In my EDU 510: The Cognitive Science of Teaching & Learning course, we covered some fascinating learning and teaching approaches based on how the human brain functions. My key takeaways from this course so far have been about learning theories, game-based learning, and learning and motivation. I would like to reflect upon my experience thus far, and share some of what I learned and experienced over the past four weeks.
Flow Theory
Cognitive science is the “interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence, embracing philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology” (Thagard, 2019). While there are many learning theories in the domain of
cognitive science, the learning theory that most resonates with my own ideological
beliefs is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi spent
many years researching a field of psychology that today is known as “positive
psychology”, and the concept of flow theory originates from happiness as a
concept. When in a state of flow, students learn at their highest ability
because of how enjoyable the experience is to the student (Moore, 2022). Flow
theory is the glue, the harmony behind everything that I have learned thus far.
Anything that I draw connections to, can be supported by flow theory ideology.
In some ways, flow theory serves as a grounding principle or supporting pillar
in all other ideologies or educational frameworks. According to Forney ISD (2016)
when students have a sense of autonomy, appropriate meaningful connection, and
a balance of challenge and ability in the pursuit of mastery, the learner
enters a state of flow, allowing for the student to learn and absorb material
at their peak ability. This is in large part because of how the brain processes.
If learning material is too easy, we risk boring our students; and if the
material is too difficult, we risk stressing our students too much; both of which
will inhibit students from entering a flow state and learning and their peak ability.
Game-Based Learning
Game-based learning (GBL) is perhaps my favorite topic in the entire field of education, let a lone this class, and I have spent quite a bit of time in my career and prior studies delving into the topic. The four main principles of game-based learning are (Karou, 2016):
- Problem-based learning
- Learning-by-doing
- Consistent informative feedback
- Progressive growth (Karou, 2016)
Good games in general, allow for people to enter a flow state by following these basic four principles. There is a reason there are millions of teenagers around the world far more engaged in video games such as Minecraft, Fortnight, or Elden Ring, to name a few, in contrast to their educational studies. And that is because these games all allow for the players to apply each of the four main principles of GBL in action while playing these games. Using games in learning than, when designed well, can be highly effective. I wrote an article in great detail recently about this topic using Minecraft as a mental representation to show just how impactful GBL can truly be.
Motivations and/or Emotions in Learning
I would like to close this blog entry out with an amazing
video that describes how emotions can motivate us, guide us, and direct us. As
educators, trying to find ways to motivate our students is critical. It’s a
shame, that finding ways to motivate students can be the most difficult part of
teaching.
References: