One of the best books I've read so far in regards to understanding the brain was written by Jonah Lehrer, "How We Decide". He has an ongoing blog and one of his recent articles discusses a very interesting concept in problem solving and how the brain is activated when faced with constraints. I have always believed that the harder I had to work for something, or the more difficulties I had to over come, seem to make me a better athlete, student, friend and companion. My friends and I believe "whatever doesn't kill ya, just makes you stronger!" In some ways, the article I discuss below by Jonah Lehrer, supports this battle cry.
"Need to Create? Get a Constraint" by Jonah Lehrer
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/11/need-to-create-get-a-constraint/
After reading the article by Jonah Lehrer, a published neuroscientist who wrote the book “How We Decide”, it clicked for me how correct his article was in regards to creative thinking and the holistic method the brain uses in the learning process. Lehrer’s article discusses the fact that the brain is more creative and better in problem solving when constraints are involved in the task at hand. Creating a need to “think outside the box” proved to activate the brains ability to look at the “big picture” and find the solution that moves passed the constraint. Lehrer also points out that within our most creative forms of art, there are constraints. For example in poetry, there are haikus, sestets and other “rules’ that need to be followed. Having to stay within the rules stimulates the mind to go beyond the clear and easy pathway.
Lehrer states “…obstacles don’t just increase the
possibilities of perception – they also expand our conceptual scope,
allowing us to consider a greater range of possibilities and ideas.” This
triggered several ideas in creating curriculum for adult learners to create
various constraints during the learning processing for the information
presented. It can be presented in a team building manner, allowing the group to
problem solve and work together to understand the information being taught and
to complete an assignment that challenges them with constraints. Instead of
thinking about how I can make the information come across most easily, it
actually appears that implementing difficulties and challenges in the learning process can actually
prove to activate the entire mind.
A phrase I always share with my nieces and nephews when they
say “I just can’t” or “I don’t know how” or many of the other mental road
blocks children face when things don’t come easily, is to say to them, “how can I?” and
I make them say it again loudly… “HOW CAN I?”. Instantly, you can see a change
in their perception to the problem. Their heads tilt a little to the side,
their eyes go up towards the sky and they start to create ideas in their mind
around “HOW CAN I!” These perceived constraints, whether it’s a child or an
adult, can actually be seen as a catalyst for learning and creating, or a catapult
towards the ultimate goal…the article
Lehrer wrote illustrates this to be true and that there’s research to support
it!
How to Get the Most Out of Studying: Part 2 of 5,
"What Students Should Know About How People Learn”
This is a very interesting video produced by Samford University
In summarizing a research study regarding learning, Dr. Chu
states, “People who use deep processing learn the material, whether they
intended to or not. On the other hand, if people used shallow strategies, even
if they wanted to learn, they did not learn.”
Dr Chu states, “…people who process words
at a deep level, even if they weren’t trying to learn, remember things just as
well as the control group who is just doing their best to learn”. Therefore
proving that the depth of processing matters, and the intention to learn does
not. Different levels of processing involve thinking of material meaningfully and interpreting information and relating it to your prior knowledge or experience, or creating a mental image of the information. The importance of “orienting tasks” causes you to think in deep or shallow ways regardless of your intention.
Something I found very interesting in the video is when Dr. Chu states “…there’s no good research
evidence that supports the validity of learning styles, so forget about them”.
I agree, it is way too limiting to think that you can just identify your own, or your
students’ learning style and think you have it all figured out from there.
Also helpful from this video were the lists below:
What can hinder learning:
- Motivation to Learn
- Amount of time studied without shallow processing
- Memorization of isolated facts
- Learning styles
- Multi-tasking
Factors that contribute to academic success:
- Minimizing distractions, maximizing focus
- Developing accurate metacognition
- Deep, appropriate processing of critical concepts
- Practicing retrieval and application
Wow--these resources sound incredible! I can't wait to spend some time reading and digesting them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such great resources with the class!