Prior Knowledge and Brain Based Learning

Teachers have known from common sense and experience that many factors affect how
students learn. Over the past 20 years neuroscience has been able to provide evidence
that suggests there are neurologic processes that influence how students learn and why
one student learns differently than another. Evidence that is being presented by
neuroscience research has many implications for educational systems and teachers.
With the challenges presented by educational reform and diversity in the classroom
developing lesson plans and creating a classroom environment conducive to learning
can be overwhelming. Educational reform than links current teaching practices with
research from neurological and cognitive sciences may be of benefit to students with
diverse needs. Classroom management practices that create an environment where a
student feels safe from rejection or ridicule and is treated with respect by peers and
teachers, where a student can reflect on prior knowledge; with lesson plans that draw
upon a studentʼs interests and experience and link that interest and experience to
meaningful real-life situations can significantly enhance learning of new content.
(Hardiman, 2001, pp. 52-55)(Foley, n.d., pp. 225-239)

Five critical variables in the brain learning process have been identified: neural history,
context, acquisition, elaboration, and encoding. (Jensen & Eric, 1998, pp. 41-45)
Numerous principles of brain based learning have been developed from these. Six of
these principles will be discussed.

Importance of meaningful learning

It has been said that we learn best when lesson content is needed to accomplish a task
or goal. Lesson plans need to include activities that require the student to make
decisions, investigate ideas, involves motor activities, or solve problems related to real-
life situations. These types of activities have been shown to activate higher order
thinking. They have also been shown to produce chemicals in the brains of students
with learning disabilities which indicates less effort in learning. An example activity
would be to assign a problem requiring the students to calculate how much paint would
be needed when given the dimensions of a room and its windows and doors.(Hardiman,
2001, pp. 52-55)(Marzano, 2009, pp. 86-87)(Curtis & Diane, 2003)

Knowledge background
Research indicates that prior learning and experience have a major affect on learning.
Learning is most efficient when it is linked with prior knowledge and experience. There
are many strategies that can be used to assess student’s prior knowledge. With these
assessments lesson plans can be developed or modified to activate the student’s prior
knowledge and engage their interests. (Hardiman, 2001, pp. 52-55) Prior knowledge is
part of a student’s neural history. A student’s neural history also includes character,
environment, peers, and experiences. All are affected by nature and nurture. Research
supports that the learning environment should be one that encourages students to
reflect on their own prior learning and experiences. (Jensen & Eric, 1998, pp. 41-45)
(Christen, 1991) Alverez used case based instruction to help students draw upon their

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prior knowledge through the use of thematic organizers and hierarchical concept
mapping. (Alvarez & Marino, n.d.)

Activating prior knowledge

Much research has been done on prior knowledge and activating this knowledge. It has
been shown that comprehension of content material can be increased if prior knowledge
is activated and new content built upon that prior knowledge. (Christen, 1991) The
teacher must be able to assess the level of prior knowledge, provide appropriate
interventions when necessary prior knowledge is not present, and provide a stable and
familiar environment for students. (Christen, 1991) Several methods can be used to
activate prior knowledge. The title of the introduction or presentation of new material
can be a stimulus. Providing a review of the particular concepts that will be needed can
also activate prior knowledge. With the diversity in classrooms today the teacher needs
to use caution and not assume everyone will understand a title or certain review
concepts. An example would be the title “Green Tomatoes.” Not all students may know
that green has more meanings other than the name of a color (i.e beginner, novice).
(Yu-hui et al, 2010)

Levels of processing
Brain based research has been able to identify levels of neural processing during
learning and has identified factors that affect learning. Emotions and stress are
significant factors. When a student is stressed chemicals are excreted that affect neural
processing. They block pathways and keep processing in the brains emotion center
and don’t allow access to the frontal lobes. During these times the student is not ready
to learn. Research has also identified that learning not only takes place centrally but
peripherally as well. Factors not associated with content or classroom environment can
have an impact on learning. Things such as problems or activities outside of class will
influence the level of processing and thus learning comprehension. If a student’s
interests have not been engaged the student may not engage in the lesson content and
become bored thus affecting comprehension. Research has also determined that the
learning process continues while a student sleeps. During REM sleep the student’s
mind sorts and organizes information from the previous days activities, prioritizes it as
meaningful or not. Information that is meaningful is added to neural networks and
information that is not meaningful is discarded. (Jensen & Eric, 1998, pp. 41-45)

