Common Myths about Learning

There are many common myths floating around about teaching and learning. With the recent expansion in neuroscience and imaging, we now have hard evidence about how the brain learns that we didn't before. However, some beliefs in education continue to be quite popular even when research has shown they lack the evidence to support the claims (Howard-Jones, 2014; Toppo, 2019). These have been labeled as neuromyths. A neuromyth is a "misconception, misunderstanding, or misuse of information about the brain, which leads to false conclusions" (Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2011, p.186).

This article will present a few of the more common myths still very much alive and well in higher education.

Neuromyth 1:  Multitasking

The belief in multitasking has been around for a while, especially since we entered the digital age. During interviews with faculty and prospective student candidates, I remember that many would say their ability to multitask was a strength. But the truth is, from a neurobiology standpoint, the brain cannot focus on two tasks simultaneously. What it can do is brain shift. It can quickly move from concentrating on one thing to switching to focus on the other. But here's the thing. Neither item of focus gets one's full attention. Although there are some things where we can multitask, like reading a recipe while stirring a mixture in a bowl, when it comes to learning it requires higher brain functions related to focus and attention. Whether we want to believe it or not, we cannot concentrate on two things simultaneously. Think about how often you have tried to do something on your cell phone, like texting, while driving.

Our students are notorious for multitasking, primarily due to distractions from digital devices and because they think they can. They sit in class listening to a lecture or presentation as they check their e-mail, surf the web, text someone, etc. Unfortunately, this pseudo-multitasking actually compromises their learning. When they shift their attention and focus away from what is happening in class, they miss things – important things. Science supports this.

Several research studies looked specifically at the distracting effects related to learning when students multitask during class. These studies looked at distractions, including pages open on a laptop that were not associated with the course content, instant messaging, and phone texting during class. The results provide evidence of the negative effects of multitasking on student learning and performance (Barak, 2012; Bowman et al., 2010; Ellis et al., 2010; Kraushaar & Novak, 2010). In each of these studies, those students who engaged in multitasking during class were found to score or perform significantly lower on assignments, projects, and examinations in the course. More recently, studies have also documented the distracting effects of multitasking during studying. Students who use Facebook and text while studying had lower overall GPAs (Junco & Cotten, 2012; Saraswathi et al., 2015). In addition,

Multitasking also affects brain health. Because the brain is rapidly switching between tasks, it fatigues, which leads to a decreased ability to focus attention, making us less efficient, more distractible, and more likely to make mistakes (Davis, 2023). Research also suggests multitasking reduces comprehension, attention, and overall performance (Cherry, 2023; Jeong & Hwang, 2016).

So, when talking to your students about multitasking, here is what we know. We can't do it, not when we are trying to learn. It decreases productivity because it slows you down, makes you more distracted, interferes with executive brain functions responsible for the control and processing of cognitive processes, increases mistakes, and decreases performance, including academic performance.

Neuromyth 2: Learning Styles

I suspect a good many of you have heard about learning styles, probably from your days as a student. I even bet some of you know your "learning style," having done the VAK (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic) survey at some point. I am totally there with you. Many years ago, I was taught about learning styles during my undergraduate training in education and teaching. They made sense, and I proudly wore my "visual" learning style.

The persistence of learning styles and the fact that teaching to a student's preferred learning style will increase learning outcomes has been one of the more persistent neuromyths. A study found that 90% of teachers worldwide still believe in them (Kaufman, 2018).

Well, here's the thing. There is little to no evidence to support the theories of learning styles (Kaufman, 2018; Riener & Willingham, 2010; Rohrer & Pashler, 2012; Willingham et al., 2016). Thus, learning styles are neuromyths.  The basic premise behind the theory of learning styles is that people learn differently and learn best when instruction is tailored to their learning style (Willingham et al., 2016). Although the first part of the previous sentence is correct, people do learn in different ways, it is the second part of that sentence that lacks evidence. I would suspect many of you have heard something like this directly from your students – "I can't learn from that teacher. They don't teach to my learning style."

What is important here is the distinction between learning style and learning preference. We all have preferred ways to learn that can fall into the categories of visual or auditory. But a preference is just that, a preferred way to learn. However, in today's environment, our students must become adaptable and flexible learners because information is constantly coming at them in various formats, writing, video, audio, etc., and will not likely be tailored to their preferred style. So, they need to have the ability to adapt so they can continue to learn regardless of how the information is presented.

One way to address this with our students is to debunk the myth about learning styles right at the start of the program, emphasizing the importance of our commitment to not only help them become excellent PAs but also better learners, both of which will serve them in the future. It's fine for them to know their preference but not be locked into it. I encouraged them to explore, and when they hit a learning block due to a perceived "style-instruction" mismatch, I invited them to remember that learning styles are actually preferences and to work with their classmates and teachers for ideas and ways to learn differently. The benefit of this is that they will be able to learn regardless of how the information is presented.

Neuromyth 3: The Learning Pyramid

Interestingly enough, the concept of the learning pyramid emerged over 160 years ago but came more fully into education in the 1940s by Edgar Dale and then further developed and renamed by the National Training Laboratories Institute (NTL). The pyramid identifies seven learning methods and their effectiveness relative to knowledge retention (Lalley & Miller, 2007; Masters, 2013). By understanding this pyramid, it would help guide teachers regarding which methods to use to enhance retention.

