Phase 3 Essay

Phase III                        Janelle Rocktashel & Kelsey Biffel
Creating Your Learning Strategy        Period 2

Janelle Rocktashel

    In order to collect accurate data, we used a survey technique. By using a survey, we were able to collect data from all of the people in our class as well others. The questions on the survey were simple questions that would not confuse people in order to have answers true to the way people learn. From the data, we found that there are many different types of learning. People can learn using multiple strategies, even at the same time. For example, some people were unsure which answer to choose on the survey because they utilize more than one learning technique. These people then just chose the technique they felt to be the most helpful and which they used the most frequently. Many people like to have some sort of visual to look at in the beginning of a lesson in order to grasp an idea of the topic. This is then followed with note taking and worksheets to dig deeper into the material. Finally, discussing things in a group helps people fully understand concepts by talking them out with other people at the end of a lesson. Because our data varied in some aspects, it became apparent that we had to accommodate everyone’s learning type in order to be totally successful. It taught us that a lesson should have multiple aspects to it so the information could be learned through many different experiences rather than simply memorizing key facts. By analyzing the results more closely, we were able to see which strategy should be emphasized most. The survey really helped us see which learning strategy would benefit our class most, since we got the results directly from them. It gave us an honest look into their opinions and ways of thinking. We focused on the technique which the majority of the people surveyed found most helpful, and expanded our lesson from there. One piece of the data that stood out the most is the fact that most people had chosen the visual technique as their best way to learn. Because of this, we knew that we had to have most of our strategies utilize a visual of some kind. Pictures, maps, colors, videos, and diagrams all came to mind to make the lesson appealing to the many visual learners in the class. A second piece of information is that while most students learned through visuals, a large number also used auditory learning strategies. Putting the two most chosen techniques together, we found videos to be the most helpful. Memorization was not something that was brought up on the survey, because students admitted that is does not make them learn anything. Although memorization is used by a lot of students throughout school, we realized that after a short time, the information is forgotten. Based on the reactions we witnessed in during the survey, we noticed many people thought they learned in more than one way. This told us that we needed to make sure that each lesson utilized more than on technique in order to have the students learn as much as possible. We also found that the students had trouble answering the question because they simply did not know which way they learned best. This could be due to the fact that most times in school, students only do what they are told to do by their teacher rather than having the ability to utilize their own strategy. This could affect our results because some people could have picked any technique just to have an answer.
    Based off of what we learned through our collection of data from the survey in Phase II, we were able to come up with four different learning techniques in order to accommodate everyone in our class. One learning technique we used based on audio and visual stimuli. The majority of the class reported that visuals helped them learn things. Visual learning techniques have been studied since the 1800s and early 1900s. Research on visual learning developed greatly in 1965. Mnemonics were the first type of visual learning to be studied. In our strategy, we found many different videos on YouTube about the neuroscience topic. The videos showed many pictures and animations of key elements of neuroscience. This allows the students to actually see what is happening in one’s brain, rather than only read about it and try to imagine it occurring. This is effective because it gives people a clear image of the material and does not allow for misunderstandings of what something actually looks like. It is also effective in terms of using audio to learn. Many people also chose audio on their survey as their best way to learn. Having a video with audio allows them to listen to something as many times as they need to in order for it to be completely understood. This is best for neuroscience in that it does not allow much confusion. Sometimes in discussion, things can be heard wrong or not completely understood the first time it is said, but you cannot go back to the exact thing again as you can do with a video. Neuroscience involves a lot of information that is new to most people, and getting it mixed up by creating your own mental image of how something should look can make everything more confusing. A second learning technique throughout our lesson is note taking. Worksheets to go along with the video series provide an outline of all of the key parts. There has been written language for many thousands of years, which means note taking has also been used. Although in the past it would have been used for many different reasons, it is doing the same thing. Notes help visual learners see information on paper and remember it in that way. It is also effective because it puts terms and functions in an order of how they work together so that the students can have a better understanding of their relationships. This is a good way to learn neuroscience because it provides a summary of everything covered that is easy to refer back to if something is misunderstood. Notes can be done in a personal way in order for each student to remember and apply the information best, such as outlines or concept maps. A third strategy we utilized is hands-on learning. Hands-on learning has been around for many years and allows people to physically deal with the subject of choice. In our lesson, the brain model is hand-on learning. It allows the students to see the parts of the brain and put them where they belong on the diagram. This helps the students get a better understanding of where the parts are located, how big or small they are, and their physical relationship to other parts which they are involved with. This is an effective way of learning because it gives the students a clear picture to work from with motor skills to remember when thinking back to the brain model. Hand-on learners learn by moving their bodies with the lesson to enhance critical thinking. This is very effective when learning neuroscience because it involves many things that students are not familiar with. By providing them with hand-on activities, they can get somewhat of a real feel of what they are like. For these types of learners, doing things directly relating to the subjects makes them learn much more efficiently. Since we obviously could not study a real live brain, this model allows the students to have a closer look into what it might be like. Finally, discussing the subject in a small group is a strategy we applied to neuroscience. Speaking has been a way for people to learn and communicate problems for thousands of years. In school today, talking with peers is a great way to learn. This gives insight into other’s opinions and allows misunderstandings to be discussed and figured out. This is a type of learning for both interactive and audio learners. It gives them something to hear, while physically interacting with others on the same topic. This is effective for neuroscience because it gives the students a chance to talk through their own problems amongst each other and think critically to come to a final conclusion. Neuroscience has a lot of new terminology and concepts that are hard to understand at first. Instead of simply memorizing them and moving on, group discussions provide a higher level of thinking to figure things out. There are many different types of learning that need to be involved with a neuroscience lesson to provide skills for each kind of learner.

