Teaching the iBrain Generation

Learners today have grown up in a technology rich world. Has digital technology altered the neural circuitry in human brains? Research from neuroscientist Dr. Gary Smalls, author of iBrain: Surviving the technological alterations of the modern mind, and research from Drs. Norman Doidge and John Medina will be presented and participants challenged to re-conceptualize our core educational assumptions, including such things as the structure of the learning environment, the use of time, the tools used to teach, and the role of the educator.

Instructional design theories admonish us to first know your audience before designing instruction. Who are today’s digital learners? To aid the audience in better understanding the brain of today’s learner, the presenter will provide overviews of research from the neurosciences that show both promising and troubling findings. What is evident from these findings is that technology has indeed altered how young minds develop and function. From the impact of digital bombardment on the visual cortex, to changes in multi-tasking abilities, to the effect on attention span, to physical and chemical alterations of the brain, and more, the brains of today’s learners are different from previous generations. In addition to these research findings from the neurosciences, the presenter will review theories of cultural adaptation and how they relate to the current context.

The presenter will engage the audience in considering education might need to be changed based on what is now known about the digital learner. What new structures are possible? How do we teach the iBrain Generation.