LEARNING ORIENTATION NEWSLETTER January 2001 |
Purpose: Keep readers informed about learning orientation research and the application of individual differences in learning theories, models, and design strategies to mass-customize and personalize intentional learning. This whole-person approach highlights the importance of emotions and intentions on learning, in addition to social and cognitive aspects. This online newsletter appears at: (http://training.trainingplace.com/newsletter/jan2001.htm). The index for these newsletters appears at: (http://training.trainingplace.com/newsletter/index.htm).
1. INTRODUCTION
2. LEARNING ORIENTATION RESEARCH
3. CURRENT TOPIC: NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
4. LINKS AND RESOURCES: NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
5. RELATED LEARNING ORIENTATION ARTICLES
6. UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS
7. HOLIDAY GREETINGS
1.
INTRODUCTION This
newsletter presents recent educational and neuroscience research
advances to highlight implications for educators and educational
research. The special topic for this newsletter is intentional
learning. In this newsletter, you will find an assortment
of studies that explore individual differences in learning and
links to other resources. Hopefully, you will find new, useful
items of interest. The special
topic for this newsletter is the Neurobiology of Learning and
Memory. New developments in this area of brain research are
revealing the special impact of emotions and intentions on
behavior, learning, and memory. Recent scientific findings are
teaching us about how students do or do not learn. In this
newsletter, you will find an assortment of resources that
highlight studies and results in these areas of interest. 2.
LEARNING ORIENTATION RESEARCH Congratulations
to Joanne who successfully defended her doctoral research in
December 2000. a. Bentley,
Joanne Hall (2001). Learning Orientation Correlation with The
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument: An Instrument Correlation
(Dissertation). Abstract: This
study addresses external validity for the Learning Orientation
Questionnaire (LOQ). It accounts for individual differences
in learning by correlating it to the Herrmann Brain Dominance
Instrument (HBDI). The purpose is to establish a basis for
convergent and discriminant validation of the LOQ constructs. It
is important to remember that the validity of an instrument is a
phenomena developed over time rather than a single event. Future
research will build on the findings from this study as the case
for validity of the LOQ and its application and interpretation
are strengthened. She is now working on research that
considers prescriptive instructional strategies that match
learning orientations b. At the
Université de Montréal (en technologie éducationnelle), Carole
Forget and Aude Dufresne are experimenting with learning
orientations and a learning agent (Microsoft Agent). The tutors
or avatars use humor and act like a helper or teacher. They
appear in specific moments during a distant learning experience.
Their purpose is to provide individual help (and measure
reaction) according to selected learning models (designed to
match the learning orientations). The hypothesis suggests
that there should be a positive correlation between learning
orientation and learner choices and reaction to the different
coaches. Forget says that "humor is highlighted here because
it helps to release tension, attract attention, and create a
friendly atmosphere. Humor should increase perceived social
presence and the influence of the support system on distant
learners" – i.e., fostering increased attention and
self-motivation. a.
“Our profession pays lip service to the whole student, but
school activities tend to focus on measurable rational qualities.
We measure spelling accuracy, not emotional well-being. And when
the budget gets tight, we cut curricular areas like the arts,
expressive subjects that are difficult to measure. We know
emotion is important in education--it drives attention, which in
turn drives learning and memory. But because we don't fully
understand our emotional system, we don't know exactly how to
regulate it in school beyond defining too much or too little
emotion as misbehavior. We have rarely incorporated emotion
comfortably into the curriculum and classroom.” (Sylwester,
Robert, Professor of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene) b. "Recent
developments are unlocking the mysteries of how and where our
body/brain processes emotion. This unique melding of the biology
and psychology of emotion promises to suggest powerful
educational applications. Current emotion theory and research
bring up more questions than answers. Still, educators should
develop a basic understanding of the psychobiology of emotion to
enable them to evaluate emerging educational applications."
[online -- http://www.tcams.org/sylwester.htm] c. As the Neurobiology of Learning and
Memory research examines the impact of emotions and intentions on
learning, it also measures the biological changes in the
brain. This research promises to promote consideration of
the important relationships between emotions and education,
learning, memory, and performance. 4.
LINKS AND RESOURCES: NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY This
newsletter highlights (below) some of the latest in Neurobiology
of Learning and Memory research. This research advocates
using the scientific view to study the measurable impact of
emotions and intentions on learning, memory, and performance. a. "Human
behavior is a reflection of brain function. Our emotions, our
intelligence, and our ability to learn and remember all depend on
the intricacy of communication between trillions of nerve cells
in the human brain. These neuronal circuits, or pathways, are
sculpted by the constant modification of synaptic connections
between neurons." [online -- http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/huganir.html]. b. "PET
scan studies are consistent with the neuropyschological findings
in suggesting that amygdala activity in humans is selectively
related to memory formation under conditions of emotional
arousal" (Cahill et al., 1996). [online --http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/neurobio/Faculty/Cahill/cahill.htm]. c.
