Running head: BAMFORD ORAL COMPS

Oral Comprehensive Exam: Facilitation to HRD 485Marissa Kaeli Bamford

A report submitted to the Graduate Faculty of

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

In

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the degree of

Master of Science in Education

Adult Education and Human Resource Development

March 2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures..................................................................................................................................3

Background......................................................................................................................................4

Presentation Design and Theoretical Framework............................................................................5Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction.............................................................................................5Brain Based Learning Theory......................................................................................................9Constructivist Theory.................................................................................................................11

Ethical Considerations...................................................................................................................13

Successful Strategies.....................................................................................................................13

Criticism........................................................................................................................................16

What I Learned..............................................................................................................................19

References......................................................................................................................................22

Appendix A....................................................................................................................................24

Appendix B....................................................................................................................................25

Appendix C....................................................................................................................................27

Appendix D....................................................................................................................................31

Appendix E....................................................................................................................................32

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Gagne's nine events of instruction...................................................................................3

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Background

The facilitator, Marissa Bamford, elected to facilitate a Human Resource Development

(HRD) minor course as fulfillment of the requirements for her oral comprehensive exam. On

September 26, 2012, the facilitator contacted Ms. Diane Yerian, an instructor in the Learning,

Technology, and Leadership Education Department, James Madison University College of

Education to inquire about leading a facilitation in one of her courses. Ms. Yerian agreed to

allow Ms. Bamford to facilitate a lesson and allowed her to choose which course she would like

to facilitate as she was teaching two undergraduate courses at that time: HRD 245 Leadership in

Organizational Settings and HRD 485 Learning in Adulthood. The facilitator informed Ms.

Yerian she would like to teach a topic in her HRD 485 class as she had already taken her

graduate level learning theories course and thought she would be better able to facilitate

discussions about learning theories rather than leadership.

After coordinating with Ms. Yerian, it was decided that Ms. Bamford would facilitate a

lesson on Brain Based Learning (BBL) theory on Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 2:00 pm. The

facilitator began researching Brain Based Learning in her own textbooks and other sources. Ms.

Yerian’s theory class did not use a textbook or any course materials, so the facilitator was

required to find her own materials to be used for the facilitation.

Ms. Yerian did not have any activities planned following the presentation, so the

facilitator was given as much time as required to teach the content and lead learning activities.

Ms. Bamford’s facilitation on Brain Based Learning was 43 minutes and 44 seconds long,

including the time it took to complete activities. The facilitation consisted of an icebreaker,

pretest, Prezi presentation, two activities, and a posttest.

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Presentation Design and Theoretical Framework

The facilitator used learning theories and instructional theories to develop her facilitation

lesson plan on Brain Based Learning for Ms. Diane Yerian’s HRD 485 class. While Ms.

Bamford used portions of many theories when creating her lesson plan, three key theories served

as the basis of her facilitation. The three theories most used were Gagné’s Nine Events of

Instruction (Gagné & Medsker, 1996), Brain Based Learning theory (Caine & Caine, 1990), and

aspects of Constructivist theory (Vygotsky, 1978; Piaget, 1951; Bruner,1986).

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Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction

The facilitator used Gagné’s nine events of instruction (Gagné & Medsker, 1996) to

structure her facilitation. Gagné’s events of instruction discuss how instruction should be

designed to meet specific learning outcomes. Ms. Bamford used this instructional theory to

outline her facilitation and ensure she was including activities that achieved each of the nine

levels. The nine events of instruction are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2. Gagne's nine events of instruction (Gagne & Medsker, 1996, p. 140) as adapted by Marissa Bamford.

Gagné’s first event of instruction is gaining attention (Gagné & Medsker, 1996), which

the facilitator did by leading the class in an icebreaker (Appendix A). Rather than leading the

students in a typical icebreaker such as two truths and a lie, the facilitator selected an icebreaker

that was more relevant to the topic she would be discussing. As Gagné and Medsker explain,

“Matching the content of the attention getter with the content to be learned, however, has the

advantage of creating lesson coherence” (p. 140). The facilitator announced that the class would

1 Gaining attention

2 Informing learners of the objective

3 Stimulating recall of prior learning

4 Presenting the conent

5 Providing "learning guidance"

6 Eliciting performance

7 Providing feedback

8 Assessing performance

9 Enhancing retention and transfer

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have a few minutes to solve the brainteaser which she displayed on the presentation screen and

also read aloud. The students were asked to use whiteboard paddles and dry erase markers

provided to brainstorm possible solutions and write their answers. The activity was intended to

relax the students and loosen them up so they would be more comfortable engaging in later

planned activities, while also tying the activity into the topic of the brain. The use of the

icebreaker was successful in that all students in the audience were engaged in the activity and

appeared determined to come up with an answer. Many humorous comments were made as

students questioned whether there was an actual answer and reread the question aloud. After a

few minutes, the facilitator asked if everyone was stumped and the class agreed that they were

ready to see the answer to the brainteaser. The facilitator displayed the answer and assured the

students that she, too, was unable to come up with an answer. This was used as a way of relating

to the students and putting them at ease for the rest of the facilitation.

