Coffee, Books, and Breadcrumbs

This week found me following breadcrumbs of Google Scholar, navigating the until-now unfamiliar world of scholarly research and journal articles presented in online formats. My search focused on locating resources aligned with how the brain processes information and finds solutions to problems. During previous schoolwork, my research would always begin with a trip to a library to sit on the floor in the stacks with lists of articles to pull back to one of those long tables. I miss those tables, heavily varnished with illicit coffee-cup rings and pencil scribes left behind by the students who had gone before. Does anyone else pine for the smell of libraries?

On to my journey, with apologies for my nostalgia!

1. Simon, H. A., & Feigenbaum, E. A. (1964). An information-processing theory of some effects of similarity, familiarization, and meaningfulness in verbal learning. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 3(5), 385-396. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(64)80007-4

The article referenced sounded interesting. I have studied linguistics, audio and verbal processing, reading instruction, and overall English education. I have always felt that there was a link between learning language and memory as well as between language and problem-solving. Although the information is dated, I was hoping to get an idea of the foundations of research that have been done on these topics. However, I am not able to access the content, as it is behind a paywall. Unfortunately, this source is worthless to me, and to any other student who does not have the appropriate access.

The search continues.

• Drigas, A., & Mitsea, E. (2021). 8 Pillars X 8 Layers Model of Metacognition: Educational Strategies, Exercises &Trainings. International Journal of Online & Biomedical Engineering, 17(8). https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v17i08.23563

This week, our class discussion posts had some common themes of distraction and focus. I also brought up the points of engaging the learner’s interest and ensuring the learner had some measure of psychological safety before beginning the instructional session. This article ties back to those themes and also underscores Eric Jensen’s emphasis that “The current model of brain-based education is highly interdisciplinary.” (Jensen, 2008) These theorists build upon Maslow’s and Gardner’s work, of which I am inordinately fond, and give a detailed and holistic approach to training metacognition. Their approach can be used with any level of learner, and I will be referring back to these researcher’s work in the future.

Reference:

Jensen, Eric P (2008. A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education – Teachers.Net Gazette.

• Callan, G. L., Rubenstein, L. D., Ridgley, L. M., & McCall, J. R. (2021). Measuring self-regulated learning during creative problem-solving with SRL microanalysis. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts,15(1), 136–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000238

Finally, as an extension of metacognition and a nod to Bruer’s reliance on “research-based methods for solving recognized instructional problems” (Bruer, 2006), I took a look at this study. For reference, SRL refers to self-regulated learning, where students are expected to use “self-efficacy, strategic planning, strategy use, and self-evaluation” (Callan et al., 2021, p. 1). The study addresses how to measure the use of creativity in problem-solving with fifth- and sixth-grade learners. The researchers admitted inconsistencies in the results, mostly ascribed to the limited sample size.

Reference:

Bruer, J. T. (2017, October 17). Points of View: On the Implications of Neuroscience Research for Science Teaching and Learning: Are There Any? The American Society for Cell Biology, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.06-03-0153

This final resource brings my blog post full circle, as how can a researcher measure a student’s interest and enthusiasm? How can we measure an engaged teacher’s influence on the willingness of their students? While a group of students can always be found who will do as they are told in the interests of not incurring a teacher’s displeasure, more accurate results and more effective learning can always be found where students are delighted by what they are learning and encouraged by the instructor.