Applying Brain-Based Instructional Principles in Online Courses Krista Terry Instructional Technology APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY Amy R. Trawick Program Director, Higher Education APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Session Goals By the end of the session, participants will be able to  Use specific brain-based instructional principles to foster meaningful online learning  Specify technologies that can be used to facilitate active and authentic learning experiences in an online environment  Identify strategies for translating existing practices to an online environment

Brain-Based Learning instruction that is intentionally designed in accordance with how the brain is naturally designed to learn (adapted from Jensen, 2008, p. 4)

Synapse Dentrite s Axon

BRAIN-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL PRINCIPLES Activate Prior Knowledge Show Patterns/Organize Knowledge Support Deep Meaning /Active Processing

PRINCIPLE 1: Activate Prior Knowledge Why:  New knowledge must be connected to existing knowledge in order to be retained  Focuses attention  Gives the instructor information about misunderstandings/assumptions early in the unit

PRINCIPLE 1: Activate Prior Knowledge Instructional Strategies: At the beginning of the unit, invite students to create a mind map of what they know about the topic (either individually, in groups, or as a class). Conduct a brief class survey to see what students know. Create a KWL chart (either individually, in groups, or as a class)

PRINCIPLE 2: Show Patterns/Organize Knowledge Why: The brain categorizes and links new information into existing patterns, adapting the latter as necessary to assimilate or accommodate new information. Ultimately, the student’s brain must do its own work to organize knowledge. Conscious, visible patterning (e.g., as through concept mapping) aids the nonconscious work the brain is engaged in.

PRINCIPLE 2: Find Patterns/Organize Knowledge Instructional Strategies: Post advanced organizer for the unit prior to the beginning of the unit. Invite students to create a mind map of the topic, using the headings/subheadings from the text. Fill in details as the students progress through the unit. At the end of a unit, have students create a mind map of the unit content. Compare with one they created at the beginning of the unit.

PRINCIPLE 3: Support Deep Meaning and Active Processing Why:  Activating more parts of the brain increases likelihood of retaining information in long-term memory.  Long-term memory is enhanced when the following are addressed: relevance, emotion, context (Jensen, 2008).  Long-term memory is enhanced when the information makes sense (on the surface) and has (personal) meaning (Sousa, 2011)

Moderate to High Very High Very Low Moderate to High Is Meaning Present? Is Sense Present? NO YES Likelihood for Long-Term Memory

PRINCIPLE 3: Support Deep Meaning and Active Processing Instructional Strategies: Frame the relevance of the unit, connecting to emotions and student experience/goals. Encourage students to incorporate color and images into their mind maps.

PRINCIPLE 3 (cont’d): Support Deep Meaning and Active Processing Instructional Strategies: Engage students in collaborative and creative projects. Incorporate reflective logs: 1) What did we learn today about ____?; 2) How does this connect or relate to what we already know about ___?; 3) How can we use this information/skills in the future? (Sousa, 2011)

BRAIN-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL PRINCIPLES Activate Prior Knowledge Show Patterns/Organize Knowledge Support Deep Meaning /Active Processing

Key Resources Braidic, S. (2009). Fostering successful learning communities to meet the diverse needs of university students by creating brain based online learning environments. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education. 5(4), Caine, G., & Caine, R. (2006). Meaningful learning and the executive functions of the brain. In S. Johnson and K. Taylor (eds.), The Neuroscience of Adult Learning: New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 110, San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Cercone, K. (2006). Brain-based learning. In E.K. Sorensen & D. O. Murchu, (Eds.), Enhancing learning through technology (pp ). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing. Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Sousa, D. A. (2011). How the brain learns (4 th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Taylor, K., and Lamoreaux, A. (2008). Teaching with the brain in mind. Third Update on Adult Learning Theory: New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 119, San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2011). Mind, brain and education science. New York: Norton.