January 24, 2013 Brain-Based Online Learning Design Abreena
Tompkins, instruction specialist at Surry Community College, has
developed a brain-based online course design model based on a
meta-analysis of more than 300 articles. In this study, she
distilled the following elements of brain-based course design: -
Low-risk, nonthreatening learning environment - Challenging,
real-life, authentic assessments - Rhythms, patterns, and cycles
- Appropriate chunking or grouping - Learning as orchestration
rather than lecture or facilitation - Appropriate level of
novelty - Appropriately timed breaks and learning periods -
Purposeful assessments - Learning that addresses visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic learners - Active processing with
mental models - The use of universal examples, analogies, and
parallel processing Tompkins offers the following succinct
definition of brain-based: “instructional strategies designed
for compatibility with the brain’s propensities for seeking,
processing, and organizing information.” To