Following the lesson's gaining of attention, the second and third events of instruction are

informing learners of the objective and stimulating recall of prior learning, respectively (Gagné

& Medsker, 1996). The facilitator briefly introduced the overall objectives for the presentation

prior to the icebreaker activity, but followed the activity with a more in-depth discussion of how

Brain Based Learning has evolved. At the beginning of the facilitation none of the students

indicated they knew anything about Brain Based Learning when asked, so the facilitator passed

out the pretest (Appendix B) to determine whether they were able to apply any of their prior

knowledge even though they had never explicitly received instruction on the topic. The

facilitator also asked the students how they would be able to use Brain Based Learning in

training or facilitation as a way to stimulate recall of how learning theories can be used in the

HRD field.

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The fourth step of Gagné’s events of instruction is presenting the stimulus, at which time

“new content itself is presented to the learner” (Gagné & Medsker, 1996). The presentation of

the stimulus was the main body of the presentation. During this portion of the facilitation, the

facilitator presented information about important BBL strategies, the memory process, processes

of BBL, and Caine and Caine’s (1990) 12 principles of BBL.

Examples throughout the presentation served as the fifth event of instruction, providing

learning guidance (Gagné & Medsker, 1996). There was no separate portion of learning guidance

since guidance appeared throughout the facilitation. According to Gagné and Medsker, content

and learning guidance typically take place together. Throughout the presentation, the facilitator

asked students questions or asked them to volunteer examples to demonstrate that they

understood the content. Another manner in which the facilitator guided learning was through the

use of images and everyday examples to which the students could easily relate. For example,

rather than simply explaining the memory process and the three types of memory- sensory,

working, and long-term, the facilitator used a house analogy that would be easier for students to

comprehend and recall in the future. Ms. Bamford displayed an image of the house and

explained how the three parts of the house, the entry way, the living room, and the attic related to

sensory, working, and long term memory.

Eliciting performance is Gagné’s sixth event of instruction (Gagné & Medsker, 2000).

The facilitator used a multiple intelligence inventory (Appendix C) and a mini case study

(Appendix D) to ensure that the students understood the information and had a chance to practice

what they had learned. Students were asked to individually complete the multiple intelligence

inventory and then work in groups to discuss the case study.

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Gagné’s seventh event of instruction is providing feedback to the learners (Gagné &

Medsker, 1996). The facilitator provided feedback via a discussion following the students’ group

work on the case study. The facilitator asked each group to share what they had discussed when

working through the case study. Ms. Bamford wanted to determine whether the students were

able to suggest teaching and learning solutions for the case that matched the principles and

objectives of BBL which were related to the discussion of multiple intelligences and learning

styles.

The eighth event of instruction is assessing performance (Gagné & Medsker, 1996). The

facilitator assessed performance through the use of a posttest (Appendix E). The students

finished the posttest much quicker than they did the pretest. After all students had completed

their posttest, Ms. Bamford read the questions aloud and asked the class to respond with the

answer. Overall, the students answered correctly and in unison, indicating that they were able to

answer the questions after the facilitation. Unfortunately, the facilitator did not collect the pretest

and posttests from the students, so she was unable to analyze the data to determine how much

students had improved between the pre- and posttests.

Gagné’s ninth and final event of instruction is enhancing retention and transfer (Gagné &

Medsker, 1996). This portion of the facilitation could have been more effective. The facilitator

presented the mnemonic of BRAIN BASED (Kaufman et al., 2008) on one of the final slides to

help students remember the main aspects of Brain Based Learning theory, but should have

included this and other information on a handout for the learners to keep. The students did keep

their copies of the case study, multiple intelligence inventory, and pre/posttests, but a handout

would have aided in further review of the material.

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Brain Based Learning Theory

As the presentation centered on Brain Based Learning, the facilitator made a conscious

effort to ensure she was following the tenets of the theory while designing the instruction and

activities for Ms. Yerian’s class. A lesson on BBL would not have been effective if the facilitator

herself had ignored the principles and tactics of the theory in teaching the material to students.

The four main strategies of Brain Based Learning that Ms. Bamford considered when designing

her facilitation were: (1) create relevance, (2) chunk information, (3) meet the physiological

needs of learners, and (4) use effective design (Caine & Caine, 1990; Kaufman et al., 2008).

First, similar to Gagne's events of instruction, Brain Based Learning theory recommends

that instructors create relevance for the material they are teaching (Kaufman et al., 2008). The

facilitator created relevance by discussing the theory in relation to human resource development

and training. Much research on BBL discusses teaching adolescents in primary school, but the

facilitator wanted to teach the theory in a way that would be more relevant to AHRD minors. She

decided to adapt the information to adult learners as she believed the HRD students would be

most interested in learning how they could apply BBL to their work with adult learners in the

training and development field.