Development of neural connections

Neuroscience has shown that new content creates neural connections. Existing
connections are extended, modified, or reinforced if the content is related to prior
knowledge.(Jensen & Eric, 1998, pp. 41-45)(Christen, 1991)(Weiss & Ruth Palombo,
2000, pp. 20-24) Feedback is an important reinforcer of neural connection development
and needs to be done frequently and timely. (Hardiman, 2001, pp. 52-55)

Relevance
Student’s have a relatively short attention span. It is said that a teacher should only
expect to demand a student’s attention based on their age. For a high school student
that would be about 15 minutes. In order to keep a student’s attention the content must

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be relevant. It has also been shown that material that is relevant to the discussion, a
student’s interests, or to real-life situations can activate prior knowledge. (Hardiman,
2001, pp. 52-55)(Christen, 1991)(Curtis & Diane, 2003)(Jensen & Eric, 1998, pp. 41-45)

Brain based research and the learning principles derived from it give teachers the
opportunity to provide learning experiences that meet the needs of today’s diverse
students. To employ these principles the teacher needs to give prior learning and
experience significant consideration when developing lesson plans. The teacher must
first assess prior learning and knowledge. The assessment can be accomplished by
discussion of content concepts or questioning strategies. Lesson plans need to be
developed with flexibility and contingencies to provided knowledge that is not present.
The lesson plan needs to activate the student’s prior knowledge and interests and
should be divided into short segments to accommodate attention span. Activities need
to be included that involve motor activities and discussion of the activities to enhance
learning. The lesson plan should allow time for students to reflect on prior knowledge
and to process new content. This can be done by peer to peer discussion, journal
writing, and whole class discussions. Materials and activities for the lesson need to be
meaningful and relevant. Feedback needs to be given to every student and needs to be
given frequently and in a timely manner to enhance the development of neural
connections and networks which takes learning from simple memorization to
understanding. The lesson plan needs to include homework that is relevant to the
content to enhance retention of the material. In addition to having a well organized and
flexible lesson plan the teacher must create a classroom environment that is safe,
comfortable, and familiar for the students. This is a holistic approach to teaching and
learning. By employing principle of neurologic and cognitive sciences the teacher can
provide students with a meaningful and interesting learning experience that can be
taken beyond the classroom and into real-life situations.

References

Alvarez, Marino (1990). Knowledge Activation and Schema Construction. Paper

presented at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 1990,
Boston, MA.

Christen, Willian L. and Murphy, Thomas J. (1991). Increasing Comprehension by

Activating Prior Knowledge [Website]. ERIC Digests, Retrieved November 1, 2010, from
http://www.vtaide.com/ping/ERIC/Prior-Knowledge

Curtis, Diane (2003). Brain Based Research Prompts Innovative Teaching Techniques in
the Classroom. The George Lucas Educational Foundation.

Hardiman, Mariale M. (2001). Connecting Brain Research with Dimensions of Learning.

Educational Leadership, November52-55.

Jensen, Eric (1998). How Julie's Brain Learns. Educational Leadership,

November41-45.

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Marzano, Robert J. (2009). Helping Students Process Information. Educational
Leadership, 86-87.

Weiss, Ruth Palombo (2000). Brain-Based Learning. Training and Development, 20-24.

Yu-hui, Liu; Li-rong, Zhu; Yue, Nian (2010). Application of Schema Theory in Teaching
College English Reading [Research Paper]. Canadian Social Science, 6(1), Retrieved
November 1, 2010, from http://www.cscanada.net