Kelsey Biffel

    While doing a run through of our strategies, we found them to all be effective.  We watched the YouTube videos to get a clear understanding of what they were about and what the major concepts were.  After watching the videos, we answered our own questions that we made up to follow the videos.  We realized that we had to sometimes go back to re-watch parts of the videos to develop the correct answer.  We checked ourselves to make sure all the answers were fully answered and correct, then made an answer key for other students who want to use our learning strategy.  Next, we created our own model of the brain as an example for others.  We made a brain by creating “puzzle pieces” of the brain parts to fit onto the brain.  We identified each brain part and its function that we learned about.  Lastly, for a small group discussion, Janelle and I talked about what we learned, what we needed to change and questions we had about some things we didn’t entirely understand.  For some ideas that we didn’t recognize, we did extra online research to come up with the answers. 
    All of our strategies did work because we realized while we were creating our model and having our discussion that we really did learn a lot and we remembered what we saw and heard from the videos.  The questions were also very effective in enhancing our learning and thoughts about neuroscience and the parts of the brain.  The questions are the main strategy that helped us remember what we learned from the videos.  During our discussion, we were surprised to notice how much information we learned from our strategies, we also talked about new concepts, and asked each other questions which also helped us learn more.
One thing we found that can be modified is we should change some of our questions from the worksheets to higher thinking questions.  Some of the questions are a little too easy and some are simply identifying so we will instead make them more in depth which will require higher level thinking and relations to the real world.  The new questions will help explain how neuroscience is a part of psychology.   
    Learning was definitely effectively applied from the use of creating the brain model.  The model helped to develop our understanding of the brain parts, and encouraged us to think about what we have already learned.  Along with learning, thinking and memory were also effectively applied.  The revised questions on the worksheets will entail higher level thinking to require students to think more deeply about the way neuroscience and psychology relate.  Memory was applied because we had to remember what information was taught in the videos in order to answer the questions, complete the brain model, and have the small group discussion.  Also, the use of language in our strategies was applied from the use of communication; communication in small group discussion and in communication of how to put the model of the brain together.  We communicated complex ideas and thoughts from one person to the other during the discussion, and also in asking each other questions which helps to transmit knowledge from one person to another.
    Many concepts in this unit are crucial to our understanding of neuroscience.  Remembering ideas from the videos to answer the questions and make the model uses memory.  The thinking comes into play when the students must answer the thinking questions that follow the video.  They require the students to think deeply and truly understand the meanings.  Thinking also refers to all mental activities associated with processing, understanding, remembering and communicating which are all covered in our learning strategy.    Similarly, information is obviously learned because students retain and retrieve the information; demonstrating that they are learning, and gaining new knowledge about psychology.  Language is also crucial, not just for this project but also because it is present in everything we do.  Language is the way we use our spoken and written language to communicate, and communication is a huge part of how we live today.  Language, thinking, memory and learning are crucial to understanding neuroscience because they each involve the brain making decisions and the way our mind processes and communicates information.
    Understanding these ideas allow us to learn how our brains work and function on a daily basis, since we do learn something new every day.  As something is learned, a normal brain stores the information which can be retrieved and communicated as needed.  We think, feel, and act with our bodies and our brains working together.  Our thinking and emotions influence our brains and our health, so it’s important to know about neuroscience to stay healthy.  When we think, we think with our brain, which sends millions of neurotransmitter molecules for communication.  It’s a lot easier to understand why we do the things we do, like why our brain tells us to do certain things if we understand neuroscience and its main concepts.      
    This knowledge helps us to learn other aspects of psychology such as the way we learn as students and the reasons why teachers teach us the way they do.  It’s clear that memorization is not the best learning strategy, although memory is still implied through many tasks we perform in a school day.  It’s evident that visual aids and interactive hands on learning are other learning strategies that are the most effective.  They are easily understood when a student can actually complete the concept, or look at the situation with a visual.  This also makes it a lot easier to relate to.  Psychology is a lot of relating concepts to real world examples that happen to us every day.  With interaction between peers and visuals it becomes a lot easier to do that.     
    To find out our class and other student’s favorite learning strategy we conducted a survey on many students and found that the majority of the student’s favorite way to learn is by the use of visual aids.  We figured we had to do something with visual aids and ways to enhance visual aids, so we chose to watch YouTube videos, and make a model of the brain as two of our main projects.  It is definitely an effective learning strategy because Janelle and I learned a lot while creating our project and while doing the run through of projects.  We realized that memory was applied to our learning without even trying to remember key concepts.   We were kind of surprised to find we actually did remember a lot from the videos when answering the questions and creating the model of the brain.  Since this learning strategy helped Janelle and I a lot, it should definitely help others in the classroom.  We hope that many of our classmates choose our strategies to study and gain more knowledge about neuroscience.