Second, the facilitator chunked information so not to overwhelm her learners (Kaufman

et al., 2008; Driscoll, 2005). Brain Based Learning theory can be complex, especially because

the theory is essentially focused on how to improve learning and instruction based on the science

of the brain. Ms. Bamford briefly discussed parts of the brain, but did not delve too much into

neurological information as a complex understanding of the brain was not necessary for the

objectives she was trying to achieve throughout her facilitation. The facilitator also chunked

information on each slide of her Prezi presentation. Learners can struggle to process an

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abundance of words on the screen while also processing the words the facilitator is speaking as

the auditory and visual channels separately process information (Mayer & Moreno, 1998). Ms.

Bamford limited the words that appeared on each slide of the Prezi to reduce the load on the

auditory channel while she was speaking and thus lessen the likelihood of dual coding issues.

She made an effort to limit the number of words under each bullet point as well as the number of

bullet points, striving for the "triple-seven" rule (Pratt, 2003) whenever possible. The "triple-

seven" rule states that seven or fewer words are allowed per bullet point, seven or fewer bullet

points per slide, and seven or fewer lines per slide. And last in terms of chunking, Ms. Bamford

presented the mnemonic of BRAIN BASED (Kaufman et al., 2008) to help the students

remember the most important concepts of the theory. The above methods served to prevent

cognitive overload (Sweller, 1988) in the learners.

Third, the facilitator made an effort to meet the physiological needs of the learners. She

offered the students water and healthy granola bars and fruit snacks at the onset of her

presentation. Nutrition and hydration are important to Brain Based Learning as the brain cannot

function without fuel and water (Caine & Caine, 1990). Just as Maslow's (1943) Hierarchy of

Needs emphasizes the importance of having basic, physiological needs such as food, water, air,

sleep, and shelter met, these same needs must be met for learning to occur according to BBL.

Fourth, Brain Based Learning encourages the use of design and media to create effective

learning materials (Wilson, 2005). The facilitator used a bright color scheme to gain students'

attention. She selected meaningful images to coincide with points she was making. All images

were relevant and helped the students better associate the knowledge being received with items

they had previously learned. Rather than cluttering the slides with irrelevant clipart, Ms.

Bamford used icons and images that served as cues to the students. The facilitator also used

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signaling to cue the learners (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2011). She numbered the

elements so the students could keep track of where they were in the presentation. Another

example, when discussing good design versus bad, a green check was used to visually indicate

that the example demonstrated good design, while a red "x" indicated bad design. When

discussing the use of highlighting, boldfacing, and color coding words in BBL, the facilitator

actually applied those font characteristics to visually signal her examples.

Constructivist Theory

The facilitator used Constructivist theory to guide the activities she created for the Brain

Based Learning facilitation. It was important that the facilitator include activities into the lecture

as she wanted students to have the opportunity to practice the information and concepts to which

they had been introduced. As Driscoll (2005) explained, “It is not enough, in other words, for

students to acquire concepts or routines that lie inert, never to be called upon even in the face of

relevant problems to be solved” (p. 390). Brain Based Learning theory can be especially relevant

when designing learning and training materials, so the facilitator wanted the HRD students to

engage in activities that would emphasize the importance of BBL in their field. Specifically, the

facilitator concentrated on two constructivist conditions of learning: social negotiation and

ownership in learning (Driscoll, 2005, p. 402).

Social negotiation is the idea that individuals learn through interaction and working with

others (Bruner, 1986; Vygotsky, 1978; Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). Bruner (1986)

explained, “…learning in most settings is a communal activity, a sharing of the culture” (p. 127).

The facilitator created a case study (Appendix D) and asked students to work on the case

together at their tables because she believed students would come up with more unique solutions

and discussions about the case study if they worked in groups. The goal of the case study was to

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have students provide examples of how the company in the study could maximize learning of a

foreign language using BBL tenets and activities and also through the incorporation of different

learning styles. Prior to beginning the case study, the facilitator had the students individually fill

out a multiple intelligence inventory (Appendix C) and discuss their personal learning styles. The

facilitator wanted the students to realize individuals have different preferred learning styles.

Understanding this, they would better be able to think about how they could create activities that

would engage all learners while also incorporating multiple intelligences or learning styles.

The facilitator created ownership in learning with the case study, as well. Case studies are

often thought to be problem-based learning because “groups work to solve a ‘real’ problem”

(Driscoll, 2005, p. 405). The problem presented in the case study was a realistic issue that could

appear in work organizations; in fact, the facilitator based the case off an actual company's need

to instruct employees in Spanish for upcoming overseas training. During the study, the students

were not given strict guidelines, but instead were able to use any information they had learned to

devise lesson plans. As the students in the class were HRD minors who will likely go into fields

involving instructional design and training, the facilitator wanted to connect the concepts of BBL

with instructional design and emphasize that BBL would be relevant in their future careers. As

Brooks, Harris, and Clayton (2010) explained, “…case studies are an effective teaching strategy

in that students are given the opportunity to use critical thinking in situations that may occur later

in their professional practice. Using the case study approach is one way to add meaning and

relevance to the learning process” (p. 58). Following the time allotted to work in groups on the

case, each group was asked to share ideas they had created for teaching Spanish to the employees

in the case. Each group was able to devise unique training plans because of the different

experiences and learning styles individuals contributed to the activity.

