The internet and social media abound in fake news not just about life, health and politics but also about education and how people learn. Instructional designers, policy makers and, most importantly, educators would be well served when equipped with the awareness of how to detect fake news on how learning happens. Much time and money is being invested in capacity building and infrastructure for designing learning, influenced by pseudo-science. It is time to curb it.
Have you heard the following phrases?
- We use only 10% of our brain.
- Individuals learn better when they receive education in their preferred learning styles.
- A common sign of dyslexia is seeing letters backwards.
- Some of us are left-brained and some are right-brained, and this helps explain differences in learning.
- Listening to classical music increases children’s reasoning ability.
- Children have learning styles that are dominated by particular senses. If yes, welcome to the world of classic neuromyths. Neuromyths are misconceptions about education, broadly centred around the functioning of our brain and learning. Educators, practitioners and researchers around the world are battling with the neuromyth epidemic. In the last decade or so, neuromyths are being increasingly scrutinised by researchers
They have their roots in the oversimplification of research and a proliferation of non-expert opinion, which gives rise to misunderstanding. Disinformation has a tendency to blow out of proportion and be exploited by rent-seeking entities, who have mastered the art of making the untrue appear true.
Neuromyths must be nipped in the bud, no different from fake news in general. It is high time we stopped getting fooled by gimmicks by fancy schools or products that claim to help children learn better as they are tuned to the child’s learning style.
Get critical
- As a rule of thumb, anything on social media, advertisements and hearsay needs to be verified.
- Begin by searching Google Scholar about a recent assertion you may have heard of.
- Check the source of the material. Is it from a ‘.com’ site or has it been peer-reviewed?
- Double check the claim by reading counter opinions,
- Read the ‘About Us’ section of the website/source. Check the number of quotes the person has made.
- Take note of the background and expertise of the person sharing the information.
- Pay attention to style, tone and typos. Dramatic punctuation and flowery messages should raise questions about credibility.
- Finally, at school and policy level, engage in regular discussion groups with neuro-education scientists, and read scientific journals. This will help bridge the gap between research and practice, and enable one to critically question at an objective level.
The writer is a learning design professional.
