Applications of Brain-based Learning in a Digital Age

By Fatima Lemus-Gupta

As education is a fast changing field, educators are having more and more pressure to produce knowledgeable and skillful individuals who are ready for the 21^st century.  While trying to provide different tools for educators, different teaching and learning disciplines have emerged.   One of them is brain-based learning.

Brain-based learning is a comprehensive approach to instruction based on how the brain learns naturally.  With the help of medical technology much research has been done in the last decade trying to understand how the brain works, make connections, process information, and perform other tasks.  

Principles or targets that support brain-based learning have been developed by different organizations and can be widely found in the web.  However, in this blog I will focus on the Brain Targeted Teaching Model explained by Dr. Mariale Hardiman from Johns Hopkins University.  I will then describe different strategies that can be used in the digital classroom.

According to Hardiman all learning is brain based, but teaching is not. For years, the focus of education has been memorization without real understanding or application of concepts.  The Brain Targeted Teaching Model is designed to provide a cohesive model of instruction, which integrates fragmented initiatives while promoting thinking skills.

This model presents six brain targets for the teaching and learning process: the emotional climate for learning; physical learning environment; designing the learning experience; mastery of skills content and concepts; expanding and applying knowledge; and evaluating learning.  Hardiman underlined that even though these targets are explained separately they are interrelated.

1.     Emotional climate for learning: Information is processed first in the system responsible for emotions, or the limbic system.  After that, information is processed in the cognitive center.  Neuroscientists agree that stress affects the learning process.  Providing an environment in the classroom that promotes positive emotions and decreases threats is important to the development of long-term memory.  After all emotions shape the way we think and learn.

In my classroom I would promote positive emotions by promoting a safe environment for students.  First, it is important to know my students at a personal level.  That would include getting a sense of their emotional needs, strength and weaknesses and their interactions with others.  In this way, I would be able to help them navigate their emotions.  At a group level I would encourage positive value of inputs, make sure students understand goals and targets for the unit and model students expectations in the classroom.

2.     Physical learning environment: The brain constantly scans the environment seeking for changes in the environment.  Small changes such as lighting, sound and scent seem to have an effect on learning.

As novelty is important for the learning process, I will embrace this stage by promoting regular changes in the classroom.  I would change the seating arrangement to groups or pairs, display students’ work and other relevant materials in the classroom or bulletin boards, arrange for a field trip or an outdoor experience that is relevant to the unit, play music relevant to the topic, and allow students to manipulate or create objects relevant to the topic.

3.    Designing the learning experience:  New information is categorized by familiar or novel concepts in the brain.  These concepts create new patterns of thinking and understanding, which are filtered to create new meanings based on previous knowledge or experiences.  This new meaning is integrated into a big picture.  When students don’t develop the big picture, they retain less content and facts and details will be altered.

What will help students to recognize patterns and see the big picture?  This may depend on the nature of the topic, the students’ knowledge of the content and their learning style.  Some strategies that I may use to facilitate this stage are the use of graphic organizers, such as sequence charts, T charts, mind maps and Venn diagrams.  If appropriate, I would ask students to develop a sequence chart for the creative writing unit that helps them to develop a story.

4.     Mastery of skills, content, and concepts: The brain learns by exposure to multiple stimulations.  Engaging students in a variety of activities that will allow them to gain comprehensive knowledge and skills is important.  If these knowledge and skills are gained through different activities it is more likely that the brain will consolidate long-term memories.

For this stage I could choose from a wide variety of strategies using different senses to engage students.   As repetition is key to gain comprehensive knowledge I could include one or more of the following: discussion of observations, comparing or analyzing data, small group projects, 3D models, creating graphs, drama, poetry, visual representations, creative writing, role-play, musical performance, time lines, class reports, mind map, T charts, Venn diagram, flow charts, posters or other visual representations.  Use of computers in this stage either individually or in small groups can provide another learning opportunity for students.

5.     Expanding and applying knowledge: This model embraces the idea that teaching does not end when the knowledge and skills are mastered.  Students should have the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom in real life applications.  This connection beyond the classroom is considered important for students.

To embrace this target I will plan for activities which simulate practical applications of material such as: visual performing arts, conductive investigations, community service projects, sharing knowledge outside the classroom, designing experiments or digital projects.  For example, I would ask my students to form small group projects to create and develop a video relevant to the topic that can be used at the school library.

6.     Evaluating learning: The goal of this stage is to provide students with relevant feedback about their performance so that students can adjust learning habits.  A combination of traditional and more creative evaluation tools can be used for evaluating learning at the end of a unit.  Some creative strategies to keep in mind are the use of students’ reflections on the unit, creative writing, scoring rubrics, self-grading, journal keeping and portfolios.

Resources:

Mariale Hardiman.  Brain Targeted Teaching Model. New Horizons for Learning.  Retrieve on 2014, October 12 http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Journals/spring2010/thebraintargetedteachingmodel/index.html

Leslie Owen Wison.  Brainbased Education – An Overview (2013, 2005, 2001) The Second Principle. Retrieve on 2014, October 13. http://thesecondprinciple.com/optimal-learning/brainbased-education-an-overview/

Brain Targeted Teaching Model Overview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsf5TwsAhHU

Marilee Springer. Brain-Base Teaching in the Digital Age.  (2010) Published by ASCD. Alexandria, Virginia, USA.