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Ethical Considerations

Ms. Diane Yerian gave the facilitator permission to present and record her facilitation.

All students in Ms. Yerian’s class were 18 years or older. While consent forms were not issued

to or signed by the students, they were told prior to the facilitation that the activities would be

filmed for the completion of Ms. Bamford’s oral comprehensive project. None of the students

indicated an objection to the class session being recorded, and all remained in the classroom for

the facilitation. The video was stored only on the facilitator’s password protected computer; it

was never distributed or broadcast on any site. The recording of the facilitation was strictly for

program requirements and was only to be viewed by Ms. Bamford and her two committee

members, Dr. Jane Thall and Dr. Cheryl Beverly.

Successful Strategies

While the facilitation and planned activities were in no way perfect, the strategies used

proved successful. The most successful aspects of the facilitation were related to the types of

material Ms. Bamford chose to include in her presentation rather than facilitation skills. The

facilitator was successful in creating rapport with the learners, using examples to illustrate Brain

Based Learning concepts, and was also able to take her learner characteristics and locale setting

into consideration.

First, the facilitator was successful in creating rapport with the students. Sisco (1991)

calls the actions in which you try to make your learners more comfortable “climate setting” (p.

42). He explains, “By creating a climate in which each participant can feel comfortable, secure,

and able to learn, they [instructors] have created the conditions for successful teaching and

learning” (p. 42). The facilitator wanted HRD students to feel comfortable so they would

participate in the activities and ask questions when they needed clarification. To do this, she

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began the facilitation by setting the climate. Rather than jumping straight into the coverage of the

BBL material, the facilitator introduced herself and took a minute to find out whether any of the

students were thinking about the graduate AHRD program and encouraged them to look into the

program if they were interested. The facilitator also offered snacks and water to the students

before beginning the presentation. The facilitator not only brought snacks because hydration and

proper nutrition are important to BBL, but also because she knew snacks would likely be well-

received by the students in an afternoon class. The snacks and water were meant as a friendly

gesture for the students’ time and participation, and the students and instructor seemed surprised

and appreciated the gesture. An icebreaker was also included at the beginning of the facilitation

to create a lighter atmosphere in the classroom. A brain teasing icebreaker was selected because

it was related to the brain while also being a unique activity that students had likely not done in

previous courses. Based on the chatter and laughs during the icebreaker, the students appeared to

enjoy the activity and were ready to begin the period of instruction. The presenter made a

conscious effort to inject humor throughout the facilitation, which kept the atmosphere light and

helped to maintain student interest and attention.

Second, the facilitator’s use of examples was effective in helping to explain the concepts

of Brain Based Learning. The facilitator used common examples that would help the students to

anchor instructional concepts in their minds. For example, when explaining that information

should be chunked because individuals tend to only remember between three and seven pieces of

information at a time, the facilitator provided the example of seven digit phone numbers.

Another example the facilitator used was saying the ABCs when discussing the use of music in

BBL. Ms. Bamford asked someone to volunteer to say the alphabet, which demonstrated how

information can be encoded into musical tunes since the volunteer said the alphabet to the tune of

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the ABCs song she had learned as a child. The facilitator chose examples that students would be

able to relate to and recall following the presentation.

Third, the facilitator was successful in taking into account her learner characteristics and

locale setting. Ms. Bamford was aware she would be presenting to a small group of

undergraduate students who were at least of sophomore standing and who had experienced

several facilitations via PowerPoint slides or similar technology. Due to the age of the learners,

the facilitator was confident the Prezi presentation would be effective and visually appealing to a

younger audience. The Prezi format appeared to hold the attention of the students more so than a

PowerPoint would have. Had the facilitator been presenting to an older audience or less

technologically aware group, she would have opted to use a more traditional format such as

PowerPoint.

The facilitator also was aware that she would be presenting in Memorial Hall, Room

6125, a large classroom in which she had previously facilitated and observed presentations. She

was familiar with the layout of the room and the available technology. Ms. Bamford knew that

her presentation could easily be displayed on the large projector screen and students would have

no problems viewing the presentation because of the screen’s size and central location in the

classroom.

Criticism

Although there were many positive aspects of the facilitation, the negative aspects were

obvious when reviewing the video segment. The errors and flaws were not so serious as to

negatively impact the facilitation, but were obvious enough to warrant the facilitator to focus on

these in order to improve upon them in the future. The main criticisms of the media segment

were the facilitator’s need to better engage learners with activities, her overuse of filler words,

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her need to exude more confidence throughout her facilitation, and her need to strengthen the

objectives for her learners.

First, Ms. Bamford must improve the need for facilitation variability. Towards the end of

the facilitation, she lectured with few activities to break up the lecture and maintained less than

desired interaction with the learners. As Gagné and Medsker (1996) explained, “Lectures should

be interspersed with demonstrations, media presentations, and group or individual exercises” (p.

