Re: How have Neursci discoveries influenced learning theories last 5-8 years?

Dear Stephen, thank-you for your thoughtful question. I am not sure that I 
really understand your question completely, but I will try to answer it as 
best as I can. The following is a composite of recent information that I 
have found on the Internet. 

The notion of learning styles have been the center of controversy for 
several decades now, and there is still little agreement among professionals 
about what learning styles really are, or whether they truly exist. The 
learning styles theory suggests that how much individuals learn is more 
greatly influenced by  whether the educational experience is geared toward 
their particular style of learning rather than their IQ level.   

One of the major questions investigated in learning styles research is the 
visual/auditory/kinesthetic distinction. Researchers generally agree that 
modalities of learning are distinguishable, but there is no consensus on 
whether these represent true learning styles or simply learning differences. 
The concept of learning styles is rooted in the classification of 
psychological types. The learning styles theory is based on research 
demonstrating that, as the result of heredity, upbringing, and current 
environmental demands, different individuals have a tendency to both 
perceive and process information differently. The different ways of doing so 
are generally classified as: 

           1. Concrete and abstract perceivers--Concrete perceivers absorb 
information through direct experience, by doing, acting, sensing, and 
feeling. Abstract perceivers, however, take in information through analysis, 
observation, and thinking. Concrete thinking starts to form at about age six 
or so and is usually well developed by puberty. However, mental disorders 
such as schizophrenia can reduce or eliminate one’s ability to think 
abstractly. 

           2. Active and reflective processors--Active processors make sense 
of an experience by immediately using the new information. Reflective 
processors make sense of an experience by reflecting on and thinking about 
it. 

Traditional schooling tends to favor abstract perceiving and reflective 
processing. Other kinds of learning often are not rewarded or reflected in 
our typical educational curriculum, instruction, or  assessment. 

Assuming that different learning styles do exist, several major issues 
remain to be resolved. The first is whether we should teach to students' 
strengths, or attempt to expand their styles. The second issue revolves 
around whether or not teachers can observe the differences among students' 
styles, or whether valid and reliable tests and inventories should be used.  
Given the potential number of different learning styles, and the current 
sizes of most classrooms, a third question relates to whether teachers have 
the time or resources to tailor education to individual needs. 

I believe your question of recent neuroscience findings  is related to the 
two areas of perception and the brain. The biology of perception has its 
beginnings in the sensory receptors: the rods and cones of your eyes, 
microscopic cilia of the inner ear, or touch, smell, and taste receptors. 
Science is relatively clear on the biology of perception right down to the 
electrochemical reactions which send signals through nerve cells to the 
brain. The biology of the brain is not quite so clear however. Recent years 
have seen some advances with techniques such as PET (Positron Emission 
Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) which allow us to see the 
brain in action as it is fed different types of stimuli.  Some general areas 
of the brain have been linked with particular types of thinking: vision and 
imagery are processed in the occipital lobes (or visual cortex) at the back 
of the brain, language is processed in the left temporal lobe just above the 
ear. Planning, which is one type of metacognitive thinking,  occurs in the 
frontal lobes (or perhaps pre-frontal lobes). Attention deficits are said to 
be the result of abnormalities in the frontal lobes. Reading disabilities 
are thought to be the result of abnormalities in the fissures which run 
through the left temporal lobe.

The brain remains one of the most interesting yet mysterious challenges of 
science. We really have a long way to go in terms of truly understanding how 
various learning styles develop, whether they can be changed or what brain 
structures and functions are responsible for these differences. 

I am not sure I have completely answered your question, but fortunately the 
internet is a rich source of information for learning styles. I have 
included some URLs below that you can use as  a starting point.   

For a description of seven common styles of learning, go here:  
http://snow.utoronto.ca/Learn2/styles4.htm.  
For a discussion of how teachers can change their own teaching styles, go 
here: http://snow.utoronto.ca/Learn2/tchstyle.htm

For other sites related to learning styles, go here: 
http://www.ascd.org/services/eric/ericlngs.html 
http://www.scican.net/~harnish/mstyles.html 
http://ss.uno.edu/SS/Theory/TheoryMenu.html 
http://commhum.mccneb.edu/philos/learntheo.htm 
http://lowellg.simplenet.com/Multiple%20Intelligences1.htm 
http://www.cc.columbia.edu./~jh299/index.html 
http://www.physics.brown.edu/people/bblais/neuro.html 
http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/