The Brain, Learning and Problem Solving

I noticed as I researched various websites and resources for information on the brain and learning, information processing theory and problem-solving methods during the learning process that there is a lot of research happening in these areas.  As a classroom teacher and instructional designer, it is important to be aware of developments in learning and information processing in order to be more effective. 

One resource that has some information on the brain and learning is Brain Connection (http://brainconnection.positscience.com/)  This website has a lot of resource information that gives insight as to how the brain functions.   The Library window gives options to find more specific information on many topics that Instructional designers should be interested in.   In the explore section, there is additional information on the brain.   The Image gallery as more than just images, as it shares information on the brain.  Brain facts shares information about the brain and even sheds light on some misconceptions about brain development.

Another resource is found at education.com (http://www.education.com/reference/article/brain-and-learning/).    This resource is a good description of the brain and relates some information about reading, writing and math and the brain.  Since most learning in the classroom requires at least one of these skills, this website is a good source to start .  The article does give a good conclusion for why educators and instructional designers should study the brain.

For those of you interested in how the brain works and changes in the brain during adolescence , I would also recommend the book "A Student's Brain: The parent/Teacher Manual"  by Kathie F. Nunley.  I found the book shared a good amount of information, especially in regards to the brain during puberty.  (Information on this book can be found at http://www.brains.org/).

I found an interesting article about problem solving and addresses cognitive load issues with students in the classroom.  I describe some of the ideas as - big picture first, then give supporting details and information second.  The article describes the problem solving strategy as Flexible Problem Solving.  The big idea is that in any class, there comes to be a point in which the cognitive load is too great for the students to proceed further.  According to the article Students need to be flexible and must have strategies in place to deal with acquiring new knowledge.   The article itself discusses research of cognitive load theory and may be of use.

Here is the article http://www.springerlink.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/content/v70666n76r04p447/

The research journey this week showed me that there is much information out on the topics I was searching about.  It seems a bit overwhelming and I hope that the coming weeks will provide additional resources and information to improve my instructional design.

With more and more information being made available about current research on the brain and learning, the future changes to education and instructional design will require educators and instructional designers to be more diligent in keeping up with this information.   I also thing that  there will be more discoveries and insights made on these topics and as an instructional designer, I will need to stay current on the information available to be effective.