175). The facilitator should have provided more stimuli in the main portion of her lecture. She

could have included a video clip related to Brain Based Learning, a cartoon, or some other sort

of media to increase variability and allow the students a break from the didactic portion of the

facilitation. While the learners never seemed bored, adding in another media could have made

the facilitation more interesting.

Second, the facilitator’s use of filler words was apparent after viewing the transcript of

the facilitation. Bortfeld, Leon, Bloom, Schober, and Brennan (2001) call filler words

“disfluencies” because they act as interruptions in fluent speaking and represent breaks in the

train of thought. While Ms. Bamford occasionally used the typical filler words of “um,” “uh,”

and “like,” her use of “so” as a filler word was much more apparent. According to Bortfeld et al.,

“[D]isturbances are more likely near the beginnings of turns or sentences, where planning effort

is presumably higher” (p. 125). The previous explanation is true for the facilitator, as she used

“so” at times when transitioning between slides or beginning discussion of a new topic. In fact,

Ms. Bamford said “so” 45 times within the 15 minute segment. Filler words can reveal

confidence issues to listeners as well as indicate planning difficulties. The facilitators use of “so”

as a filler could be attributed to her nerves entering into the facilitation. She had never facilitated

to an undergraduate class before and had not previously met the students. Although the facilitator

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did practice her facilitation, a greater effort should have been placed on her transitions between

slides and activities. Ms. Bamford practiced her material in front of a mirror, but could have also

practiced in front of an individual who could critique her. In the future, she should also record

and review practice facilitations and presentations in order to be more aware of the areas in

which she needs improvement.

Third, and perhaps most crucial, the facilitator needed to exude more confidence to her

learners. She entered the classroom knowing more about the topic of Brain Based Learning than

the students, yet she did not fully demonstrate that she was, for the purpose of the facilitation, an

expert on the subject. Rather than being confident in what she was saying, at times Ms. Bamford

turned to look at the bullet points on the presentation screen and in doing so did not maintain

good eye contact with her audience. Her nervousness was also reflected in her speaking volume.

While students were able to hear well enough as they were seated at the front of the room, had

there been a larger audience those in the back may have had difficulty hearing. Prior to the

facilitation, she should have practiced projecting her voice, especially in the room in which she

was going to be facilitating. Using her diaphragm muscles to project her voice would have been

effective (The Ohio State University Extension Office, 2010). Next time the facilitator should

also have someone stand in the back of the room to ensure she can be heard from a distance.

Additionally, the facilitator should also consider the use of a lapel microphone, as a back-up plan

for larger rooms and/or audiences. Additional practice would also have enhanced the facilitator's

level of confidence in the material presented.

Fourth, the facilitator should have ensured the objectives she provided for her students

were stronger and met the requirements for SMART objectives. Objectives should be: 1)

specific, 2) measurable, 3) attainable or achievable, 4) relevant, and 5) time bound (Wayne State

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University, 2013; Center for Disease Control, 2009). Specific means the objectives should have

details that explain the “who” and “what” of the learning activity. Measurable means the

instructor can measure or assess the expected change in the learner. Attainable or achievable

means the objective is possible and can be completed in an allotted timeframe. Realistic means

the objective is relevant and relates to the learning process. And time bound means the objective

includes a time frame for completion. Originally, the facilitator’s objective slide said, “Following

this presentation, the learner should be able to: Explain the principles of Brain-Based Learning,

Describe the basic processes of memory, and Identify ways in which to make learning more

brain compatible.” She failed to specify how the objectives would be measured and provide

adequate detail. Creating more detailed objectives would have allowed Ms. Bamford to better

evaluate student learning as well as provide learners a better depiction of what they should gain

from the facilitation.

Following the SMART guidelines and thinking about the activities that were included in

the lesson, the facilitator revised her objectives to include: 1) Within the 15 minute work time for

the case study, the student will identify ways in which to make learning more brain compatible

though the creation and justification of four lesson ideas for teaching Spanish; 2) During the

posttest, the student will define the three main processes of memory and explain two ways in

which each process can be utilized in learning and training; 3) By the end of the class session,

the student will explain at least ten principles of Brain Based Learning theory and describe how

each can be applied to human resource development; and 4) Following the discussion of art in

Brain Based Learning theory, the student will analyze the design of a slide and verbally list three

ways in which to improve the slide using design-based aspects of Brain Based Learning theory.

The objectives match better with the activities facilitated and include proper action verbs. The

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revised objectives would allow Ms. Bamford to effectively assess whether the undergraduate

students had attained the learning outcomes she had anticipated. By creating more detailed

objectives, the facilitator specifies for herself and her students the criteria she will use in

assessing and evaluating their learning performance.

What I Learned

In reflecting upon my oral comprehensive project, I learned that I need to confront my

fears directly. Prior to arranging my facilitation with Ms. Yerian, I worried, or some might say,

“fretted and stewed,” about how I would be able to facilitate to individuals I did not know. I

questioned my confidence level and believed my project would not be up to the high standards I

set for myself. Frankly, I had been dreading this aspect of the program since it had been

mentioned at orientation.

