Page 60 - Microsoft Word - The Future of Learning April 2017.docx

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The human brain consumes between 25–30% of all the energy we produce, which is far greater than any other species.92
Effective educators induce a positive emotional response in learners, that in turn initiates hormonal changes in the brain that stimulate the astrocytes to map the concept (pattern) being experienced. Encouraging a positive emotional response from learners makes learning and remembering more efficient and effective when we are building our conceptual understanding. Essentially, good educators are enthusiastic about what they want learners to learn. As a result of this, educators often use prompts to engender a passionate, or hormonal response from learners while keeping the knowledge component to a minimum, adding required knowledge Just-In- Time. These strategies allow a learner’s brain to map and recall concepts far more efficiently.
Innovation is the result of creatively connecting different combinations of episodic and semantic memories to create new ideas and concepts. This process involves being in a non-conscious state such as when we daydream or as we fall off to sleep. These memories are also remembered instantly, but only if we have some sensory data to associate that memory with. It is important that when you have your ‘aha! moment’ as you fall off to sleep to make a short note. This provides the brain with a trigger to reactivate that memory when you ake up in the morning. Every memory is linked to a trigger of some form and it is not uncommon for us to sense a smell and suddenly we are back in our childhood, recalling events that were long forgotten. All memories are associated with sensory data or an emotion.
Creativity is a capability that society is starting to appreciate as a process that everyone can engage in, and the distribution curve of success in this domain seems most dependent on our mindset and our beliefs surrounding our capacity to be creative. Creativity makes it possible to take our knowledge, ideas, concepts and conceptual frameworks and recombine them in different combinations and configurations to come up with new and uniquely innovative knowledge, ideas, concepts and conceptual frameworks. Ingenuity then allows these to be turned into products, systems, environments and new media.
Resource 24:
When There is a Correct Answer
When learners are afforded the time and encouragement to follow their passion, they become extremely engaged in ‘their’ learning, which is an extension of the notion of learner agency. We grow the learner’s ability to learn, by letting them loose to learn in areas where they have confidence, competency and capability. When there is no specific ‘correct answer’ learners flourish as can be seen in the video.93
In general, we have the preconceived idea that memories are formed first as temporary memories which are then ‘consolidated’ by practising or reusing that memory multiple times, but this only applies to episodic memories (rote) and less so to sequencing and has a minimal effect on the remembering of ideas and concepts.
92 For some thoughts on why this is the case see: Piantadosi, S.& Kidd, C. (2016). Of Bairns and Brains. The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21699433-babies-are-born-helpless-which-might-explain-why-humans-are-so- clever-bairns
93 YouTube (2013) ‘When there is a correct answer’ Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TskeE43Q1M