There’s an interesting article in this week’s Journal of Neuroscience about the how we learn, specifically how our genes might influence our attitude towards learning from instruction or experience. It’s an interesting new perspective on the differences between learning and teaching. According to researchers from Brown University, people genetically inclined to follow instructions can make […]
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Learning with George Auckland
george auckland by euan mcintosh George Auckland is an inspirational figure from the BBC. Last night, to celebrate 41 years at the Corporation, Manchester Metropolitan University hosted an evening to flag his achievements. George retires as the head of the BBC’s Learning Innovation Unit having started his career as a trainee assistant film editor in September […]
Art and Play
One of the projects I’m working on at the moment is a website that will help primary school children (5-11s) with their art work. The audience for the resource is quite complicated because teachers are likely to be the standard bearers for it – they’ll be the ones that direct children to it (at least […]
Plaything to Game
In an earlier post I wonder “What is a game?‘ It looked at the characteristics you can use to define a game. This week for a project I’m working on, I’ve been thinking about how you turn a normal activity into a game, the process of gamification. Jane McGonical is one of the most passionate […]
Challenge
I’ve written a couple of posts already about motivation (the motivation to learn and motivational momentum) but today I want to explore some of the issues associated with that powerful driver: challenge. The ability to overcome some conflict is central to the engagement of most narrative experiences. Similarly the level of challenge associated with any […]
What is a game?
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been doing some thinking about the nature of games for the BBC. With gamification the new hot idea and with it the attempt to apply game mechanics to just about every industry both online and real world, it felt like a good time to revisit the core concept of […]
Motivational momentum
In my previous post, I shared some thoughts about the motivation to learn. Today I’m thinking about the momentum that motivation generates. There are a number of factors that can generate motivation. These can include: Active participation Intrinsic and prompt feedback Challenging but achievable goals A mix of uncertainty and open-endedness Active participation in a […]
Bothered? What motivation to learn?
The initial challenge for any learning is to determine, encourage and exploit an individual’s motivation so I’ve been thinking a little about what motivates us to learn and what motivation can acheive. Particularly after enforced schooling has finished. K.Patricia Cross identifies a number of reasons why adults choose to learn voluntarily: For its own sake When it […]
Education builds your brain
I struggled writing the title for this blog because it’s so obvious isn’t it? Of course education makes us cleverer, for many that’s the whole point. I suspect that many people, like me, have assumed that it’s about ‘filling’ our heads with knowledge but learning offers much more than that – it’s not just about […]
Thinking and Learning
This month, the Royal Society has published its latest report on neuroscience and education, Brainwaves 2. It is a gloriously positive assessment of learning and the contribution science can make to fulfilling its potential. The report’s summary suggests that the fertile common ground between the disciplines offers a “future where educational practice can be transformed […]