REFLECTION IN LINKEDIN LEARNING COURSE: Brain-Based Elearning Design (For Prelims)

In an age full of distractions and irrelevant information, it is a challenge for educators to ensure the long-term retention of the learners. I remember the quote shared by one of my favorite professors in College, “Learning without Remembering is Nothing.” What is the use of studying a concept or subject but not being able to remember and use it in the practicalities of the daily life? At the end of the day, the primary reason for studying is because we want to prepare and equip ourselves with the proper knowledge and skills that we can use as we address the challenges of our society.

This is the burden of the course Brain-Based Elearning Design. Dr. Joe Pulichino, the instructor of the course, shared effective techniques for Elearning design that Educators can use to generate significant learning experiences for the students that can help them to sustain long-term retention.

Dr. Pulichino explained the Neuroscience of Learning and the AGES Model. According to Dr. Pulichino, it is very important for us to understand how the brain works when we undergo the process of learning and the parts of the brain responsible for retention. He discussed the roles of hippocampus and amygdala. According to him, hippocampus is the part responsible for the storage of long-term memory, especially those associated with impactful emotions. On the other hand, amygdala stores those emotions related to the information or experiences stored by the hippocampus. In simple words, long-term retention can be activated if it will be associated with certain emotions of the learners. Hence, if we are going to plan, design and execute Elearning courses or subjects, we must think of systems or methods that will stimulate both parts of the brain to ensure the long-term retention of learning.

Dr. Pulichino also discussed how the neurons of our brain rewires with each other whenever learning process takes place; and every time that we use the knowledge, idea and/or skill that we have learned, our neurons would consistently rewire with each other again resulting to the formation of new habits. By doing this, learners will not just learn knowledge, ideas, and skills but also build new habits and new ways of living.

After that, Dr. Pulichino taught in the course the way educators should conduct their learning proper. The learning process that we must design should be based on the AGES Model. AGES stands for Attention, Generation, Emotion, and Spacing.

He said that educators must always ensure that the attention of the learners is always on the learning process throughout the period. It is the responsibility of the teachers to use methods that will capture the interests of the learners. If we will not be able to do this, then cannot really confirm the transfer of learning that will take place due to so many distractions that surround the students. Also, he also emphasized the relevance of Generation. In layman’s term, it means allowing the students to associate the learnings and insights that they have obtained based on their contextual situations. By doing this, students can generate meaning from those learnings that can sustain long-term memory.

Another important factor that educators should take into consideration is Emotion. Of course, as I have stated earlier, information or experiences that are associated with impactful emotions have the tendency to be retained in our memory for a long time. Hence, educators should create a learning environment or should design an Elearning course that will stimulate the emotions of the students.

The last factor to be considered is the essence of Spacing. Educators must take note that retention takes place when we allow the students to process and understand the knowledge, idea, and/or skill that we teach to them. Most of the time, learners will not be able to remember too much information in each period. Thus, educators must prepare an Elearning course that provides time for the learners to rest in absorbing new information and allow them to understand it.

If I am going to add another factor for long-term retention, then I will say that it is always essential for the educators to teach students how the knowledge or ideas that we share to them can be applied in real life scenarios and put it into application in the daily practicalities of life. At the end of the day, without application, all the knowledge, ideas, and skills that we try to learn will be useless if it cannot be of help in providing the development of our society. We have to understand that real education provides social transformation.

#Neuroscience #ELearning