How culture Influences Learning (Part 2)

In my last blog, I discussed the insights into cultural differences that influence both teachers and students, when they each have to adapt cross-culturally. I have been following the BBC documentary on an experiment where 5 Chinese Teachers came to a British School for one month. The school selected fifty, 13 – 14 year old British students, with parental consent, to experience a month of the Chinese  teachers introducing their styles and techniques into the British classroom.

When teaching the British kids, the Chinese teachers put them in a class of 50 and tried using their own methods. Initially the students were rowdy, joking, laughing and talking throughout classes. They said this was because they found the teacher centred approach very boring, and were not used to sitting still for so long in a big class of students and such a long day. They often teased each other, were cheeky and didn’t take the lessons seriously. They also  have a short attention span, thus needing, variety which they got from having fun and from being chatty and cheeky.

When the mid-term test results came out, they ranked poorly in maths. Some students had to visit their own maths teachers to get some tuition. He concluded that the Chinese students learn the ‘what’, but not the ‘how’ or the ‘why’. They memorize the correct answers to test questions, but most Chinese students will not understand the reasons for the ‘what’. They do not acquire critical thinking skills! On the other hand, the British kids do acquire these skills, constantly questioning each other, checking on the internet, questioning the teacher and doing a lot of project based learning.

In China, students are taught to love and respect the country and its leadership. Also respecting parents and teachers Social education is taught to instill values, Confucianism ethics and pride in education and learning. Most children are a sole child in the family, and with the large population, education in fiercely competitive. If children don’t do well at school this brings great shame upon the parents and the school. Chinese culture is very hierarchical and collectivistic.

So there are significant socio-cultural differences between the Chinese and British norms and values in education and teaching methods. The experiment continues in this Hampshire school with big challenges for both teachers and students to overcome. It will be interesting to learn of the end outcomes!

What the might be some of the main cultural factors at play, in general, in teaching and learning.

  

The Chinese System

The British System

-          More Rigorous Academically -          Students Respect Teachers/Elders -          Culture More Collectivistic -          Hierarchical/Authoritative -          Students Respect Wisdom & Experience -          Strict Rule Based -          Less Individual Freedom -          More Nationalistic (Pride) -          Shame Driven (External Locus of Control) -          Rote Learning and Memorizing -          Larger Classes (50+)

-          More Holistic & Diverse -          Students Respect Facilitation -          Culture More Individualistic -          Egalitarian/Democratic -          Problem-Project Based Learning -          More free expression -          More Individual Freedom -          Less Nationalistic -          Guilt Driven (Internal Locus of Control) -          Critical & Creative Thinking -          Smaller classes (20 – 25)

How Culture Influences Learning:

Are you better at rote learning or critical thinking?

The other day I watched a BBC documentary, where some Chinese school teachers spent a month, teaching a class of 13 to 14 year British students, in a English High School.  It was very interesting to see the challenges faced by both teachers and students.

In China, the teachers had larger classes of 50 or more students, contrasted to smaller classes in the UK of 20 to 25 students. The teachers stand up front, and talk and write on a white board with the students reading and repeating over and over again and taking a lot of notes. They are memorizing the concepts or facts, and discipline is very strict. Teachers call out No talking! Pay attention! repeatedly. Something they do not need to do back in China. 

In the British school, the teachers often put students in small groups and encourage them to discuss problems, do projects and understand the underlying concepts or facts. British students question teachers and each other, exploring and interacting with the teacher – who moves from group to group. Critical thinking is encouraged.

Now when it comes to covering the syllabus and getting high test scores – the Chinese are way ahead (almost 3 years in maths!)  But to get the British students to ‘pay attention, not talk or not ask questions’, that was a big challenge for both the students, adapting – and the teachers instilling discipline.

The Chinese school day is 12 hours, from 7am to 7pm, with 3 – 4 hours of homework after school. The day starts with the whole school day doing calisthenics.

In the UK experiment – the class comprised 50 British students. They also did the morning exercise to music  - and actually liked it. Lunch is around 11.30am and another meal at 4.00pm. By the time, they finished at 7pm, they are very tired as they are not used to such a long day of classes.  

The Chinese teachers tended to be quite ‘authoritarian’ and expect children to pay attention, listen carefully and take notes. Chinese students do not chat among themselves or ask question of the teachers. The teacher is highly respected. Values are patience, persistence, perseverance and practice. However they do periodically break into pairs to check and share their learning. But it’s mostly rote learning and memorizing. PE is a mandatory subject in China, so students who fail this, cannot go onto University.

