The Community College Adult Learner: MEMORY, COGNITION, AND THE BRAIN I often feel tha...

The Community College Adult Learner: MEMORY, COGNITION, AND THE BRAIN  I often feel tha...: MEMORY, COGNITION, AND THE BRAIN     I often feel that my computer looks like the computer above – covered in sticky notes with ...

MEMORY, COGNITION, AND THE BRAIN

 

 

I often feel that my computer looks like the computer above – covered in sticky notes with reminders so I won’t forget something important.  Our chapter says that during the course of the day, new pieces of information constantly accumulates on our desk and we have to determine which piece of information is important, which piece of information requires further processing, which processing strategy to use, and which pieces of information are just cluttering up the desk.

 

In researching for my chapter project, I ran across the following video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB2OegI6wvI

 

 

I found this video to be interesting because our chapter discusses memory and how it relates to learning.  This video talks about how memories can be manipulated to be what the user needs them to be.  How does this relate to adult learning?  If, as an educator, you have a student who was told in their childhood, that they would not amount to anything, they will live their lives believing that they will not amount to anything.  The memory may be a false memory, but they will not be able to see past the fact that they believe they will not amount to anything. 

 

On the other hand – can/should educators “plant” false memories to enable students to become better students?  Would it be possible as most community college students are adults? 

Our chapter left us with several unanswered questions.  One question in particular I would like your input on – Could our increasing fast-paced lives have the potential to limit our capacity in our information processing systems to the point that they will create bottlenecks in our ability to process information?  With such easy access to basically everything at your fingertips via Google, Wikipedia, etc. re we creating a generation whose ability to use the brain will be limited because the answers will be quickly at their fingertips rather than having to think about their answers?

 

Just for fun, use the following website to exercise your brain:     http://www.gamesforthebrain.com/

 

 

 



Traditional Learning Theories: Social Cognitive

Social Cognitive Theory

Of all the videos posted to consider this week, the one relating to Social Cognitive Theory was perhaps the most compelling.  One of the initial scenes from the video shows a group of younger adults following an older adult across a cross-walk.  How true it is that we often rely on the behaviors of others to guide us and teach us the correct way to perform!

Social Cognitive Theory combines elements from both behaviorist and cognitivist orientations and states that people learn from observing others (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).  These observations take place in a social setting and thus are labeled "social learning" (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).  Although it has been argued by previous theorists that imitation and reinforcement must occur in order for social learning to take place, later theorists like Bandura maintained that one could learn from observation free from imitation (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).  

When we consider the truth behind this, it becomes obvious that observation is a powerful tool in how we learn from others.  Perhaps we listen to our parents tell us about their previous experiences and thus choose a different path, or we witness the mistake of a friend and its negative consequences which guides us to alter the way we are behaving. Either way, we do learn simply by watching others!  

Think about a time when you witnessed an act and this was a learning experience for you.  How vividly do you remember the act? What did you learn?  Was it as powerful as committing the act yourself?

Non-Western Learning

I find it fascinating that the concept in non-Western cultures to have a group of people to "teach" is a foreign concept. A common theme in non-Western cultures is informal education rather than a having teacher in a formal setting.

As a global community, we are becoming more and more aware of the alternate ways of teaching and learning. We can not afford to be ethnocentric in our views of education. We have the opportunity now to observe and with the gift of technology and travel, we can adapt to better ways of teaching and learning. We can integrate non-western traditions of teaching that embody a lifestyle rather than separation of student to create their own independent work. Creating independent work is highly valued in our school systems, but community and group projects are essential for change to occur. 

A non-Western learning style is the Confucian way which is to imitate someone that you admire if you do not know how to act in a certain situation. We would call that "modeling" in the Western learning environment. The difference with Confucian learning is that learning takes place as a daily experience. Rather than teaching from a textbook. Confucians live the experience everyday so then it becomes embodied. All daily experience in Confucianism are an opportunity to learn. This is more of a value in learning as opposed to Western classroom learning or scholarly learning. This way of learning makes a person "fully human."

Another unique example of non-Western way is the Maori traditions of learning. The learning takes place as a life long commitment. The culture support this in many ways, such as "adult learning circles." They cherish their language and is is decreed as a possession in government policy. There is also a government decree to offer equality in education. Extended family serve as a fundamental "unit for learning." 

It is wonderful that we are considering non-Western learning experiences as valuable to our culture. This can facilitate more efficient learning and a greater worldview which in the opposite of ethnocentricity. Opening our eyes, opens our hearts a more evolved world community. 

Experiential Learning

I feel this concept is so simple, yet, we continue to sit in classrooms and on computers. Certainly, the classroom and the computer have their place. I know I would be lost with out them and at the same time I wish as adult learner we went on more "field trips" when in a learning environment. Fo myself, I go on as many field trips as money and time will allow. I think those are called, "vacation." How do we integrate the two?

Experiential Learning



Albert Einstein once said “Learning is experience.  Everything else is just information.”  Experiential learning is, as the name suggests, learning from your experiences. 

The role of the educator is changing and evolving when it comes to Experiential Learning.  Educators are finding themselves as facilitators of reflection and encourage learners to discuss and reflect on their experiences.  Educators are finding themselves as a catalyst and putting their students into role-playing situations where they have to solve a problem.  Educators are also finding themselves serving as a mentor and an assessor of prior experiential learning.

Haywood Community College has an Experiential Learning Department on campus.  The purpose of this department is to enhance student learning, promote civic responsibility, clarify and validate career goals, and encourage professional growth and development of job skills through practical work experience outside the classroom.  There are three programs available to the students:  Service Learning, Cooperative Education, and Internships.  You can view the website at:  http://www.haywood.edu/experiential_learning

These programs are set up to put students out in “real world” situations and give them experiences greater than the classroom can provide.  For example, in my office last spring, we had the opportunity to have an intern.  We had her sit with each person in our office and showed her each of our jobs.  She had the opportunity to participate and learn different aspects of each function within the business office.
 
How do you feel about experiential learning?  Did you participate in an Internship in your undergraduate work?  Did it provide experiences for you greater than the classroom could provide?

Transformational and Experiential Learning

     Transformational seems to be one of the current buzzwords we hear in many contexts, not just education.  Typically we take this to mean change -- and significant change.  I would guess many of us have read or heard that is the definition of learning -- a change -- either in knowledge or in skill.

     The three concepts of transformational learning posed are life experience, critical reflection, and development.  Let's look at experience primarily as that is also a current hot topic in education, particularly experiential learning.

     I found it interesting to note that experience can be past, present, and/or future.  The word experience has always had a "past" connotation to me.  So learning from prior or previous experience was an easily understood concept.  But learning may also take place within the context of our current or present experience.  This blog would be a good example.  I had no past experience in blogging, but I am definitely learning currently how to do so!   Future experience (almost seems like an oxymoron) can be a learning method as we prepare or critically examine something we are planning or anticipate occurring in our future.  Perhaps an example would be preparing for knee replacement surgery -- we haven't yet experienced it, but our fear or dread of the procedure may be allayed as we prepare and educate ourselves about the procedure and the rehabilitation we will experience (in the future).

     Let me end by asking this question -- can negative experience also be transformational?  What might be some past, current, and future examples?