Two researcher/ practitioners, involved in special and lifelong learning, explored emerging best practices to help schools, educators, parents, and older adults navigate and apply core findings from cognitive and affective neuroscience.
--Chair: Alvaro Fernandez, CEO & Editor-in-Chief of SharpBrains
--Debbie Gilmore, Executive Director of the Arrowsmith Program
--Susan Hoffman, Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC Berkeley
Learn more at sharpbrains.com
2. Upgrade education with lifelong brain development
in mind
Chaired by: Alvaro Fernandez,
CEO and Editor-In-Chief,
SharpBrains
Debbie Gilmore,
Executive Director,
The Arrowsmith Program
Susan Hoffman,
Director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute,
University of California Berkeley
7. Strengthening Learning Capacities®
CAPACITY BASED PROGRAM
Strengthen specific
cognitive functions in
neural networks
Change cognitive
capacity
of student to learn
THE LEARNER CAN BE MODIFIED
12. Strengthening Learning Capacities®
PRINCIPLES OF THE
ARROWSMITH PROGRAM
• Design a task that stimulates a
specific cognitive function
(targeted/differential
stimulation)
• Start the level of task difficulty
just above the level of current
functioning (effortful
processing/complexity)
• Remove the support of areas that
could compensate for weaker
functioning (effortful processing)
• Build in performance mastery
criteria that is rewarded –
accuracy, consistency,
automaticity
17. Keys to Learning and Longevity
Physical Emotional Mental
Exercise, Cardio,
Complex
Balance Skills
Diet Stress Management Strategies
Hearing and Vision Self-efficacy Stretch
Sleep Social Engagement Change
Physical well-being REST Novelty and variety
18. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)
at UC Berkeley
• 100 stimulating courses
• Learning community with speaker series, field trips, social
activities, travel, peer-led learning circles and clubs
• Pathways to participate in research; esp.as participant-
observers/pioneers
19. Who We Serve
• 2200+ members each year
• Professionals with advanced degrees
• 70 % women
• 90% white
• 2/3 volunteer
• 89% feel connection with Berkeley
• 75% between ages of 65-79 years
• 88% heterosexual
20. Concerns:
• Lack of knowledge of older adults and later
life
• Connecting the lifespan of learning
• Diversity: lifelong learning is self-funded
• Learning: what is real learning?
• Digital literacy/efficacy
21. What we teach and learn: Content
• Cross-disciplines
• Polysemic
• Relevant to roles: citizens, mentors, civic
leaders
• Forward-thinking
• Creativity as a new language
• Expert/scholarship
22. How we teach and learn: Pedagogy
• Experiential
• Interactive
• Use of technology
• Appeal to all of the senses
• Understand who we are as learners; what do we need
to code, record and recall
• What does it “feel” like to be learning something for the
first time; the awkwardness of writing with opposing
hand
23. Where we teach and learn:
learning community
• Social connectedness of learning
• Intergenerational
• Social accolades for taking courses outside of one’s
“habit” of mind: challenge, variety and novelty
• Evaluation: participate in evaluating what works
• Appeal to groups of people where learning may be seen
as taking time away from other responsibilities and
provide them with the “unselfish” frame