Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash
October 2024 -- The Appalachian Colleges Collaborating for Equity (ACCE) program continued its faculty professional development webinar series with a second Fall 2024 presentation. Faculty members across the consortium joined Dr. Chris Cain (Mars Hill) and Dr. Ben Van Dyke (Young Harris) to learn about neuromyths, which are commonly held misconceptions about the relationship between the brain and educational practices that negatively affect students’ learning.
When asked about his motivation to share his expertise with the ACA community, Cain, who serves as Professor of Education and the founding Director of the Center for Engaged Teaching & Learning at Mars Hill University, shared, “This is an area where misinformation can unintentionally hinder both teaching and learning, and I wanted to help educators understand how they can use solid neuroscience to inform their pedagogy. But by investing in evidence-based practices, educators not only improve outcomes but also foster more inclusive and adaptable classrooms. In an age where information is constantly evolving, professors have a responsibility to align our teaching with the best available science for all students.”
Van Dyke, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Faculty Director of the First-Year Experience at Young Harris College, elaborated, “Furthermore, neuromyths harm our profession by undermining our credibility. We need to do the hard work of examining our own assumptions and biases and then commit to never stop learning and growing, ourselves, so that we can apply the ever-evolving understanding of human learning and motivation to help our students reach their goals.”
Throughout the session, Van Dyke, also an engaged member of the ACCE Steering Committee, offered several intervention points when disrupting the pervasive prevalence of neuromyths in teaching. Since the October 18, 2024 presentation, Van Dyke has reflected upon how his own teaching development has involved the larger ACA community. “Having trusted colleagues who share what they are learning with me and who want to hear what I’m learning is incredibly valuable. Folks like Chris and other colleagues in the ACA have been incredibly helpful in challenging me and pushing me to develop my own pedagogy in ways that better serve my students’ needs. I also try to read recent research frequently and attend workshops like those offered by ACA and ACCE (One of my favorite professional development opportunities that has had a profound impact on my own teaching is the ACA’s summer Teaching & Leadership Institute!). Additionally, when something doesn’t seem to land well with my students, I try not to take it personally and seek out answers in the psychological literature that might provide insight as to how I can adapt to the needs of our evolving student population.” Van Dyke’s reflection concerning an evolving student population resonated with Carey Ruiz’s presentation “Pedagogy as A Two-Way Street.”
Teaching was prioritized as the theme for the Fall 2024 faculty webinar series by ACCE Senior Leaders. Beth Rushing, ACA President noted, “When curating a list of potential presenters, Drs. Cain and Van Dyke were quickly suggested; their expertise and passion for this subject was demonstrated first within the 2024 TLI Teaching and Learning track, where the pair presented a plenary session on the topic.” This professional development opportunity, provided by the ACCE program, was a continuation of this valued practice. “Given the teaching priorities of ACA institutions, such professional development opportunities for faculty are incredibly beneficial.”
Cain, who believes that educators cling to neuromyths not out of ignorance but because they seem intuitive or were a part of outdated professional development, noted, “Many [faculty] are eager to move beyond myths but don’t always know where to begin (for example: talking to folks in the psychology department). Their openness to learning and willingness to reconsider long-held beliefs was encouraging. It also reminded me that professional development must not only offer new knowledge but also practical steps for integrating that knowledge into everyday teaching.”
For those interested in “digging deeper” into this important teaching topic, Cain offered several suggestions. “I highly recommend resources like the book Make It Stick by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel, which offers accessible insights into learning science. The Learning Scientists’ website and their podcast are also excellent resources for evidence-based strategies. Additionally, educators should explore journals such as Cognition and Instruction and Educational Psychology Review for more in-depth research. As mentioned in the presentation, I also really like (and would recommend) John Hattie’s research and his book Visible Learning.”
A recording of Cain and Van Dyke’s presentation is available online. It’s not too late to register for the final webinar of the Fall 2024 semester, “Breathing is a Brain Massage: Tools for Compassionate Cognition,” which will be presented by Jonna Kwiatkowski, Professor of Psychology at Mars Hill University. The program's website will be updated soon with the Spring 2025 webinar opportunities.
OTHER NEWS
Upcoming ACCE Events
Department Chair Workshop
Improving Inclusive Teaching with Neuroscience
Breathing is a Brain Massage: Tools for Compassionate Cognition