The British culture is more individualistic and democratic. The concept of collective shame hardly exists. The whole approach to education is more holistic with equal emphasis on all topics, sports and extra curricula activities. Science, maths or language excellence is no more important than with other subjects, like art, history, geography, cooking or sport etc. It is the right of teenagers to explore and develop their own talent potential. To choose to study what they want. Pride is more in individual achievement, rather than in the family, country, school or nation. (Self actualization).

As this experiment was over one month, I shall continue the ‘story’ in my next blog, but welcome your insights into cultural differences in teaching and learning. Happy Reading.

Are you easily distracted? (Some tips for improving your attention and focus).

             In my previous blogs – I have written more on ways to stimulate the learning brain – where I  wrote on how brain nutrition, sleep and exercise can enhance learning.

            I touched on attention and focus, but only briefly. For this week’s  blog, I want to expand on this. Last weekend, when teaching on a part time MBA course, I was intrigued about why one student in particular, always finished any quiz, short test or leadership a case, consistently faster than the other students. Yes, he is more introverted and has a strong preference to use his ‘left’ brain more. The language comprehension was equal, but he was the only male student.

            Was this a gender difference thing? Or, was it how he had been groomed and trained to think? Or was it his natural preference to use his left brain more – at least in class?

            Putting aside for a moment these factors, there are some factors related to improving our attention and focus especially while studying.

            Dopamine, the excitement stimulus hormone, which is produced in the amygdala and a part of our emotional brain plays a role. Dopamine greatly aids information processing and memory, but needs some emotional stimuli. Learning that can be attached or associated with strong emotions will invariably be remembered, stronger and longer! However, emotional arousal focuses attention more on the ‘gist’ of the learning, rather than the detail. So ‘meaning’ comes before detail, which is actually important. Memory is enhanced when we connect concepts and related associations to emotions logically, not randomly. We will understand up to 40% more when each concept is logical. Then the details can be filled in more meaningfully. An emotional connection also further strengthens recall.

One myth concerns multi-tasking. The brain cannot multi task, if it is to be very efficient. Think of sitting at your computer/smart phone and an alert comes up “You’ve got mail”. Your attention is stimulated. Now providing you read and answer it, without interruption, you will complete the task 50% faster. Once any other part of the brain gets distracted or tries to do something else, your full attention on what you are doing is dissipated. Eg: answering your email. It is not that you cannot answer the phone, but your mind wanders and when it returns, you will say “now where was I?”

That’s why, when our right brain listens to baroque type music, it is not bored, and allows our conscious left to focus attention. This music induces ‘Alpha’ Learning. Even when we are aroused and absorbed, our brain can usually only focus for around 10 minutes. It’s the right non conscious self that is easily distracted, and the conscious self has to be the prompted. It needs to be constantly brought back on track. Anything that keeps emotional arousal high, will help keep you on track. And that’s where the appropriate type of music can be played.

Now back to my sole male student in my MBA Class. I think both gender, an introverted personality and training can all predispose towards your ability to singularly focus. Of course, in addition is your motivation and interest in the subject, and your aspiration to learn about a topic and get a good grade.

            Perhaps he may even be more studious, as he doesn’t want to ‘loose face’ among his female peers. So there are many variables that could explain his predisposition and I am not concluding that it is any one factor, but a combination – so both nurture and nature are at play!

              For later blogs, I want to write about gender differences in learning, as well as the role of music in learning. But meanwhile, understand your personality, your learning  and thinking style preferences and perhaps use some of the above tips, when you find your mind wandering! Control distraction, don’t let them control you.                      

How exercise can enhance our learning

Oops – I am behind on my blogs! Trying to do one each week – so there will be two this week, to catch up!

            This one is on exercise and the learning brain. The brain loves movement, but like many aspects of learning, or preferred learning styles. We each have different levels of needs, so what is the optimal level for most?

            

            I often ponder about the brains of people like Stephen Hawkins, or other people who are physically immobilized yet still able to learn and produce wonderful thoughts or brilliant ideas. Does the brain compensate for their physical disability? As the motor cortex may not be so active, can a greater blood supply energize other parts of the brain?  Similar to blind people whose visual cortex is inactive, yet their other senses can strengthen. Or a paraplegic who has lost the use of their lower limbs, who gain greater strength in their arms and shoulders. Two things seem to be happening here.

