Brain science is relatively new field that has strategically changed techniques of educators and course designers. We now use principles and methods based on the best practices of brain science research.
This article is a brief look at just a few pieces of information we have from the field of brain science. Research continues to pour in.
My brain hurts (did you like how I did that?) when I see poorly designed courses so let's get to some suggestions! Let us start with the basis of the brain and learning with a fun little quote:
"The brain is a quirky learning machine, the science shows, and it works best when those quirks are exploited." (Carey, 2014)
Consider utilizing a few brain science principles in your courses:
Principle 1: The brain needs goals
What is your goal for creating a course? If it is just to make money, your student brains will see right through that.
Define your goals and objectives long before you begin designing your course. Every piece of content and every course decision should link back to these goals.
Next, design assessments. Assessments you say? Yes! Every course must have a set of criteria to determine if a student is successful. It could be as simple as a learner review but it should be something more instructional sound to determine success.
Principle 2: The brain has a short attention span
Brains do better when information is divided into smaller, more manageable chunks. Divide your content into modules, units or lessons. Make these divisions in your course visible.
For example, create brain breaks in your course structure. Suggest that learners only go through a certain amount of content each day. You can even force this by releasing content a day at a time. Take a look at this research on brain breaks.
Does your course have too much text? Make your course more than a series of blog posts!
The brain will automatically searches out the most individualized and differentiated information and approaches. Your course may have 2 hours of instruction but how much is applicable to each person in the class? Consider creating different paths within a course or different courses for different pathways. As an expert in your content, you can easily determine what information and approaches will be applicable to each subset of learners.
Find ways to keep your learning on track. Schedules, suggested breaks, and presenting your content in multiple modalities can help.
Intersperse humor related to your content throughout your course. A research study on humor explains different types that you might consider using.
Sitting through or watching a lecture does not lead to learning for most people. Those that do learn something in these conditions often forget it easily.
Build in interactions, community discussions, kinesthetic learning (YES! This is possible online!) and processing activities.
Ask your students to practice more than one skill at a time.
Have your activities build a little bit each day. Ideally your activities will build on each other to meet the end goal. The wait time between activities allows the brain to subconsciously think through the task and make better decisions.
Don't rely on talking head or slide show videos. Add interactivity. Your students bring a LOT of knowledge (or misconceptions) to the table. Use these to create just in time learning.
The brain needs more than one modality to learn. Simply using text, video, audio or kinesthetic strategies will underwhelm the brain. Ideally your course will use all modalities throughout the course to fully activate the brains of your learners.
Principle 4: Brains need social interactions
Humans are social creatures by nature. We learn from each other and learn by teaching others.
Consider having students work in groups to complete reflective and sharing activities. Not only is this more active, it allows learners to share prior experiences (the constructivism part of social constructivism) and build off of each other's knowledge.
Don't rely on separate Facebook groups, if possible. Embed the community discussions right into the course so the brain does not separate the course from the community.
Honor experiences and activate prior knowledge. The schema must link to a previous thought or experience. A skilled course designer or trainer will pull this knowledge out of learners although sometimes it is a hidden process. Seek out essential background knowledge to set learners up for success.
Speaking of timing - brain science has advocated for a reverse content strategy. This tends to be opposite of what many people think. Often the process is lecture, apply, assess. But what if there were other steps to build in the scaffolds and links to prior knowledge? The 5 E model from BCBS is a good example of this: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate.
See this article for ways to engage your learners.
Principle 5: A growth mindset leads to learning
Your learners are different that children. As adults they are making the decision to take your course so you have their curiosity, an element needed for learning. Build on this by encouraging your students to ask questions and find the answers. Take a look at this research on curiosity in learning.
Model a growth mindset by talking through your challenges and solutions.
Challenge your learners to share their own problems and solutions.
Principle 6: Our brains are emotional
Brains are much more than the machines we used to label them as. They react to emotional stories and situations. Emotional reactions can help or hinder learning. Use stories and emotional information purposefully.
Don't constantly sell to your learners as brains cannot learn at the same time. Our brains can spot a sales pitch which cause practiced reactions such as clicking away.
The new wave of entrepreneurs entering the online course sales space is overwhelming. So many are poorly created, with lectures and a teacher centered approach of the "sage on the stage". Redesign these courses and consider taking them to another platform that allows active learning. Read more about course redesign here.
See more on student centered learning techniques.
Brains deal with stress but we know that the more stress a learner is under, the less he or she will learn. How can you structure, organize and present your course to reduce stress? See this video for some ideas.
Principle 7: Brains need constant feedback
Feedback is essential! Never build a “set it up and leave it” course. The lack of instructor feedback may be more time efficient for the author but learners will often forget the information or not finish the course.
The facilitator’s attitude can make or break the success of the learner. Encourage goal setting and available supports.
Rewards and punishments work on adults as well as children. The actual objects or concepts may be more mature versions or completely different but humans are humans. Humans work for rewards.
Speaking of rewards, one of the biggest rewards is acceptance and belonging. Allow the learner to experience success in the community of learners. This simple act can open up learners to the new content and new experiences you are providing in your course.
The quirks of the brain can easily be exploited in our online courses. With simple changes and purposeful planning, your course can feed the brains of your learners!
Don't give a hoot about brain science but want to improve your courses? eLearning Elevated uses the latest and greatest research to improve courses for clients. Contact us to see how we can help you.
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