Comments on: Brain science in design? https://blog.learnlets.com/2010/07/brain-science-in-design/ Clark Quinn's learnings about learning Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:07:10 +0000 hourly 1 By: Clark https://blog.learnlets.com/2010/07/brain-science-in-design/#comment-94211 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:07:10 +0000 http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=1629#comment-94211 Brad, I think the short answer is “use the best pedagogy and the right tool for the job”. That is, not adapting to the individual, but creating the best learning experience we can overall. We can adapt instruction based upon what people demonstrate about what they know, but the instruments to assess how people differ as learner are suspect, and similarly there’s no currently valid body of evidence that adapting based upon learner characteristics works. There are valid results (e.g. the learner’s epistemology), but they tend to be around individual aspects, and it’d be more useful if we could compare them, focus on the high leverage ones, etc.

I actually think that we will be able to adapt instruction to the learner, but we need independently validated instruments, and then a serious body of research. For instance, I think it’s plausible that we’ll accommodate a learner’s style while they’re anxious and then challenge (at least, for any malleable factor) with support to develop learner ability. Among other things. Unfortunately, it takes a fairly large effort to attempt this. I was leading a project doing this a decade ago, which ended prematurely. We’ll see if anyone will pick up the opportunity, with the systems capability we now possess. If it’s not malleable, we might provide scaffolding or support. But at this point it’s largely (informed) speculation.

And I’m a big fan of helping the learner know their own characteristics (with the caveat about instruments, above). I recommend making ‘learn to learn’ explicit, assess it, and develop it (I reckon it’s the best investment an organization can make for long term viability), but do not see enough of this. Fingers crossed.

]]> By: Brad https://blog.learnlets.com/2010/07/brain-science-in-design/#comment-94208 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:44:19 +0000 http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=1629#comment-94208 ve enjoyed your comments and have gone back through the listing of your posts, and Professor Willingham’s video. Much of what you said echoes the results of Pashler’s recent research. (Glenn, 2010) You in fact mention his research in your May2, 2010 blog. So how do we apply Pashler’s conclusion, that for any given lesson one instructional technique seems to be optimal for all types of students (A7), to the Learning Circuit Blog’s question about tailoring eLearning to suit brain learning? Most especially how do teachers who don’t have any great depth of understanding in cognitive psychology adapt? We’ve been flooded with articles about learning styles and multiple intelligences which Pashler, you, Willingham and others seem to dispute. If that is in question how are we to dive into Cognitive Information Processing Theory, Brain Development, Differentiation and Synaptic Pruning, etc.? Perhaps the answer lies, and please forgive a novice in Cognitive Psychology for, perhaps, butchering an understanding of this term, in this idea of metacognition: thinking about thinking. In our eLearning adventures is it better to try and teach to the content, teach in a way that corresponds to a particular understanding of brain activity, or rather, teach the student to think about how they learn? Do we “better the odds” by taking some time to make students aware of their own ability to assay their progress, or lack of it, and make adjustments, either pro- or retroactively? Glenn, D. (2010). Customized teaching fails a test: Instruction can’t be matched to learning style, study finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(17), A1, A17-A18.]]> Hi Clark
I’ve enjoyed your comments and have gone back through the listing of your posts, and Professor Willingham’s video. Much of what you said echoes the results of Pashler’s recent research. (Glenn, 2010) You in fact mention his research in your May2, 2010 blog. So how do we apply Pashler’s conclusion, that for any given lesson one instructional technique seems to be optimal for all types of students (A7), to the Learning Circuit Blog’s question about tailoring eLearning to suit brain learning? Most especially how do teachers who don’t have any great depth of understanding in cognitive psychology adapt? We’ve been flooded with articles about learning styles and multiple intelligences which Pashler, you, Willingham and others seem to dispute. If that is in question how are we to dive into Cognitive Information Processing Theory, Brain Development, Differentiation and Synaptic Pruning, etc.?

Perhaps the answer lies, and please forgive a novice in Cognitive Psychology for, perhaps, butchering an understanding of this term, in this idea of metacognition: thinking about thinking. In our eLearning adventures is it better to try and teach to the content, teach in a way that corresponds to a particular understanding of brain activity, or rather, teach the student to think about how they learn? Do we “better the odds” by taking some time to make students aware of their own ability to assay their progress, or lack of it, and make adjustments, either pro- or retroactively?

Glenn, D. (2010). Customized teaching fails a test: Instruction can’t be matched to learning style, study finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(17), A1, A17-A18.

]]> By: Clark https://blog.learnlets.com/2010/07/brain-science-in-design/#comment-93967 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:27:36 +0000 http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=1629#comment-93967 Jennifer, my previous posts on the topic provide some insight:

My first tirade

Pointing to Daniel Willingham’s views

Looking for the upside

A recent take (with a bit of whimsy at the end)

Hope this helps!

]]> By: Jennifer https://blog.learnlets.com/2010/07/brain-science-in-design/#comment-93949 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:35:55 +0000 http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=1629#comment-93949 Why do you believe that ‘Learning Styles’ is a ‘snake oil issue’? What’s your definition of Learning Styles?

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