Where can neurobiology provide valuable stimuli for the development of learning?

Prof. Martin Korte: Our brain’s curiosity is aroused by variation, and neurotransmitters like dopamine are produced. Alternating methods facilitate learning and reduce attention drift. As neurobiologists, we also place emphasis on the individualization of learning: The learning process is stimulated when a learner’s personal development is optimally responded to. Naturally, computer-aided learning techniques and approaches offer excellent possibilities here.

Where do you see the greatest need to undertake action?

Prof. Martin Korte: German teacher training focuses on technical knowledge and didactics. Unfortunately, it’s often forgotten that learning doesn’t take place on the whiteboard but rather always within the overall context of life. Schools were invented as a place for children to learn things they wouldn’t learn otherwise. It’s an up-hill battle, and we mustn’t be naive regarding the learners’ motivation. Actually, the essence of the issue is to prevent demotivation: If a ceremony celebrating a child’s starting school emphasizes that it’s also the beginning of life’s earnestness, the fun and joy of learning are doomed.

What role should eLearning applications play in the learning process?

Prof. Martin Korte: Our brains are social, which means that humans are irreplaceable in the learning process. Hence, a combination of individualized learning and group experiences is always required. The idea of increasingly -‹-‹learning from machines is a misdirected ideal in my view. What works well is that teachers and students enter into personal exchange regarding the objectives of a learning unit. They should discuss why an issue is important, useful methods for learning it, and its reference to the learners’ lives. The subsequent practice can be done wonderfully with eLearning tools that are tailored to the individual student’s motivation and personal level.

What do you think about linking social media to learning processes?

Prof. Martin Korte: Social media are a fact-of-life for young people. They’ve become a component of youth culture that clearly provides an approach to living in the peer group. But at a neurobiologist, I have to say, "Watch out!" Postings, including ones in the context of learning, constantly seduce students into multitasking because contents that are of no relevance to learning are also displayed. The problem is that we are not able to do several things simultaneously very effectively. Human thought is highly error prone when multitasking because it lacks cognitive depth and subjects the brain to stress. We see the same thing in the use of mobile learning content.

Could you explain this, please?

Prof. Martin Korte: I am a big fan of using a fixed venue for learning processes. The brain attunes itself to the context “learning" when it always learns in the same location. Even eating or making phone calls at your desk is counterproductive. The more familiar the situation for the brain is, the easier it is for it to call up the appropriate program. You might say it goes into “receive” mode.

What factors do eLearning applications need to pay particular attention to in order to meet the requirements of new findings in the realm of learning?

Prof. Martin Korte: It's important to make learning an emotional experience. I see no need to draw a line between a program for learning and a game console. The brain gives greater importance to emotional experiences than to neutral stimuli. I would be very happy to see a major game publisher have the courage to develop some great learning programs.

Networking learners is another issue: Networked teams of learners make peer-group learning that’s independent of a location possible. Other approaches that are also conceivable would allow groups of learners in a place to learn together in a virtual space. The point is that direct social interaction is indispensable for a successful learning process.
 
Prof. Martin Korte will hold his lecture on "The Neurobiology of Learning" on 06 February 2014 at 10 o’clock at the LEARNTEC Congress in the Conference Exhibition Center.