When More is Less: Using Neuroscience to Teach and Learn More Effectively

Research has shown that the human working memory is made up of only four subsections. Each subsystem has a limited capacity. Markus Janczyk and Joachim Grabowski (2011) demonstrated the validity of the Working Memory concept and noted that only one subsection can be accessed at any given time. Therefore, a person who is heavily multitasking can lose up to 40% of the information they are seeking.

Providing too much stimulation and too many choices can prove ineffective to learning and is probably a waste of time and detrimental to learning.

Therefore, we must re-think our approach to teaching and learning. Streamlining information may be the key to student retention. Our presentation will provide research support for this theory and practical examples of how we can adjust our teaching methods to best engage our students so they can retain more information.

Interactivity
We will provide examples of the theory in action and ask for audience participation. How do they best engage their students without overloading them with information?