Learning Sciences

Hello friends, on this picture you can find 27 ideas to motivate your students :)

This video is about fire dancing and the people who are telling their intrinsic motivation for it. I found it quiet interesting because it includes most elements of flow theory. First of all, they have clear goals in every step. Also, they enjoy what they are doing and they get constant feedback. They have awareness and to be succesful they should not be distracted. The sense of time becomes distorted for them. I remember watching a fire dancing show in Barcelona and I was really surprised seeing people playing with fire so creatively. They were so immersed that they did not care anything happening around them. Now, it becomes more meaningful for me :) they were in a state of flow.

Here is an example how technology used to make learning math experience fun.

This theory is more about our future-oriented self. Based on our present conditions we form our future selves which could be both ideal or feared and then try to reduce the gaps in order to realize our ideal self. The theory tries to explain highly dynamic processes of goal formation and imagining ourselves in the future. These dynamics among future, present and self have contributed to motivation literature as well and I value its implications for motivational processes. In this video the theory is explained in a very simple terms by an undergraduate Social Psychology student.

A school principal in New Zealand lets his pupils do what they like at playtime. Is it good for learning, or has he gone too far?

İbrahim, thanks for sharing. This is really interesting. I am just wondering if over time kids create their own rules, just like we did when we played on the streets in ancient times :)

Hi, there is a little problem with the heading. This is about "play time with no rules". School is the same, only in play time, students have more freedom.

Hi, Duolingo is a good example of a intelligent language tutoring system and it is worth to check it out.

Thank you Yasin. I tried it in Spanish and liked it a lot. I will try it with my studs and see if it works on them.

I also liked and tried this to learn French a bit. I might have annoyed some people home by trying to pronounce some words hundreds times :)

Here is a classroom-focused adaptive learning platform.

This web page is provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the page, there is an emphasis on the technological applications of situated learning theory since the page is allocated for 'transforming teaching and learning through technology'. I've found the page interesting to share because there are very good examples of situated learning through some tools like interactive case scenarios, augmented reality and situated documentary. The page is useful both for discovering those tools and finding some particular examples of situated learning.

The author shares his personal comments and gives clues on how to be perceived as an expert in your field. These steps start with awreness about yourself and terminates with displaying, selling yourself to others in the field=)

We now know that practice is a key determiner on the way for being an "expert". In this video, Ellen learns how to dance with constant practice. Please check also how experts behave in the video because we know that being expert does not mean being able to teach. Again, enjoy it! :) Warning: There is a lot of exclaiming in the video and you are recommended to turn the volume down while watching it. I write this because I did not do so. :)

Practice Makes Permanent, Not Perfect =)

Upon coming across this cartoon, I've felt an urge to share it with you because it touches on some relevant issues we've been discussing since the very beginning of the course. Please first click on the picture to enlarge it, and sorry for this inconvenience :)

Thanks for your share Yasin :) This cartoon reminds me of the education in Turkey. While areas like science, math, biology are thought to be important, unfortunately art, literature, music, dance etc. are underestimated. They are thought to be just hobbies and not enough attention is given to them. People interested in these areas are thought to be wasting their time or unsuccessful. Again unfortunatelly we cannot change this perception. I wish there were more people around me who were given the chance to show their talents and whose talents do not fade away.

You're welcome Seda :) It is even more depressing to know that this perception won't change as long as we live under today's economical perceptions. It is simply "be a part of the system or get ready to be called as marginal" :)

In this TED talk delivered by Nicholas Christakis, you can see how important the role of networks in our lives is. You will also be introduced to some visualization of network analyses which are gaining a crucial role in examining the connections among people or neurons.

As the literature on expertise underscores, "thinking" or "metacognition" is a key factor in expertise. Dr. Cabrera, in this talk, discusses the weakness of 'encyclopedic' knowledge possessed by Ivy League students and harshly criticize them for they struggle to transfer those memorized knowledge. It could be said he addresses "a mile wide and an inch deep" approach taken by curriculum designers nowadays, which prevents deep understanding of issues that an expert is expected to have. According to him, "system is broken." As a result, he offers his own DSRP (Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, Perspectives) theory, which, in my opinion, summarizes what a "genuine expert" possesses in terms of knowledge transfer. Enjoy it!

SRI International research examines many of the topics we cover in class on learning sciences. Worth to check.

Hey everyone. This is the Science of Learning Research Centre. Researchers in education, neuroscience and cognitive psychology work together with teachers to understand the learning process.

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to welcome newcomers by giving a link of a documentary "The Forbidden Education". It questions the logic of modern schooling. I hope you watch it though it is a bit long and enjoy:)

Yelda, thanks for sharing the documentary with the members of our group. It is now in my watch list.

Hey everyone! Here is a video on the role digital media plays in young people's lives. Social networks, online games and media production are seen as significant tool of the 21st century. There are other videos you can view on learning as well from this New Learning Institute.

Here are the Ignites from last year's class.

Happy St. Vallentine's day :)