comes from learning; the greatest motivation comes when people learn.
This is something I've witnessed first hand during my practicum. The more students seemed to understand the material they were learning, the more motivated they were to pay attention and engage with the material.
Active learning techniques often stimulate neurons by piquing student interest, tying concepts to other topics or real life, and relieving student stress by evaluating student learning through low stakes formative assessments.
I'm not surprised by this. When I was in school, summative assessments seemed to be a priority and little opportunities were given to tie new concepts to life experiences. That may explain why I have a hard time remembering many of the teachings from my youth. I wonder how different my memory would be had these active learning techniques been used.
These regions are associated with such functions as memory, the various senses, volitional control, and higher levels of cognitive functioning
This reminds me of how certain childhood memories can be triggered by different smells or even songs. I've had moments where I remember things that I thought I had long forgotten; it's a pretty incredible experience!
Learning is promoted when learners observe a demonstration of the skills to be learned.
I'm really glad to see this being highlighted, as it's very important. I find myself struggling to fully grasp new concepts when I am not provided with a demonstration. This is why, in many of my courses, I find myself relying on YouTube to better explain concepts from class (i.e. a diagram, a presentation, etc.).
Information alone is not instruction
This is so important for instructors to remember! Simply providing readings or lecture slides and no concrete examples or ways to tie them back to other topics/life examples is extremely unhelpful when trying to learn effectively.
Therefore, teachers who are highly interested in brain research are more susceptible to neuromyths (a result I find depressing).
I wonder if this is correlated to what I learned from the "Backwards Brain Bicycle" video in that people are susceptible to the confirmation bias and look for certain (often false) information to confirm their predetermined ideas.
“The implicit assumption seems to be that, because different regions of the cortex have crucial roles in visual, auditory, and sensory processing, learners should receive information in visual, auditory or kinaesthetic forms according to which part of their brain works better” (Howard-Jones, 2014, pp. 817-818). The brain’s interconnectivity undermines this assumption, and research done on learning styles have failed to support this approach to teaching.
I was taught this all throughout elementary school and always thought that it seemed strange. Although, that might've been because I never identified strongly with any of the styles! However, it's interesting to hear that research has failed to support this idea.
Integrative thinking increases student synaptic plasticity by requiring students to form skills and habits that then can be recalled later in spaced intervals (i.e. iterations) throughout an “Introduction to Neurology” class. Faculty from several core STEM disciplines and those from interdisciplinary neurology positively supported the creation of the course and were happy to participate in it, which, in turn, created an environment for students that was exciting and motivating.
While I agree that more research has to be done before a conclusion is drawn about this, I think the research thus far looks promising. I also think that, personally, I would love to take a course on this. I think it would be beneficial for students to gain a better, more well-rounded understanding of how memory works and how to learn best (also to potentially dispel certain neuromyths).
As previously discussed, deliberate practice, in this case through frequent and active homework, helps build expertise in a domain. Now we know that deliberate practice works to build expertise because it helps build synaptic plasticity. Think-pair-share also increases synaptic plasticity by engaging students’ brains in ways that recall semantic information but also may include the formation of skills and habits, depending on the questions posed. Concept maps rationally encode knowledge, which allows memories to build as synaptic networks. Problem-based learning encourages students in terms of motivation and attention, which in turn increase learning by increasing synaptic plasticity. Using culturally diverse examples in one’s pedagogy helps to alleviate or eliminate stereotype threat, which decreases stress.
I LOVE scientific-based information, especially when it comes to study techniques/effective ways to learn, so this is really helpful for me! I'll definitely be implementing these into my study habits in the future.
Figure 2. Encoding, Consolidation, Retrieval. The three memory-forming processes that interweave to store learning in long-term memory. (Smith, 2019)
It's very intriguing to me that a significant portion of our ability to effectively remember things is based off of the connections we make to past experiences and stored knowledge. I always thought this was more of a quirk of human memory rather than the basis of how it works.
Learning requires building new synapses in the brain to interconnect bits of information/data. These synapses are gaps (i.e. connections) that form between axons that grow from one neuron (presynaptic) to another neuron (postsynaptic). Neurons communicate when a neuron “fires” (an electrical signal response to stimulation) and neurotransmitter molecules diffuse across the synapses from the presynaptic neuron to the receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. The new axons formed need to undergo myelination in order solidify the connection between the neurons. Figure 1 provides a visual representation of the formation of synapses.
I learned about this concept in my Introduction to Mind and Brain course at UVic (PSYC 251), which I absolutely loved. I learned a lot in that course and it made me realize that I have a profound interest in the brain and how it works. However, I don't remember a lot of what I learned in that class now because I crammed for most of the exams! I wonder how much I would remember if I had used the study techniques mentioned at the end of this article.
“For optimal learning to occur, the brain needs conditions under which it is able to change in response to stimuli (neuroplasticity) and able to produce new neurons (neurogenesis).
The term "neuroplasticity" always reminds me of a Tedx Talk I watched many years ago about the concept. I had never heard of it before, so I was absolutely floored at the idea that our brains are constantly changing. In fact, I still think it's interesting! I'd never heard of the term neurogenesis before reading this article, but hopefully there's a Tedx Talk I can watch on that too!
