Understanding the Learning Process

Questions that Impact Learning

After waking up this morning how much time passed
before you had something to Drink? Something to Eat?
How many times each day do you eat a meal?
How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
How many hours of sleep do you usually get each
weekday night?
How often do you exercise? For how long on average is
each exercise session?
Do you take a nap each day or most days? How long is
the nap?
A New Paradigm for Student Learning
is Needed

1. Students need to prepare

their brains for learning
each day.

2. Students need to follow

the new brain research for
how to take in, process and
retrieve information.
Preparing to Learn

The simple but important

shift in our understanding
is ---that if the brain is
prepared to learn greater
success occurs.
 Preparation for Learning Means Students
Have Addressed these Four Areas

The brain needs to

function effectively:
1. Exercise
2. Sleep
3. Hydration
4. Diet
Exercise and Learning
Movement and Learning
Natural selection
developed a human brain
to solve problems of
survival in outdoor,
unstable environments
while in almost constant
motion.
(Medina, 2008)
Movement and Learning
Our brains were shaped and
sharpened by movement.

We continue to require
regular physical activity in
order for our brains to
function optimally.

(Raichlen and Polk, 2013)

Power of Exercise
If there were a drug
that could do for
human health what
exercise can do it
would be the most
valuable
pharmaceutical ever
developed. (Dr Mark Tarnopolsky
genetic metabolic neurologist at Mc Master University )
Exercise and Learning
Exercise is the single most
important thing a person
can do to improve their
learning.

(John Ratey, 2008, Spark, The

Revolutionary New Science of Exercise
and the Brain)
Exercise Has a Direct Impact on the
Brain
Exercise works directly on brain tissue:

improving the connections between

nerve cells

creating new synapses

growing new neurons and blood

vessels

improving cell energy efficiency

(Gordon, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions)

Exercise Stimulates New
Cell Production

When we exercise, new

brain cells are born in the
hippocampus- the brain's
gateway to new memories.

Postal, 2014
Exercise and Learning

High fat diets have been

shown to block new brain
cell growth.
Exercise Improves Attention
You will pay better
attention to a task when
you have been active

Allocate more cognitive

resources to the task

Do it for longer periods of

time.
Exercise Increases Attention
and Concentration
Exercise directly stimulates
the dorsolateral prefrontal
cortices- the brain regions
responsible for:
focus
concentration
organization
planning

(Postal, 2015)
Exercise Boost the Brains
Ability to Learn

Energy Calm
Exercise increases production of neurotransmitters that help:

1. Motivation
2. Patience
3. Mood (more optimistic)
4. Attention

(Ratey, 2013)
Exercise can Enhance Learning

Studies also show that following exercise, problem solving,

memory, and attention improve.

Postal, 2014
Exercise Increases Production of BDNF

BDNF
(Brain-derived neurotrophic factor )

Enhances the wiring of neurons

which underlies all human
learning

Miracle Gro for

(Ratey, 2008) the Brain
Exercise Increases Production of
BDNF
BDNF (brain derived
neurotrophic factor) leads
directly to brain cells
binding to one another.

Synapses, or connections
between cells become
more dense.

Postal, 2014
Exercise Produces BDNF
Improves brain
health

Is a stress inoculator

Makes the brain

cells more resilient

(Ratey, 2008)
Cognitive Benefits in a Pill
Researchers from theDana-Farber Cancer Institute at
Harvard Medical School (HMS) have also discovered that it
may be possible to capture these (BDNF)benefits in a pill.

The same protein that stimulates brain growth via exercise

could potentially be bottled and given to patients
experiencing cognitive decline, including those in the
beginning stages of Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

(Bruce Spiegelman of Dana-Farber and HMS and Michael E. Greenberg, PhD,

chair of neurobiology at HMS.)
How Sleep Effects Learning and
Memory
GOOD SLEEP HYGIENE?
Sleep, Memory and Learning
50 to 70 million adults in
the United States alone
have asleep or
wakefulness disorder,
according to the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention.
The Power of Sleep

Given the latest research on the many

functions of sleep, skimping on sleep is
looking like a worse and worse strategy for
dealing with the demands of daily life.
(Strickgold,2015)
Research on the role of sleep in hormonal,
immunological and learning and memory
function suggest that if you dont get
enough you couldbesides being very tired
wind up sick, overweight, forgetful and
(depressed) very blue.(Strickgold, 2015)
How Much Sleep do College
Students Need?