After dozens of pep talks, I convinced myself to make the best of the situation and

minimize my anxiety. Some of my fear was alleviated when I contacted Ms. Yerian and she was

enthusiastic in allowing me to present to her class. Her flexibility enabled me to design my own

facilitation as the class had no textbook and I would not be restricted to teaching according to a

chapter or her lesson plan.

I began researching Brain Based Learning weeks before I was scheduled to facilitate my

lesson to the class. The more I researched the more comfortable I became with the material,

which helped me gain confidence that would be needed to teach the basics of the theory to Ms.

Yerian’s class. While I was still nervous the day of my facilitation, I had practiced numerous

times and felt prepared. I met with Ms. Yerian briefly before the facilitation and she helped to

allay my fears. She told me that her class consisted of a great group of girls she really enjoyed

teaching. She prompted me to take a few deep breaths and assured me it was okay to be nervous.

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In fact, she said she would be more concerned if someone was not nervous leading into his or her

facilitation. The words she spoke helped flip a switch inside my body. For years I had dreaded

public speaking and loathed the nerves that presenting evoked in me. However, I decided to

finally embrace my nerves rather than fight them as I had done in the past. With fear and

nervousness comes adrenaline (University of Pittsburgh, 2007), and I tried to use that adrenaline

to my benefit. While I was not fully confident during my facilitation as previously mentioned, I

was certainly more confident and more at ease than I had been in past facilitations.

Presenting to a room of complete strangers was not as painful as I had imagined it would

be. In the future, I hope to become more relaxed in my presenting and facilitating. I was

impressed with myself after watching the tape of my facilitation, not because it was flawless in

any way, but that I had managed to do it and do it to the best of my ability. At one point during

my presentation, I even remember thinking to myself, “Wow, this is not nearly as bad as I had

imagined it would be.” Additionally, I need to focus on relaxing and enjoying the facilitation

process and to also smile occasionally. I recently read a tip that said you should avoid “thinking

your audience will be as critical of your performance as you might be” (The Ohio State

University Extension Office, 2010). I am my worst critic and if I want to be more comfortable in

presenting I have to learn to be less critical of myself. Throughout the facilitation, the audience

appeared to be interested in the material, which led me to believe my efforts were successful.

Overall, I learned that my most significant issues are related to my fears and worries, and the

only way I will conquer those fears and worries is through continued practice and facilitation of

periods of instruction.

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References

Bortfeld, H., Leon, S. D., Bloom, J. E., Schober, M. F., & Brennan, S. E. (2001). Disfluency

rates in conversation: Effects of age, relationship, topic, role, and gender. Language and

Speech, 44(2), 123-147.

Brooks, E. L., Harris, C. R., & Clayton, P. H. (2011). Deepening applied learning: An enhanced

case study approach using critical reflection. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher

Education, 2(1), 55-76.

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Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning.

Educational Researcher, 18, 32-42.

Bruner, J. S. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (1990). Understanding a brain-based approach to learning and

teaching. Educational Leadership, 48(2), 66-70.

Center for Disease Control. (2009). Writing SMART objectives. Evaluation Briefs, 3b, 1-2.

Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/evaluation/pdf/brief3b.pdf

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson

Education, Inc.

Gagné, R. M., & Medsker, K. L. (1996). The conditions of learning: Training applications.

Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Group.

Kaufman, E. K., Robinson, J. S., Bellah, K. A., Akers, C., Haase-Wittler, P., & Martindale, L.

(2008). Engaging students with brain-based learning. Techniques: Connecting Education

& Careers, 83(6), 50-55.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 37-396.

Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (1998). A cognitive theory of multimedia learning: Implications for

design principles. Retrieved from http://www.unm.edu/~moreno/

PDFS/chi.pdfno/PDFS/chi.pdf.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). Designing effective

instruction (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Piaget, J. (1951). Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. New York: Norton.

Pratt, C. B. (2003). The misuse of PowerPoint. Public Relations Quarterly, 48(2), 20-24.

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Sisco, B. R. (1991). Setting the climate for effective teaching and learning. New Directions for

Adult and Continuing Education, 1991(50), 41-50.

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive

Science, 12, 257-285.

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Encounters with the World of Work Toolkit. Retrieved from

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University of Pittsburgh. (2007). Speaking in the disciplines: Speech anxiety. Retrieved from

http://www.speaking.pitt.edu/student/public-speaking/speechanxiety.html

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Wayne State University. (2013). S.M.A.R.T. Objectives. Retrieved from

http://wayne.edu/hr/leads/phase1/smart-objectives.php

Wilson, L. (2005). Overview of brain-based education. Retrieved from

http://www4.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/brain/bboverview.htm

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Appendix ACase Study

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Appendix BPretest

Brain-Based Learning PRETEST

1. Brain-Based Learning combines teaching and learning styles with the findings from A. NeuroscienceB. SociologyC. StatisticsD. Zoology

