Two Recommended Brain-Based Strategies to Improve Student Success

 

Two Recommended Brain-Based Strategies to Improve Student Success

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Introduction

          Brain-based learning is primarily based on how students’ brains understand the facts and decode them. The Glossary of Education Reform (2013) defines brain-based learning as, “coaching strategies, lesson designs, and faculty applications which might be based on the modern scientific research about how the brain learns, which includes such factors as cognitive development—how students analyze differently as they age, develop, and mature socially, emotionally, and cognitively.” Through any such mastering surroundings, any activities are designed to try to discover how students are expertise, inspired, and the usage of their prior knowledge in forming new understandings (Shukla, 2019). Brain-based learning is primarily based on the science of learning, however no longer primarily based on the old traditional practices that believe in assumptions and self-beliefs (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013). Students are encouraged to focus their attention on the ideas that in the end help them preserve growing order due to the fact they may be engaged in remapping their brains with brand-new concepts (AU, 2016). It allows students to remain engaged in the classroom so that they're able to meet their needs through an improved learning environment (Resilient Educator, 2022). This write-up discusses the use of two of the recommended brain-based strategies that raise student's knowledge for achievement.

Two of the Recommended Brain-Based Strategies

          As per my last year's class's twelve poetry lessons, students were asked to comprehend the short story “The Elephant” by Slawomir Mrozek working with their peers, followed by the class presentation. Now it is felt that something does not match with brain-based learning because the strategy followed is more of the traditional approach. Regarding the potential in learning, one should not underestimate any students because their brain can acquire knowledge as well as growth, thus brain-based learning can enable them to meet their potential (Waterford.org., 2019).
As the activity followed the peer activity, two brain-based strategies that can be used to improve student success for effective learning are reciprocal teaching (Think-Pair-Share) strategy and Visual/Graphics Strategy (SPOTS, n.d.)

Reciprocal Teaching (Think-Pair-Share) Strategy

          In reality, making students work with peers and present their given task no longer satisfies the academic expectation, they might have been engaged through reciprocal teaching whereby they would be engaged in thinking about the story personally after reading it and then proportion it with their friends’ taking turns based totally on the open-ended questions supplied to them which later on the complete elegance dialogue be accompanied in the class (Cowling, n.d.) It's miles because following such a procedure facilitates them to have the focal point at the text as they are studying with maximized participation to reply with richer responses (SPOTS, n.d.). This sort of strategy encourages studying via collaboration to solve issues or answer questions. Such problem-solving abilities permit students to do the tasks otherwise due to the fact their brain does what is first-class for it (Cano, 2006). It might deepen their discussion degree approximately the focused person within the story (WETA, 2022). For instance, they might be capable of replying to questions like, “Is the director in the tale a corrupt man? How?” The alternative gain of this approach is that it enables students to develop their communication and comprehension abilities due to the fact they start feeling more secure whilst speaking with their friends, allowing them to foster social, listening, and speaking talents (Cowling, n.d.).

Visual/Graphics Strategy

          As per the research findings, human eyes can register about 36,000 visual messages in the brain every hour and about 80 to 90 percent of available information visually (Cano, 2006). Moreover, visuals also attract students to learn by attracting their attention and retaining information acquired by them. The teacher can use the visual picture related to the above story or make students grasp the information from the story with the help of a visual picture because it keeps students engaged to visualize the complex ideas in an organized manner for a longer period (Lucidspark, 2022). Such a strategy also helps students identify new ideas through critical thinking. It means they can be even involved in the critical thinking process, which is a means of a 21st-century classroom. Research has proven that our brain can process visuals sixty-thousand times faster than normal text reading and boost students’ learning by 400% (Lucidspark, 2022). Visual strategy not only helps bright students in the classroom but also helps those low achiever students to learn fast (Blackburn, 2019).

Potential Limitations or Additional Challenges

          In introducing the aforementioned strategies, there won’t be any limitations or challenges, but one thing we are sure about is the timely availability of the resources or materials for visual strategy because of the required limited materials available in the school. However, the instructor can try to be creative by improvising the visible fabric to apply in his classroom. Other challenges are the time constraint because the activity can last long and the teacher should have to prolong the class or continue it in the next upcoming period.

Conclusion

          Brain-based strategies are proven strategies that boost learning through the creation of thriving students in the classroom. It enables students to improve their retention, performance, and attitude through motivation and socialization (Emporia State University, 2022). Moreover, a forum is created in the classroom whereby students can self-direct during the learning process, taking ownership in achieving the educational goals (Lynch, 2019).

 

 

References

American University. (2016). What Is Brain-Based Learning? https://soeonline.american. edu/blog/brain-based-learning

Blackburn, B. (2019). Four Visual Learning Strategies to Enhance Student Outcomes. https://sharemylesson.com/blog/visual-learning-strategies

Cano, J. (2006). Motivating Students to Learn. https://www.naae.org/profdevelopment/magazine/ archive_issues/Volume78/v78i4.pdf#page=18

Cowling, T, K. (n.d.). How to Use the Think-Pair-Share Activity in Your Classroom. https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/how-think-pair-share-activity-can-improve-your-classroom-discussions1704.html

Emporia State University. (2022). The Focus on Brain-Based Learning in Effective Classrooms. https://online.emporia.edu/articles/education/brain-based-learning-in-classrooms.aspx

Lynch, M. (2019). Brain-Based Strategies for your Classroom. https://www.thetechedvocate.org/ brain-based-strategies-for-your-classroom/

Lucidspark. (2022). Visual teaching strategies to improve learning. https://lucidspark.com/blog/ visual-teaching-strategies-to-improve-learning.

Resilient Educator. (2022). Explanation of Brain Based Learning. https://resilienteducator.com/ classroom-resources/brain-based-learning-explained/#:~:text=Many%20teachers% 20already%20use%20some%20brain-based%20learning%20Activating,know. %20This%20strengthens%20the%20connections%20in%20their%20brains.

Shukla, A. (2019). Brain-Based Learning: Theory, Strategies, and Concepts. https://cognitiontoday.com/brain-based-learning-theory-strategies-and-concepts/#What_is_Brain-Based_Learning

SPOTS. (n.d.). The Adolescent Brain –Learning Strategies & Teaching Tips. http://spots.wustl.edu/SPOTS%20manual%20Final/SPOTS%20Manual%204%20Learning%20Strategies.pdf

The Glossary of Education Reform. (2013). Brain-Based Learning. https://www.edglossary.org/brain-based-learning/

WETA. (2022). Think-Pair-Share. https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think-pair-share#:~:text=Think%2Dpair%2Dshare%20(TPS,2)%20share%20ideas%20with%20classmates.