Learning with the Brain in Mind (Part 2)

In Part 1, we shared some facts about the Brain to remember, when we are harnessing the Brain/Mind connection during learning. This blog will look at the Mind; the other & no-less important half of the equation.

In our work with schools and training departments of corporate organisations, we often encounter teachers and training managers who recognise that the same lesson or training module can be received differently by different classes and groups. This can be frustrating for teachers and trainers, as learning objectives do not get achieved and if they can't identify the reason behind it. For the corporate organisation, it often means that operations and bottom-line considerations get affected when staff don't return from training with better skills. Conversely, the feeling of frustration is also true for students and participants who feel that the lesson is less-than-satisfying.

While each person's brain is physiologically identical, deep differences exist at the psychological level. In learning situations, these differences show themselves in individual preferences towards:

• the kind of information desired - eg facts or anecdotes or information gained from hands-on work
  
• the way the information is delivered - eg lecture or group work or humourous instructors
• the environment - eg the volume of ambient noise, the brightness of the room, the time of the lesson

According to brain dominance theory pioneered by Ned Herrmann and elaborated by Geil Browning, the above differences are shown primarily in 4 distinct learning preferences:

• Analytical Learning - The Analytical Learner prefers mental analysis and logical deduction based on factual information
  
• Structural Learning - The Structural Learner prefers sequenced and ordered thinking.
  
• Social Learning - The Social Learner prefers group work and views information related to people as especially valuable
  
• Conceptual Learning - The Conceptual Learner prefers information presented in concepts, whose relationship to each other is shown

Most of us show at least a preference for 2 to 3 of these preferences, with a minority using 1 or all 4 preferences. The key is in mining this information for the various persons involved. The student or participant can access the lesson information according to his own most preferred thinking mode, while being aware of situations when he will need to exercise his least preferred thinking mode, eg when a new teacher or instructor is assigned to the class. For the teacher or training department manager, applying brain dominance theory in lesson planning or curriculum design provides the following advantages:

• Brain Dominance theory offers a vocabulary to explain differences in learning
• Using the Whole Brain framework, they can design lessons or training modules which align with the participants' learning preferences
• Because instruction can become more learner-centred, lessons or training sessions are more meaningful
  
• Teachers and training managers can be a catalyst for participants' growth, as they can systematically devote resources to 'strengthen' their least desired learning preferences

From our stable of the world's top 3 thinking preference tools, we are often called in by clients to help with exploiting the Brain/Mind Connection in their schools or training rooms:

• identifying student or participant learning preferences from the Whole Brain perspective
  
• customising current training materials with Whole Brain input
• equipping teachers and trainers to 'Whole Brain' their instructional delivery
• devising Whole Brain pedagogies for maximum return from the investment into learning preferences assessment
  

The Brain/Mind Connection is not just fascinating for its own sake. Instead, when harnessed for learning, it is of great value to all parties concerned: the student, the teacher/trainer as well as the training manager who has to translate training dollars into greater profitability, when participants return to line operations from the training room.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

(All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd.)

Back to Uni

Today, I just started on the doctoral programme in Education with the University of Western Australia and I can definitely say that it is no walk in the park. What was I thinking when I signed up??? I'll be chronicling this latest phase of my educational journey on the blog. For now, it's time to hit the books.

Noel
Resident Philosopher

Learning with the Brain in Mind (Part 1)

Have you ever stopped for a second to think what you got out of your years in school? I guess most people would say that their chief benefit would have been given the numeracy and literacy skills essential for further education and ultimately, a career.

We believe that content learning has its place. That is, History, Geography, Biology, Physics etc are important fields of knowledge that collectively create an educational experience. The common image that comes to mind is that of 1 teacher droning on to a class of students, who would be assessed by written tests and examinations at a later date.

However, we look to a different kind of set of skills which perhaps been neglected, and whose importance has surfaced in the 1990s. Amongst what is popularly known as Soft Skills, we believe that 'Learning-to-Learn' is critical in ensuring that our learning effort is translated into positive results and experience. The importance of this skill cannot be understated as we spend all our lives learning: as infants, we learn to recognise the smell and voice of our mothers, in riding our bicycle, attending school and university, attending training courses in our working years.

Over the past 30 years, neuro-science advances since the famous 'split-brain' experiments of Roger Sperry, Gazzaniga and colleagues, have given a peek into how the brain stores and recalls information. While the physiological functions of the brain don't differ much across normal humans, applied psychology has also provided equally important insight into how individual preferences affect how information is first received, processed and communicated to others. Understanding and harnessing this Brain/Mind Connection is fundamental to Learning-to-learn successfully.