2. There are ____ principles of Brain-Based Learning.A. 12B. 9C. 10D. 7

3. The brain can usually handle ______ units of information at a time.A. 1-4B. 9-12C. 3-7D. 13-16

4. Gardner’s study of _________________ contributed to the field of Brain-Based Learning.A. instructional designB. SWOTC. behaviorismD. multiple intelligences

5. The 3 types of memory are:A. short-term, medium-term, and long-termB. proximal, current, and distalC. sensory, distal, and storedD. sensory, working, and long-term

6. Items that we constantly have to memorize and rehearse belong toA. spatial memoryB. sensory memoryC. rote memoryD. false memory

7. Music can be useful in learning becauseA. tunes can encode learning contentB. tunes can relax learners

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C. tunes can energize a classroomD. all of the above

8. Bold or italicized text, different colors, and highlighting canA. distract learnersB. provide visual cuesC. complicate learningD. none of the above

9. Brain-Based Learning can help instructors toA. teach from one learning styleB. modify teaching methods to teach diverse learnersC. create safe yet challenging learning environmentsD. both B & C

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Appendix CMultiple Intelligence Inventory

A Simple Multiple Intelligence InventoryAs adapted from Eileen Buckley (n.d.)

 Put an “x” ( x ) next to those statements which basically are true about you. 

Linguistic Intelligence (Language, speaking, writing, etc.) 1.  ___ I love books.2.  ___ I can mentally hear words even before I speak or write them.3.  ___ I often enjoy radio, CDs, and recordings more than TV, movies, or plays.4.  ___ I like word games like Scrabble, Yahtzee, Anagrams, Crosswords, etc.5.  ___ I like to recite tongue twisters, silly rhymes, and puns.6.  ___ People often ask me to speak in common vernacular so they can understand me.7.  ___ English, and classes based on reading (like history) are generally easier for me than

math or science.8.  ___ I read the billboards on the highway more than I look at the scenery.9.  ___ I often talk about things I've read or heard (more than what I've seen, or done).10. __  I am proud of what I write.  Sometimes I get special recognition for my writing. SCORE: ____

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (LM), Math and Science 1. ___ I can easily compute numbers in my head.2. ___ Math and/or science are among my favorite school subjects.3. ___ I enjoy games and brainteasers that involve math.4. ___ I enjoy creating little "what if" experiments.  (e.g.                How much can I save if I skip buying dessert at lunch for a week?  What will happen

to my average if I score below a 90% on this test?)5. ___ My mind searches for and finds patterns, rules, or logical sequences in things.6. ___ I'm interested in new developments in science.7. ___ I believe that almost everything has a rational explanation.8. ___ I sometimes think in abstract concepts (rather than words or images).9. ___ I like finding logical flaws in things people say or do (this doesn't mean being negative).10. __ I feel I know something better when it has been               measured, categorized, analyzed or quantified in some way. SCORE___

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 Spatial Intelligence (Art, Design, etc.) 1.  ___ I often see clear visual images when I close my eyes.2.  ___ I am sensitive to color.3.  ___ I like to take pictures with a camera or camcorder.4.  ___ I like jigsaw puzzles, mazes, or other visual puzzles.5.  ___ I have vivid dreams at night.6.  ___ I can generally find my way around when I am in new places.7.  ___ I draw and doodle.8.  ___ I like geometry better than algebra.9.  ___ I can easily visualize a birds-eye view of a location.10.___ I prefer books and reading materials that have lots of illustrations. SCORE ___

 Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence   (dance, gymnastics, sports, etc.) 1. ___ I participate in at least one sport or physical activity on a regular basis.2. ___ I find it difficult to stay still for long periods of time.3. ___ I like to use my hands creatively at activities such as sewing, or carving, carpentry or model

building.4. ___ My best ideas often come to me when I am out for a long walk, jogging, working out, or

engaged in some other physical activities.5. ___ I often like to spend my free time outdoors.6. ___ I use hand gestures and body language when I talk to people.7. ___ I like to hold or touch things to learn more about them.8. ___ I like the daredevil rides (like roller coaster) at amusement parks, and other thrilling

experiences (like surfing, or mountain biking).9. ___ I am well coordinated.10. __ To learn a new skill I need to do it, rather than just hear about it or see it done. SCORE ___ 

 Musical Intelligence 1.  ___ I have a good singing voice.2.  ___ I can tell when a note is off-key or out of pitch.3.  ___ I listen to music a lot.4.  ___ My life would be much less happy without music.5.  ___ I often have a tune running through my mind.