Adults need between 7

and 9 hours of sleep per
night and teenagers need
at least 9 hours of sleep a
night.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Poor attention

Irritability

Difficulty with memory

Increased risk taking and

impulsivity

Slowed reaction time

Depressed Immune system

Sleeps Affect on Learning and
Memory
Scientists have fortified
evidence that a key
purpose of sleep is to
recalibrate the brain cells
responsible for learning
and memory
So the lessons can be
solidified and used
when awake.

(Diering,2017)
Sleep and Learning and Memory
The bottom line, he
says, is that sleep is not
really downtime for the
brain.
It has important work to
do then, and we in the
developed world are
shortchanging ourselves
by skimping on it.
Memories are Made During Sleep

Most sleep researchers

now agree that sleep
plays a vital role in the
formation of long term
memories .

(Stickgold, 2005).
 Learning Readiness and Sleep
During sleep electrical impulses
help to shift memories from the
brain's hippocampus -- which has
limited storage space -- to the
nearly limitless prefrontal cortex's.

This frees up the hippocampus to

take in fresh data (new learning)
the next day.

Sleep is the key to

(Walker, 2010) having a brain that is
ready to learn
 Learning Readiness and Sleep

"A lot of that spindle-rich sleep

is occurring the second half of
the night, particularly in the last
2 hours so if you sleep seven
hours or less, you are likely
shortchanging yourself and
impeding your learning

(Mander, 2011).
Rehearsal of Learning before Sleep

A 2012 study out of the

University of Notre Dame
confirms that sleeping directly
after learning something new is
beneficial for memory.

(Payne, Tucker, Ellenbogen, Wamsley, 2012 )

Dewar, Alber, Butler, Cowan &DellaSala, 2012)
Rehearsal of Learning before Sleep

it would be a good thing

to rehearse any
information you need to
remember just prior to
going to bed.

(Payne, Tucker, Ellenbogen, Wamsley, 2012 )

Sleep, Creativity and Problem Solving
Sleep also seems to
reorganize memories,
extracting the emotional
details and reconfiguring
the memory to help us
produce new and creative
ideas.

(Wagner, U., Gais, S., Haider, H., Verleger, R., &

Born, J. (2004).
Awake but Off Line

New findings suggest that when

the brain is sleep deprived even
though the person is fully awake
the neurons used for important
mental task switch off.

(Chiara Corelli,2011 Nature)

Awake but Off Line
This is likely to have
consequences on mental
performance and we likely
function less well the
longer weve been awake.

(Chiara Corelli,2011, Nature)

Can we bank sleep?
Can we bank sleep?not
really.

But when sleep deprived you

can catch up with recovery
sleep.

When you know you will have

to be sleep deprived it is
valuable to sleep well the day
before.
Nighttime Light and Sleep
Nighttime light exposure
especially to the blue light
of TV, computers,
cellphones and iPads
suppresses melatonin the
hormone that controls our
wake and sleep cycles
Nighttime Light and Sleep

After dark one hour of

normal room lighting (1000
lux) is enough to suppress
melatonin.

(Gooley, Chamberlain, and Lockley in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Blocking the Blue Light
New lenses that block the
blue light have been Amber colored
developed and are lenses block the
available for all when you blue light
get new glasses.

There are apps available

that you can download for
your phones, Ipads
(etc.)that will reduce the
effects of the blue light.
Naps Can Improve Learning
Readiness
The newest research
suggest a nap of 90
minutes is ideal for true
refreshment and improved
cognitive readiness for
learning.

LOEB, 2014
Rest after Learning Improves Recall
Neuroscientist Lila Davachi
of NYU found that during rest
periods following new
learning the areas of the
brain used during new
learning were just as active
as they were when they were
learning the task

Dr Lila Davachi, NYU's Department of Psychology and Center

for Neural Science.
Significance of this Finding
The greater the correlation
between rest and learning
the greater the chance of
remembering the task in
later tests.

