MCMC: “How Can I Help My Brain Study for Final Exams?”
A Workshop by Prof. Curtis Kelly.
  
 
On Monday, 2nd December, 2019, MCM College was delighted to receive Curtis Kelly (EdD), who is Professor of English at Kansai University in Japan. Kelly’s research area is focused on developing learner-centered methods and materials for English learners, especially those with low confidence, low ability and low motivation.
In the workshop, Professor Kelly explained to students that stories can work like magic, and as much as our brains love them, we are also able to process the information they offer with less effort and retain it longer.
Prof. Kelly began his workshop with a video where Google© advertised their search engine, without any explanation, just a story, and yet it displayed everything about the functions of search engine. He explained that students did not understand the cognitive load and language processing part, although they were able to piece together more of the story from the emotional side - the narrative. Kelly explains that advertisers do this because our brains release neurotransmitters, especially dopamine. Therefore, by showing images of giggling babies with romantic couples, and mouthwatering exotic foods, dopamine is released as the neurotransmitter of reward, which helps us learn their product.
The workshop also offered several important insights to how the brain can work better and increase learning retention through increased sleep duration, physical movement to allow more blood to flow to the brain and maximise cognitive power, and using emotions to steer us through learning. |