"Kandel's contribution stands as the single most important
advance in bridging molecular neurobiology to behavior. He has
shown how the methods of psychology can be merged with those of
biology to endow the study of behavior and learning with renewed
vigor and explanatory power.” (Wolf Foundation, 1999).
[online -- http://www.columbia.edu/cu/pr/96_99/19457.htm and http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/00/10/ericKandel.html] d. Conroy
(2000) writes that "scientists at Brown University say they
have figured out HOW learning causes those brain changes. Here's
the experiment conducted by neuroscientist Mengia-Seraina
Rioult-Pedotti, who led the study: Over five days, rats were
trained to use one paw to dig a food pellet out of a box. They
got better at this simple task each day. After five days,
Rioult-Pedotti removed the rats' brains and measured the changes
that occurred in them with electrical currents. She found
definite differences in regions known to control the activity of
the rats' right front paws. The conclusion: The connections
between neurons were stronger in the region that controlled the
new task." "The animal is learning, I can see a change
in behavior, and I can see a change in the brain,"
Rioult-Pedotti said. (Cathryn Conroy, 2000). The results of this
study are reported in Science, Oct 20 2000;290(5491): 533-536. e. Emotions
Affect Memory Retention. Reuter's Health reports that the
emotional impact of a particular image or event appears to have a
profound influence on its place in long-term memory, researchers
conclude. The amygdala -- a part of the brain that plays a role
in emotion -- "is important in modulating memory for events
according to their emotional importance, regardless of whether
the nature of the emotion is pleasant or aversive," conclude
Dr. Stephen Hamann and colleagues at Emory University in Atlanta,
Georgia. The results of this study are reported in Nature
Neuroscience 1999;2:289-293 f. Several
other related links: Neurosciences
on the Internet (Neuroguide.com) http://www.neuroguide.com/ Helmstetter
Behavioral Neuroscience Lab at the University of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, Center for the
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM) http://www.cnlm.uci.edu/ Neurobiology of
Learning and Memory http://www.apnet.com/nlm Neuroscience-Net http://www.neuroscience.com/ National
Institutes of Health, National Institute for Mental Health,
Elisabeth A. Murray, Ph.D., Chief, Section on Neurobiology of
Learning and Memory http://neuron.nimh.nih.gov/murray.html 25th Annual
Winter Conference on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory http://www.neoucom.edu/wclm/ Society for
Neuroscience http://www.sfn.org/ The World-Wide
Web Virtual Library Neuroscience (Biosciences) http://neuro.med.cornell.edu/VL/ Neuroscience
WWW Sites, Florida State University http://neuro.fsu.edu/wwwneuro.htm 5.
RELATED LEARNING ORIENTATION ARTICLES a. Martinez, M.
(October 2000) Successful Mentoring, Guiding, and Coaching
Relationships from a Whole-Person Approach. In Wood, J. &
Cortada, J. (eds.), 2001 ASTD Training & Performance
Handbook. American Society for Training and Development. New
York: McGraw-Hill. [online www.books.mcgraw-hill.com]. b. Martinez, M.
(November 2000). Designing Learning Objects to Mass Customize and
Personalize Learning. In Wiley, D. (ed.), Instructional Use of
Learning Objects. Association for Educational Communications
& Technology. [online -- http://reusability.org/read/#3]. c. Martinez, M.
(2001, in press). Key Design Considerations for Personalized
Learning on the Web. Journal of International Forum of
Educational Technology & Society, 4(1) [online -- http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_1_2001/v_1_2001.html]. d. Martinez, M.
and Bunderson, C. V. (2001, in press). Foundations for
Personalized Web Learning Environments. Journal of Asychronous
Learning Networks, 5(1). [online -- http://www.aln.org/alnweb/magazine/Vol4_issue2/burdenson.htm]. e. Merrill, M.
(1999). Instruction that doesn’t teach has no value! An
interview with Dr. M. David Merrill. [online -- http://www.collab.org/merrill.html]. 6.
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS a. Martinez, M.
(18-20 April 2001). Adaptive Learning 101 (Session 104).
Presentation at WBT Producer Conference 2001 (Influent), Anaheim.
[online -- http://www.influent.com/wbt2001/index.html] b. Martinez, M.
(18-20 April 2001). Learning Object Designs for Personalized
Learning (Workshop P8). Workshop Presentation at WBT Producer
Conference 2001 (Influent), Anaheim. [online -- http://www.influent.com/wbt2001/index.html] 7.
HOLIDAY GREETINGS In closing, I
want to thank you all for your interest in this research focus.
I've thoroughly enjoyed working with most of you over the past
several years. I want to wish you all a wonderful year in 2001. I
hope all your wishes and dreams come true! Best Wishes to you all. ********
Copyright (c) 2009 Margaret Martinez ( all rights reserved)
3. CURRENT
TOPIC: NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
http://www.uwm.edu/~fjh/helmlab/index3.htm
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