Dispelling Neuromyths: Discovering What We Think About Learning May Not Be True

Wednesday May 11^th from 11:00am-12:00pm

Does your job include training, leading classes, or hosting workshops? If so, then you are engaged in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, it is important to know what research tells us about how people learn in order to develop the best learning experiences for library users.

Unfortunately, many of us engage in the use of neuromyths. Neuromyths are ideas that people have about how the brain works that are false. Neuromyths are pervasive and can cause harm to learners. The presenter will share common neuromyths (i.e. learning styles) and then discuss what research actually tells us about how the brain learns.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Name neuromyths
• Describe harm done by neuromyths
• Identify alternative approaches to commonly applied neuromyths

Lauren Hays ~ Biography

Lauren Hays, Ph.D., M.L.S, is an assistant professor of instructional technology at the University of Central Missouri where she teaches courses on research, educational technology, and leadership. Previously, she was an instructional and research librarian at a small liberal-arts college. She is passionate about teaching and learning and the role librarians play in education. Her research interests include digital literacy, information literacy, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.