First, we need to know what the Brain needs to function:

• Oxygen-hungry organ: The Brain uses 20% of every breath that we take, making it the most oxygen-hungry organ in the human body. This suggests that well-ventilated rooms are best for studying. In our courses with students, we also tell them that they should take a few deep breaths, before they embark on a spurt of memory-intensive work. Aerobic exercise also brings in oxygen into the body, giving a boost to one's alertness.
  

• Stress is bad for the Brain: The Brain does not function well in conditions of stress. In fact, continued stress damages it. The human body reacts to stress by producing hormones that aid the 'fight-or-flight' instinct. Fantastic for our caveman days, but less so in the 21st Century. Continued presence of such hormones in the human body due to chronic stress, affects the effectiveness of the brain in storing and recalling information. This suggests that successful studying requires students to develop a positive attitude towards learning and their life in general. This would help them reduce stress levels yet remaining motivated enough to reach their goals.

• Brain Food: Along with oxygen, glucose (from sugar and carbohydrates) is also used as the Brain works. A basic application of this rule is never go to school on an empty stomach. Food that is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish is especially useful for producing alertness and concentration. I know because Ethan has been on a diet of Omega 3 supplements for the past 3 months and he can go on longer spurts of mental activity than before.

Bearing these neurological facts in mind, we can then provide our Brains with the best possible advantage when it comes to learning. We will continue learning about the other half of the Brain/Mind Connection in Part 2.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Ethan's Primary 1 milestone

Yesterday, 3 January 2005, marked an important milestone for my family. It was Ethan's, our 6-year-old, first day in Primary School (imp on the right of the picture). From infant to toddler to kindergarten kid, Brenda and I have managed to experience him through the past 6 years, perhaps more than the average Singaporean parents have, because of the nature of our work.

Over the past 2 months, after he 'graduated' from kindergarten, we have been preparing him for the next stage of his development, by talking to him about what primary school life will be like, what he can look forward to, as well as sharing what we remember about him over the past 6 years. Being naturally extroverted, he has been excited about the whole affair. I remember when he got his school uniform at the beginning of November last year, he came back home and spent the entire day in it. Because Brenda had taught previously at the School, she had also begun teaching him the School Song, which he sang over the last 2 months with gusto.

Between Brenda and I, we had also been reminiscing about the milestones in his 6 years: when he first talked, tottered around the house, when he recovered from Bronchialitis as well as our family vacations together, his first day at nursery, even the day when he came home from nursery declaring that he did not want to be in diapers any more.

On the night of 2nd January, when I was tucking him to bed, I asked Ethan what he was feeling, so that we could talk about these feelings. Was he scared? Nervous? Excited? He told us that he wasn't afraid but a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Yesterday, I couldn't help but feel that lump in my throat rise out of fatherly pride, when he told me that he did not need my help in carrying his School bag. My baby boy has grown up!

Milestones are important because they mark out progress of our development, separating maturity from immaturity. We cannot ever go back to that earlier phase of life, because that was preparation for the present, just as the present is preparation for the future. I guess whenever we approach a new phase, after we pass a milestone on our journey in life, we would feel a mixture of nerves and excitement, pretty much like Ethan. As I told him, these are natural feelings to have and that there are many good things that he can look forward to in his new School: new friends, friendly teachers and bigger play area than his Kindergarten.

Milestones are also important because they signify change. I guess Ethan and most of us feel nervous at milestones because change rocks our world. For instance, Ethan was sad that he could not watch his favourite TV series 'CSI', as it was way past his new bedtime. Milestones are thus significant because they bring disruption to the patterns of stability in his life. It brings to our realisation that things are not going to be as predictable as they used to be. It jolts us to being on our toes again. Milestones and the feelings we experience, remind us that we are alive.

Finally, milestones also bring a focus on what remains fundamentally important to us. Ethan recognises that his parents are important to him, through this transition. He also recognises that friendship is important as he declared to us abruptly some time ago, "When someone holds your hand, you will feel better."

Brenda and I hope and pray that for Ethan, his first 6 years with us have given him the foundation to be a steadfast friend, a resilient child, and the courage to stand up for what is right and to admit when he is wrong. Certainly, his milestone is also one for his parents, as we begin to adjust to the fact that as we prepare him for independence, we need to share that mental and emotional space with the people he will encounter from now on. God Bless you, Ethan!