Neuroscience of Learning

1. Neuroscience of Learning 2005

2. What is learning? CHANGING the structure & actions of NEURONS so they HOLD INFORMATION in LONG TERM MEMORY in TEMPORAL & PARIETAL LOBES of the CORTEX

4. LEARNING requires NEURONS to CHANGE

5. Learning requires MANYneuron changes BUT two major changes are 1Changing the amounts of neurotransmitters that neurons produce 2 Changing the connections between neurons

6. (1) Learning requires neurons to make MORE & LESS & DIFFERENT transmitters

7. (2) Learning requires neurons to make NEW LINKS & DELETE EXISTING LINKS with other neurons

8. + & - Bad News & Good News for Teachers in Current Neuroscience Findings

9. 4 NEGATIVES & 5 POSITIVES 4important negative findings from neuroscience 5 important positive findings from neuroscience

10. Bad news finding # 1 WE HAVE NO INTRINSIC MOTIVATION TO LEARN ACADEMIC MATERIAL

11. We are motivated to LEARN to get 4 PRIMARY BODY REWARDS: Food Water Sex Drugs of Abuse

12. And we are motivated to LEARN to get 5 Primary Social Rewards Feel pleasant touch (Rolls et al. 2003) See attractive faces (Aharon et al. 2001) Hear positive words (Hamann & Mao 2002) Interact with others (Rilling et al. 2002) Gain social status (Tooby & Cosmides, 2002)

13. Human motivation system Rewarding experiences trigger amygdala activity trigger dopamine release trigger frontal lobe activity

14. AMYGDALA Computes Emotional intensity of an experience Degree of negative or positive emotion

15. Increased Dopamine IS the Reward

16. FRONTAL LOBE Stores the reward value of experience Activates behaviors leading to the most rewarded outcome

17. All other complex experiences are conditioned with primary rewards $USE OF MONEY WORKING LEARNING FOLLOWING RULES

18. Motivation to Learn School Subjects is Conditioned Most cultures condition children with 3 primary rewards for successful learning usingfood teacher & parent approval increased peer social status

19. Bad news finding # 2 THERE IS NO EVIDENCE FOR LEARNING TRANSFER

20. Reviews of research show no evidence for learning transfer • Barnett & Ceci (2002 ) • Clement & Lecoutre (2004) • Dixon & Dohn (2003) • Mayer (2004)

21. No transfer means no free lunch NO SPECIFIC TRANSFER means Learning to add DOES NOT make learning to divide easier NO GENERAL TRANSFER means Learningmath DOES NOT make you a better learner “in general”

22. Bad news finding # 3 THERE IS NO EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

23. Gardner’s 11 Total Intelligences Linguistic, Musical, Logical-mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-kinesthetic, Personal, Naturalistic, Spiritual, Existential, Mental Searchlight, Laser

24. Gardner’s Newest Intelligences Existential = feeling at one with the cosmos Mental Searchlight = people with high IQ test scores scan widely Laser = artists and artisans “who generate the advances (as well as the catastrophes) of society”

25. Gardner Admits No Supporting Data Exists for Multiple Intelligences • Allix (2000) no evidence • Jie-Qi Chen (2004) no evidence • Gardner (2004) no evidence • Gardner and Connell (2000, p. 292) conceded that “there is little hard evidence for Multiple Intelligences theory” (2000, p. 292)

26. NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH REFUTES MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES • There is consistent significant evidence for a general intelligence factor G that appears to be working memory —this stands against Multiple Intelligences (Colom et al. 2004) • There is consistent significant evidence that brain systems for cognitive functions are overlapping —this stands against Multiple Intelligences (Lieberman, 2002)

27. NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH REFUTES MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES, cont. There is evidence for specific innate cognition modules (Gallistel, 2003) 1 Fast-mapping of word to object 2 Person recognition of face, voice, clothes 3 Obligation computation of what we owe others and what they owe us 4 Imitation of all aspects of the behavior of others

28. ADAPTED COGNITION MODULES STAND AGAINST MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES Each adapted cognition module is supported by evidence of its neural operations (MI intelligences are not). A given adapted cognition module, like Mirror Neuron Tissue, operates using our vision, hearing, speaking, gesturing, social awareness—this combines parts of 4 of Gardner’s intelligences—thus negating their individual existences

