Biology Experiment

We can all Learn-and transform our brain in the method. That’s the message in this Interview-Part 1 (out of 2) from Dr. James Zull, Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at Case Western University, Director of UCITE (The University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education), and Professor of a Human Studying and The Brain class. Dr. Zull loves to understand. And to teach. And to construct connections. He has spent years building bridges between neurobiology and pedagogy, as a result of which he wrote The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning, which shows how neurobiological research can inform and refine some of the best ideas in educational theory.

In that book, Prof. Zull added biological information to David Kolb’s Understanding Cycle framework. David Kolb’s Experiential Studying: Experience as the Source of Studying and Development book refers to human studying, but Professor Zull tells that these days, in his desk, he has cognitive neuroscience papers and analysis that show that apes go through the exact same 4 stages when they are learning a new activity, activating precisely the identical brain areas than we do.

AF: What is Studying? Can apes genuinely find out in the same way we do?

JZ: Understanding is physical. Studying means the modification, growth, and pruning of our neurons, connections–called synapses– and neuronal networks, via expertise. And, yes, we have seen that apes go via the identical Learning Cycle as we do, activating the same brain areas.

AF: How does Understanding take place?

These are the 4 stages of the Studying Cycle. 1) We have a Concrete experience, 2) We develop Reflective Observation and Connections, three) We generate Abstract hypothesis, 4) We then do Active testing of those hypotheses, and for that reason have a new Concrete expertise, and a new Learning Cycle ensues.

In other words, we 1) get details (sensory cortex), 2) make meaning of that data (back integrative cortex), three) develop new ideas from these meanings (front integrative cortex) and 4) act on those ideas (motor cortex). From this I propose that there are four pillars of understanding: gathering, analyzing, creating, and acting.

This is how we discover. Now, understanding this way needs effort and getting out of our comfort zones. A key condition for learning is self-driven motivation, a sense of ownership. To really feel in control, to really feel that one is making progress, is essential for this Studying Cycle to self-perpetuate. Antonio Damasio made a strong point on the role of emotions in his great Descartes’ Error book.

AF: can we, as learners, motivate ourselves? How can we turn out to be better learners?

JZ: Excellent question, due to the fact in reality that is a uniquely human capacity, at least to the degree we can do so. We know that the Frontal Lobes, which are proportionally significantly bigger in humans than in any other mammal, are key for emotional self-regulation. We can be proactive and identify the areas that motivate us, and build on those. In other words, the Art of the Learner may be the Art of Finding Connections between the new info and challenges and what we already know and care about.

If I had to select one Mental Muscle that students ought to truly exercise, and grow, in the course of the schooling years, I’d say they require to create this Understanding Muscle. Understanding how to Find out. That may possibly be even a lot more valuable than studying what we tension in the curriculum, i.e., the subjects we teach.

AF: Do you think this is happening nowadays in our schools?

JZ: I don’t think so. First, of all, too several folks still think that Education means the procedure by which students passively absorb information. Even if a lot of educators would like to ensure a much more participatory and active approach, we still use the structures and priorities of another era. For example, we still pay too significantly attention to categorizing some children as intelligent, some as not so, instead of focusing on how they could all discover more.

Second, understanding and changing are not that straightforward. They need effort, and also, by definition, obtaining out of our comfort zones. We want to try new things, and to fail. The Active Testing phase is a critical one, and at times our hypothesis will be right, and occasionally wrong. The fear of failing, the fear of searching un-smart, is a key obstacle to studying that I see too frequently, specially for individuals who want to protect perceived reputations to such an extent that they can’t try new genuine Learning Cycles.

AF: Fascinating. Given what you just said, how do you support your students turn out to be far better learners?

JZ: Despite the fact that each brain is various, let me simplify and say that I usually observe 2 varieties of students, with different obstacles to learning and as a result benefiting from various techniques.

… we continue this interview in Part 2