Using Neuroscience Discoveries to Inform eLearning Design Dennis MacQuilken Artisan Technology

Welcome This session: Understand some recent neuroscience discoveries Apply these discoveries directly to eLearning design NOT to delve into brain structure or neuromechanics About me: eLearning & ID consultant Emerging technology wheat & chaff separator

Understand some recent neuroscience discoveries

Apply these discoveries directly to eLearning design

NOT to delve into brain structure or neuromechanics

eLearning & ID consultant

Emerging technology wheat & chaff separator

Roles? Designer Developer Manager Consultant Academic Executive Please type your role in chat

Designer

Developer

Manager

Consultant

Academic

Executive

Please type your role in chat

Doris Learns to Drive

Absorption of Knowledge Cognitive and Emotional centers engaged Performance and contemplation Struggle enlarges these sections Regions remain large, grow larger as the struggle to master continues Regions shrink once mastery is reached Simplified sketch of the skill is stored in the lower brain

Merzenich’s Monkeys Michael Merzenich University of California San Francisco Experiment: Manual dexterity 4 progressively smaller cups Monitor brains Outcome: Struggle begat increased size in performance-related areas Upon mastery, regions returned to normal size Performance regions ready to learn something else

Experiment:

Manual dexterity

4 progressively smaller cups

Monitor brains

Outcome:

Struggle begat increased size in performance-related areas

Upon mastery, regions returned to normal size

Performance regions ready to learn something else

Implications Until it happens without thinking, learners have not mastered a skill Once it happens without thinking, it is not easily forgotten (riding a bike) Most training stops before mastery is achieved, inviting a slow decline of knowledge

Until it happens without thinking, learners have not mastered a skill

Once it happens without thinking, it is not easily forgotten (riding a bike)

Most training stops before mastery is achieved, inviting a slow decline of knowledge

Poll If you stick your tongue out a newborn child, what will he do?

If you stick your tongue out a newborn child, what will he do?

Mirror Neurons Recognize actions of others & allow them to feel like our own Paired with with neurons in key action, language, empathy, and pain centers Fire identically when we perform an action or watch it performed

Implications Response is similar for: Performing the action Witnessing the action Hearing about the action Mirror Neurons enable: Empathy Skill building through mimicry Vicarious experience

Formation of Memories “ Real” Memories Empathetic Memories “ False” Memories

Real and False Memories “ False” Memory: An experience you did not have, but remember Stored and retrieved from memory just like “Real” memories So what? Learners who imagine themselves having an experience will remember it when they encounter a similar situation in real life

Forming a False Memory Imagination Stories with mythic qualities: Emotional color Vivid binary conflict Characters with familiar human dilemnas

Structure of an Example Scenario Exploit empathetic memory: 2nd or 3rd person narration Strong emotional impact Include a clear success or failure outcome Incite a false memory: Vivid binary conflict Characters with recognizable traits & flaws Emotional color Argue each side of the conflict Final compromise/outcome must be the message you want to send Do it wrong: Asking learners to give advice about what a character in a scenario should do Stripping out the emotional and personal attributes to “focus on the point” No plausible or engaging conflict to resolve Too many points to convey

Simulations Draw on emotional energy 1st person experience Prompt decisions of stark relevance Maximize Impact: Ask users to offer advice instead of making decisions Strip out emotional hooks Don’t allow users to make relevant decisions Defeat Efficacy:

Draw on emotional energy

1st person experience

Prompt decisions of stark relevance

Ask users to offer advice instead of making decisions

Strip out emotional hooks

Don’t allow users to make relevant decisions

Poll Sitting in front of the television, the human brain is:

Sitting in front of the television, the human brain is:

Neural Reaction to Video TV On: Sense of relaxation Passivity Lowered alertness After Turning The TV Off: Still passive Still lowered alertness No longer relaxed Research Facts: Orientation Response Pavlov 1927 Instinctive reaction to visual or auditory stimulus Dilation of blood vessels in brain Slowed hearbeat Suppression of alpha waves Stop digestion In primitive man, this reaction precipitated sudden action in response to a threat

Sense of relaxation

Passivity

Lowered alertness

Still passive

Still lowered alertness

No longer relaxed

Orientation Response

Pavlov 1927

Instinctive reaction to visual or auditory stimulus

Dilation of blood vessels in brain

Slowed hearbeat

Suppression of alpha waves

Stop digestion

In primitive man, this reaction precipitated sudden action in response to a threat