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6.  ___ I can easily keep time with a song, tapping, playing a percussion instrument, etc.7.  ___ I know lots of melodies to songs or musical compositions.8.  ___ If I hear a song once or twice, I can usually play or sing most of the melody.9.  ___ I often make tapping sounds or sing or hum when I am studying or working.10. __  I play a musical instrument. SCORE: _____

 Interpersonal Intelligence  (political, leadership, public relations, etc.) 1. ___ People come to me for advice, or to tell me their worries.2. ___ I prefer group sports (like soccer or football) to solo sports (like jogging or swimming).3. ___ I seek out friends of professional help (teachers, counselors, etc.) to help me solve my

problems rather than trying to work it out by myself.4. ___ I have at least three close friends.5. ___ I prefer social games such as Monopoly or Magic over individual recreation like solitaire or

video games (when played alone).6. ___ I like to contribute ideas or projects in class, and I like to show others how to do things.7. ___ I am a leader.8. ___ I like being in a crowd.9. ___ I like to get involved with clubs and other social gatherings.10. __ I'd rather spend my evenings at a party or with                     friends than be at home by myself. SCORE: _____ 

 Intrapersonal Intelligence (Insightful, spiritual, sympathetic)  1.  ___ I like to meditate, pray, or just think about things2.  ___ I have received counseling or gone to groups to learn more about myself.3.  ___ I am able to handle setbacks.  I am resilient.4.  ___ I have a special hobby or interest that keeps me pretty much to myself.5.  ___ I have a clear idea of who I am and what my talents or weaknesses are.6.  ___ I have personal goals which I think about often.7.  ___ I am insightful and can sympathize or empathize with other people's feelings.8.  ___ I am strong willed and independent.9.  ___ I keep a diary or journal of my inner life (thoughts and feelings.)10. __  I prefer school assignments that allow me to choose what I want to do. SCORE: _____

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 Naturalistic Intelligence (a new addition to Gardener'sMultiple Intelligence Inventory) 1.  ___ I like to recycle things.2.  ___ I participate in or follow the news about a political activist group of some kind which

supports ecology and/or natural living.3.  ___ I enjoy programs and/or magazines that have to do with nature.4.  ___ I enjoy hiking and camping.5.  ___ I like New Age products and ideas.6.  ___ I feed the birds or plan my flower garden to attract butterflies.7.  ___ I am concerned about the depletion of the rain forest, the ozone layer, and pollution.8.  ___ I am fascinated by native cultures that teach that man is part of nature.9.  ___ I like vegetarian food because it is healthier.10. ___I support human rights, animal rights, and protecting trees. SCORE: ___ Please copy all of your scores below.

Linguistic ___________Logical   ___________Spatial    ___________Kinesthetic  _________Musical  ____________Interpersonal  _________Intrapersonal  _________Naturalistic   _________

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Appendix DCase Study

Brain-Based Learning: West Company Case Study

You are an instructional designer for West Company, a manufacturing company located in

Kearney, Nebraska. Your company produces pharmaceutical supplies for use in medical facilities

and specializes in producing syringes and IV materials. Recently your company partnered with a

manufacturing company in Spain and an employee exchange program is in the process of being

created. Select employees from your company will travel to Toledo, Spain for a four week program

to observe the Spanish manufacturing plant and help to implement programs that have proven

effective in the Nebraska plant.

The plant in Spain has indicated that few of their employees are fluent in English, so West

Company should send employees who are familiar with Spanish. The problem is that few of your

employees actually speak Spanish. The good news for you is that you (as the instructional designer)

are already fluent in Spanish and the exchange program is still in the planning process, so employees

will have one year to learn Spanish, or at least the key terminology related to the manufacturing

process and medical supplies. West Company is very dedicated to the new partnership and is willing

to teach Spanish to employees on site and during working hours.

As the instructional designer, what kinds of Brain-Based tenets, lessons, or activities could

you use to maximize the learning of Spanish for the employees? Keep in mind that your employees

are made up of a diverse group of people and most have never learned a foreign language although

some may have briefly studied Spanish in high school. Additionally, some within the group will have

advanced degrees, others have high school degrees. Note, there is a mix of employees who have

worked in manufacturing most of their lives and others who are fairly new to manufacturing; etc.

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Also, keep in mind that your learners may have different preferred learning styles. How might you

incorporate different Multiple Intelligences or learning styles in your teaching of Spanish?

Appendix EPosttest

Brain Based Learning Posttest

1. Brain-Based Learning combines teaching and learning styles with A. NeuroscienceB. SociologyC. StatisticsD. Zoology

2. There are ____ principles of Brain-Based Learning.A. 12B. 9C. 10D. 7

3. The brain can usually handle ______ units of information at a time.A. 1-4B. 9-12C. 3-7D. 13-16

4. Gardner’s study of _________________ contributed to the field of Brain-Based Learning.A. instructional designB. SWOTC. behaviorismD. multiple intelligences

5. The 3 types of memory are:A. short-term, medium-term, and long-termB. proximal, current, and distalC. sensory, distal, and storedD. sensory, working, and long-term

6. Items that we constantly have to memorize and rehearse belong toA. spatial memoryB. sensory memoryC. rote memoryD. false memory

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7. Music can be useful in learning becauseA. tunes can encode learning contentB. tunes can relax learnersC. tunes can energize a classroomD. all of the above

8. Bold or italicized text, different colors, and highlighting canA. distract learnersB. provide visual cuesC. complicate learningD. none of the above

9. Brain-Based Learning can help instructors toA. teach from one learning styleB. modify teaching methods to teach diverse learnersC. create safe yet challenging learning environmentsD. both B & C

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