In today’s lecture in The Neuroscience of Learning the second phase, Remember, of Dr. Andreatta’s learning model began with the focus on making connections for learning.
In order to make connections in the brain, we use what are known as schemas, or some kind of representation of a concept (e.g., we have an understanding in general of what a phone is). Interestingly and importantly, schemas can change over time (e.g., rotary phones to smart phones), which is a good reminder that instructors need to be willing to move with the times in the examples they use.
In the classroom, instructors have some options to utilize this meta-cognitive device. For example, appreciative inquiry can be used to have learners recall a time when they were successful as a mental template for further success. Another option is to use word play such as mnemonic devices for remembering information. In short, helping learners to think about learning (i.e., at the meta level) can lead to stronger connections.
Towards the second half of the lecture Dr. Andreatta brought up some ways for connections to be made outside of the classroom. One way is to have learners do their own research on a topic. This is a good reminder of importance of assigning meaningful homework and not just rote memorization exercises from the day’s lesson. Another important reminder she mentioned was that people tend to make conceptual connections when not actually thinking about the subject being studied because the brain needs to time to rest.
Finally, towards the end of the lecture, it was discussed that people tend to learn best in social situations Simply put, evolution has made it so (traditionally) the odds of survival were much higher when people worked in groups to solve problems (e.g., capture a lion). As a current EFL instructor, I am very aware of this and always aim to make interactive activities such as role-playing a major part of class time usage.