Kolb's Learning Cycle

All four steps (concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation) of Kolb's learning cycle are available to the learner at the same time.  The learner is constantly moving between concrete and abstract and reflecting and acting. 

What must teachers be aware of about brain-based learning when teaching online courses?

Teachers must be aware about brain-based learning when teaching online courses is they need to mix things up, just as they would in a face-to-face course.  To do so, they might need to think outside of the box because some strategies are easier to implement in a face-to-face course versus online.  Teachers might also consider using Jensen's seven stages that make sense to the brain, but adapt them to an online course. 

Teachers must try their best to make connections between new material and learners' previous knowledge.  They'll want to preexpose learners to material through video, posters, etc. and offer a range of activities that appeal to various multiple intelligences.  They'll also want to allow opportunities for learners to construct their own meaning and answer their own questions.  Teachers must allow learners time to reflect on the material and if possible, review previous information.  Teachers of online courses need to use formative feedback.  Finally, they need to remember to not take themselves too seriously and that learners like knowing that their teacher is human, too.

Explain active experimentation and how it relates to teaching adult learners at a distance

Active experimentation is taking what one has learned and applying it while continuing to make meaning through clarification and correction. 

Active experimentation at a distance might include formative feedback from an instructor or fellow learners that encourages the learner to assess, clarify and possibly correct their learning.

Explain abstract conceptualization and relate it to teaching adult learners at distance

Abstract conceptualization is thinking, making meaning, and producing, and includes activities such as "planning and problem solving" (Merriam, 2008, p 55).  The best example is real-world problems where there's usually no one right answer and it's up to the learner to gather the information and solve the problem based on present information, the learner's previous knowledge about the topic, and contextual information.

Abstract conceptualization at a distance might look like a project where the learner takes what he/she has learned in class (theory) to solve a real-world problem (practice).

Reference

Merriam, S. B.  Third update on adult learning theory.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. 

Explain reflective observation and relate it to teaching adult learners at a distance

Reflective observation starts with the brain associating a new event with a previous one, then reexamining the past event while referencing the new one.  When new events aren't easily associated with existing patterns, this affords the brain the opportunity to make new connections and meaning.  Journaling is one way to promote reflection on course content, class assignments, interactions with fellow learners, and documenting personal growth.

Reflective observation might happen at a distance through discussion groups.  The instructor gives the group a question to answer and members respond to others' thoughts and comments which helps with learners' reflection, comprehension and understanding.

Explain concrete experience and relate it to teaching adult learners at a distance

Concrete experience is data gathered from a learner's senses, or events that the brain converts to experiences.  These events are sifted by the brain physically because the brain can't make sense of all of the data from the learner's senses at once, and psychologically because the learner unconsciously decides what to focus on based on sociocultural and other previous experiences (Merriam, p. 53).  The brain records the physical response to the data as experience which allows for construction of meaning and lays the groundwork for memory.  In short, the learner is doing things, involved in new experiences, and/or engrossed in a new task. 

Concrete experience related to teaching adult learners at a distance can include reading various material, games/simulations, watching a video, etc.

Reference

Merriam, S. B.  Third update on adult learning theory.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,  2008. 

What does it mean to you to ‘teach with the brain in mind'?

To 'teach with the brain in mind' means "we are born with most of the brain cells we will have" (Merriam, 2008, p. 50), and as teachers and learners we must be cognizant that the brain changes as it learns. It's important instructors activate learners' previous knowledge because when "storing new sensory input, the brain "looks for" connections to earlier information" (Merriam, 2008, p. 51).  New information is more likely to be remembered if the brain can connect it to present patterns.  Conversely, learners may find it difficult to remember new information if they can't connect it to existing patterns.  Additionally, instructors must remember that if adult learners are stressed, for example about an upcoming test, and don't connect the present material to prior knowledge, what they memorize for the test won't last much past the test. 

To 'teach with the brain in mind' means the instructor and learners need to move for the most part, from the "sage on the stage" model to the "guide on the side"; from a "what" to a "how" model .  "The brain learns through intrinsic motivation and answering one's own question is more motivation than answering someone else's questions" (Joseph, 2003, p. 2).  Instructors and learners must come to expect that learners will construct their own meaning for a majority of the time, versus the instructor standing at the front of the room giving learners the information.  Learners' brains are stimulated differently with the "guide on the side" versus the "sage on the stage".  For the "guide on the side" model, instructors should consider Jensen's seven stages that makes sense to the brain. 

Instructors need to Pre Expose learners to material before jumping right in; "Pre exposure helps the brain develop better conceptual maps" (Karen Brooks' PowerPoint, 2008, slide 3).  To aid the brain in learning, the instructor needs to encourage learners to eat healthy and drink adequate amounts of water.  The brain needs more energy than any of the other organs and can become rapidly dehydrated.  Next, the instructor needs to Prepare at least a week ahead of time, then pique the learners' interest in the topic through a hook or surprise in order to involve the learners' emotions.  Instead of the instructor introducing one piece of the topic at a time, he/she should consider "throwing everything but the kitchen sink" at learners.  This stage is Initiation and Acquisition, and the feeling of temporary overwhelment or disequilibrium will encourage learners to discover and research on their own.  This is similar to what happens in the real world and over time the learner will sort things out.  Instructors should offer a variety of activities that focus on multiple intelligences which also allows learners to construct meaning through their strongest mode of learning.  The next stage is Elaboration or when the learner really thinks about the material and makes sense of it.  To aid elaboration, the instructor can have learners develop an evaluation tool such as a rubric and/or have them do the teaching in pairs or small groups.  The fifth stage is Incubation and Memory Encoding.  As previously mentioned, the brain learns things better over time instead of all at once, and this stage emphasizes down time and review.  Instructors might allow time for reflection, journaling, walk and talks with a partner, and encourage learners to share what they have been learning with friends and family.  The next stage is Confidence and Verification Check.  The instructor needs to ensure the learner indeed learned the material, but the learner also needs to confirm this for him/herself.  "Learning is best remembered when the student possesses a model or metaphor regarding the new concepts or materials" (Karen Brooks' PowerPoint, 2008, slide 8).  The instructor might consider learners showing what they have learned through a project or they might write about it in an article, essay, report, or journal.  Additionally, learners can demonstrate their new knowledge via skits or role plays, or through a summative evaluation.  The final stage is Celebration and Integration and as with the Prepare stage, this stage must involve learners' emotions and should be fun, so learners learn to love to discover, inquire, and learn. 

To 'teach with the brain in mind' doesn't mean sitting all day and for children, going all day without recess or the opportunity to move around.  To aid learners' memory, instructors need to engage learners' senses and for example, move class outside of the classroom, move to a different room, play music, etc; instructors need to mix it up.  Instructors and learners need to laugh on a regular basis, too much stress reduces the brain's ability to learn.  The instructor and learners need to be actively engaged in the topic being studied because a bored brain also has a negative impact; loss of focus.  "The most successful learning environments from the perspective of developmental intentions are those that provide high support and high challenge" (Merriam, 2008, p. 57). 

References

Brooks, K.  The 7 stage brain based learning lesson planning outline.  2008.  Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/kbrooks/the-7-stage-brain-based-learning-lesson-planning-290516. 

Joseph, J.  Learning with the brain in mind.  Focus Education Australia, 2003. 

Merriam, S. B. Third update on adult learning theory.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.