RebuttaltoOpposersofBrainBasedResearchintheClassroom

WilkersonJohnson,V.
PostedDate:
November12,201411:15PM
Status:
Published
RebuttaltoThoseOpposedtotheUseofBrainBasedResearchintheClassroomVeronicaWilkerson
Johnson
UtilizingBrainBasedresearchtohelpeducatorsdevelopwellconceivedandeffectiveteaching
methodsintheclassroomisaproactiveapproachtobenefittingeducationwithtechnologicaladvancements
thatareinstructiveinavarietyofsectorsaroundtheworld.Brainbasedresearchisalsoaresponsible
approach,foritencompassesalloftheconsiderationsthatthenaysayersthoughtwerenotpossible.For
example,itacknowledgestherolethatemotionplaysinthedevelopmentofhumancognitionandlearning.
Ratherthanportrayingtheresearchesoterically,brainbasedresearchandtechnologyaidstheemotional
developmentofstudentsbyencouragingtheiremotionalsenseofwellbeing,socialization,andfeelingsof
connectednesstolearning.MaryHelenImmordinoYang,acognitiveneuroscientistandeducational
psychologistattheRossierSchoolofEducation,statesthat:"Basically,whenyoufeeladmiration,thebrain
hasaheightenedselfawareness.Thisaffectsthebodysbasicperformancesinapositiveway,leadingto
betteroverallperformance.Itsastartlingdiscoverywithmanyeducationalimplications,(2011,p.5).In
herstudyImmordinoYangdiscovered,throughfMRIscans,thatwhentheemotionofadmirationis
evoked,aperson'sentirebodyisstimulatedinresponse.Furthermore,herworkhelpseducatorsto
understandcurrentresearchstudiesandpracticesderivedfrombrainbasedstudiesonemotion,social
interaction,andculture.Mostimportantly,asthewordofthisinnovativeworkspreadsbroadlyabouthow
thebrainaffectssocialinteractions,anessentialelementinone'sabilitytolearn,"policymakersare
listening".(p.5).

Multimediaeducationaltools,roboticteachingmodules,mindmappingandeducationalgamesare
amongthemanybrainbasedtechnologicaladvancesbecomingincreasinglyacceptedastoolstostimulate
learning,whetherinhealth,literacy,science,history,orproblemsolving.

Furthermore,brainbasedresearchandtechnologiescanassiststudentsinneedofrelaxationtohelp
preventburnout,andsimilarlytheycanaidstudentswithlearningdisabilitiessuchasADHDandautism
duetotheirtherapeuticeffectonthemindandemotions.Autisticchildrenlikethingsthataremadeupof

differentparts,likearobot,sotheymayprocesswhattherobotdoesmoreeasilythanarealperson,said
Dr.San,(San,2011).Therobot,namedKaspar,isprogrammedtoexhibithumanemotions.Hecansmile,
frown,laugh,blinkandwavehisarms.Hehasshaggyblackhairandabaseballcap,andhe'swearing
stripedredsocks.KasparwasbuiltbyscientistsattheUniversityofHertfordshire,Englandatacostof
about1,300pounds(or$2,118US).Autisticchildrendonotreactwelltopeoplebecausetheydonot
understandfacialexpressions.Kasparisprovingtobeanacceptablealternative,andtheautisticchildren
areadaptingtohimverywell."Robotsaremuchsaferforthembecausethere'slessforthemtointerpret
andtheyareverypredictable."(Robins,2011).BenRobinsisaseniorresearchfellowincomputerscience
attheUniversityofHertfordshirewhospecializesinworkingwithautisticchildren.

ThereareseveralversionsofKaspar,andoneisadvancedenoughtoplayNintendoWii.Whilethe
robotiscurrentlyintheexperimentalstage,researchershopethathecansoonbereproducedforafew
hundreddollarsinsteadoffortwothousand.

AshasbeenemphaticallystatedbyJensen(2006,p.235),andothers,thisgrowingknowledgeabout
howthehumanbrainfunctionspositivelyinformsusaboutteachingandpedagogicalapproachesto
maximizingtheefficacyofthistechnology.Itwillbeusefultopursuebrainbasedresearchinaneffortto
betterunderstand,andfurtherdevelop,therangesofcognitiveresponsesthatcanbeengenderedinthe
classroom.Outstandingoutcomesutilizingbrainbasedtechnologyandresearcharebeingachievedinother
fieldsofendeavoraroundtheworld,anditshouldbejustasreadilyfosteredinourimportanthallsof
learning.

References

TIME,(2011)."CouldBrainScansHelpSpotAutism?"June1,2011.
http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/01/studybrainscanshelpspotautism/?artld=34689?contType=article?
chn=us.Lastretrieved111114

Jensen,E.P.(2008),from"Afreshlookatbrainbasededucation".EricP.Jensen,PhineuroscienceDelta
Kappan,February,2008)SMSTAR(2011).TheScienceofLearningHowCurrentBrainResearchCan
ImproveEducation",eSchoolNews.eSchoolMedia,Inc.,Bethesda,Maryland.

http://www.neuronlearning.eu/contentFiles/articlePDFs/eschoolmedia_star_brainresearchimproveeducation
.pdf.Lastretrieved111114.

Cheng,M.(2011).RobotHelpsAutisticKids.HuffingtonPost,May25,2011.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/09/robothelpsautistickids_n_833321.html.Lastretrieved1112
14

Well done, Veronica. Professor Laurie Chesney

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