Mac conference teaches best ways to learn
Joe Kim knows why university lectures are always scheduled three times a week.
"Because it's always been that way," said the associate professor in psychology, neuroscience and behaviour at McMaster. "It's tradition."
The roots of the three-lecture week date back to medieval times, when books were rare and professors would dictate texts verbatim to their students.
Today, that tradition stands — despite the fact that there's no evidence proving that schedule helps students learn.
"Why are we still using this dated method? It's really gotten people to think about the basic structure of university and how we should be teaching," he said.
Kim is the co-organizer of a conference at McMaster this week that highlights new research in learning, memory and attention.
The conference, now in its third year, focuses on how to take that research out of the lab and apply it to the classroom.
"Cognitive psychologists have been studying memory and attention for 150 years. But when people ask, so what have you done to change education? The answer is, 'nothing,'" said Kim.
The conference draws researchers, high school teachers, students, educational consultants and a range of professionals from academia and education.
Among the presenters was Jennifer McCabe, associate Professor at Goucher College in Baltimore. Her research focused on mnemonic devices — techniques people can use to help them improve their ability to remember something.
The research shows that students learn better when they use key words to help them remember. (For example, the hippocampus — the area of the brain controlling memory — can be broken down into the memorable image of a hippo walking through campus).
Students fare even better when they make up those mnemonics themselves, McCabe said.
"Memory skill is made, not born," she said. "With some effort, it really is possible to improve your memory."
Daniel Smilek, associate professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo, presented his research on mind-wandering.
He found that students who watched a video of a lecture, rather than attending it in person, reported that their mind wandering increased as the lecture went on.
However, students who attended lectures in person found they could keep their minds on the task, even for extended periods.
The findings contradicts previous beliefs that mind wandering is inevitable over time.
By Emma Reilly Hamilton Spectator