Setting Learning Outcomes - LTC Following the principle of constructive alignment (see curriculum design) we need to be able to describe learning outcomes that our students can achieve and that are capable of being assessed. Learning outcomes are the specific intentions related to what students should know, understand or be able to do. They are often described as discipline specific (related to the subject) or generic (related to certain skills such as presentation). Outcomes should be explicit and intelligible to students and other users, expressed in such a form that permits their achievement to be demonstrated. When related to a program of study, outcomes should ideally be developed with reference to relevant forms of external information such as benchmarks or other frameworks. Outcomes often use action verbs such as those described in Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The Learning and Teaching Centre has developed a range of resources to help you design learning outcomes for your units, including:
Is Willpower a Limited Resource Which Can be Cultivated with Exercise? Picture: Robbin Cresswell (PD) “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” – Aiwass New developments in biological science suggest your willpower is drawn from a limited supply of chemicals which accumulate in the brain over time. According to Wired willpower is: a measurable form of mental energy that runs out as you use it, much like the gas in your car.Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, calls this “ego depletion,” and he proved its existence by sitting students next to a plate of fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies. If willpower is thought of as a chemical produced by the brain using specific ingredients (such as glucose) it provides a number of insights into its practical use: As Tierney explains, “People with the best self-control aren’t the ones who use it all day long. For the moment these findings are probably best used as an insightful metaphor as opposed to concrete reality. The focus upon glucose is in my opinion a red herring.
שקרים יפים | על נתונים, אינפוגרפיקות, ומה שהולך לאיבוד בדרך Anger Can Make Us More Rational | The Emotion Machine A recent study in Cognition and Emotion found that anger can sometimes make us more critical thinkers by inhibiting our confirmation bias. Instead of only searching for information that supports our beliefs, anger can create a “moving against” tendency that motivates us to seek alternative information that opposes our assumptions. The study had participants do two different experiments (which they thought were unrelated). In the first experiment, Group A wrote about an experience that made them angry, while Group B wrote about a mundane, ordinary experience. In the next experiment, each participant was asked to evaluate their opinions on hands-free mobile kits. By the end of the experiment, those who were primed to be angry were more likely to shift from their original opinions. A similar study was also conducted in 2008 regarding the election between Obama and McCain.
In 1910, French Artist Predicted Utopia in 2000 with Robots and Flying Machines We all had pretty high hopes for the world after the year 2000. As a kid, I was sure that we’d have flying cars and self-drying jackets a la Back to the Future II. Recently BLDGBLOG took a look at a series of postcards created by French artist Villemard in 1910 called “Utopie” which provided a glimpse of the future … all the way to the year 2000. BLDBLOG, being an architecture blog, was most fascinated by the picture above in which an architect sits in a box and commands his robot workers to assemble a building by pushing knobs and dials. When I first saw this picture, I laughed out loud. Teleconferencing looks so much cooler in alternate 2000 than it does now. Oh no, the sky cops! This picture, titled “A Chemical Dinner,” correctly predicts the rise of either molecular gastronomy or fast food. These, oddly enough, actually exist. Electric trains! About half of Villemard’s predictions basically amount to “Robots doing work that humans normally do!”
Neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system.[1] Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics, medicine and allied disciplines, philosophy, physics, and psychology. It also exerts influence on other fields, such as neuroeducation[2] and neurolaw. The term neurobiology is usually used interchangeably with the term neuroscience, although the former refers specifically to the biology of the nervous system, whereas the latter refers to the entire science of the nervous system. Because of the increasing number of scientists who study the nervous system, several prominent neuroscience organizations have been formed to provide a forum to all neuroscientists and educators. History[edit] The study of the nervous system dates back to ancient Egypt. Modern neuroscience[edit] Human nervous system
Berkeley on Biphasic Sleep If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle, don’t roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter. Students who napped (green column) did markedly better in memorizing tests than their no-nap counterparts. Conversely, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become, according to the findings. “Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap,” said Matthew Walker, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the lead investigator of these studies. In the recent UC Berkeley sleep study, 39 healthy young adults were divided into two groups — nap and no-nap.
Color: Meaning, Symbolism and Psychology Green occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye and is second only to blue as a favorite color. Green is the pervasive color in the natural world that is an ideal backdrop in interior design because we are so used to seeing it everywhere. The natural greens, from forest to lime, are seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a natural balance of cool and warm (blue and yellow) undertones. Green is considered the color of peace and ecology. However, there is an "institutional" side to green, associated with illness or Government-issued that conjure up negative emotions as do the "slimy" or bilious greens. How the color green affects us physically and mentally * Soothing * Relaxing mentally as well as physically * Helps alleviate depression, nervousness and anxiety * Offers a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony For more information see "All About the Color Green"
10 Practical Uses For Psychological Research in Everyday Life | People love to give each other advice. The web is full to bursting with all types of pseudo-psychological advice about life. The problem is, how much of this is based on real scientific evidence? Well, here on PsyBlog we’ve got the scientific evidence. So here’s my top 10 list of what you can learn practically from the psychological research discussed here recently. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The Neuroscience of Decision Making In an attempt to put matter over mind, researchers are beginning to decipher what exactly is happening in our brains when we are making decisions. Our thoughts, though abstract and vaporous in form, are determined by the actions of specific neuronal circuits in our brains. The interdisciplinary field known as “decision neuroscience” is uncovering those circuits, thereby mapping thinking on a cellular level. Although still a young field, research in this area has exploded in the last decade, with findings suggesting it is possible to parse out the complexity of thinking into its individual components and decipher how they are integrated when we ponder. Recently, three experts in decision neuroscience discussed their work, describing the genesis of this cutting-edge field and why it incorporates several disciplines. DAEYEOL LEE, PhD, Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine C. C. WANG: Yes.