Implications for Learning When using video in eLearning: Pacing Demonstration Wrap up explanatory & dogmatic work before video Follow with activities or ease back into slides “ Watch for X in the video”, quizzes Helupful, still fighting brain’s natural inclination

When using video in eLearning:

Pacing

Demonstration

Wrap up explanatory & dogmatic work before video

Follow with activities or ease back into slides

“ Watch for X in the video”, quizzes

Helupful, still fighting brain’s natural inclination

Examples? I would recommend rote learning for: (type answers into chat)

Rote Learning Bypasses cognitive and emotional systems Recollection is not, and cannot be, prompted by cognitive or emotional cues Instead: A spreadsheet of 12 columns and 8 rows has how many cells?

Bypasses cognitive and emotional systems

Recollection is not, and cannot be, prompted by cognitive or emotional cues

Instead:

A spreadsheet of 12 columns and 8 rows has how many cells?

Implications and Uses Question must be asked correctly to retrieve the answer. Knowledge is not dynamic and flexible. Benefits: Recall is automatic Train for performance without the intereference of emotion Professional athletes

Question must be asked correctly to retrieve the answer. Knowledge is not dynamic and flexible.

Benefits:

Recall is automatic

Train for performance without the intereference of emotion

Professional athletes

Poll The ability to speak a language like a native disappears if you don’t start before this age:

Learning and the Adult Brain Effects: Plasticity Neural Darwinism Customized brains Use it or lose it Cross Modal Training: Novel, but related Repetition deepens existing grooves “ Mozart effect”

Effects:

Plasticity

Neural Darwinism

Customized brains

Use it or lose it

Cross Modal Training:

Novel, but related

Repetition deepens existing grooves

“ Mozart effect”

Implications In eLearning Design: Pose novel challenges that involve similar, but unfamiliar abilities Biggest rewards: take learners out of their “comfort zone” There is no age at which we cease to be able to learn Acqusition of new skills strengthens existing skills

Pose novel challenges that involve similar, but unfamiliar abilities

Biggest rewards: take learners out of their “comfort zone”

There is no age at which we cease to be able to learn

Acqusition of new skills strengthens existing skills

Poll Which of these learning traits are more dominantly male?

Which of these learning traits are more dominantly male?

Designing for Male & Female Learners Inborn traits: No differences None Math, science, art The adult brain: Male – external relationship Female – internal relationship Findings break along “Gender Identity” lines

Inborn traits:

No differences

None

Math, science, art

Male – external relationship

Female – internal relationship

Findings break along “Gender Identity” lines

Questions?

References A User’s Guide to the Brain, John J. Ratey, M.D., Vintage Books 2001 Scientific American Mind, Articles 1/2004 – 6/2006 Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 28, 2005 Monitor on Psychology, Vol. 36, No. 9, October 2005 Television Dependence, Diagnosis, and Prevention. Robert W. Kubey in Tuning in to Young Viewers: Social Science Perspectives on Television . Edited by Tannis M. MacBeth. Sage, 1995. NeuroImage, Volume 29, Issue 4, April 2006

A User’s Guide to the Brain, John J. Ratey, M.D., Vintage Books 2001

Scientific American Mind, Articles 1/2004 – 6/2006

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 28, 2005

Monitor on Psychology, Vol. 36, No. 9, October 2005

Television Dependence, Diagnosis, and Prevention. Robert W. Kubey in Tuning in to Young Viewers: Social Science Perspectives on Television . Edited by Tannis M. MacBeth. Sage, 1995.

NeuroImage, Volume 29, Issue 4, April 2006

Thank You! Dennis MacQuilken [email_address] Artisan Technology … Brilliant eLearning Artisan Technology

Artisan Technology …Brilliant eLearning A pioneer in the design and development of innovative eLearing and Instructional Design theory, Artisan Technology provides customized training solutions, expert consulting, and project oversight to corporate and government clients. www.artisanology.com 908-461-6343

A pioneer in the design and development of innovative eLearing and Instructional Design theory, Artisan Technology provides customized training solutions, expert consulting, and project oversight to corporate and government clients.