29. Bad news finding # 4 EVERY SINGLE MEMORY WE HAVE IS COMPLETELY UNSTABLE

30. Heraclitus was right

31. You cannot step into the same river twice EVERY TIME YOU REMEMBERSOMETHING, IT IS A DIFFERENT MEMORY, BECAUSE THE ACT OF RECALL IS A RECONSTRUCTION

32. RECALL TRANSFORMS OUR MEMORIES When we Remember our brain Takes the memory apart, Updates the memory, Brings the memory to consciousness Then makes new proteins for a new structure for the memory as it goes back into long-term storage.

33. Good news findings # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Neuroscience research has found 5 promoter mechanisms whereby short term learning changes into long term learning

34. 5 major promoters of learning = • INNATE LEARNING PROGRAMS (Gallistel, 2003) • REPETITION of INFORMATION (Squire and Kandel, 2000) • EXCITEMENT at the time of learning (Cahill & Gorski, 2003; LeDoux, 2002) • EATING CARBOHYDRATES at time of learning (Korol, 2002) • 8-9 HOURS OF SLEEP after learning (Kuriyama, Stickgold, & Walker, 2004)\

35. The first promoters are innate learning programs called ADAPTED COGNITION MODULES SPECIALIZED BRAIN MODULES EVOLVED TO COMPUTE SPECIFIC INFORMATION OUTSIDE OUR CONSCIOUSNESS IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT PROCESS EASIER AND FASTER BECAUSE THOSE COMPUTATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT FOR OUR SURVIVAL

36. INNATE PROGRAMS = Adapted Cognition Modules are very specific computation systems Adapted cognition modules promote quick and easy learning of certain types of information: ●We learn people’s faces, typical movements, voices, clothing, odors very easily because we have FACE RECOGNITION TISSUE in our temporal lobes ● We learn speech and tool use motor skills more easily because we have special MIRROR NEURONS in our frontal lobes that copy the speech and movements of others

37. ADAPTED COGNITION MODULES ALSO INCLUDE • COMPUTING FREQUENCIES • BASIC COUNTING SKILLS • COMPUTING WHAT OTHERS OWE US AND WHAT WE OWE THEM • FAST MAPPING OF WORD LABEL TO OBJECTS AND SITUATIONS • COMPUTING SOCIAL STATUS AND INSULTS TO SOCIAL STATUS

38. The 2nd Learning Promoter is REPETITION Squire & Kandel (2000) Reviewed neurobiology of learning Brain forms long term memories depending on “the number of times the event or fact is repeated”

39. REPETITION Squire & Kandel (2000) Reviewed neurobiology of learning Brain forms long term memories depending on “the number of times the event or fact is repeated”

40. Repetition causes neurons to make MORE and LESS neurotransmitter

41. Repetition causes neurons to make MORE and FEWER CONNECTIONS with other neurons

42. ORIGIN OF TEACHING IS REPETITION We all unconsciously repeat important information in conversations All cultures teach important stories by verbal repetition Chinese teachers were taught to say everything TWICE… Most teachers discover that repetition is valuable

43. The 3rd learning promoter is EXCITEMENT LeDoux has studied the brain for 30 years & reported (2002) that “we remember particularly well…those things that arouse our emotions”

44. Cahill & Gorski (2003) research

45. Excitement automatically increases certain neurotransmitters

46. Excitement sets NEURON CONNECTIONS in the “ON” position

47. The 4th learning promoter is EATING CARBOHYDRATES • Greenwood and Winocur (2001) research: high-fat diet impairs brain glucose metabolism needed to form long term memory • Korol (2002) research: eating carbohydrates enhanced memory • (Smith, 2003) research: lack of breakfast impairs learning

48. Eating carbohydrates gives the brain glucose to organize new synapse locations

49. Eating carbohydrates provides glucose to make glycoproteins that bind neurons to one another

50. EXTREME DIETING IMPAIRS LEARNING A majority of young women age 12 to 30 yrs in the US are on fad diets. During periods of dieting, their learning will be significantly slowed and it will be harder for them to retain information.