I include this neuromyth because it is one of the commonly cited neuromyths that has driven much of the negative attitudes toward lectures. Based on the pyramid, lecturing to students has the lowest retention rate compared to other methods. However, there is significant evidence that the data from which this "learning pyramid" was built was not based on empirical information or evidence-based research, and the percentages assigned to the amount of learning regarding lectures lacked consistency and validation (Letrud & Hernes, 2018, Masters, 2013; Subramony et al., 2014; Thalheimer, 2015). In essence, this learning pyramid is invalid and should not be used to guide teaching methods. Lecture, while more passive on the continuum of passive to active learning, continues to be a valid and effective teaching method when used appropriately.

It is important as educators to be mindful of neuromyths and to ensure that the approaches we use to teach and support learning are solidly grounded in evidence-based research, just as we do in medicine.

References

Barak, L. (2012). Multitasking in the university classroom. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 6(2). Article 8. doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2012.060208

Bowman, L. L., Levine, L. E., Waite, B. M. and Dendron, M. (2010). Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading. Computers & Education, 54, 927-931.

Cherry, K. (2023). How multitasking affects productivity and brain health. Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003#citation-6

Davis, J. E. (2023). Multitasking and how it affects your brain health. Lifespan. https://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/multitasking-and-how-it-affects-your-brain-health

Ellis, Y., Daniels, W. and Jauregui, A. (2010). The effect of multitasking on the grade performance of business students. Research in Higher Education Journal, 8(1), 1-10.

Gorlick, A. (2009, August 24). Media multitaskers pay a mental price, Standard study shows. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2009/08/multitask-research-study-082409

Howard-Jones, P. (2014). Neuroscience and education: Myths and messages. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(12) 817-824. doi:10.1038/nrn3817

Jeong S-H, Hwang Y. Media multitasking effects on cognitive vs. attitudinal outcomes: A meta-analysis. Hum Commun Res. 2016;42(4):599-618. doi:10.1111/hcre.12089

Junco, R., & Cotton, S. R. (2012). No A 4 U: The relationship between multitasking and academic performance. Computers & Education, 59(2), 505–514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.12.023

Kaufman, S.B. (2018, December 8). Enough with the "Learning Styles" already. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/beautiful-minds/enough-with-the-learning-styles-already/

Kelleher, I., &  Whitman, G. (2020). Every educator needs to know how the brain learns. Unlocking the Secrets of the Learning Brain, ASCD Express, 15(18). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol15/num18/every-educator-needs-to-know-how-the-brain-learns.aspx

Kraushaar, J. M. and Novak, D. C. (2010). Examining the effects of student multitasking with laptops during lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(2), 241-251.

Lalley, J. P., & Miller, R. H. (2007). The learning pyramid: Does it point teachers in the right direction? Education, 128(1), 64-79.

Letrud, K., Hernes, S., & Boylan, M. (2018). Excavating the origins of the learning pyramid myths. Cogent Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2018.1518638

Masters, K. (2013). Edgar Dale's pyramid of learning in medical education: A literature review. Medical Teacher, 35(11). 1584-1593. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2013.80063

Newton, P. M. (2015, December 15). The learning styles myth is thriving in higher education. Frontiers in Psychology. 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01908

Riener, C., & Willingham, D. (2010). The myth of learning styles. Change, September/October 33-35. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cedar_Riener/publication/249039450_ The_Myth_of_Learning_Styles/links/0046353c694205e957000000.pdf

Rohrer, D., & Pashler, H. (2012). Learning styles: Where's the evidence? Medical Education, 46, 630-635. Retrieve from http://uweb.cas.usf.edu/~drohrer/pdfs/Rohrer&Pashler2012MedEd.pdf

Sarawathi, B., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K.S. (2015). Make it out time: In class multitaskers have lower academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior,  53, 63-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.027.

Subramony, D., Molenda, M., Betrus, A., & Thalheimer, W. (2014). The Mythical Retention Chart and the Corruption of Dale's Cone of Experience. Educational Technology, Nov/Dec 2014, 54(6), 6-16.

Thalheimer, W. (2015). Mythical retention data and the corrupted cone. Work-Learning Research. https://www.worklearning.com/2015/01/05/mythical-retention-data-the-corrupted-cone/

The Pyramid of Myth. (n.d.). The Effortful Educator: Applying cognitive psychology to the classroom. https://theeffortfuleducator.com/2017/11/29/the-pyramid-of-myth/

Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2011). Mind, brain, and education science: A comprehensive guide to the new brain-based teaching. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.

Toppo, G. (2019). Neuromyths or helpful model? Insider Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/09/learning-styles-debate-its-instructors-vs-psychologists

Willingham, D.T., Hughes, E. M., & Dobolyi, D. G. (2015). The scientific status of learning styles theories. Teaching in Psychology, 42(3), 266-271. Retrieved from https://career.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra 2771/f/Article%20UCSF%20SEJC%20January%202017.pdf