Taking a (coffee) break

after class can actually help
you retain the information
you just learned." Dr Lila Davachi
Spaced Learning
Spaced learning studies
have shown that regular
gaps between learning
which allow the brain time
to encode learning, have
helped primary school
children read more
effectively and have
improved surgical skills of
medical students.
(R. Douglas Fields Scientific American in 2005)
Spaced Learning
Brain scans have
suggested that
connections between
neurons increases if
stimulus is repeated
several times with
intervals of inactivity.

(Douglas Fields in Scientific American in 2005)

Hydration and Learning
Water First Thing in the Morning
After going several hours
without water (during
sleep) a serving of water
first thing in the morning
can hydratethe body
while aiding digestion and
metabolism.

(Lemond, 2017)
Hydration and the Brain
Neurons store water in
tiny balloon-like structures
called vacuoles.

Water is essential for

optimal brain health and
function

(Norman ,2012)
Hydration and the Brain

Water is needed for the

brain's production of the
hormones and
neurotransmitters which key
the brains communication
system. (Allen,2016)
Hydration and the Brain

When you lose too much

water your brain cells lose
efficiency.

(Gowin2010)
Mild Dehydration and Learning
According to two studies recently
conducted at the University of
Connecticuts Human Performance
Laboratory --
Even mild dehydration can
alter a persons mood, energy
level, and ability to think
clearly,

Mild dehydration is defined as

an approximately 1.5 percent
loss in normal water volume in
the body. (Armstrong & Lieberman, 2011)
Our Kids are not Getting Enough
Water
According to a National
Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey by
the CDC, only fifteen
percent of kids are getting
enough H20 during the
day and many experts
consider this to be a
problem needing national
attention.
Symptoms of Dehydration
1. Thirsty
2. Dry mouth
3. Weakness
4. Dizziness
5. Heart pounding
6. Fainting
7. Less or dark yellow urine
8. No tears
9. Muscle cramps
10. Tired
Easy Solutions
We lose up to 2 lbs of water while
sleeping-- hydrate when you wake
up12-16 ounces of water.

We lose about 80 ounces of water

daily through sweating, breathing
and eliminating waste.(The Mayo Clinic)

Water is bestdrink when thirsty.

Iced tea, coffee or other drinks like

Gatorade are 2nd best.
Too Much Water is Dangerous
We dont need to drink 8 glasses of
water a day.

Men need 125 ounces and women 91

ounces dailywe get most of this from
our normal food and beverage intake.

Drink when thirsty.

Too much water puts added pressure

on your heart and blood vessels and
on your kidneys.
(Dr. Ben Kim)
Water and Digestive Health

For digestive health, we

do say that drinking
nothing during a meal is
best, followed by the
second best
thing,drinking room
temperature water.
(Lemond, 2017)
Your Diet and
Learning
Diet and Learning
Neurons are living cells
with a metabolism, and
they need glucose in order
to function.

Glucose is the fuel of the

brain just like gasoline is
the fuel of your car.

(Levitin,2014)
The Brains Energy Source

Because neurons cannot

store glucose, they depend
on the bloodstream to
deliver a constant supply of
this precious fuel.

(The Franklin Institute)

Diet and Learning
This supply in the form of
blood sugar is obtained from a
balanced diet and regular food
consumption throughout the
day.

(The Franklin Institute)

Diet and Learning
Too much sugar or refined
carbohydrates at one time,
however, can actually
deprive your brain of
glucose depleting its
energy supply and
compromising your brain's
power to concentrate,
remember, and learn.
(The Franklin Institute)
Being Tired Reduces Effectiveness of
Glucose
Sleep deprivation cause
the body to be less
efficient in its ability to
use food by 1/3 also its
ability to make insulin and
to extract energy from the
glucose becomes quite
poor.
Diet and Learning
" So by the end of the
day, if we've spent too
much time on tasks that
aren't critical, we
experiencemental fatigue
, and we don't have the
energy left to do the
things that really matter.

