Success about learning About Myelin Dr George Bartzokis

Success – about learning About Myelin

• Dr George Bartzokis, Professor of Neurology, UCLA, researches the effect myelin has on learning. Myelin • Every thought, feeling, movement is an electric signal. • Myelin wraps around the nerve and strengthens and quickens the signal. • The more we practise using the nerve, the more myelin builds up – the quicker the message travels and the stronger the signal – ie the deeper the learning. Source: R. D. Field ‘White matters’ Scientific American (2008)

Myelin • The more we are challenged, correct ourselves, the more electric circuits develop – the more myelin builds up - deep learning. • The problem? Deep learning takes effort.

• Dr Fields article, ‘Neuron’ (2006) found that when two cells called oligodentrocytes & astrocytes sense a nerve firing, they respond by wrapping more myelin on the fibre that fires. • The more the nerve fires the more myelin and the stronger and faster the nerve signal travels. This is the stuff of learning. • More challenging tasks seem to fire more circuits and therefore, more myelin, more learning. The science behind myelin

Evidence • Frederick Ullen in 2005 scanned the brains of concert pianists and found a strong link between hours of practice and amounts of myelin. • In 2000, Klingberg found a strong link between reading skill and amount of myelin. • Professor Bartzokis in UCLA neurology department is researching the link between myelin and learning - regarding the link as 'revolutionary'. Source: Daniel Coyle ‘The Talent Code’ (2009)

Over to you If challenge produces more myelin, then what do you need to do to create opportunities for myelin to build up? Feedback and practice will strengthen Myelin

Feedback- Taking the opportunity to develop your learning through feedback • Journalist & UK Table Tennis champion, Matthew Syed, states that: • "Feedback is, in effect, the rocket fuel that propels the acquisition of knowledge, and without it no amount of practice is going to get you there " • Consider the importance of feedback in scientific development – where what doesn’t work is just as important as what does. Source: Syed, ‘Bounce’ (2010)

How do you view feedback from others? • What was the score? • I don't really read it • I like it when it's positive but ignore the negative • I refer to it for my next piece of work

What forms of feedback do you actively seek? • I ask teachers to explain what I don't understand • I use mark schemes and model answers and compare them to my own work • I swap work with peers and regularly discuss what specifically worked and what didn't • when I get a piece of work back, I up level it using comments I have received / gathered.

Junior Doctors • If you watch ‘Junior Doctors’ – (reality TV tracking foundation year one doctors as they meet patients for the first time) you will notice.

Junior Doctors • Junior doctors do not expect to be great, they are not embarrassed not to know and despite having many different personalities they all have learnt to gather as much useful feedback as they can. • Just as well - as their approach could be a life or death matter.

Questions to ask to gain useful feedback • Why did this piece of work get a higher/ lower mark than last time? • How does my work compare to a model example?

Questions to ask to gain useful feedback • Discuss with a colleague whether you feel you ask enough questions, seek enough feedback? • Do you seek praise more than specific feedback? • What prevents you / encourages you to ask more questions in class?

Does a grade really tell you much? • Does winning a tennis match tell you what you need to do to improve? • You need to engage in a range of tasks that encourage feedback - self-assessment helps you think for yourself (no-one else will take your exam).

Does a grade really tell you much? • Peer assessment makes you think, learn from colleagues, spot mistakes, learn from others mistakes, learn from good examples. • Only relying on written and detailed feedback from a teacher will not enable you to improve the most. • Sportsmen and women are trained to analyse themselves so they can self-correct during a match or competition when they cannot use their coaches.

Your attitude to self & peer assessment What is your view about feedback, • teacher? • self? • peer? In the end, you need to be the judge of your own work, so peer and self-assessment are key. They also force you to engage in a hard task – remember the role of myelin?