Emotions, feedback, and past experiences play a
vital role in learning and memory. When memories evoke strong emotions within
us, we tend to remember them in vivid detail. Our brains are designed to recall
emotional memories much more than neutral ones. Emotions are stored in our more
primitive limbic systems, which are activated more quickly than our prefrontal
cortex, which is where higher reasoning and rational thought occurs. This is
why an emotional memory can be recalled more quickly than bland information.
This has probably evolved to help us survive. For instance, when our ancestors
were chased by saber-toothed tigers in the more primitive, caveman days,
remembering that tigers are dangerous was critical for future survival,
provided that the caveman escaped the first tiger chase. Thus, the emotion of
fear that the caveman felt upon being chased by the tiger was particularly
helpful because the fear would help the caveman remember not to go near tigers
again in the future. In addition, the more intense the emotion experienced, the
more likely the person will never forget that experience ever again. Teachers
can use emotions to their advantages to help students remember certain topics
by linking them to students’ emotional responses.
Providing a lot of detailed feedback for the
students helps motivate them because their mistakes are corrected relatively
quickly. For this strategy to be effective, it is best to give feedback as
quickly as possible. All humans have an intrinsic motivation for doing tasks to
the best of their ability. Teachers can tap into that intrinsic motivation by
providing constructive feedback for the students. Teachers must be sure to use
both positive feedback and specific, corrective feedback. If only corrections
are suggested, the student tends to feel like he did a bad job and may not want
to try for fear of failure in the future. Positive and specific reinforcement
is critical.
Tapping into students’ backgrounds and past
experiences is key in helping them learn new material and integrate into their
brains in a meaningful and long-term manner. Our brains like to categorize new
information. When we can relate new information to something we’ve learned in
the past, it helps our brains organize that information, making it easier to
remember it in the future. In addition, students may be more interested if the
content relates to previous experiences since it’s likely to relate to their
personal interests and hobbies.
TPE 8: Learning About Your Students
Sousa, D. A. (2009). Brain-friendly learning for
teachers. Educational Leadership, 66, Retrieved from 4 Identify
Role for Learning & Motivation
No comments:
Post a Comment