(Levitin,2014)
Diet and Learning

For learners, this research

on diet implies that the
contents and timing of
meals may need to be
coordinated to have the
most beneficial cognitive
effects that enhance
learning.
Web MD Food Recommendations for
Healthy Brain Function
Blueberries
Avocadoes
Dark Chocolate
Nuts and seeds
Beans
Fresh brewed Tea
Whole Grains
Wild Salmon
Learning in Harmony with Your Brain
Senses Create Multiple Pathways for
Learning and Memory
The more senses used
in learning the more
possible connections
to prior knowledge and
the more pathways are
available for recall.
 Our Most Powerful Sense for
Learning is Vision
Evolution made certain we
were visual learners.

See the predator or be eaten

See the food to hunt or
starve
See a safe place to live of be
eaten
See a mate to pass on your
genes
Our Most Powerful Sense for
Learning is Vision
33% of the human brain is
devoted to vision.

Vision is still intricate to

our survival.

Vision makes powerful

memories.
Our Brains Learn in Patterns

The brain is a pattern

seeking device that relates
whole concepts to one
another and looks for
similarities, differences, or
relationships between them.

(Ratey, 2002, pg.5)

Which of the following
slides is easier to
remember and WHY?
SLIDE ONE

4915802979
Slide Two

(491) 580-2979
Common Patterns for Learning
Similarity and
Difference

Cause and Effect

Comparison and
Contrast

In students own
words
Efficient Memory Formation
Cramming
The short-term advantage
of study practice shows
that cramming can However, if the goal of
improve exam scores. practice is long-term
retention of course
Carrier & Pashler, 1992; Roediger & Karpicke,
2006b; Thompson, Wenger, &Bartling, 1978; material, cramming
Wenger, Thompson, & Bartling, 1980;
Wheeler, Ewers, & Buonanno, 2003 appears to be an
irrational behavior.
The Three Rules of Memory

Three Rules

1.Repetition over time

(distributive practice)

2.Elaboration of material

3. Wanting to Remember
Keys to Memory Formation
The more elaborately you
encode new information at
the moment of learning the
stronger the memory
make it detailed,
multifaceted and emotional.

(Squire and Kandel)

Keys to Memory Formation
The same neural
pathways used to process
new learning are the same
ones used to store it.

So the initial moments of

learning are crucial to
helping us to recall what
we learned.
Keys to Memory Formation
The quality of our initial
encoding of new learning
is the greatest predictor of
later learning success.
Keys to Memory Formation
The more closely you
replicate the environment
and conditions at the
moment of learning when
trying to recall something
the easier remembering it
will be.

Studying in the place you

will be tested is ideal.
Ideal Study Intervals
10 to 20 % of retrieval
intervalsif studying
facts.

Test in 3 weeks =21 days.

Study every 2-3 days.

(Cepeda Coburn, Rohrer, Wixted, Mozer and Pashler

2009)
Listen to the Music
Do you know the lyrics to
songs that you did not try
to learn and do not want to
know the lyrics to?

YES
Why Students Forget

1. Blocking information stored but cant be

accessed (Schacter, 2001)
Test Anxiety for example

2. Misattribution attributing a memory to the

wrong situation or source (Zola, 2002)

3. Transience memory lost over time 65% of a

lecture is lost in the first hour (Schacter, 2001)
The Brain cant Multitask when it
Comes to Learning
Multitasking and Classroom
Learning
Multitasking and the Brains Reward
System
Some behaviors, such as
texting or using social
media, trigger the brains
reward system. Once the
brain has linked a behavior
to that reward, it continues
to seek the reward again and
again.

(Roper inPsychological Science)

Studies on Multitasking

Multitasking decreases mental resources

needed for new learning and study
( Newman Kellert and Just 2007)

The amount of brain activation in the

areas needed for new learning is much
less then when a single task is being
learned.

(Just, Carpenter Keller, Emery, Zajac and Thulborm 2001),

Studies on Multitasking

Multitasking recruits brain

regions for habit making not
for higher learning.

(Foerde, Knowlton, Poldrask, 2006)

Studies on Multitasking

Heavy multitasking shortens

attention spans.

(Ophir, Nass and Wagner, 2009)

Studies on Multitasking

It gives value to all stimuli so

distractibility increases.

(Ophir, Nass and Wagner 2009)