            

           First is neurogenesis, or the new growth in brain cells in the parts of the brain that needs to be more energised. The second is what psychologists call the ‘compensatory complex’, where some types of behaviour, strengthens, to compensate for other behaviours like skills, in which we may be weaker.

           

            Nevertheless, for many of us, we may feel more mentally energised and able to focus our attention better, for a period of time after some exercise.  For me personally, I feel better after 20 minutes of Yoga exercises, stretching, breathing deeply and after a 30 minute brisk walk, or a 20 minute swim. And the other day I had a 45 minute work out on the trampoline, which is said to produce a greater cardio-vascular benefit than most other aerobic exercises. Just 10 minutes on the trampoline, can produce the same benefit as a 30 minute walk. And yes, I felt highly envigorated and mentally alert, for several hours after that work out.

       

            Research into the effects of movement on the brain and learning is one of these principles that I describe in Chapter 10 of my book on the ‘The Leadership Brain’   What are some of these facts?

       

            Exercise increases blood circulation and blood brings oxygen and glucose to the brain. It stimulates the release of proteins that keep neurons firing and connecting. Aerobic exercise for 20 minutes, 3 times a week is optimal, but some movement, like walking, throughout the learning day helps. Some experts say 10,000 steps a day is ideal! Others advocate some brain movement every 20 minutes together with some stretching and deep breathing to boost oxygen to the brain” (Dennison, and Dennison, 1986). Those who exercise outperform others in, attention, reasoning, problem solving and improved long term memory. More recently the best form of aerobic exercise is HITT (High Intensity Interval Training). Eg: Run as fast as you can for 1 minute, then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat this for 5 times. Sitting still too much can shorten your life!

       

           So, other than people like Steve Hawkins, and many paraplegics, the next time you feel mentally fatigue assuming you have had sufficient sleep and eaten some brain rich food (see blog 3) try some exercise! Healthy and Happy Learning!

A Good Nights Sleep - A long life of learning and memory

Do you get a good night’s sleep? My last blog was on nutrition, brain and learning, and my breakfast recipe. This blog will still feature learning, but more specifically the effects of sleep, or sleep deprivation – on learning and memory. It features research done on student’s ability to focus, pay attention in class, study and get better test results and how sleep affects all these.

So, what time did you sleep last night?  Or perhaps, only after midnight - today. And of course, did you sleep well, and what time did you wake up. In doing a survey among my students – it’s very mixed – but the majority get less than the recommended 7 – 8 hours that sleep researchers recommend! When I discuss the benefits  of 7 – 8 hours of sleep, on their ability to study, focus and recall, especially before exams – the ‘wake up’!

From my recent book on the ‘Leadership Brain’, in my final chapter, the ‘Learning Leader’, I outline some of the research on sleep and learning.

Learning Principle:  Sleep Well, Learn Well.

The brain itself doesn’t sleep, but the brain works differently, yet still hard, while we sleep. Those who get around 8 hrs ± per night  have been found to  out perform others on cognitive tests (including exams) by 3 to 1, especially procedural tasks. During sleep we process much of our memories, 

consolidating what we learned that day. Loss of sleep interferes with attention, judgment, working memory, logical reasoning, movement dexterity and even mood. In fact, we need to sleep in order to learn.

Sleep loss means mind loss or brain drain! Sleep deprivation also weakens our immune system, and over many years, our brains are more likely to succumb to dementia (memory loss). You hear people say “I’m getting old, so I’m losing my memory,” but this need not be so, as there are many 80 and 90 year olds who still have excellent memory. They should say, “I’ll get enough sleep so my memory will be good”.

So maybe now, I can persuade you, especially if you are a student, to get enough sleep. As we age, we may feel we can do with less sleep, but if we believe in life long learning – a strong immune system, and preventing dementia, your sleep is your investment in brain longevity.

Personally, I work backwards. If I have to get up for example, at 7.00am, then I try to hit the pillow by 11pm, so as to get my 8 hours of sleep. I awake refreshed and do not feel tired in the middle of the afternoon. Of course, what we eat and how much we exercise, are other factors. So for my next blog, we will explore the benefits of exercise, on the brain and learning.