Once you learn some basic neuroscience, it's easy to see the connection with learning. Using it for teaching is a fairly recent development, the two fields have traditionally been far apart. It started when neuroscientists began to compile years of studies on the brain and apply them to learning using new techniques such as MRI imaging. Soon, the fields of Educational Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience were born. Next, educators started to teach themselves about the brain; some neurologists such as Judy Willis have even become teachers. Neuroscience is complicated, but with the help of the Internet and some ambitious individuals, the key principles can be distilled into easily understandable chunks and accessed readily. We have prepared 6 neuroscientific concepts related to learning to give you an idea of what is available online, and included online resources or ways to to apply them to online learning environments.
Teacher Lens
Neuroscience is just one form of information and research that experts filter, analyze and interpret for us, creating theories, frameworks, strategies and tactics that we can apply in our daily practice. As educators it is then up to us to filter what we are presented and determine how, when and why we will implement strategies in our classroom and in online learning environments.
As you review the 6 tips use your professional lens to determine what strategies resonate with you.
8 Brain-based Tips
Below are 8 Tips to explore. Hover over them to reveal the topic. Click to reveal the information.
Tip #5 - Stress
Overview
Stress occurs when a person perceives the demands of their environment as exceeding their capability to deal with those challenges. One result of stress is the increase of the hormone cortisol in humans. Cortisol regulates many physiological processes including anti-inflammatory, metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Another symptom is increased adrenalin, which can push students into a fight-or-flight survival mode. If this happens, the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for filtering incoming information, will inhibit a student’s ability to select any meaningful information. Stress also has also been strongly linked to many health disorders such as depression, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Application to Learning
With all of the problems attributed to stress, an educator needs to ensure that their students learn in a stress-free environment.
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Create classrooms that are low in anxiety and high in appropriate challenge.
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Take care of basic needs so that the amygdala will stop filtering out or limiting incoming information.
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Give students mini-breaks, I like to tell my students stories about my cat.
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Be sure to reward their effort sincerely.
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Create a positive emotional state to reduce the negative effects of stress.
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Consider where your student sits, are they sitting next to someone that causes them stress?
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Keep the temperature comfortable in the classroom. High temperatures in the classroom can influence levels of neurotransmitters in the brain leading to aggressive or sleepy moods.
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Try to use as much natural lighting as possible in the classroom.
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Address any excess noise in the classroom by using carpets, ceiling tiles, closing windows and using appropriate behavioural management techniques.
Articles/Resources
Article: Ainissa Ramirez, "The Science of Fear"
Article: Judy Willis, "The Neuroscience Behind Stress & Learning".
Online
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Be aware of your assignment timetable. Try to ensure that assignments are not due on the same week that readings are.
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Consider that your students might be taking more than one class and avoid bunching many assignments together at the same time, such as the end of the term.
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Create clear and concise assignment instructions that are easy to understand so your students do not have to waste time trying to figure out what to do.
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Provide prompt and clear feedback on assignments, so that your students do not have to wait to see how they did.
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Provide an inclusive and harassment free online environment by having a clear, visible policy that students have to read and accept.
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Respond to emails from your students as promptly as possible and provide “office hours” online through a chat or voice platform such as Google Hangouts