Research studies on brain based learning have been in action for decades. There is a positive correlation between how engaging student gamers at school (Miller, 2017) supports the many studies on brain based learning. Educators have a great opportunity to rethink the whole process of learning by being informed about brain based learning and how students learn. According to Byrnes (2001), “brain research cannot be used to support particular instructional practices; it can, however be used to support particular psychological theories of learning, which in turn can be used to design more effective forms of instructions” (p. 185). In this article, there are three brain elements that are discussed that relate to gamers’ brains, which are emotions, attention, and growth mindset for optimal students’ learning.
According to Eric Jensen (2011), “of all the neuroscience studies published each month, only a small fraction of them have potential educational relevance” (2011, p. 5). We are consistently exploring the relationship between the brain and learning. In the education sector, educators are in search of ways to better support students in their emotional wellbeing, the ability to retain attention and provide opportunities to encourage a growth mindset. It is evident that “technology is a medium for learning, not the aim itself. These technologies will bring forth a unique opportunity for us to capitalize on past research findings to construct a seamless, integrated learning environment” (Chan & et. 2006, p. 41). The question that we need to address is how does brain based learning support or discourage the notion of using technology through game-based learning to better engage our students at international schools?
Firstly, we are much aware that students' emotions are a central component in ensuring that students are learning effectively in school. Brain based research suggests that “more effective instructionally if we enlightened learners' emotions by designing game-like practice equipped with modeling, encouragement, and mentoring and rewire their perceiving antecedent causes” (Chan & et. 2006, p. 42). This leads to the idea of “epic wins” or “Aha! Moments” experienced by gamers, where players engage in “challenging learning experiences so that [players] are given enough support to triumph and feel the epic win” (Miller, 2017, p.3).
I believe this is a very important learning moment in a student’s educational journey, where students experience or make a sudden learning connection or their understanding of a concept is deepened. As educators, we can give students this opportunity to own their emotions by celebrating their epic wins in the following ways, as noted in Miller’s article (2017); “have students celebrate everyday wins regularly as a discussion or journal activity and record reactions of students being successful and share them with the class” (p. 3). Although simulation is important for learning, as educators we need to ensure that there is a balance between too much simulation and not enough. As our world is moving at a rapid pace, we need to ensure that we encourage students to reflect on their learning to have a better understanding of how and what they have learned.
Secondly, it is imperative that we are able to connect with students to ensure their attention is focused on learning the subject content. Based on the article by Jensen (2011), “the brain is hard-wired to pay attention to anything that is related to survival” and “they already pay attention to everything that is important to them” (p. 6). Therefore, we need to provide opportunities where students are fostering voluntary learning where they are more curious about learning the concepts, which in turn will ensure that they are paying attention to their own learning. An effective way to instill this trait in our students is by integrating technology, as it “can help teachers create a learning environment to maximize young learners' attention” (Chan & et. 2006, p. 42). This approach also emphasizes the idea of active and voluntary learning and not forced learning.
I created a logo creation project where students create their own business logos using dynamic geometry software, such as GeoGebra. They are given freedom of choice in the design of the logo as long as they follow the linear equations guidelines. The purpose of this project-based learning was to apply their understanding of linear equations to a real life situation while using technology. Students were able to be creative innovators which ensured that their attention was maintained throughout the project based learning.
There are several strategies that teachers can use within their classroom to foster voluntary learning suggested by Miller (2017): “focus on engaging strategies like project-based learning to open the door for learning, provide as much a choice as possible for students, and ask students what they want to learn about” (p. 4). On the other hand, we need to also ensure that students are not allocating too much attention to gaming or technology. As mentioned in the World Health Organization article (2018), “impaired control over gaming” can lead to “significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, and occupational functioning.”
Thirdly, research has suggested that the brain study on growth mindset and gamer experience in embracing failure have a positive impact on learners. According to Jo Boaler (2016), she emphasizes that “mistakes are not only opportunities for learning, as students consider the mistakes, but also times when our brains grow, even if we don’t know we have made a mistake” (p. 12). As educators, we want all our students to have a “growth mindset” rather than a “fixed mindset,” meaning “individuals with a growth mindset have a greater awareness of errors than individuals with a fixed mindset, so they are more likely to go back and correct their errors” (p. 12). We need to create a classroom environment where students “believe that [they] can learn, and that mistakes are valuable, [allowing] our brains [to] grow to a greater extent when we make mistakes” (p. 13).
Therefore, if we do not emphasize to our students that mistakes are a genuine learning opportunity, students may always feel ashamed or fearful of making these mistakes. Moreover, games can support this idea of embracing failure as players play a game over and over again - despite their failure, they continue to try again. In education, Miller (2017) suggests that we should “find ways to allow students to redo work and try again” (p. 2) by implementing strategies such as “grade students at their best, assess grading practices to ensure they allow for multiple tires and redos, and embed reflection throughout your lessons to help students learn from their failures and mistakes” (p. 3). As mentioned earlier, reflection is critical in students’ learning in order to ensure that they are well aware of why, what, and how they learn, and be able to communicate that via discussions, personal reflection, or small group arrangement.
References
Byrnes, J. P. (2001). Minds, brains, and learning. New York: the Guildford Press.
Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical Mindsets. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Chan, T., Ko, H., and Chou, C. (2006). Optimal Capacity Building: Integrating Brain-Based Learning and Educational Research into Technology-Supported Learning. Educational Technology, 46(3), 37-44.
Jensen, E. (2011). Brain-Based Education in Action. Educational Horizons, Vol. 90, No. 2, 5-6.
Miller, A. (2017). What’s a Gamer Brain and How Can We Harass It in Class? George Lucas Educational Foundation, 1-5.
World Health Organization. (2018) Gaming Disorder. Retrieved on March 10, 2020 on https://www.who.int
Edlynne Venkataya is an international mathematics teacher with a master's degree in both secondary mathematics and international education. She is driven to create a safe, engaged, and inclusive learning environment by integrating building thinking classroom strategies by Peter Liljedahl. Edlynne is passionate about creating individualized learning goals, collaborative project based learning, and empowering her learners to believe in their abilities and reach their potential as a mathematician. Her commitment is to emphasize a growth mindset through believing in oneself, confidence, perseverance and determination. We are one; and together we can achieve greatness!
