Questions to Neuroscientists from Educators
Prepared
for the Krasnough Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Dee Dickinson
Never has there been a time of greater challenge for education, and never has there been such an opportunity to rethink the whole process. Educators, parents, business people, and other members of the community are asking fundamental questions such as, What do students need to know and be able to do when they graduate? What are the essential academic learning requirements for today and tomorrow? What kinds of environments, curriculum, and educational strategies are appropriate to prepare students for a future that can hardly be imagined? How do we reach and teach students from different cultural, social, economic, and educational backgrounds--and who have, as a result, very different ways of learning? How can we help students to master basic skills and information, develop understanding and knowledge, and learn to apply what they have learned in contexts outside the classroom? How can we help them to develop the flexible minds and higher order thinking skills to live in our rapidly changing world?
Although brain research has been contributing valuable
information related to learning since the pioneering work of Broca in the
1800's, it wasn't until the 1970's that many educators began to see applications to their
work. The earlier pioneering split-brain research of Sperry and Bogan offered
new insights into individual differences in learning. Many educators found
in these studies validation for what they had always intuitively felt about
using different kinds of teaching and learning strategies to reach different
kinds of learners.
Very soon, however, in educational circles brain research
became equated with left brain/right brain theory, and the interpretation and practice went far beyond what the original research indicated. Few consultants
or educators worked directly with neuroscientists on how this information might
best be applied.
Brain research so far, as previously noted, has most often been
used by educators to make a case for what they would like to do or are already doing. It is high time for educators to ask neuroscientists for
information that can help them to better understand their students and the
learning process. The Krasnow Institute is offering a wonderful opportunity to
do so. We desperately need guidance in meeting many new kinds of challenges, and
need to make sure we do not misinterpret the findings or apply them
inappropriately. It would also be helpful if neuroscientists in partnership with
teachers could observe firsthand how their the results of their studies affect
educational planning and practice. Although help regarding pressing problems
must clearly come from many different sources, what guidance do you think brain
research may offer brain in regard to the following specific challenges?
1. Much information is now available about the
plasticity of the human brain and the modifiability of intelligence, but
traditional I.Q. testing is still rampant. We need new ways of assessing both potential and
learning achievement. If brain/mind research suggests that "everyone can
learn" then we need to understand how to create environments and use
strategies and tools that make this possible.
What clues does brain research offer to assess potential more effectively? Is "evoked potential" through the use of new technologies a useful tool for educators? What are the most important factors to consider in developing the fullest possible potential of students?
2. There is currently a great deal of controversy over
different educational philosophies such as direct instruction, which involves
much drill and practice with the teacher and textbooks as primary sources of
knowledge, and constructivist learning, which engages the students in actively
seeking out and discovering knowledge from many different sources with the
teacher as learning facilitator. Cross cultural studies are also being
done on these different approaches.
What can brain studies show us about the difference between students in settings focused on listening, reading, and drill and those who are more actively engaged in multisensory, constructivist learning? Are there brain studies of both approaches that show structural and functional change over time? What parts of the brain are most actively involved in the different approaches? Can a case be made for both methods used for different purposes in an appropriate balance?
3. In most school systems today there is a push for higher
standards, but there is not always an accompanying effort to equip both students and teachers with the skills to meet them.
What effect does this have on the human brain, especially in regard to emotion and cognition? What recommendations would you make to school districts regarding the scaffolding of learning? From a neurological perspective, what are the most important tools and strategies to help students succeed at learning?
4. In 1990 the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) guaranteed that children receiving special education will receive "free and appropriate public education" in the "least restrictive environment." The law was created to ensure that children have unimpeded and supported opportunities to participate in activities and belong in peer groups and still receive the individualized attention they need to acquire developmental skills. At the present time many teachers in regular classrooms do not have the skills or training to deal with the challenges presented by some of these disabled students, and they do not have access to the support services they need. Many special education teachers as well need new understandings and new skills.
What are the most important brain studies underway regarding Learning Disabled, Behaviorally Disabled, and Attentional Deficit Disordered students? Can we utilize that information to scaffold their learning through their existing strengths? What are the long-range effects of medications such as Ritalin and Prozac? Are there appropriate alternatives? What about the use of bio-feedback? What is the current research on the effects of chemical food additives and pollutants in connection with learning problems? As the new IDEA guidelines take effect, what help can neuroscientists offer teachers in terms of realistic expectations for their students and the means to help them meet these expectations?
5. There are now numbers of elementary age children who were born of
mothers abusing drugs, nicotine, and alcohol. There is also the well known
problem that kids are abusing these substances, even at the elementary level.
Many of these children do not respond to traditional educational methods
and teachers are desperate for information that will help them and their
students.
What does research on these children indicate about why they do not respond to many traditional methods? Can brain studies give educators some clues about helping them to learn? In addition to "just saying no," from a neurological perspective what are the most effective ways to deter children and potential parents from substance abuse?
6. Today many children are spending inordinate amounts of their free time watching television or playing computer games--frequently five or six hours a day. Teachers are observing the negative effects on their cognitive, physical, and emotional development, as well as their interpersonal skills.
Do brain studies suggest a link between the massive use of multimedia technology and short attention spans and inability to focus attention? What happens in the brain when conversation is limited, and when much time is spent in passive, silent viewing? What effect do you think the new television programs for babies will have on their development? What are the implications for the appropriate use of these powerful tools?
7. Violent behavior in schools is a growing problem. Clearly there
are many reasons among which are environmental and social factors, but evidence is piling up that watching violent TV programs may cause violent
behavior in students who are unstable or already prone to violence. What happens chemically and functionally in various parts of the brain
during the watching of violent films, playing of violent computer games, and
interacting with violent Web sites? What are some of the reasons that the brain
becomes addicted to these technologies? How best should this information be
communicated to parents, teachers, and students? How can the creators and
producers of these technologies be convinced to take responsibility for the
effects of their products?
8. In a recent article by Robert Sternberg, Yale psychologist, he points out that the average intelligence of each generation is rising, not only as measured by I.Q. tests, but also by observing behavior. He suggests that one explanation may lie in the tools we use, especially new technologies.
Are there ways to assess improved brain function and higher order thinking skills as a result of using intellectually challenging technologies in appropriate ways? (For example using the Internet or playing Tetris, Lego Logo, or Sierra's Dr. Brain games.) Are there any studies that show on-going improvement over time? Is there yet a consensus on appropriate age levels and amounts of time for use?
9. At Children's Hospital in Tokyo, Virtual Reality is being used to
scaffold the learning of developmentally delayed or disabled children. VR is already being used successfully with adults in such areas as training of
airline pilots, space travelers, surgeons, and mechanics. It is still costly, but as the costs of technology come down possibilities may
appear for use in schools, for example in performing lab experiments that might
require expensive equipment or that might be dangerous.
What is the role of virtual reality in education for better or for worse? How does the brain respond differently to real and virtual experiences? Is it important to suggest guidelines soon before they are being used in schools?
10. Drs. Henrietta and Alan Leiner have produced interesting research on the cerebellum through using fMRI's. Their work reveals unexpected and widespread connections from the cerebellum to the prefrontal cortex and limbic system. Their research shows that it can perform not only motor but also mental functions and timing functions. They say that "to the extent that an individual can learn to perform some mental skills without conscious attention, the conscious part of the brain is freed to attend to other mental activities, thus enlarging its cognitive scope. How the cerebellum contributes to this cognitive advantage is well worth investigating, particularly because this may help to clarify how language was able to evolve in our species."
What are the implications of these studies for the development of basic skills and for second language acquisition, which is of growing importance in our schools? Are there neurological studies that show that skill and practice are more successful when tied to emotion and higher order thinking skills? Does this research support the use of accelerative learning techniques, including music, dance, drama, and the graphic arts? Does the Leiners' research explain the neurophysiology of "flow states?" Does it increase our understanding of how to improve not only skill memory but verbal and visual memory? Does it explain the capacity of the brain to do multitasking activities? What is consciousness, and what are the brain mechanisms that are used in memorizing, thinking, problem-solving, imagining, creating, and inventing using words, numbers, images, and physical activity?
11. There has been a great deal of emphasis on the prenatal and early childhood periods of brain development, including "windows of opportunity." There is much information now available through all the media for parents and teachers on the effects of nutrition and how to create environments that are positive, stimulating, and nurturing for the young child. Less information is available regarding the dramatic changes that occur in adolescence. Some years ago Herman Epstein studied brain-growth spurts and plateau periods. He suggested that periods of rapid brain growth are the times for intellectually challenging curriculum, and that plateau periods, such as in adolescence, are the times for more concrete, experiential learning rather than pushing students too soon into abstract thinking. Although the studies lost favor because of his research methods, most middle school teachers recognized in their students the characteristics he described. Also in some cases, the studies were inappropriately applied by watering down the curriculum and lowering expectations with poor results and many protests from parents.
With the current crises in many junior high and middle schools, is this the time to revisit studies of the adolescent brain using the new technologies that are now available? What are some implications for helping adolescents to learn effectively during this stressful and confusing period? What role does emotion play in their behavior? What does new research tell us about changes in the biological clock and physical needs for more sleep? How can these studies be used appropriately in educational planning and practice?
12. In the last few years newspapers, magazines, television, and radio
have announced the latest information about the brain in piecemeal fashion. Numbers of new books, however, have been attempting to integrate
some of this information and discuss its relevance to education. Unfortunately,
many schools of education and staff development programs are not keeping up with
research from the neurosciences, discussing the implications of new information,
and sharing it with their students.
What is the most effective way to generate principles to apply to education, and communicate these even more broadly? Is there now an opportunity for medical schools and university science and education departments to collaborate more effectively with each other and with k-12 educators?
Given what you know about the human brain,
how would you redesign our educational systems?
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