me RF er ek Ss ” PUBLISHED i Y THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE aaa Saag Falp Ou edgy WITH SUPPORT FROM THE WOK KELLOGC VOLUME XI, NUMBER 7 ss INNOVATION ABSTRACTS Pleasurable Education: A Brain-Compatible Environment for Effective Adult Student Learning Throughout the last 15 years | have been involved in a very exciting and creative process—teaching in the community college. I have attended many training seminars on teaching techniques, enhancing student motivation, learning projects for adult learners, etc. Prior to joining the faculty at Rio Salado Community College three years ago, my experience was in “tradi- tional” teaching /Iearning environments. That is, I gave lectures; and students took notes, memorized informa- tion (just long enough to take the test!), took an exam, then moved on in their academic and personal lives. It is not as if | did not care whether my students were learning or not. On the contrary, I did. But something was missing. | began to re-evaluate my training experi- ence and philosophy of teaching. Were my students really learning information that was meaningful and applicable to their own lives? Or were they being drowned in information? Many teachers teach as they were taught. All too often, information flows from the notes of the professor into the notebooks of students without passing through the minds of either. Studies of teaching that produces the most learning suggest that “effective” teachers use an analytical and synthetic approach to the discipline, organize the material well to make it clear, and establish rapport with their students. Most studies identify enthusiasm as important in promoting students’ learning. An enthusiastic instructor is a person who cares about and values his subject matter and teaches it in a manner that expresses those feelings with the intent to encourage similar feelings in the learner. Is this enough? What part does environmental stimuli play in activating custress (good stress) as opposed to distress in the learning process of the adult learner? What is learning and when does it occur? Is learning painful or pleasur- able? Brain research and information-processing theory are providing exciting insights into the learning process, inviting us to observe learning as a natural phenome- non—similar to the heart beating and the lungs taking in air. For the past four semesters I have taught classes utilizing strategies and techniques built on the follow- ing premises: a. the most comprehensive learning includes an ab- sence of threat, careful orchestration of multidimen- sional teaching strategies, real-life experiences, and an understanding of barriers to learning; b. learning occurs constantly at both the conscious and unconscious levels; and when meaningful compre- hensive learning does not occur, the brain continues to engage in personally meaningful activity not necessarily related to the lesson or what the teacher is teaching; c, teaching moves like a symphony, with major themes repeated numerous times, always ina slightly different context; d. feedback, when given properly, can encourage positive stress that motivates students to have a stronger personal sense of control, an important factor in reducing stress. € Premise #1: The most comprehensive learning includes absence of threat and a relaxed learning environment, I check out the room temperature before class to sce if it is too warm or too cold. The chairs are usually arranged in a horseshoe configuration. The students can see me and each other. About five to ten minutes before class begins, | play different selections of specific baroque music. Depending on the time of day, the music invites students to relax or get re-energized for learning. Brain research has indicated the powerful influence of peripheral stimuli—the use of music, art, posters on the wall (with positive messages!), teacher's appearance, and voice intonation. Learning occurs constantly at both the conscious and unconscious level. The brain is continually attempting to categorize and pattern new information with what is already stored. The brain continues to engage in personally meaningful activity whether it is related or not to what the teacher is teaching. EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712 THE NA TIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD) Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin | Sr’