This neuroscience definition of learning digs deeper than just a brain changing process: learning entails retrieving information/data after not using that information/data for some period of time (i.e. disuse) and applying that information/data in new contexts. This definition of learning requires so much more dedicated practice and work than simply retrieving information/data after one’s immediately learned it.
The differences between these two definitions is really interesting to me, as I always thought that the formal definition of learning would look something like the latter. I was under the impression that the first definition would be more of an application of learning (like the action of using knowledge that was learned and applying it to different situations if that makes sense).
Follow these study tips:
I'm wondering why I hadn't heard of these study tips before? They seem like a good idea so I think I'll have to try them out.
semantic
I know from learning about how to teach reading, that semantics has to do with meaning
The most effective learning involves recruiting multiple regions of the brain for the learning task.
Last year I completed a project about how doodling is a great way to retain information because instead of just listening and writing notes, you are engaging your visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading and writing processes!
T
Wow. My whole education journey so far I have been learning to cater to certain learning styles of students. This idea that students need to learn in visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic forms makes a lot of sense. I imagine that the more students learn in all these forms, the better they will be in receiving information in these forms. From now on, I plan to incorporate each of these forms into every lesson to ensure my students are fully absorbing the information I am giving them.
One way to insure this deep processing is for learners to collaborate with other learners in solving problems or doing complex tasks. Another learning event that facilitates deep processing is when learners go public with their knowledge in an effort to critique other learners or to defend their work when it is critiqued by other learners.
These points make me recall my experience with exchange classes two years ago. Education at the Dutch university where I studied was centred around the concept of problem-based learning (PBL). Lectures were actually not mandatory. Tutorials, on the other hand, were. We met in groups of around 20 two times a week and worked through reflection and application questions together while supervised by a grad student. We also selected one or two people for each class to be discussion leaders or facilitators. They kept track of time, made sure we did not go off on a tangent, and posed additional questions to the group. The purpose behind such an interactive approach was to promote collective and individual critical thinking as well as connection with peers. It was quite difficult to adjust to, at first, because I was so used to a more passive didactic method. However, once I have discovered the benefits of consistent constructive feedback from classmates, I felt that discussion was often more effective than lecturing when it came to retaining information because it pushed me to actively participate in making course material meaningful.
Multiple Intelligences
I completed a Multiple Intelligence test for another course, and found it interesting to see where I 'learned best'. Upon reading this, I am not so sure if that is how it works. While I do think having this understanding of oneself is interesting, I can see the limitations is holds. I wonder if this links to the neuromyth of most effective learning being in a student's preferred style? They may be more engaged, but may not necessarily learn the most effectively.
Learning is promoted when learners engage in application of their newly acquired knowledge or skill that is consistent with the type of content being taught. Way too much instruction uses remembering information as a primary assessment tool.
I just realized how much Art courses depend on this formula. No one would learn anything if all we did was watch the instructor paint for an hour and then have him turn around and ask us to copy it perfectly. But in math and English, that seems to be exactly what's expected. Really interesting to see how certain fields of study either follow or distance themselves from these steps.
How to Revise Existing Instruction
Use this section to ensure that your blueprint and subsequent learning resources are designed with these first principles in mind.
as long as the robot doesn't go Terminator dystopian Skynet self-aware on us
I mean, let's look at the silver lining here: it might be good to stop climate change...
unless the machines are hell bent on expansionist mass production of other machines without regard for the environment. Maybe it would be worse.
But if they have sentience, and view us as a threat, or simply a lesser life form and a plague to this planet, then maybe they have enough insight to want to preserve the natural state of the world, sans Homo Sapien.
Knewton really has a very narrow bandwidth in terms of what they can observe about the student relative to what a human teacher can observe."
So far my experience in university, aside from a few smaller classes, is that a professor giving a lecture in a big hall is not a lot different from this. The delivery in a large lecture leaves a lot to be desired. I actually prefer watching videos of lectures, and only going to office hours to get more insight if that's necessary. Even office hours are rushed though!
It would great to have general artificial intelligence professors, like a super advanced futuristic version of Knewton. I think there's potential in this technology IMHO.
Write down, in order of priority, what you consider to be the three most important characteristics of a good teacher
2.1 Art, theory, research, and best practices in teaching
The author explains that we will be able to use what we learned from this chapter to develop a framework for decision making about use of technology and teaching in a digital age with a set of criteria and values.
Therefore, teachers who are highly interested in brain research are more susceptible to neuromyths
That sucks :(
neuroplasticity
Canadian researcher Donald Hebb was a pioneer in the area of brain plasticity...researcher Frank Rosenblatt in the US used Hebb's researched to base his work on the "perception" algorithm which is the basic elementary form of modern neural networks in artificial intelligence.
“learning has occurred when information can be retrieved after a period of disuse and applied to new situations.” This neuroscience definition of learning digs deeper than just a brain changing process: learning entails retrieving information/data after not using that information/data for some period of time (i.e. disuse) and applying that information/data in new contexts. This definition of learning requires so much more dedicated practice and work than simply retrieving information/data after one’s immediately learned it
I never realized that "retrieval practice" was required for the most effective kind of learning. Nobody ever taught me that, even in university until a few years in. I learned the concept from a book called "Mind For Numbers" by Dr. Barbera Oakley. This is truly the best kind of learning. Practice testing!