impact of sensory learning sight

Impact of Sensory LearningSight

• When you think of sight, what are the specifics that you think a learner focuses on, what is it specifically that they see?


• As brain – based learning research has advanced, a new field related to site has developed?


• This research spawned the new filed of – The academy of Neuroscience for Architecture– The discipline exams the how brains are shaped by

the environment that they learn in. – How does the physical structure of schools and

classrooms effect learning.


• Your brain can receive 36,000 messages per hour

• 40% of the nerve fibers in the brain are related to the retina

• Information flows from the retina to the thalamus to the visual cortex and back


• It is not about a message just coming in to the brain

• The brain will send messages back to as for different or more specific information

• Much of the flow back an forth is between the thalamus and the visual cortex ) even more than between the brain and the retina)


• The brain corrects images that start in the retina and helps a person stay attentive

• At some point, the brain is overloaded, and then it filters out messages and only keeps those it needs.


• What elements do you think the brain focuses on the most and get the most meaning?– Curvature– Line ends– Color– Size

– Of these, what do you feel the brain responds to the most?


• Color– Advertisers know this, that is why they put some

much thought into color– The new trend is to go retro, use black and white,

this helps grab your attention– Researchers found that color was the most

memorable aspect of something that people had. Even when they were told they were going to be asked to recall and item, consistently, people recalled the color more correctly.


• Certain colors have particular impacts on people– Red, more aggressive– Blue calming– Can have a different response depending on your

mood.– Colors of a room can effect your mood.


• Color

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX0DHd5QNS8


• Research has shown that visual images and symbols have a greater impact in learning than discussions , reading material, or computers


• Concrete visual images have the greatest impact– The brain has an attentional bias for high contrast

and novelty– 90% of the brains sensory input is from visual

sources– The brain has a primitive immediate response to

symbols icons and simple images


• Learning environments should include– Working models– Project based assignments– A variety of resources, books, computers videos

cameras and writing equipment, art supplies– For maximum impact change mediums frequently


• Peripherals- are items of visual interest in the environment– Peripherals support direct instruction- when

added to a lecture alone, memory of content is greatly decreased

– Peripherals are your bulletin boards. Posters, wall decoration, wall color- all of these enhance learning


• As you can imagine, Light is essential at maximizing the impact of sight.

• Goal of lighting, make lighting more comfortable– Fluorescent lights not the best, flicker, hum wreak

havoc on central nervous system– 50% of the children in a study in 1951, were found

to have developed deficiencies related to classroom lighting


• In a 2007 study on classroom lighting, students that had the most lighting progressed 20 % more than those students with less natural daylight


• Other classroom factors– Be careful of morning light and facing the sun

need blinds– Whiteboards are better than overheads


• Seasonal affective Disorder ( SAD) can also effect learning

• Students closer to the equator showed less effects of SAD.

• Ironically, the best time for learning is when the sun is out the longest, ( usually when we do not have school.

Impact of Sensory LearningEnvironment

• When you think of a good school environment ( physical), what do you think of? What would include?


• Touch ( what the author Eric Jensen calls it)– Temperature– Clean– No broken windows– Working toilets and

water fountains– Non leaky roofs– Not over crowded

– Good staff areas– Optimal view– Temperature. Humidity

ventilation– Acoustics– Good lighting


• Research that rated School environment and then measured its effect on learning found (Ayers 1999):– can have as much as a 6% variance in social

studies and Reading– 3% variance in Math and science


• Acoustics should be considered when building a school– Good for teacher voices– Better attention for students – Better growth


• Better light– The best is natural, new systems use natural light

and push it into classrooms


• Optimal View– Hard to believe that yes, a view makes a

difference In a study found that students do better when thy have a view ( Heschong Mohone Group, 2007) ,

– View had a greater impact than carpeting and moldy air


– Staff areas– Necessary to help support staff and keep them

from going crazy– Quiet reflective spot– Place for power naps– A learning center– A destressing area They suggest with a treadmill

and a floor stretching mat

Impact of Sensory LearningTaste

• As we learned earlier, Brain activity is essential for learning- essential for brain activity are certain chemicals like Dopamine

• Yet the brain cannot produce these chemicals without vitamins like glucose which provides specific vitamins such as A, C, E, All of the Bs, folic acid, lecithin, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, iron boron and selenium.


• Learners deficient in these chemicals have a hard time with memory, focus organization and planning

• With out these chemical your brain cannot produce neuron transmitters that help cells communicate ( Dopamine, nephrine)

• Protein rich food produce these vitamins ( fish, eggs , Tofu)


• Benton and Roberts ( 1988) did a study of 90 12 and 13 year old children. Some got vitamins and some got placebos

• They found the group the received the vitamins showed significant increase compared to the control group


• More research showed that as many as 12 to 26 % of students come to school without having eaten breakfast

• 36 % of students are obese• 50 % of students have below the

recommended amount of vitamins• 25 % are below suggested levels for vitamin C


• Research has shown that the Bs and folic acid are the most important vitamins for memory and spatial tasks


• Vitamin deficiencies can result in poor food intake or the body being unable to process certain vitamins ( absorb them)

• Poverty often effects a child’s ability to have good nutrient- schools in these areas should have a federally funded program for breakfast and lunch


• Teach students the importance of good nutrition

• Mega doses of vitamins do not help, your body can only absorb so much at a time- sometime it can be toxic

• Vitamins supplements are best when taken with food.


• Effects of dehydration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZUHvDZ1Z2c


• Next to vitamins, water is the next most important need for the brain

• The brain is made up of 80 % water and needs constant replacemet

• The abseces of water causes our brain to stress

• Water also helps balanc the PH in the brain


• The first response to absence of water is and adrenal responses which is often perceived as a discipline problem

• In stage two our responses are slowed, we get lethargic and slow minded

• You can go overboard with hydration ( can’t hurt someone, but you reach a plateau)

• Water helps you lose weight


• Be aware of the signs of dehydration• Develop a plan that allows students to stay

hydrate• Any ideas on how you do this?

impact of sensory learning sight

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visual sourcesthe brain

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greatest impactthe brain

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