A Model for the Creation of
Meaningful Community College Learning Experiences

Ceating a Learning-Centered EMOTIONAL Environment
 

From the section on Brain Function we see that emotions play a significant role in the brain's processing of information at several points in the process. Briefly recapping: we saw that at the very first stage of processing, information in the sensory memory is prioritized according to its relevance to survival, then emotions and past experiences. The impact on survival needs and emotions continue to control data as it moves from sensory memory to working memory and finally into long-term storage. Data in long-term storage contributes to one's cognitive system of beliefs and self image. Thus, emotions are important at every stage in the brain's processing of information. Many contemporary theorists emphasize the importance of emotions in learning. Two of Renate and Geoffrey Caine's (2002) twelve principals relate to emotions. The fifth principle is "Emotions are critical to patterning. ... The bottom line is that emotion and cognition interact, energize, and shape each other. It is useful and appropriate, at times, to speak of them separately, but they are inseparable in the brains and experiences of learners. (sec. 5, ¶ 3) The eleventh principle states "Complex learning Is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat associated with a sense of helplessness or fatigue." (sec. 11) Further, the Caines (1997a) go on to say,   "What we learn is influenced and organized by emotions and mind-sets involving expectancy, personal biases and prejudices, self-esteem, and the need for social interaction.  Emotions and thoughts literally shape each other. ... Hence, an appropriate emotional climate is indispensable to sound education."  (p. 105)  Jeremy Gray, Todd Braver and Marcus Raichle (2002), researchers at Washington University, have conducted studies to determine if emotional states influence cognitive activity in the prefrontal cortex.  Their research indicates that "emotion and higher cognition can be truly integrated, i.e., at some point of processing, functional specialization is lost, and emotion and cognition conjointly and equally contribute to the control of thought and behavior. " (n.p.)

Emotions  are a distillation of learned wisdom; the critical survival lessons of life are emotionally hardwired into our DNA.  We have been biologically shaped to be fearful, worried, surprised, suspicious, joyful, and relieved, almost on cue.  We must cease the long-standing habit of thinking of emotions as always irrational or having nothing to do with the ways we think.  Emotions are a critical source of information for learning. (Jensen, 1998, p. 78) 

No one would question that emotions are difficult to deal with. Research confirms that too much emotion, whether in the form of threat or the perception of helplessness as the Caines indicate or any extreme emotion, has a negative impact on learning. Rather than eliminating emotional experiences from our classes, we need to learn how to engage the emotions in a positive way. Joseph LeDoux (1996), whose research focuses primarily on emotions and learning, says,

When you are alert and paying attention to something important, your cortex is aroused. When you are drowsy and not focusing on anything, the cortex is in the unaroused state. ...Arousal is important in all mental functions. It contributes significantly to attention, perception, memory, emotion, and problem solving. Without arousal, we fail to notice what is going on--we don't attend to the details. But too much arousal is not good either. If you are overaroused you become tense and anxious and unproductive. You need to have just the right level of activation to perform optimally." (p. 286, 289)

So it's important for us to take a serious look at the emotional environment in our classrooms and take steps to create an emotional environment that contributes to learning because it is both safe and enriched.

Go to the next section, Creating a SAFE EMOTIONAL Environment
Learning-Centered Environment links:

	Creating a Learning-Centered Environment--Introduction
	Brain Function
	Creating A Learning-Centered PHYSICAL Environment Safe and Enriched
	Creating A Learning-Centered EMOTIONAL Environment Safe and Enriched
	Creating A Learning-Centered SOCIAL Environment Safe and Enriched
	The Model Introduction
	Dialogue on Learning Homepage

 

 

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