Stephanie Golski, Ph.D. [email protected] Rider University Faculty Development Day, May 20, 2004

Rider University Faculty Development Day, May 20, 2004

Stephanie Golski, [email protected]





Changing BrainsChanging Brains

Neuronal response is enhanced if:Neuronal response is enhanced if: Stimulation is repeatedStimulation is repeated

Distributed practiceDistributed practice Saturation avoidedSaturation avoided

Smaller chunksSmaller chunks

Making connectionsMaking connections Depth of processingDepth of processing

Highlighters and flash cards don’t cut itHighlighters and flash cards don’t cut it Overlearned/overlappingOverlearned/overlapping



Bottom-UpBottom-Up Association Cortex for integrationAssociation Cortex for integration

Primary Cortical nucleiPrimary Cortical nuclei

Thalamic nucleiThalamic nuclei

Receptor to transduce energyReceptor to transduce energy



Top-DownTop-Down Association Cortex for integrationAssociation Cortex for integration

Primary Cortical nucleiPrimary Cortical nuclei

Thalamic nucleiThalamic nuclei

Receptor to transduce energyReceptor to transduce energy



Try It…Try It…

Seated to the Seated to the LEFT?LEFT?

Check out Check out picturepicture

Close eyesClose eyes When asked, When asked,

open eyes and open eyes and blink quicklyblink quickly

Seated to the Seated to the RIGHT?RIGHT?

Close eyesClose eyes When asked, When asked,

check out picturecheck out picture Then blink Then blink

repeatedly for repeatedly for final slidefinal slide









Bottom-Up (Bottom = sense organs; signal gets put together up in brain)

Top-Down (Top = brain/past experiences; influences incoming signal)

You know these are intact people, even though the raw sensory info does not tell you this



Top-Down ProcessingTop-Down Processing

Looking at a brain end of semester vs. first Looking at a brain end of semester vs. first weekweek ExpertiseExpertise

Recognizing your friend from really far away Recognizing your friend from really far away b/c you knew she would be hereb/c you knew she would be here ExpectationsExpectations

Hearing the words to the song so clearly Hearing the words to the song so clearly once you read the lyricsonce you read the lyrics 20-20 Hindsight20-20 Hindsight



RealityReality

Raw sensory (biological) infoRaw sensory (biological) info + past experiences+ past experiences + context+ context + motivation+ motivation + expectations...+ expectations...



““The Last Supper is supposed to be The Last Supper is supposed to be thirteen men. Who is this woman?” thirteen men. Who is this woman?” Although Sophie had seen this classic Although Sophie had seen this classic image many times, she had not once image many times, she had not once noticed this glaring discrepancy. noticed this glaring discrepancy. “Everyone misses it,” Teabring said. “Everyone misses it,” Teabring said. “Our preconceived notions of this scene “Our preconceived notions of this scene are so powerful that our mind blocks out are so powerful that our mind blocks out the incongruity and overrides our eyes.” the incongruity and overrides our eyes.” Dan Brown, Dan Brown, Da Vinci CodeDa Vinci Code



Switching improves Switching improves w/experiencew/experience







Top-down and TeachingTop-down and Teaching

Be aware of biases, prior infoBe aware of biases, prior info Can we think like Novices?Can we think like Novices?

The obvious is NOT obviousThe obvious is NOT obvious

Framework, knowledge Framework, knowledge remindersreminders Point out patterns, themesPoint out patterns, themes

Encourage/reward reading before Encourage/reward reading before classclass



Attention: More FiltersAttention: More Filters

The Brain sees what it wants to see, The Brain sees what it wants to see, not just what you put in front of itnot just what you put in front of it

Same stimuli can be on retina- only Same stimuli can be on retina- only cause brain response when attended cause brain response when attended toto

Optimal level of arousalOptimal level of arousal Engagement/rewardsEngagement/rewards Depth of processing againDepth of processing again



Selective Brain Selective Brain DevelopmentDevelopment

Still have some growing to do Still have some growing to do Problem is, it is in the region that Problem is, it is in the region that

manages:manages: PlanningPlanning Response inhibitionResponse inhibition Emotional regulationEmotional regulation OrganizationOrganization





PFC and TeachingPFC and Teaching

Encourage planningEncourage planning Interim deadlinesInterim deadlines

Model applications/abstractionsModel applications/abstractions Encourage metacognitionEncourage metacognition

Knowing what you knowKnowing what you know



BRIDGing our teaching BRIDGing our teaching with the brainwith the brain

Content Coverage vs. Content Coverage vs. MasteryMastery

Novice vs. ExpertNovice vs. Expert

Documents

Stephanie Golski, Ph.D. [email protected] Rider University Faculty Development Day, May 20, 2004